Too Much Horse: Fiction, Nonfiction, Prose Poetry

A collection of fiction, nonfiction, and prose poetry that explores imagination through different shapes in form, content, and genre. Includes award winning nonfiction, “The Storekeeper,” and award winning fiction, “The Fantôme of Fatma.

Physiochemical properties of rat liver mitochondrial ribosomes

In the present study, the physiochemical properties of rat liver mitochondrial ribosomes were examined and compared with Escherichia coli ribosomes. The sedimentation and translational diffusion coefficients as well as the molecular weight and buoyant density of rat mitochondrial ribosomes were determined. Sedimentation coefficients were established using the time-derivative algorithm (Philo, J. S. (2000) Anal. Biochem. 279, 151-163). The sedimentation coefficients of the intact monosome, large subunit, and small subunit were 55, 39, and 28 S, respectively. Mitochondrial ribosomes had a particle composition of 75% protein and 25% RNA. The partial specific volume was 0.688 ml/g, as determined from the protein and RNA composition. The buoyant density of formaldehyde-fixed ribosomes in cesium chloride was 1.41 g/cm3. The molecular masses of mitochondrial and E. coli ribosomes determined by static lightscattering experiments were 3.57 +/- 0.14 MDa and 2.49 +/- 0.06 MDa, respectively. The diffusion coefficient obtained from dynamic light-scattering measurements was 1.10 +/- 0.01 x 10 -7 cm2 s-1 for mitochondrial ribosomes and 1.72 +/- 0.03 x 10 -7 cm2 s-1 for the 70 S E. coli monosome. The hydration factor determined from these hydrodynamic parameters were 4.6 g of water/g of ribosome and 1.3 g/g for mitochondrial and E. coli ribosomes, respectively. A calculated hydration factor of 3.3 g/g for mitochondrial ribosomes was also obtained utilizing a calculated molecular mass and the Svedberg equation. These measurements of solvation suggest that ribosomes are highly hydrated structures. They are also in agreement with current models depicting ribosomes as porous structures containing numerous gaps and tunnels

ArdA proteins from different mobile genetic elements can bind to the EcoKI Type i DNA methyltransferase of E. coli K12

AbstractAnti-restriction and anti-modification (anti-RM) is the ability to prevent cleavage by DNA restriction–modification (RM) systems of foreign DNA entering a new bacterial host. The evolutionary consequence of anti-RM is the enhanced dissemination of mobile genetic elements. Homologues of ArdA anti-RM proteins are encoded by genes present in many mobile genetic elements such as conjugative plasmids and transposons within bacterial genomes. The ArdA proteins cause anti-RM by mimicking the DNA structure bound by Type I RM enzymes. We have investigated ArdA proteins from the genomes of Enterococcus faecalis V583, Staphylococcus aureus Mu50 and Bacteroides fragilis NCTC 9343, and compared them to the ArdA protein expressed by the conjugative transposon Tn916. We find that despite having very different structural stability and secondary structure content, they can all bind to the EcoKI methyltransferase, a core component of the EcoKI Type I RM system. This finding indicates that the less structured ArdA proteins become fully folded upon binding. The ability of ArdA from diverse mobile elements to inhibit Type I RM systems from other bacteria suggests that they are an advantage for transfer not only between closely-related bacteria but also between more distantly related bacterial species

Using the AVPT With German University Students to Establish a Norminative Base for Visual Construct Preferences

This research study explored the visual construct preferences of young male and female German adults, using the Arrington Visual Preference Test (AVPT). The AVPT is a pre-existing Jungian based test, developed to identify the visual construct preferences of individuals or groups. Eighteen female and fifteen male university students participated in the study. Results showed that both male and female students chose symbols categorized as transformation most often in the most-preferred category. In the least preferred category, constructs classified as masculine were chosen most often. Symbolic preferences and non-preferences are discussed in correlation with gender and the German culture. Limitations of this study and recommendations for further research are also included. This research was designed to begin to establish baseline information regarding normal populations in a cross-cultural context