Incest in the 1990s: reading Anais Nin's 'Father Story'

In the summer of 1933, diarist, author and critic Anaïs Nin joined her father for a short vacation in France. Nin wrote about the trip in her diary afterwards, referring to it as the ‘Father Story.’ In the story, she details how, aged 30, she embarked upon an affair with her father which would last for several months. Rather than displaying the signs of trauma that we have come to expect from the incest narrative such as dissociation, blame and recrimination, the ‘Father Story’ is more ambiguous in its tone. Part-tribute to the father, part-seduction narrative, part-confession, this is a story that resists categorisation – a resistance that has ethical, critical and formal ramifications for our reading of incest narratives. Upon its publication in the early 1990s, critics responded to the ‘Father Story’ as fantastical, excessive and vulgar. These responses form part of a wider American father story during this period; a story about memory, therapy culture, family values and the concealed rules of testimony. This article reads Anaïs Nin’s narrative as a text which raises fundamental questions about why certain father (and daughter) stories are culturally acceptable and others are not

Hemocyte siRNA uptake is increased by 5' cholesterol-TEG addition in Biomphalaria glabrata, snail vector of schistosome.

Biomphalaria glabrata is one of the snail intermediate hosts of Schistosoma mansoni, the causative agent of intestinal schistosomiasis disease. Numerous molecular studies using comparative approaches between susceptible and resistant snails to S. mansoni infection have helped identify numerous snail key candidates supporting such susceptible/resistant status. The functional approach using RNA interference (RNAi) remains crucial to validate the function of such candidates. CRISPR-Cas systems are still under development in many laboratories, and RNA interference remains the best tool to study B. glabrata snail genetics. Herein, we describe the use of modified small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules to enhance cell delivery, especially into hemocytes, the snail immune cells. Modification of siRNA with 5' Cholesteryl TriEthylene Glycol (Chol-TEG) promotes cellular uptake by hemocytes, nearly eightfold over that of unmodified siRNA. FACS analysis reveals that more than 50% of hemocytes have internalized Chol-TEG siRNA conjugated to Cy3 fluorophores, 2 hours only after in vivo injection into snails. Chol-TEG siRNA targeting BgTEP1 (ThioEster-containing Protein), a parasite binding protein, reduced BgTEP1 transcript expression by 70-80% compared to control. The level of BgTEP1 protein secreted in the hemolymph was also decreased. However, despite the BgTEP1 knock-down at both RNA and protein levels, snail compatibility with its sympatric parasite is not affected suggesting functional redundancy among the BgTEP genes family in snail-schistosoma interaction

Migration: an economic and social analysis.

This study represents a major attempt to identify the overall economic and social outcomes of migration policy in the UK, both in theory and in practice. The evidence indicates that, whilst migrants constitute a very diverse set of people with different characteristics contributing in different ways to the UK economy and society, overall migration has the potential to deliver significant economic benefits. It also makes clear that the issues are complex, and the data incomplete. One of the primary purposes of producing this research study is to encourage debate and further serious research on how migration policy might be further developed in order to achieve the Government’s objective, to maximise the benefits of migration. This document has been prepared by the Home Office Economics and Resource Analysis Unit with assistance from the Performance and Innovation Unit in the Cabinet Office. It attempts to look at migration in the round: beginning with theory and background trends, proceeding to a discussion of the current policy framework in the context of the Government’s high level objectives, and examining the economic and social outcomes which current policy delivers and their contribution to those objectives. It concludes with suggestions for further research and analysis that will help to underpin future policy development in this area. This study is for discussion purposes only and does not constitute a statement of Government policy. In particular, this study is intended to be the start of a process of further research and debate – by identifying both what we know from existing data sources and analysis, and where further analysis is required. The impetus for this work came from a view that policy-oriented research and analysis about migration had not kept up with developments. This omission is particularly visible and important in the context of the debate about globalisation. While migration is an integral part of globalisation, many discussions of globalisation focus exclusively on trade, investment and capital flows, and ignore the movement of people. A good framework exists, both theoretical and policy-oriented, for thinking about globalisation when it comes to trade and capital flows. That framework recognises that globalisation is both inevitable – the UK cannot shut itself off from the rest of the world – and desirable – there are significant economic gains to be had. But it also recognises that a purely laissez-faire attitude would also be a mistake. Globalisation must be managed to maximise its helpful effects and to mitigate its downsides. To do that, Government needs to take an active and progressive role – not least in explaining the globalisation process, why it is happening, why it is beneficial and what Government is doing to manage it. However, that framework is not yet in place when it comes to migration. This report aims to help remedy that deficiency in the UK context, by providing an analytical framework for policy thinking on this topic. The analysis in this study is based on data and research on the UK’s current migrant population. Projections based on the current population are necessarily tentative, as future migrants may not be the same as those who are currently in the UK (and we know relatively little about the migrants who are currently here). This study is not intended to be a definitive statement on UK migration. Rather it attempts to identify what we know from existing data sources and analysis, and to outline areas where further analysis is required. In this way, this study aims to be the start of a process of further research and debate. There is a real need for more research in this area – indeed, it is striking how little research on migration there has been in the UK

Retaining individualities: the photodynamics of self-ordering porphyrin assemblies

The retention of photochemical properties of individual chromophores is a key feature of biological light harvesting complexes. This is achieved despite extensive aggregation of the chromophores, which in synthetic chromophore assemblies often yields a change in spectral characteristics. As an alternative approach towards mimicking biological light harvesting complexes, we report the synthesis of porphyrin assemblies which retained the photochemical properties of the individual chromophore units despite their substantial aggregation. These new materials highlight a new bottom-up approach towards the design and understanding of more complex biomimetic and naturally occurring biological systems

Experimental Infection of the Biomphalaria glabrata Vector Snail by Schistosoma mansoni Parasites Drives Snail Microbiota Dysbiosis.

