Are All Types of Morality Compromised in Psychopathy

A long-standing puzzle for moral philosophers and psychologists alike is the concept of psychopathy, a personality disorder marked by tendencies to defy moral norms despite cognitive knowledge about right and wrong. Previously, discussions of the moral deficits of psychopathy have focused on willingness to harm and cheat others as well as reasoning about rule-based transgressions. Yet recent research in moral psychology has begun to more clearly define the domains of morality, en- compassing issues of harm, fairness, loyalty, authority, and spiritual purity. Clinical descriptions and theories of psychopathy suggest that deficits may exist primarily in the areas of harm and fairness, although quantitative evidence is scarce. Within a broad sample of participants, we found that scores on a measure of psychopathy predicted sharply lower scores on the harm and fairness subscales of a measure of moral concern, but showed no relationship with authority, and very small relationships with ingroup and purity. On a measure of willingness to violate moral standards for money, psychopathy scores predicted greater willingness to violate moral concerns of any type. Results are further explored via potential mediators and analyses of the two factors of psychopathy

Small intestinal mucosa expression of putative chaperone fls485

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Maturation of enterocytes along the small intestinal crypt-villus axis is associated with significant changes in gene expression profiles. <it>fls485 </it>coding a putative chaperone protein has been recently suggested as a gene involved in this process. The aim of the present study was to analyze <it>fls48</it>5 expression in human small intestinal mucosa.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><it>fls485 </it>expression in purified normal or intestinal mucosa affected with celiac disease was investigated with a molecular approach including qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and expression strategies. Molecular data were corroborated with several <it>in situ </it>techniques and usage of newly synthesized mouse monoclonal antibodies.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>fls485 mRNA expression was preferentially found in enterocytes and chromaffine cells of human intestinal mucosa as well as in several cell lines including Rko, Lovo, and CaCo2 cells. Western blot analysis with our new anti-fls485 antibodies revealed at least two fls485 proteins. In a functional CaCo2 model, an increase in fls485 expression was paralleled by cellular maturation stage. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated fls485 as a cytosolic protein with a slightly increasing expression gradient along the crypt-villus axis which was impaired in celiac disease Marsh IIIa-c.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Expression and synthesis of fls485 are found in surface lining epithelia of normal human intestinal mucosa and deriving epithelial cell lines. An interdependence of enterocyte differentiation along the crypt-villus axis and fls485 chaperone activity might be possible.</p

Characterization of Multi-Functional Properties and Conformational Analysis of MutS2 from Thermotoga maritima MSB8

The MutS2 homologues have received attention because of their unusual activities that differ from those of MutS. In this work, we report on the functional characteristics and conformational diversities of Thermotoga maritima MutS2 (TmMutS2). Various biochemical features of the protein were demonstrated via diverse techniques such as scanning probe microscopy (SPM), ATPase assays, analytical ultracentrifugation, DNA binding assays, size chromatography, and limited proteolytic analysis. Dimeric TmMutS2 showed the temperature-dependent ATPase activity. The non-specific nicking endonuclease activities of TmMutS2 were inactivated in the presence of nonhydrolytic ATP (ADPnP) and enhanced by the addition of TmMutL. In addition, TmMutS2 suppressed the TmRecA-mediated DNA strand exchange reaction in a TmMutL-dependent manner. We also demonstrated that small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis of dimeric TmMutS2 exhibited nucleotide- and DNA-dependent conformational transitions. Particularly, TmMutS2-ADPnP showed the most compressed form rather than apo-TmMutS2 and the TmMutS2-ADP complex, in accordance with the results of biochemical assays. In the case of the DNA-binding complexes, the stretched conformation appeared in the TmMutS2-four-way junction (FWJ)-DNA complex. Convergences of biochemical- and SAXS analysis provided abundant information for TmMutS2 and clarified ambiguous experimental results

Transcriptomes and expression profiling of deep-sea corals from the Red Sea provide insight into the biology of azooxanthellate corals

