The Beagle landing site in Isidis Planitia

The Mars probe Beagle 2 will land in Isidis Planitia. This region satisfies the engineering constraints and has evidence for particularly volatile-rich subsoil. Isidis provides a suitable place for the lander to search for H2O and organic matter

BlindBuilder : a new encoding to evolve Lego-like structures

This paper introduces a new representation for assemblies of small Lego-like elements: structures are indirectly encoded as construction plans. This representation shows some interesting properties such as hierarchy, modularity and easy constructibility checking by definition. Together with this representation, efficient GP operators are introduced that allow efficient and fast evolution, as witnessed by the results on two construction problems that demonstrate that the proposed approach is able to achieve both compactness and reusability of evolved components

To understand the experiences of autistic counsellors: a United Kingdom phenomenological study

Aim:- The study was designed to explore the experiences of autistic counsellors living and working in the United Kingdom (UK). The research question was split into four aims: exploring presenting differences, strategies and modalities preferences, challenges and barriers, and training and support needs. Method:- Seven autistic counsellors, either self-identified or diagnosed, completed semi-structured questionnaires. Patterns and themes were then extracted from the data using a thematic analysis procedure. Findings:- The data analysis identified four themes: the practical differences of working as an autistic counsellor, working with a similar neurotype, understanding and accommodation within the counselling profession, and representation. Conclusion:- Participants felt that being autistic brings unique strengths to the counselling process, and it was identified that while they have been trained to work with allistic (non-autistic) clients, they found strength in supporting and being supported by those of a similar neurotype. Participants challenged the deficit depiction of autism and, subsequently, the lack of recognition, understanding, accommodation and representation of autistic counsellors within the profession. The participants called for a change in training, within professional bodies, counselling organisations, workplaces and colleagues. Recommendations:- Counselling training needs to include autistic trainers, represent and accommodate autistic trainees, as well as support the needs of autistic clients. Counselling bodies need to create safe spaces for autistic counsellors, including the ability to advertise within directories and support the endorsement of neurological differences as strengths. These spaces need to challenge the archaic beliefs around autism through lived experience and the hiring of autistic professionals. Inclusivity should be encouraged within organisations and workplaces, consequently filtering to allistic colleagues

Quasi-continuous magnets

The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory is completing a quasi-continuous magnet which will sustain a constant field of 60 T for 100 ms in a 32-mm 77 K bore. This magnet consists of 9 mechanically independent, nested, liquid nitrogen-cooled coils which are individually reinforced by high-strength stainless steel outer shells. The coils were wound from rectangular large cross-section, high-strength, high-conductivity copper conductor insulated wtih polyimide and fiberglass tapes. After winding, the coils were inserted into closely fitted, stainless steel reinforcing shells and impregnated with epoxy resin. Design, analysis, material, fabrication and operational issues for this class of magnets are reviewed. Fabrication and quality assurance testing of the 60 T coil set are covered in detail. Future growth of and possible links from this technology to other magnet systems are discussed. Needed improvements in design, analysis, materials, and fabrication are outlined

Higher-Order Assembly of BRCC36-KIAA0157 Is Required for DUB Activity and Biological Function

BRCC36 is a Zn²⁺-dependent deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) that hydrolyzes lysine-63-linked ubiquitin chains as part of distinct macromolecular complexes that participate in either interferon signaling or DNA-damage recognition. The MPN⁺ domain protein BRCC36 associates with pseudo DUB MPN⁻ proteins KIAA0157 or Abraxas, which are essential for BRCC36 enzymatic activity. To understand the basis for BRCC36 regulation, we have solved the structure of an active BRCC36-KIAA0157 heterodimer and an inactive BRCC36 homodimer. Structural and functional characterizations show how BRCC36 is switched to an active conformation by contacts with KIAA0157. Higher-order association of BRCC36 and KIAA0157 into a dimer of heterodimers (super dimers) was required for DUB activity and interaction with targeting proteins SHMT2 and RAP80. These data provide an explanation of how an inactive pseudo DUB allosterically activates a cognate DUB partner and implicates super dimerization as a new regulatory mechanism underlying BRCC36 DUB activity, subcellular localization, and biological function

The uses and abuses of power: teaching school leadership through children's literature

There are relatively few studies of how representations of teachers, schools and educational administrators in popular films and television might be, and are, used in leadership preparation. This paper seeks to add to this small body of work; it reports on an exploratory study of the representation of headteachers in contemporary children's fiction. Thirty-one texts are analysed to ascertain key themes and the major characterisations. The paper draws on children's literature scholars to argue that both the historical school story and its contemporary counterpart focus heavily on the power of the head to control the micro-world of the school. Because these fictional accounts deal with issues of power and justice more openly than many mainstream educational administration texts, this makes them particularly useful in the preparation of potential school leaders

A Generic Agent Organisation Framework For Autonomic Systems

Autonomic computing is being advocated as a tool for managing large, complex computing systems. Specifically, self-organisation provides a suitable approach for developing such autonomic systems by incorporating self-management and adaptation properties into large-scale distributed systems. To aid in this development, this paper details a generic problem-solving agent organisation framework that can act as a modelling and simulation platform for autonomic systems. Our framework describes a set of service-providing agents accomplishing tasks through social interactions in dynamically changing organisations. We particularly focus on the organisational structure as it can be used as the basis for the design, development and evaluation of generic algorithms for self-organisation and other approaches towards autonomic systems

TOP BP1(Dpb11) plays a conserved role in homologous recombination DNA repair through the coordinated recruitment of 53BP1(Rad9)

Genome maintenance and cancer suppression require homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair. In yeast and mammals, the scaffold protein TOPBP1Dpb11 has been implicated in HR, although its precise function and mechanism of action remain elusive. In this study, we show that yeast Dpb11 plays an antagonistic role in recombination control through regulated protein interactions. Dpb11 mediates opposing roles in DNA end resection by coordinating both the stabilization and exclusion of Rad9 from DNA lesions. The Mec1 kinase promotes the pro-resection function of Dpb11 by mediating its interaction with the Slx4 scaffold. Human TOPBP1Dpb11 engages in interactions with the anti-resection factor 53BP1 and the pro-resection factor BRCA1, suggesting that TOPBP1 also mediates opposing functions in HR control. Hyperstabilization of the 53BP1-TOPBP1 interaction enhances the recruitment of 53BP1 to nuclear foci in the S phase, resulting in impaired HR and the accumulation of chromosomal aberrations. Our results support a model in which TOPBP1Dpb11 plays a conserved role in mediating a phosphoregulated circuitry for the control of recombinational DNA repair

Saporin-conjugated tetramers identify efficacious anti-HIV CD8+ T-cell specificities

Antigen-specific T-cells are highly variable, spanning potent antiviral efficacy and damaging auto-reactivity. In virus infections, identifying the most efficacious responses is critical to vaccine design. However, current methods depend on indirect measures or on ex vivo expanded CTL clones. We here describe a novel application of cytotoxic saporin-conjugated tetramers to kill antigen-specific T-cells without significant off-target effects. The relative efficacy of distinct antiviral CD8+ T-cell specificity can be directly assessed via antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell depletion. The utility of these reagents is demonstrated here in identifying the CD8+ T-cell specificity most effective in preventing HIV progression in HIV-infected HLA-B*27-positive immune controllers