Host-parasite interaction can result in a strong alteration of the host-associated microbiota. This dysbiosis can affect the fitness of the host; can modify pathogen interaction and the outcome of diseases. Biomphalaria glabrata is the snail intermediate host of the trematode Schistosoma mansoni, the agent of human schistosomiasis, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths every year. Here, we present the first study of the snail bacterial microbiota in response to Schistosoma infection. We examined the interplay between B. glabrata, S. mansoni and host microbiota. Snails were infected and the microbiota composition was analysed by 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing approach. We demonstrated that the microbial composition of water did not affect the microbiota composition. Then, we characterised the Biomphalaria bacterial microbiota at the individual scale in both naive and infected snails. Sympatric and allopatric strains of parasites were used for infections and re-infections to analyse the modification or dysbiosis of snail microbiota in different host-parasite co-evolutionary contexts. Concomitantly, using RNAseq, we investigated the link between bacterial microbiota dysbiosis and snail anti-microbial peptide immune response. This work paves the way for a better understanding of snail/schistosome interaction and should have critical consequences in terms of snail control strategies for fighting schistosomiasis disease in the field

CTX-M-33 Is a CTX-M-15 derivative conferring reduced susceptibility to carbapenems

CTX-M-type extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) are widespread among Enterobacterales strains worldwide. The most common variant is CTX-M-15, which hydrolyzes ceftazidime at a high rate but spares carbapenems. Here, we identified CTX-M-33, a point mutation derivative of CTX-M-15 (Asp to Ser substitution at Ambler position 109) that exhibited low carbapenemase activity. β-Lactamase CTX-M-33 was identified in a Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate, belonging to sequence type 405 and lacking the outer membrane protein OmpK36, that was resistant to broad-spectrum cephalosporins and β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations and displayed decreased susceptibility to carbapenems. Comparative hydrolytic activity assays showed that CTX-M-33 hydrolyzed ceftazidime at a lower level than CTX-M-15 but significantly hydrolyzed meropenem. In addition, CTX-M-33 showed higher mutant prevention concentration values and a wider mutant selection window in the presence of meropenem, in accordance with its observed hydrolytic properties. Here, we identified the very first CTX-M enzyme possessing weak carbapenemase activity, which may correspond to an emerging phenomenon, considering its possible evolution from the widespread ESBL CTX-M-15

Retaining individualities : the photodynamics of self-ordering porphyrin assemblies

YesThe retention of photochemical properties of individual chromophores is a key feature of biological light harvesting complexes. This is achieved despite extensive aggregation of the chromophores, which in synthetic chromophore assemblies often yields a change in spectral characteristics. As an alternative approach towards mimicking biological light harvesting complexes, we report the synthesis of porphyrin assemblies which retained the photochemical properties of the individual chromophore units despite their substantial aggregation. These new materials highlight a new bottom-up approach towards the design and understanding of more complex biomimetic and naturally occurring biological systems.Seventh Framework Programme (European Commission) (FP7), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Royal Society (Great Britain

Kidney allograft rejection is associated with an imbalance of B cells, regulatory T cells and differentiated CD28-CD8+ T cells: analysis of a cohort of 1095 graft biopsies

IntroductionThe human immune system contains cells with either effector/memory or regulatory functions. Besides the well-established CD4+CD25hiCD127lo regulatory T cells (Tregs), we and others have shown that B cells can also have regulatory functions since their frequency and number are increased in kidney graft tolerance and B cell depletion as induction therapy may lead to acute rejection. On the other hand, we have shown that CD28-CD8+ T cells represent a subpopulation with potent effector/memory functions. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that kidney allograft rejection may be linked to an imbalance of effector/memory and regulatory immune cells.MethodsBased on a large cohort of more than 1000 kidney graft biopsies with concomitant peripheral blood lymphocyte phenotyping, we investigated the association between kidney graft rejection and the percentage and absolute number of circulating B cells, Tregs, as well as the ratio of B cells to CD28-CD8+ T cells and the ratio of CD28-CD8+ T cells to Tregs. Kidney graft biopsies were interpreted according to the Banff classification and divided into 5 biopsies groups: 1) normal/subnormal, 2) interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy grade 2/3 (IFTA), 3) antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR), 4) T cell mediated-rejection (TCMR), and 5) borderline rejection. We compared group 1 with the other groups as well as with a combined group 3, 4, and 5 (rejection of all types) using multivariable linear mixed models.Results and discussionWe found that compared to normal/subnormal biopsies, rejection of all types was marginally associated with a decrease in the percentage of circulating B cells (p=0.06) and significantly associated with an increase in the ratio of CD28-CD8+ T cells to Tregs (p=0.01). Moreover, ABMR, TCMR (p=0.007), and rejection of all types (p=0.0003) were significantly associated with a decrease in the ratio of B cells to CD28-CD8+ T cells compared to normal/subnormal biopsies. Taken together, our results show that kidney allograft rejection is associated with an imbalance between immune cells with effector/memory functions and those with regulatory properties