Requirement of a 5′-Proximal Linear Sequence on Minus Strands for Plus-Strand Synthesis of a Satellite RNA Associated with Turnip Crinkle Virus

AbstractViral RNA replication begins with specific recognition of cis-acting RNA elements by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and/or associated host factors. A short RNA element (3′-AACCCCUGGGAGGC) located 41 bases from the 5′ end of minus strands of satellite RNA C (satC), a 356-base subviral RNA naturally associated with turnip crinkle virus (TCV), was previously identified as important for plus-strand synthesis using an in vitro RdRp assay (H. Guan, C. Song, A. E. Simon, 1997, RNA 3, 1401–1412). To examine the functional significance of this element in RNA replication, mutations were introduced into the consecutive C residues in the element. A single mutation of the 3′-most C residue resulted in undetectable levels of satC plus strands when transcripts were assayed in protoplasts and suppressed transcription directed by the element in vitro. However, satC minus strands were detectable at 6 h postinoculation (hpi) of protoplasts, accumulating to about 10% of wild-type levels at 24 hpi. This mutation, when in the plus-sense orientation, had little or no effect on minus-strand synthesis from full-length satC plus strands in vitro, suggesting that the 5′-proximal RNA element is required for satC plus-strand synthesis. In addition, in vivo genetic selection revealed a strict requirement for 10 of the 14 nucleotides of the element, indicating that the primary sequence is essential for RNA accumulation

Impact of Older-Worker-Friendly Organizational Policies on Retirement Attitudes and Planning

This study develops and analyzes a model of the impact of older-worker-friendly (OWF) organizations’ policies on retirement, specifically attitudes toward retirement, preparation for retirement, and years to planned retirement age. This is particularly a timely topic as the Baby Boomer generation heads into retirement and organizations need to better understand the retirement intentions of this group. A model was developed and tested using linear regression, and results indicate that the hypothesized relationships are supported. Instituting certain OWF policies leads to older workers who are more prepared for retirement, and thus have more positive attitudes about retiring, which ultimately leads to an earlier planned retirement age. While this study is limited, these findings provide some interesting insights for researchers and practitioners

Older-Worker-Friendly Policies and Affective Organizational Commitment

In the United States the Baby Boomer generation is advancing toward retirement age and many are choosing to stay in the workforce. This study develops and analyzes a model of the impact of older-worker-friendly (OWF) policies in organizations on job satisfaction, strain-based work/family conflict, and affective organizational commitment in older workers. The data included 368 full-time employed persons age 50 years or older who participated in a telephone survey. Linear regression was used to analyze the hypothesized relationships. Results indicated that the model was supported. Older workers who were employed at organizations with more older-worker-friendly policies had higher levels of job satisfaction and lower levels of strain-based work/family conflict, which led to higher levels of affective organizational commitment

Studying the “New” Civil Judges

We know very little about the people and institutions that make up the bulk of the United States civil justice system: state judges and state courts. Our understanding of civil justice is based primarily on federal litigation and the decisions of appellate judges. Staggeringly little legal scholarship focuses on state courts and judges. We simply do not know what most judges are doing in their day-to-day courtroom roles or in their roles as institutional actors and managers of civil justice infrastructure. We know little about the factors that shape and influence judicial practices, let alone the consequences of those practices for courts, litigants, and the public. From top to bottom, we can describe and theorize about our existing civil justice system in only piecemeal ways. Given legal scholarship\u27s near-complete focus on federal civil courts, the stories we tell about the civil justice system may be based on assumptions and models that only apply in the rarefied world of federal court. Meanwhile, state judges and courts--which handle ninety-nine percent of all civil cases--are ripe for theoretical and empirical exploration.In response, we call for more research aimed at increasing our understanding of state civil courts and judges and offer a theoretical framework to support this work, one that reflects how state courts differ from federal courts. This framework is grounded in a core fact of American civil justice, one both easily observed and largely overlooked: the majority of parties in state civil courts are unrepresented. Given this new pro se reality, our theoretical framework identifies four novel assumptions to guide future research: (1) the adversary process is disappearing; (2) most state court business is still conducted through in-person interactions between judges and parties; (3) the judicial role is ethically ambiguous in pro se cases; and (4) a largely static body of written law has not kept pace with the evolving and dynamic issues facing state courts. Building on the growth of empiricism and empirically grounded theory in traditional legal scholarship and access to justice research, we call on scholars to develop theory and gather data to map the new reality of civil justice and judging in America, and suggest questions to guide future research

Screening Cellular Feature Measurements for Image-Based Assay Development

The typical “design” approach to image-based assay development involves choosing measurements that are likely to correlate with the phenotype of interest, based on the researcher’s intuition and knowledge of image analysis. An alternate “screening” approach is to measure a large number of cellular features and systematically test each feature to identify those that are best able to distinguish positive and negative controls while taking precautions to avoid overfitting the available data. The cell measurement software the authors previously developed, CellProfiler, makes both approaches straightforward, easing the process of assay development. Here, they demonstrate the use of the screening approach to image assay development to select the best measures for scoring publicly available image sets of 2 cytoplasm-to-nucleus translocation assays and 2 Transfluor assays. The authors present the resulting assay quality measures as a baseline for future algorithm comparisons, and all software, methods, and images they present are freely available

High Mass Triple Systems: The Classical Cepheid Y Car

We have obtained an HST STIS ultraviolet high dispersion Echelle mode spectrum the binary companion of the double mode classical Cepheid Y Car. The velocity measured for the hot companion from this spectrum is very different from reasonable predictions for binary motion, implying that the companion is itself a short period binary. The measured velocity changed by 7 km/ s during the 4 days between two segments of the observation confirming this interpretation. We summarize "binary" Cepheids which are in fact members of triple system and find at least 44% are triples. The summary of information on Cepheids with orbits makes it likely that the fraction is under-estimated.Comment: accepted by A

Diagnostic Potential of Imaging Flow Cytometry

Imaging flow cytometry (IFC) captures multichannel images of hundreds of thousands of single cells within minutes. IFC is seeing a paradigm shift from low- to high-information-content analysis, driven partly by deep learning algorithms. We predict a wealth of applications with potential translation into clinical practice

Identification of African antelope species: using thermographic videos to test the efficacy of real-time thermography

Real-time thermography using the live-view function of a thermal camera has considerable potential to improve surveys of nocturnal wildlife relative to traditional spotlighting, while also decreasing disturbance. However, ability to identify species accurately is paramount. We use video as a proxy for real-time thermography to test African antelope identification accuracy among 34 observers of differing experience. Overall accuracy was 41% but there were substantial species-specific differences (e.g. wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) = 81%; reedbuck (Redunca arundinum) = 12%). Observer experience was significantly positively related to accuracy (inexperienced = 30%; expert = 61%) with experienced observers being better able to use subtle movement and behavioural information to identify animals. However, the effect of experience was inconsistent between species: even experts found some species challenging (e.g. waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) where coat patterning was invisible thermographically). Self-assessed confidence did not correlate with accuracy. Observers who were good at identifying species were also good at assessing group size. We conclude that real-time thermography is not a “magic bullet” and the understanding of species-specific effectiveness is vital. However, for some species and some groups of observers, accuracy can be extremely high (e.g. 100% for expert observers viewing wildebeest). Tailored training is essential for real-time thermography to be a reliable field technique