Despite the importance of deep-sea corals, our current understanding of their ecology and evolutionis limited due to difficulties in sampling and studying deep-sea environments. Moreover, a recent reevaluation of habitat limitations has been suggested after characterization of deep-sea corals in the Red Sea, where they live at temperatures of above 20 °C at low oxygen concentrations. To gain further insight into the biology of deep-sea corals, we produced reference transcriptomes and studied gene expression of three deep-sea coral species from the Red Sea, i.e. Dendrophyllia sp., Eguchipsammia fistula, and Rhizotrochus typus. Our analyses suggest that deep-sea coral employ mitochondrial hypometabolism and anaerobic glycolysis to manage low oxygen conditions present in the Red Sea. Notably, we found expression of genes related to surface cilia motion that presumably enhance small particle transport rates in the oligotrophic deep-sea environment. This is the first study to characterize transcriptomes and in situ gene expression for deep-sea corals. Our work offers several mechanisms by which deep-sea corals might cope with the distinct environmental conditions present in the Red Sea. As such, our data provides direction for future research and further insight to organismal response of deep sea coral to environmental change and ocean warming.Tis work was supported by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), baseline funds to CRV and Center Competitive Funding (CCF) Program FCC/1/1973-18-01

Verwendung magnetischer Nanopartikel zur gezielten Behandlung von Thrombosen

Thromben bestehen aus einem Proteingeflecht aus Fibrin und Thrombozyten, sowie weiteren Blutbestandteilen. Ein Thrombus kann zu erheblichen, akuten Problemen, z.B. Lungenembolie, Gehörsturz, Herzinfarkt oder Schlaganfall führen. Bei der Therapie von Gefäßverschlüssen wird eine Thrombolyse herbeigeführt, die zu einer Auflösung des gefäßverschließenden Blutpfropfes führt. Die systemische Lyse birgt allerdings ein hohes Risiko. In diesem Projekt sollen systematisch verschiedene und verschieden beschichtete Nanopartikel, experimentell auf ihre Fähigkeit hin untersucht werden in Thromben einzudringen und diese aufzulösen. Die Sektion für experimentelle Onkologie und Nanomedizin (SEON) entwickelt bereits magnetische Nanopartikel, die mit entsprechenden Thrombolytika beladen werden können. Durch die magnetischen Eigenschaften dieser Nanopartikel kann das Medikament mit Hilfe eines Magneten direkt in die Region des Thrombus dirigiert werden und dort in das fibrinbasierte Netzwerk eindringen. Ein anschließend angelegtes magnetisches Wechselfeld könnte außerdem zu einer stärkeren Wechselwirkung zwischen Nanopartikel und Thrombus führen, bei der Thrombolytika besser freigesetzt, die Eindringtiefe der Partikel erhöht und/oder beschleunigt und das kompakte Fibrinnetzwerk aufgelockert wird. Zur Untersuchung der Wirkungsweise der Nanopartikel haben wir bereits ein Thrombenmodell entwickelt mit dem diese Experimente durchgeführt werden können. Zusätzlich sollen die verwendeten Nanopartikel auf ihre Toxizität und Biokompatibilität untersucht werden. Aus den erhaltenen Ergebnissen sollen Rückschlüsse gezogen werden, wie Nanopartikel optimiert werden können, damit sie in vivo besser an den geplanten Wirkungsort gelangen, um dort eine optimale thrombolytische Wirkung zu erzielen.Unterstützt durch: DFG SPP1681 AL 552/5-1; EFI, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg; Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftungsprofessur, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen.Der Erstautor gibt keinen Interessenkonflikt an

Transport and fixation of shore discharged radioactive effluents

81-82Transport and fixation of radionuclides by silt and seaweeds in the coastal environment of Tarapur Atomic Power Station, Bombay, India are described. The fixation processes play a significant part in decontamination of coastal seawater to which radioactive wastes are released. Accumulation of radionuclides by the sediment and seaweeds detoxicates the seawater with respect to radiocontaminants