2-Methyl-6-phytylquinol and 2,3-dimethyl-5-phytylquinol as precursors of tocopherol synthesis in spinach chloroplasts

The incorporation of [Me-14C] from SAM-[Me-14C] into precursors indicates the following sequence of tocopherol synthesis in spinach: 2-methyl-6-phytylquinol (6-phytyltoluquinol) (1a) → 2,3-dimethyl-5-phytylquinol (phytylplastoquinol) (2a)→,γ-tocopherol (5a)→-tocopherol (6). 1a is particularly preferred to 2-methyl-5-phytylquinol (1b) and 2-methyl-3-phytylquinol (1c). 1a only forms 2a. 2a is converted to 6 via 5a and, to a lesser extent, 2,5-dimethyl-6-phylquinol (2b) to 6 via β-tocopherol (5b). Trimethylphytylquinol (3) is not an intermediate in the formation of 6. All reactions are independent of light

Revealing the real-world benefits of the UK’s Human Rights Act

Natalie Threlfall is a Human Rights Associate at the British Institute of Human Rights. Her research is focused on key developments in human rights law

Site of biosynthesis of a-tocopherol in spinach chloroplasts

The chloroplast envelope is a continuous boundary of two osmiophilic membranes and has an important role in galactolipid synthesis [ 11. It was interesting to determine whether the envelope is the site of synthesi

Reflexiones sobre la política social de la Unión Europea

[Abstract] This article proposes a more profound discussion of the social and employment policies adopted by the European Union, by means of the use of a new concept, that of "social integration" in order to analyse both the process of development of social policies, their real impact, and their future significance for the societies of the mem.. ber..states. It reviews the major social areas affected by european legislation ..labour relations, working conditions, equal treatment for categories of workers, such as women, subject to the risk of discriminatian, social security, freedom of movement in a single labour market .. arguing that the degreee of true social integration rea.. ched is, according to this new definition, of limited depth. The article goes on to develop new rationales for European social policies, based on their economic value, social cohesion, popular support, and European social citizenship.[Resumen] Este trabajo propone una discusión más profunda de la política social y de empleo llevado a cabo por la UE, por medio de la aplicación de un nuevo concep.. to de "integración social" para analizar tanto el proceso de desarrollo de políticas sociales, su alcance real, y también su significado futuro para las sociedades de los paises miembros. Repasa las grandes áreas sociales afectadas por la legislación euro.. pea ..relaciones laborales, condiciones de trabajo, igualdad de tratao para ciertas categorías de trabajadores que corren riesgo de discriminación, tales como mujeres, seguridad social, libertad de movimiento en el mercado de trabajo único.. argumen.. tando que el grado de verdadera integración social alcanzado es, según esta nueva definición, de profundidad limitado. Luego se desarrolla una nuevas razones de ser para las políticas sociales europeas basada en su valor económico, la cohesión social, el apoyo popular, y la ciudadanía social europea

The Social Dimension of the European Union

Regional integration processes can learn from the particularities of the European Union's social dimension, despite its apparent inconsistencies and sui generis form of development. The article provides a comprehensive retrospective overview of developments, and pays particular attention to the political and technical procedures adopted for progressing social policy. It argues that a regional integration process in a wide range of social fields has developed in the EU despite facing dissent and dilemmas for over 50 years. It claims that the EU now enjoys a working and workable apparatus of policies, practices and laws in a broad social dimension, that are not only far more extensive than first envisaged in the Treaty of Rome, but are also destined to expand further. In particular, the article moves beyond previous accounts in arguing that procedural complexity has been an intrinsic and creative part of the social dimension to European integration

Parent Involvement in Education and College Planning for African American High School Students

Parent involvement is critical for students’ success in high school and in accessing college, especially in low-income and minority families. However, many schools have failed to engage low-income African American parents, thereby contributing to a popular narrative of uninvolved and uninterested parents. Traditional models of parent involvement have favored a narrow range of activities undertaken by white and middle class families and do not account for the wider social and cultural context in which parenting occurs. The purpose of this qualitative study was therefore to investigate (1) caregiver and adolescent perceptions of parent involvement in education and college planning for African American high school students, (2) barriers to involvement and resources that are drawn on, and (3) how perceptions of involvement might differ according to gender and family composition. The ultimate goal was to form a culturally and developmentally appropriate conceptualization of parent involvement in education and college planning for low-income African American high school students living in urban communities. In depth interviews were conducted with 24 caregivers and 23 students recruited through a community based college access program. Data was analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Caregivers engaged in many activities that are included in traditional models: parents supported their children’s learning at school, at home, and in the community, they built their children’s motivation, and they laid a foundation on which learning could occur. Other types of involvement arose from the context in which the participants lived: parents navigated complex systems to gain access to particular schools and they taught their children how to confront discrimination. Barriers to involvement included lack of systemic knowledge, isolation in certain schools, stereotypes of African American families, developmental needs of the child, and time and money. Resources that caregivers drew from included extended family and friends, professional help, religious faith, self-reliance, and familial knowledge. Parent involvement different by gender principally in terms of racial socialization. The complexity and fluidity of the families in which the students lived made patterns of involvement according to family composition more difficult to discern. A conceptualization of parent involvement that incorporates these themes in addition to the individual and societal context is presented. Implications for social work research and practice are discussed

A Versatile Python Package for Simulating DNA Nanostructures with oxDNA

The ability to synthesize custom DNA molecules has led to the feasibility of DNA nanotechnology. Synthesis is time-consuming and expensive, so simulations of proposed DNA designs are necessary. Open-source simulators, such as oxDNA, are available but often difficult to configure and interface with. Packages such as oxdna-tile-binding pro- vide an interface for oxDNA which allows for the ability to create scripts that automate the configuration process. This project works to improve the scripts in oxdna-tile-binding to improve integration with job scheduling systems commonly used in high-performance computing environments, improve ease-of-use and consistency within the scripts compos- ing oxdna-tile-binding, and move the oxdna-tile-binding source repository to GitHub for improved distribution