The Theatre of Ambiguity

The increased diversity of beliefs surrounding the definition of gender identity and gender roles has enhanced the need for research on historical societies\u27 beliefs and practices. By examining the private and professional theatre of Elizabethan England through contemporary scholarship, primary sources, and plays of the time, I found a contrast between companies comprised entirely of boys and those comprised of adult men. Boy players were able to play female and male characters across a wide age range. My analysis shows that the Elizabethan society\u27s acceptance of this theatrical convention depended upon the widespread view of adolescents as ambiguous in age and gender identity. Playwrights, including Shakespeare, exploited this ambiguity of boys who were no longer children and not yet adults by using conventions such as double cross dressing and gender switching onstage to appeal to both male and female members of the audience. Although Puritan critics of the time like John Rainold claimed such conventions were detrimental to audiences, the backlash failed to stop or hamper the boy companies from producing art that took advantage of a culturally ambiguous understanding of gender identity

Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP): Revisiting the Efficacy of Sample Preparation, Sonication, Quantification of Sheared DNA, and Analysis via PCR

The “quantitative” ChIP, a tool commonly used to study protein-DNA interactions in cells and tissue, is a difficult assay often plagued with technical error. We present, herein, the process required to merge multiple protocols into a quick, reliable and easy method and an approach to accurately quantify ChIP DNA prior to performing PCR. We demonstrate that high intensity sonication for at least 30 min is required for full cellular disruption and maximum DNA recovery because ChIP lysis buffers fail to lyse formaldehyde-fixed cells. In addition, extracting ChIP DNA with chelex-100 yields samples that are too dilute for evaluation of shearing efficiency or quantification via nanospectrophotometry. However, DNA extracted from the Mock-ChIP supernatant via the phenol-chloroform-isoamyl alcohol (PCIA) method can be used to evaluate DNA shearing efficiency and used as the standard in a fluorescence-based microplate assay. This enabled accurate quantification of DNA in chelex-extracted ChIP samples and normalization to total DNA concentration prior to performing real-time PCR (rtPCR). Thus, a quick ChIP assay that can be completed in nine bench hours over two days has been validated along with a rapid, accurate and repeatable way to quantify ChIP DNA. The resulting rtPCR data more accurately depicts treatment effects on protein-DNA interactions of interest

Computational and experimental prediction of human C-type lectin receptor druggability

Mammalian C-type lectin receptors (CTLRS) are involved in many aspects of immune cell regulation such as pathogen recognition, clearance of apoptotic bodies, and lymphocyte homing. Despite a great interest in modulating CTLR recognition of carbohydrates, the number of specific molecular probes is limited. To this end, we predicted the druggability of a panel of 22 CTLRs using DoGSiteScorer. The computed druggability scores of most structures were low, characterizing this family as either challenging or even undruggable. To further explore these findings, we employed a fluorine-based nuclear magnetic resonance screening of fragment mixtures against DC-SIGN, a receptor of pharmacological interest. To our surprise, we found many fragment hits associated with the carbohydrate recognition site (hit rate = 13.5%). A surface plasmon resonance-based follow-up assay confirmed 18 of these fragments (47%) and equilibrium dissociation constants were determined. Encouraged by these findings we expanded our experimental druggability prediction to Langerin and MCL and found medium to high hit rates as well, being 15.7 and 10.0%, respectively. Our results highlight limitations of current in silico approaches to druggability assessment, in particular, with regard to carbohydrate-binding proteins. In sum, our data indicate that small molecule ligands for a larger panel of CTLRs can be developed

NFAT5 expression in bone marrow-derived cells enhances atherosclerosis and drives macrophage migration

Objective: We have previously shown that the transcription factor, nuclear factor of activated T-cells 5 (NFAT5), regulates vascular smooth muscle cell phenotypic modulation, but the role of NFAT5 in atherosclerosis is unknown. Our main objective was to determine if NFAT5 expression in bone marrow (BM)-derived cells altered atherosclerotic development and macrophage function. Methods and Results: NFAT5+/-ApoE-/- mice were generated for in vivo atherosclerosis studies. Following high fat diet feeding, en face analysis of the thoracic aorta established that genome-wide NFAT5 haploinsufficiency reduced atherosclerotic lesion formation by 73%. BM transplant studies revealed that transplantation of NFAT5+/-ApoE-/- marrow into NFAT5+/+ApoE-/- mice resulted in a similar 86% reduction in lesion formation. In vitro functional analysis of BM-derived macrophages demonstrated that NFAT5 is required for macrophage migration, which is a key event in the propagation of atherosclerosis. Conclusion: We have identified NFAT5 in BM-derived cells as a positive regulator of atherosclerotic lesion formation and macrophage function in the vasculature.open

N,N′-Bis(4-chloro­phen­yl)urea

The carbonyl unit of the title compound, C13H10Cl2N2O, lies on a twofold rotation axis. The ring is aligned at 51.6 (1)° with respect to the N—C(=O)—N fragment. The two –NH– fragments of one mol­ecule form hydrogen bonds [2.845 (2) Å] to the C=O fragment of an adjacent mol­ecule, giving rise to the formation of a linear hydrogen-bonded chain

