For MutY, It's All about the OG

MutY and its human ortholog, MUTYH, repair a specific form of DNA damage: adenine mis-paired with the oxidatively modified form of deoxyguanosine, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine. In a recent issue of Chemistry & Biology, Brinkmeyer et al. utilized mutant forms of MutY to reveal the critical residues in MutY that are required for this selectivity and specificity

In defence of the textual integrity of the Old English "Resignation"

Bliss & Frantzen’s (1976) paper against the previously assumed textual integrity of Resignation has been a watershed in research upon the poem. Nearly all subsequent studies and editions have followed their theory, the sole dissenting view being expressed by Klinck (1987, 1992). The present paper offers fresh evidence for the textual unity of the poem. First examined are codicological issues, whether the state of the manuscript suggests that a folio might be missing. Next analysed are the spellings of Resignation and its phonology, here the paper discusses peculiarities which both differentiate Resignation from its manuscript context and connect the two hypothetical parts of the text. Then the paper looks at the assumed cut-off point at l.69 to see if it may provide any evidence for textual discontinuity. Finally the whole Resignation, seen as a coherent poem, is placed in the history of Old English literature, with special attention being paid to the traditions of devotional texts and the Old English elegies

Computer simulation of crystallization kinetics with non-Poisson distributed nuclei

The influence of non-uniform distribution of nuclei on crystallization kinetics of amorphous materials is investigated. This case cannot be described by the well-known Johnson-Mehl-Avrami (JMA) equation, which is only valid under the assumption of a spatially homogeneous nucleation probability. The results of computer simulations of crystallization kinetics with nuclei distributed according to a cluster and a hardcore distribution are compared with JMA kinetics. The effects of the different distributions on the so-called Avrami exponent $n$ are shown. Furthermore, we calculate the small-angle scattering curves of the simulated structures which can be used to distinguish experimentally between the three nucleation models under consideration.Comment: 14 pages including 7 postscript figures, uses epsf.sty and ioplppt.st

Epiglottis reshaping using CO2 laser: A minimally invasive technique and its potent applications

Laryngomalacia (LRM), is the most common laryngeal abnormality of the newborn, caused by a long curled epiglottis, which prolapses posteriorly. Epiglottis prolapse during inspiration (acquired laryngomalacia) is an unusual cause of airway obstruction and a rare cause of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS)

XRCC1 and base excision repair balance in response to nitric oxide

Inflammation associated reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONs), including peroxynitrite (ONOO−) and nitric oxide (NOradical dot), create base lesions that potentially play a role in the toxicity and large genomic rearrangements associated with many malignancies. Little is known about the role of base excision repair (BER) in removing these endogenous DNA lesions. Here, we explore the role of X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) in attenuating RONs-induced genotoxicity. XRCC1 is a scaffold protein critical for BER for which polymorphisms modulate the risk of cancer. We exploited CHO and human glioblastoma cell lines engineered to express varied levels of BER proteins to study XRCC1. Cytotoxicity and the levels of DNA repair intermediates (single-strand breaks; SSB) were evaluated following exposure of the cells to the ONOO− donor, SIN-1, and to gaseous NOradical dot. XRCC1 null cells were slightly more sensitive to SIN-1 than wild-type cells. We used small-scale bioreactors to expose cells to NOradical dot and found that XRCC1-deficient CHO cells were not sensitive. However, using a molecular beacon assay to test lesion removal in vitro, we found that XRCC1 facilitates AAG-initiated excision of two key NOradical dot-induced DNA lesions: 1,N[superscript 6]-ethenoadenine and hypoxanthine. Furthermore, overexpression of AAG rendered XRCC1-deficient cells sensitive to NOradical dot-induced DNA damage. These results show that AAG is a key glycosylase for BER of NOradical dot-induced DNA damage and that XRCC1's role in modulating sensitivity to RONs is dependent upon the cellular level of AAG. This demonstrates the importance of considering the expression of other components of the BER pathway when evaluating the impact of XRCC1 polymorphisms on cancer risk.Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS P30-ES002109)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH grant P01-CA026731)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH grant 2-R01-CA079827-05A1)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH Grant U01-ES016045)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH Grant GM087798)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH Grant CA148629)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH Grant ES019498)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA047904

