Methods of Protein Characterization

AppA is a protein in Rhodobacter sphaeroides that has been the topic of debate among scientists for the past several years with regards to the structure of the protein. It has been known that AppA has an effect on the activity of PpsR, which controls the gene expression of photosystems. There are two conflicting experimental structures (2IYG and 1YRX) of the protein, both of which claim to be taken in the dark phase (meaning when there is no light shining on the protein). The debate is about whether some slight differences in the structures represent the shift from the dark state to the light-induced state. It is known that in the light state, AppA releases PpsR and undergoes a dimerization event with itself. We observed the interactions within an experimental structure of the AppA dimer and compared them to the 2IYG and 1YRX structures. Most scientists have focused on the positioning of Trp104 to explain the functional changes of AppA upon light excitation, but our analysis of experimental structures suggests that the dimerization could play a larger role in the functional mechanism of AppA

Developing Formulas for Quick Calculation of Polyhedron Volume in Spatial Geometry: Application to Vietnam

In the age of globalization, an effective leadership skill is the ability for quick calculation of work-related problems. From an economic perspective, fast computation often provides a competitive advantage in business, where speed, efficiency and accuracy are required. Quick calculation techniques are a central problem in modern mathematics because it shortens the time for solving technical problems. The purpose of the paper is to provide an explanation that will lead to a quick solution to a volume problem. Specifically, some convenient formulas are provided for quick calculation of the volume of the common polyhedron, together with a number of multiple-choice questions with IATA software to practice. Based on the evaluation results, reliable multiple-choice questions are used for an empirical study in Can Tho City, Vietnam on the effectiveness of the formulas for quick calculation of the polyhedron volume in spatial geometry. Statistical analysis shows that quick formulas help students to complete lessons at a higher rate, thereby contributing to improvements in the effectiveness of teaching geometry, especially the volume of the Polyhedron

Studi Volume Lalu Lintas di Jalan Raya Narogong Cileungsi, Kabupaten Bogor, Periode Agustus 2011

Survey of traffic volume is one of the simplest methods to obtain traffic data in order to better understand optimalisation andefficiency so that it can minimize vehicle traffic congestion problems on the highway. The method used is based on descriptive andanalytical methods, which is done is to classify the vehicles in classes manually by counting the number of vehicles per time unitbased on class - class. The purpose of the volume of traffic surveys carried out in the classified Narogong Cullinan Road, Bogorregency during the period August, 2011, results that can be found is the degree of saturation of the highway is still in an acceptablelevel. Analysis of traffic flow at the study site is still under the limit congestion. It is suggested that to reduce the traffic density, thetype of heavy vehicles such as out of the factory operates around the study site between the hours of 10:00 pm to 3:00 am

Molecular architecture of a dynamin adaptor: implications for assembly of mitochondrial fission complexes

Structural and functional studies of the Mdv1 dimer reveal how this mitochondria-associated adaptor protein orients and stabilizes the assembly of dynamins on membranes to promote mitochondrial fission

Wicked problems in a post-truth political economy: a dilemma for knowledge translation

The discipline of knowledge translation (KT) emerged as a way of systematically understanding and addressing the challenges of applying health and medical research in practice. In light of ongoing and emerging critique of KT from the medical humanities and social sciences disciplines, KT researchers have become increasingly aware of the complexity of the translational process, particularly the significance of culture, tradition and values in how scientific evidence is understood and received, and thus increasingly receptive to pluralistic notions of knowledge. Hence, there is now an emerging view of KT as a highly complex, dynamic, and integrated sociological phenomenon, which neither assumes nor creates knowledge hierarchies and neither prescribes nor privileges scientific evidence. Such a view, however, does not guarantee that scientific evidence will be applied in practice and thus poses a significant dilemma for KT regarding its status as a scientific and practice-oriented discipline, particularly within the current sociopolitical climate. Therefore, in response to the ongoing and emerging critique of KT, we argue that KT must provide scope for relevant scientific evidence to occupy an appropriate position of epistemic primacy in public discourse. Such a view is not intended to uphold the privileged status of science nor affirm the “scientific logos” per se. It is proffered as a counterbalance to powerful social, cultural, political and market forces that are able to challenge scientific evidence and promote disinformation to the detriment of democratic outcomes and the public good

Wicked problems in a post-truth political economy: a dilemma for knowledge translation

The discipline of knowledge translation (KT) emerged as a way of systematically understanding and addressing the challenges of applying health and medical research in practice. In light of ongoing and emerging critique of KT from the medical humanities and social sciences disciplines, KT researchers have become increasingly aware of the complexity of the translational process, particularly the significance of culture, tradition and values in how scientific evidence is understood and received, and thus increasingly receptive to pluralistic notions of knowledge. Hence, there is now an emerging view of KT as a highly complex, dynamic, and integrated sociological phenomenon, which neither assumes nor creates knowledge hierarchies and neither prescribes nor privileges scientific evidence. Such a view, however, does not guarantee that scientific evidence will be applied in practice and thus poses a significant dilemma for KT regarding its status as a scientific and practice-oriented discipline, particularly within the current sociopolitical climate. Therefore, in response to the ongoing and emerging critique of KT, we argue that KT must provide scope for relevant scientific evidence to occupy an appropriate position of epistemic primacy in public discourse. Such a view is not intended to uphold the privileged status of science nor affirm the “scientific logos” per se. It is proffered as a counterbalance to powerful social, cultural, political and market forces that are able to challenge scientific evidence and promote disinformation to the detriment of democratic outcomes and the public good

Stem cell-derived astrocytes:are they physiologically credible?

Astrocytes are now increasingly acknowledged as having fundamental and sophisticated roles in brain function and dysfunction. Unravelling the complex mechanisms that underlie human brain astrocyte-neuron interactions is therefore an essential step on the way to understanding how the brain operates. Insights into astrocyte function to date, have almost exclusively been derived from studies conducted using murine or rodent models. Whilst these have led to significant discoveries, preliminary work with human astrocytes has revealed a hitherto unknown range of astrocyte types with potentially greater functional complexity and increased neuronal interaction with respect to animal astrocytes. It is becoming apparent, therefore, that many important functions of astrocytes will only be discovered by direct physiological interrogation of human astrocytes. Recent advancements in the field of stem cell biology have provided a source of human based models. These will provide a platform to facilitate our understanding of normal astrocyte functions as well as their role in CNS pathology. A number of recent studies have demonstrated that stem cell derived astrocytes exhibit a range of properties, suggesting that they may be functionally equivalent to their in vivo counterparts. Further validation against in vivo models will ultimately confirm the future utility of these stem-cell based approaches in fulfilling the need for human- based cellular models for basic and clinical research. In this review we discuss the roles of astrocytes in the brain and highlight the extent to which human stem cell derived astrocytes have demonstrated functional activities that are equivalent to that observed in vivo

Predicting Academic Performance: A Systematic Literature Review

The ability to predict student performance in a course or program creates opportunities to improve educational outcomes. With effective performance prediction approaches, instructors can allocate resources and instruction more accurately. Research in this area seeks to identify features that can be used to make predictions, to identify algorithms that can improve predictions, and to quantify aspects of student performance. Moreover, research in predicting student performance seeks to determine interrelated features and to identify the underlying reasons why certain features work better than others. This working group report presents a systematic literature review of work in the area of predicting student performance. Our analysis shows a clearly increasing amount of research in this area, as well as an increasing variety of techniques used. At the same time, the review uncovered a number of issues with research quality that drives a need for the community to provide more detailed reporting of methods and results and to increase efforts to validate and replicate work.Peer reviewe