C.H.E. Det Optimisme, disiplin dan wawasan

Optimisme, disiplin dan wawasan. Tiga perkataan ini cukup untuk menggambarkan kualiti beliau. Optimisme – kepercayaan teguh beliau bahawa cita-cita yang diisi akan menatijahkan kejayaan, dan tanpa pengisian, cita-cita tersebut sekadar tinggal angan-angan. Disiplin – tunjang prinsip beliau bahawa usaha ke arah kecemerlangan menuntut sikap dan watak yang khusus, dan tanpa disiplin, kegagalan pasti menanti. Wawasan – pandangan jauh beliau bahawa kejayaan sebenar terletak kepada keupayaan untuk melestarikan pencapaian di atas garis masa yang panjang. 87 tahun usia yang bakal dilewati tanggal 20 Disember kelak, dan tiga kualiti ini – DISIPLIN, OPTIMISME dan WAWASAN terus segar mendasari penyandang keempat jawatan Perdana Menteri Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad

First evidence for a latitudinal body mass effect in extant Crocodylia and the relationships of their reproductive characters

Relationships between distribution patterns and body size have been documented in many endothermic taxa. However, the evidence for these trends in ectotherms generally is equivocal, and there have been no studies of effects in crocodylians specifically. Here, we examine the relationship between latitudinal distribution and body mass in 20 extant species of crocodylians, as well as the relationships between seven important reproductive variables. Using phylogenetically independent contrasts to inform generalized linear models, we provide the first evidence of a latitudinal effect on adult female body mass in crocodylians. In addition, we explore the relationships between reproductive variables including egg mass, hatchling mass and clutch size. We report no correlation between egg mass and clutch size, upholding previously reported within-species trends. We also find no evidence of a correlation between measures of latitudinal range and incubation temperature, contrasting with the trends found in turtles

Changes in Heart Rate and Its Regulation by the Autonomic Nervous System Do Not Differ Between Forced and Voluntary Exercise in Mice

Most exercise studies in mice have relied on forced training which can introduce psychological stress. Consequently, the utility of mouse models for understanding exercise-mediated effects in humans, particularly autonomic nervous system (ANS) remodeling, have been challenged. We compared the effects of voluntary free-wheel running vs. non-voluntary swimming on heart function in mice with a focus on the regulation of heart rate (HR) by the ANS. Under conditions where the total excess O2 consumption associated with exercise was comparable, the two exercise models led to similar improvements in ventricular function as well as comparable reductions in HR and its control by parasympathetic nervous activity (PNA) and sympathetic nervous activity (SNA), compared to sedentary mice. Both exercise models also increased HR variability (HRV) by similar amounts, independent of HR reductions. In all mice, HRV depended primarily on PNA, with SNA weakly affecting HRV at low frequencies. The differences in both HR and HRV between exercised vs. sedentary mice were eliminated by autonomic blockade, consistent with the similar intrinsic beating rates observed in atria isolated from exercised vs. sedentary mice. In conclusion, both forced and voluntary exercise induce comparable ventricular physiological remodeling as well as HR reductions and HR-independent enhancements of HRV which were both primarily dependent on increased PNA.New and noteworthy–No previous mouse studies have compared the effects of forced and voluntary exercise on the heart function and its modulation by the autonomic nervous system (ANS).–Both voluntary free-wheel running and forced swimming induced similar improvements in ventricular contractile function, reductions in heart rate (HR) and enhancements of HR variability (HRV).–HR regulation in exercised mice was linked to increased parasympathetic nerve activity and reduced sympathetic nerve activity.– HRV was independent of HR and depended primarily on PNA in both exercised and sedentary mice.– Complete cardiac autonomic blockade eliminated differences in both HR and HRV between exercised and sedentary mice

