29 research outputs found
Gangs and guilt: Towards a new theory of horror film
The most basic and unanimous statement made in scholarship on horror films is that horror films are ‘about’ fear: the primary purpose of horror films is to scare viewers. Based on horror films from the 1970s until the present in which child gangs play a significant part, this essay advances a new theory of horror film, namely that horror films primarily seek to elicit not fear but guilt. The analysis focuses on four topics: themes, camera angles, horror’s cinematic casting of ‘abnormality,’ and the rift, unique to the horror genre, between audience ‘alignment’ and ‘allegiance.
The anti-bacterial iron-restriction defence mechanisms of egg white; the potential role of three lipocalin-like proteins in resistance against Salmonella
Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) is the most frequently-detected Salmonella in foodborne outbreaks in the European Union. Among such outbreaks, egg and egg products were identified as the most common vehicles of infection. Possibly, the major antibacterial property of egg white is iron restriction, which results from the presence of the iron-binding protein, ovotransferrin. To circumvent iron restriction, SE synthesise catecholate siderophores (i.e. enterobactin and salmochelin) that can chelate iron from host iron-binding proteins. Here, we highlight the role of lipocalin-like proteins found in egg white that could enhance egg-white iron restriction through sequestration of certain siderophores, including enterobactin. Indeed, it is now apparent that the egg-white lipocalin, Ex-FABP, can inhibit bacterial growth via its siderophore-binding capacity in vitro. However, it remains unclear whether ex-FABP performs such a function in egg white or during bird infection. Regarding the two other lipocalins of egg white (Cal-γ and α-1-glycoprotein), there is currently no evidence to indicate that they sequester siderophores
An everlasting pioneer: the story of Antirrhinum research
Despite the tremendous success of
Arabidopsis thaliana, no single model can
represent the vast range of form that is
seen in the ~250,000 existing species of
flowering plants (angiosperms). Here,
we consider the history and future of an
alternative angiosperm model — the
snapdragon Antirrhinum majus. We ask
what made Antirrhinum attractive to the
earliest students of variation and
inheritance, and how its use led to
landmark advances in plant genetics and
to our present understanding of plant
development. Finally, we show how the
wide diversity of Antirrhinum species,
combined with classical and molecular
genetics — the two traditional strengths
of Antirrhinum — provide an opportunity
for developmental, evolutionary and
ecological approaches. These factors
make A. majus an ideal comparative
angiosperm
Transcriptome response of high- and low-light-adapted Prochlorococcus strains to changing iron availability
Prochlorococcus contributes significantly to ocean primary productivity. The link
between primary productivity and iron in specific ocean regions is well established
and iron-limitation of Prochlorococcus cell division rates in these regions has been
demonstrated. However, the extent of ecotypic variation in iron metabolism among
Prochlorococcus and the molecular basis for differences is not understood. Here, we
examine the growth and transcriptional response of Prochlorococcus strains, MED4
and MIT9313, to changing iron concentrations. During steady-state, MIT9313
sustains growth at an order-of-magnitude lower iron concentration than MED4. To
explore this difference, we measured the whole-genome transcriptional response of
each strain to abrupt iron starvation and rescue. Only four of the 1159 orthologs of
MED4 and MIT9313 were differentially-expressed in response to iron in both strains.
However, in each strain, the expression of over a hundred additional genes changed,
many of which are in labile genomic regions, suggesting a role for lateral gene
transfer in establishing diversity of iron metabolism among Prochlorococcus.
Furthermore, we found that MED4 lacks three genes near the iron-deficiency induced
gene (idiA) that are present and induced by iron stress in MIT9313. These genes are
interesting targets for studying the adaptation of natural Prochlorococcus assemblages
to local iron conditions as they show more diversity than other genomic regions in
environmental metagenomic databases.Gordon and Betty Moore FoundationNational Science Foundation (U.S.) (Biological Oceanography)United States. Office of Naval Research (ONR Young Investigator Award)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Chemical Oceanography)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Environmental Genomics grants