58 research outputs found
CHD6 (chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 6)
CHD6 is a chromatin remodeling protein characterized to play a role in transcriptional repression of genes and viruses. It occurs in a nuclear location as a component of a larger complex which associates with RNA Pol II. Mutations in CHD6 are associated with motor coordination defects, and development of cancers following substitutions and translocations
Differential sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor-1 protein expression in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex between schizophrenia Type 1 and Type 2
Understanding the etiology and treatment approaches in schizophrenia is challenged in part by the heterogeneity of this disorder. One encouraging progress is the growing evidence that there are subtypes of schizophrenia. Recen
Misuse made plain: Evaluating concerns about neuroscience in national security
In this open peer commentary, we categorize the possible “neuroscience in national security” definitions of misuse of science and identify which, if any, are uniquely presented by advances in neuroscience. To define misuse, we first define what we would consider appropriate use: the application of reasonably safe and effective technology, based on valid and reliable scientific research, to serve a legitimate end. This definition presents distinct opportunities for assessing misuse: misuse is the application of invalid or unreliable science, or is the use of reliable scientific methods to serve illegitimate ends. Ultimately, we conclude that while national security is often a politicized issue, assessing the state of scientific progress should not be
Alpha-synuclein (SNCA) polymorphisms exert protective effects on memory after mild traumatic brain injury
Problems with attention and short-term learning and memory are commonly reported after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Due to the known relationships between α-synuclein (SNCA), dopaminergic transmission, and neurologic deficits, we hypothesized that SNCA polymorphisms might be associated with cognitive outcome after mTBI. A cohort of 91 mTBI patients one month after injury and 86 healthy controls completed a series of cognitive tests assessing baseline intellectual function, attentional function, and memory, and was genotyped at 13 common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the SNCA gene. Significant differences in two memory measures (p = 0.001 and 0.002), but not baseline intellectual function or attentional function tasks, were found between the mTBI group and controls. A highly significant protective association between memory performance and SNCA promoter SNP rs1372525 was observed in the mTBI patients (p = 0.006 and 0.029 for the long and short delay conditions of the California Verbal Learning Tests, respectively), where the presence of at least one copy of the A (minor) allele was protective after mTBI. These results may help elucidate the pathophysiology of cognitive alterations after mTBI, and thus warrant further investigation
Intrinsic galaxy shapes and alignments I: Measuring and modelling COSMOS intrinsic galaxy ellipticities
The statistical properties of the ellipticities of galaxy images depend on
how galaxies form and evolve, and therefore constrain models of galaxy
morphology, which are key to the removal of the intrinsic alignment
contamination of cosmological weak lensing surveys, as well as to the
calibration of weak lensing shape measurements. We construct such models based
on the halo properties of the Millennium Simulation and confront them with a
sample of 90,000 galaxies from the COSMOS Survey, covering three decades in
luminosity and redshifts out to z=2. The ellipticity measurements are corrected
for effects of point spread function smearing, spurious image distortions, and
measurement noise. Dividing galaxies into early, late, and irregular types, we
find that early-type galaxies have up to a factor of two lower intrinsic
ellipticity dispersion than late-type galaxies. None of the samples shows
evidence for redshift evolution, while the ellipticity dispersion for late-type
galaxies scales strongly with absolute magnitude at the bright end. The
simulation-based models reproduce the main characteristics of the intrinsic
ellipticity distributions although which model fares best depends on the
selection criteria of the galaxy sample. We observe fewer close-to-circular
late-type galaxy images in COSMOS than expected for a sample of randomly
oriented circular thick disks and discuss possible explanations for this
deficit.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures; updated simulations and galaxy sample
definition, more galaxy samples analysed; matches version published in MNRA
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The SERVICE Framework: A Public-service-dominant Approach to Sustainable Public Services
In this paper we argue that the new public management has been a flawed paradigm for public services delivery that has produced very internally efficient but externally ineffective public service organizations. Subsequently we develop the SERVICE framework for sustainable public services and public service organizations. This framework is rooted within the public‐service‐dominant business logic and emphasizes the need for a focus on external value creation rather than internal efficiency alone
Deletion of the Chd6 exon 12 affects motor coordination
Members of the CHD protein family play key roles in gene regulation through ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling. This is facilitated by chromodomains that bind histone tails, and by the SWI2/SNF2-like ATPase/helicase domain that remodels chromatin by moving histones. Chd6 is ubiquitously expressed in both mouse and human, with the highest levels of expression in the brain. The Chd6 gene contains 37 exons, of which exons 12-19 encode the highly conserved ATPase domain. To determine the biological role of Chd6, we generated mouse lines with a deletion of exon 12. Chd6 without exon 12 is expressed at normal levels in mice, and Chd6 Exon 12 −/− mice are viable, fertile, and exhibit no obvious morphological or pathological phenotype. Chd6 Exon 12 −/− mice lack coordination as revealed by sensorimotor analysis. Further behavioral testing revealed that the coordination impairment was not due to muscle weakness or bradykinesia. Histological analysis of brain morphology revealed no differences between Chd6 Exon 12 −/− mice and wild-type (WT) controls. The location of CHD6 on human chromosome 20q12 is overlapped by the linkage map regions of several human ataxias, including autosomal recessive infantile cerebellar ataxia (SCAR6), a nonprogressive cerebrospinal ataxia. The genomic location, expression pattern, and ataxic phenotype of Chd6 Exon 12 −/− mice indicate that mutations within CHD6 may be responsible for one of these ataxias
Satisfação e situação profissional: um estudo com professores nos primeiros anos de carreira
O ingresso em uma profissão e as motivações para a sua escolha, os primeiros anos de carreira e o estatuto da profissão, em especial a docente, têm sido objeto de diversas investigações. Porém, tanto no caso português como no âmbito internacional, a inserção profissional dos professores tem sido negligenciada pelas pesquisas acadêmicas. Assim sendo, neste artigo, propomo-nos a contribuir com o conhecimento do processo de inserção profissional dos docentes de ensino básico e secundário, por meio da análise do grau de satisfação na profissão, dos aspectos mais e menos valorizados no trabalho, bem como da situação profissional em dois períodos, após um ano e depois de cinco anos de conclusão da licenciatura. Consideramos os licenciados em educação em comparação com todos os licenciados das universidades de Lisboa e Nova de Lisboa. Os dados apresentados permitem constatar que, nas dimensões estudadas, não existem diferenças significativas entre os licenciados com relação aos aspectos analisados. Das particularidades do grupo de licenciados em educação que participaram da pesquisa, destacamos: a ligeira saliência que assumem os aspectos altruístas; uma satisfação com a profissão ligeiramente maior; uma tendência à precarização dos vínculos contratuais e uma disposição para auferir em média rendimentos ligeiramente inferiores. Como considerações finais deste artigo, destacamos a necessidade de aprofundamento no estudo do modo como as condições de exercício da profissão influenciam o desenvolvimento dos professores em fase de inserção profissional. Além disso, salientamos a pertinência de que melhores formas de apoiar aprendizagem profissional sejam exploradas, bem como a construção da identidade profissional dos professores em início de carreira
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