Radiation thermo-chemical models of protoplanetary disks II. Line diagnostics

Methods. We use the recently developed disk code ProDiMo to calculate the physico-chemical structure of protoplanetary disks and apply the Monte-Carlo line radiative transfer code RATRAN to predict observable line profiles and fluxes. We consider a series of Herbig Ae type disk models ranging from 10^-6 M_Sun to 2.2 10^-2 M_Sun (between 0.5 and 700 AU) to discuss the dependency of the line fluxes and ratios on disk mass for otherwise fixed disk parameters. Results. We find the [CII] 157.7 mum line to originate in LTE from the surface layers of the disk, where Tg > Td . The total emission is dominated by surface area and hence depends strongly on disk outer radius. The [OI] lines can be very bright (> 10^-16 W/m^2) and form in slightly deeper and closer regions under non-LTE conditions. The high-excitation [OI] 145.5 mum line, which has a larger critical density, decreases more rapidly with disk mass than the 63.2 mum line. Therefore, the [OI] 63.2 mum/145.5 mum ratio is a promising disk mass indicator, especially as it is independent of disk outer radius for Rout > 200 AU. CO is abundant only in deeper layers A_V >~ 0.05. For too low disk masses (M_disk <~10^-4 M_Sun) the dust starts to become transparent, and CO is almost completely photo-dissociated. For masses larger than that the lines are an excellent independent tracer of disk outer radius and can break the outer radius degeneracy in the [OI] 63.2 mum/[CII]157.7 mum line ratio. Conclusions. The far-IR fine-structure lines of [CII] and [OI] observable with Herschel provide a promising tool to measure the disk gas mass, although they are mainly generated in the atomic surface layers. In spatially unresolved observations, none of these lines carry much information about the inner, possibly hot regions < 30 AU.Comment: accepted for publication in A&

Co-creation and engagement in a DNA integrity cohort study

Abstract Introduction: The partnership between a research community engagement team (CE Team) and a community advisory board (CAB) formed the basis for bidirectional communication in developing resources for participant recruitment in a DNA integrity study. Engaging with a minoritized community, this partnership focused on respect, accessibility, and expanded engagement. Methods: A ten-member CAB, working in two groups defined by meeting time convenience, provided insight and feedback to the CE Team in the creation of recruitment and consent materials, via an iterative design process in which one CAB group reviewed and enhanced materials, and the second group tested and refined them further. The continuous analysis of CE Team notes from CAB meetings captured information needed both for materials refinement and implementation of CAB-suggested activities. Results: The partnership resulted in the co-creation of recruitment and consent materials that facilitated the enrollment of 191 individuals into the study. The CAB encouraged and assisted in expanded engagement inclusive of community leaders. This broader engagement provided information about the DNA integrity study to community decision-makers as well as responded to questions and concerns about the research. The bidirectional communication between the CAB and the CE Team encouraged the researchers to consider topics and research interests related to the current study but also responsive to community concerns. Conclusions: The CAB helped the CE Team develop a better understanding of the language of partnership and respect. In this way, the partnership opened doors for expanded community engagement and effective communication with potential study participants

Parental bonding and identity style as correlates of self-esteem among adult adoptees and nonadoptees

Adult adoptees (n equals 100) and non-adoptees (n equals 100) were compared with regard to selfesteem, identity processing style, and parental bonding. While some differences were found with regard to self-esteem, maternal care, and maternal overprotection, these differences were qualified by reunion status such that only reunited adoptees differed significantly from nonadoptees. Moreover, hierarchical regression analyses indicated that parental bonding and identity processing style were more important than adoptive status per se in predicting self esteem. Implications for practitioners who work with adoptees are discussed

X-ray line formation in the spectrum of SS 433

The mechanisms for the formation of X-ray lines in the spectrum of SS 433 are investigated by taking into account the radiative transfer inside the jets. The results of Monte Carlo numerical simulations are presented. The effect of a decrease in line intensity due to scattering inside the jet turns out to be pronounced, but it does not exceed 60% in magnitude on the entire grid of parameters. The line broadening due to scattering, nutational motion, and the contribution of satellites can lead to overestimates of the jet opening angle $\Theta$ from the line widths in Chandra X-ray observations. The fine structure of the lines turns out to be very sensitive to the scattering effects. This makes its investigation by planned X-ray observatories equipped with high-resolution spectrometers (primarily Astro-H) a powerful tool for diagnosing the parameters of the jets in SS 433.Comment: 23 pages, 14 figures, to be published in Astronomy Letters, v. 38, n. 7, p. 443 (2012