GWAS of adventitious root formation in roses identifies a putative phosphoinositide phosphatase (SAC9) for marker-assisted selection

Rose propagation by cuttings is limited by substantial genotypic differences in adventitious root formation. To identify possible genetic factors causing these differences and to develop a marker for marker-assisted selection for high rooting ability, we phenotyped 95 cut and 95 garden rose genotypes in a hydroponic rooting system over 6 weeks. Data on rooting percentage after 3 to 6 weeks, root number, and root fresh mass were highly variable among genotypes and used in association mappings performed on genotypic information from the WagRhSNP 68 K Axiom SNP array for roses. GWAS analyses revealed only one significantly associated SNP for rooting percentage after 3 weeks. Nevertheless, prominent genomic regions/peaks were observed and further analysed for rooting percentage after 6 weeks, root number and root fresh mass. Some of the SNPs in these peak regions were associated with large effects on adventitious root formation traits. Very prominent were ten SNPs, which were all located in a putative phosphoinositide phosphatase SAC9 on chromosome 2 and showed very high effects on rooting percentage after 6 weeks of more than 40% difference between nulliplex and quadruplex genotypes. SAC9 was reported to be involved in the regulation of endocytosis and in combination with other members of the SAC gene family to regulate the translocation of auxin-efflux PIN proteins via the dephosphorylation of phosphoinositides. For one SNP within SAC9, a KASP marker was successfully derived and used to select genotypes with a homozygous allele configuration. Phenotyping these homozygous genotypes for adventitious root formation verified the SNP allele dosage effect on rooting. Hence, the presented KASP derived from a SNP located in SAC9 can be used for marker-assisted selection in breeding programs for high rooting ability in the future

Local delivery of the KCa3.1 blocker, TRAM-34, prevents acute angioplasty-induced coronary smooth muscle phenotypic modulation and limits stenosis

Objective-We previously demonstrated that upregulation of intermediate-conductance Ca2+ -activated K+ channels (KCa 3.1) is necessary for mitogen-induced phenotypic modulation in isolated porcine coronary smooth muscle cells (SMCs). The objective of the present study was to determine the role of KCa3.1 in the regulation of coronary SMC phenotypic modulation in vivo using a swine model of postangioplasty restenosis. Methods and Results-Balloon angioplasty was performed on coronary arteries of swine using either noncoated or balloons coated with the specific KCa3.1 blocker TRAM-34. Expression of KCa3.1, c-jun, c-fos, repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor (REST), smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SMMHC), and myocardin was measured using qRT-PCR in isolated medial cells 2 hours and 2 days postangioplasty. KCa3.1, c-jun, and c-fos mRNA levels were increased 2 hours postangioplasty, whereas REST expression decreased. SMMHC expression was unchanged at 2 hours, but decreased 2 days postangioplasty. Use of TRAM-34 coated balloons prevented KCa3.1 upregulation and REST downregulation at 2 hours, SMMHC and myocardin downregulation at 2 days, and attenuated subsequent restenosis 14 and 28 days postangioplasty. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated corresponding changes at the protein level. Conclusion-Blockade of KCa3.1 by delivery of TRAM-34 via balloon catheter prevented smooth muscle phenotypic modulation and limited subsequent restenosis

Ethyl 2-(6-amino-5-cyano-3,4-dimethyl-2H,4H-pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazol-4-yl)acetate

In he title compound, C13H16N4O3, the pyrazole ring is planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.054 Å). The pyran ring is not planar; the mean plane makes a dihedral angle of 1.9 (1)° with the pyrazole ring. In the crystal structure, inter­molecular N—H⋯N and N—H⋯O inter­actions lead to a linear chain motif

„Wichtiger find‘ ich jetzt nicht, aber manche sind halt einfach nützlicher“ – Sprachliche Hierarchisierungen aus Sicht mehrsprachig aufgewachsener Schüler*innen

Während im wissenschaftlichen Diskurs einerseits Mehrsprachigkeit als Ressource betont, andererseits aber auch das Fortbestehen von Sprachideologien und monolingualem Habitus an deutschen Schulen beschrieben wird, ist wenig darüber bekannt, wie die betroffenen Lernenden selbst den Umgang mit Mehrsprachigkeit wahrnehmen. Um ihre Perspektive genauer herauszuarbeiten, wurden 14 migrationsbedingt mehrsprachige Jugendliche mittels leitfadengestützter Interviews befragt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass sie selbst ihre Mehrsprachigkeit zwar wertschätzen, diese Wertschätzung aber nur selten von außen erfahren und Mehrsprachigkeit im Unterricht kaum als Ressource anerkannt wird. Die erfahrenen gesellschaftlichen Hierarchisierungen von Sprachen lehnen die Jugendlichen weitgehend ab und bewerten sprachliche Kompetenzen eher unter pragmatischen sowie persönlichkeitsbildenden Aspekten