Delivering distribution system flexibility through micro-resilience

This study introduces the specific grid challenges faced at each of four micro-resilence sites and provides an overview of the innovative technical solutions deployed to improve grid flexibility, resilience and improve the distribution system operator customer experience. The sites were chosen due to their remote locations and reliance on a reliable electrical service due to dependent customers or lifesaving functions. Therefore, in addition to providing flexible grid services, when grid connected, there is also the opportunity to provide a reliable electrical supply to islanded pockets when there are high-voltage grid outages. The solution architecture and functions of technology such as the two-terminal power electronic devices (PEDs) and microgrid controller (MGC) are described. The combination of an energy storage system, distributed energy resources and PEDs will provide essential grid support functionality with co-ordination of devices, islanded status and data logging handled by a dedicated MGC. Also presented is the application of the Open Field Message Bus, open-standards communications framework for a field message bus, and a description of the specific interoperability use cases demonstrated within the project. This study provides valuable insights into a leading innovation project, delivered on operational networks to address practical customer issues through flexibility

PARP regulates nonhomologous end joining through retention of Ku at double-strand breaks

Poly ADP-ribosylation polymerases are necessary for recruitment and/or retention of Ku at double-strand breaks during nonhomologous end-joining DNA repair

Porous silicon bulk acoustic wave resonator with integrated transducer

We report that porous silicon acoustic Bragg reflectors and AlN-based transducers can be successfully combined and processed in a commercial solidly mounted resonator production line. The resulting device takes advantage of the unique acoustic properties of porous silicon in order to form a monolithically integrated bulk acoustic wave resonator

Embodied Gesture Processing: Motor-Based Integration of Perception and Action in Social Artificial Agents

A close coupling of perception and action processes is assumed to play an important role in basic capabilities of social interaction, such as guiding attention and observation of others’ behavior, coordinating the form and functions of behavior, or grounding the understanding of others’ behavior in one’s own experiences. In the attempt to endow artificial embodied agents with similar abilities, we present a probabilistic model for the integration of perception and generation of hand-arm gestures via a hierarchy of shared motor representations, allowing for combined bottom-up and top-down processing. Results from human-agent interactions are reported demonstrating the model’s performance in learning, observation, imitation, and generation of gestures

Regulation of human dUTPase gene expression and p53-mediated transcriptional repression in response to oxaliplatin-induced DNA damage

Deoxyuridine triphosphate nucleotidohydrolase (dUTPase) catalyzes the hydrolysis of dUTP to dUMP and PPi. Although dUTP is a normal intermediate in DNA synthesis, its accumulation and misincorporation into DNA is lethal. Importantly, uracil misincorporation is a mechanism of cytotoxicity induced by fluoropyrimidine chemotherapeutic agents including 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and elevated expression of dUTPase is negatively correlated with clinical response to 5-FU-therapy. In this study we performed the first functional characterization of the dUTPase promoter and demonstrate a role for E2F-1 and Sp1 in driving dUTPase expression. We establish a direct role for both mutant and wild-type forms of p53 in modulating dUTPase promoter activity. Treatment of HCT116 p53+/+ cells with the DNA-damaging agent oxaliplatin induced a p53-dependent transcriptional downregulation of dUTPase not observed in the isogenic null cell line. Oxaliplatin treatment induced enrichment of p53 at the dUTPase promoter with a concomitant reduction in Sp1. The suppression of dUTPase by oxaliplatin promoted increased levels of dUTP that was enhanced by subsequent addition of fluoropyrimidines. The novel observation that oxaliplatin downregulates dUTPase expression may provide a mechanistic basis contributing to the synergy observed between 5-FU and oxaliplatin in the clinic. Furthermore, these studies provide the first evidence of a direct transcriptional link between the essential enzyme dUTPase and the tumor suppressor p53

The optical spectroscopy of extraterrestrial molecules

The ongoing quest to identify molecules in the interstellar medium by their electronic spectra in the visible region is reviewed. Identification of molecular absorption is described in the context of the elucidation of the carriers of the unidentified diffuse interstellar bands while molecular emission is discussed with reference to the unidentified Red Rectangle bands. The experimental techniques employed in undertaking studies on the optical spectroscopy of extraterrestrial molecules are described and critiqued in the context of their application.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, Invited review Australian Journal of Chemistry, accepted for publicatio