Intergroup contact, forgiveness, and experience of The Troubles in Northern Ireland

Two studies used random sample surveys to test the contact hypothesis on intergroup attitudes of Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. In Study 1, archival data from two different surveys in 1989 (N= 310 Catholics, 422 Protestants) and 1991 (N= 319 Catholics, 478 Protestants) showed that contact was positively related to attitudes towards denominational mixing. Study 2 (N= 391 Catholics, 647 Protestants) explored predictors of intergroup forgiveness, and also showed that intergroup contact was positively related to out-group attitudes, perspective taking and trust (even among those who had worse experience of sectarian conflict). These studies indicate that research in peace psychology can provide a deeper understanding of the conflict in Northern Ireland and, in due course, contribute to its resolution.

High-resolution spectroscopic observations of B-type stars from the Edinburgh-Cape Survey - III. Completion of a magnitude range limited survey

High spectral resolution (R similar to 40 000) and signal-to- noise ratio observations of five high Galactic latitude early- type stars taken from the Edinburgh-Cape (EC) Faint Blue Object Survey are presented. These were required to complete a magnitude range-limited survey of young B-type objects with 11 <V <15. Of the five stars, four were rejected on the grounds that they are either subluminous (subdwarf or horizontal branch), were part of a binary system or possessed colours later than the (U - B) = -0.5 cut-off employed. The remaining star in the data set, EC 19596-5356, is found to exhibit normal young B-type stellar properties. A kinematic analysis reveals that an origin in the Galactic disc appears likely for all the stars in the sample. Some statistics are drawn about the number density of young stars in the Galactic halo.

High-resolution organellar genome analysis of Triticum and Aegilops sheds new light on cytoplasm evolution in wheat

We have utilised polymorphic chloroplast microsatellites to analyse cytoplasmic relationships between accessions in the genera Triticum and Aegilops. Sequencing of PCR products revealed point mutations and insertions/deletions in addition to the standard repeat length expansion/contraction which most likely represent ancient synapomorphies. Phylogenetic analyses revealed three distinct groups of accessions. One of these contained all the non-Aegilops speltoides S-type cytoplasm species, another comprised almost exclusively A, C, D, M, N, T and U cytoplasm-type accessions and the third contained the polyploid Triticum species and all the Ae. speltoides accessions, further confirming that Ae. speltoides or a closely related but now extinct species was the original B-genome donor of cultivated polyploid wheat. Successive decreases in levels of genetic diversity due to domestication were also observed. Finally, we highlight the importance of elucidating longer-term evolutionary processes operating at microsatellite repeat loci.

How does the short-wavelength-sensitive contrast sensitivity function for detection and resolution change with age in the periphery?

To determine the age-related change in the peripheral short-wavelength-sensitive (SWS) grating contrast sensitivity function (CSF), cut-off spatial frequency (acuity) and contrast sensitivity for both a detection and resolution task were measured at 8 degrees eccentricity under conditions of SWS-cone isolation for 51 subjects (19-72 years). The acuity for both the detection and resolution task declined with age, the detection acuity being significantly higher than the resolution acuity at all ages (p

MicroRNA-155 Promotes Resolution of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1{alpha} Activity

The hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is a key regulator of the transcriptional response to hypoxia. While the mechanism underpinning HIF activation is well understood, little is known about its resolution. Both the protein and the mRNA levels of HIF-1a (but not HIF-2a) were decreased in intestinal epithelial cells exposed to prolonged hypoxia. Coincident with this, microRNA (miRNA) array analysis revealed multiple hypoxia-inducible miRNAs. Among these was miRNA-155 (miR-155), which is predicted to target HIF-1a mRNA. We confirmed the hypoxic upregulation of miR-155 in cultured cells and intestinal tissue from mice exposed to hypoxia. Furthermore, a role for HIF-1a in the induction of miR-155 in hypoxia was suggested by the identification of hypoxia response elements in the miR-155 promoter and confirmed experimentally. Application of miR-155 decreased the HIF-1a mRNA, protein, and transcriptional activity in hypoxia, and neutralization of endogenous miR-155 reversed the resolution of HIF-1a stabilization and activity. Based on these data and a mathematical model of HIF-1a suppression by miR-155, we propose that miR-155 induction contributes to an isoform-specific negative-feedback loop for the resolution of HIF-1a activity in cells exposed to prolonged hypoxia, leading to oscillatory behavior of HIF-1a-dependent transcription.

Can we trust mass spectrometry for determination of arsenic peptides in plants:comparison of LC-ICP-MS and LC-ES-MS/ICP-MS with XANES/EXAFS in analysis of Thunbergia alata

The weakest step in the analytical procedure for speciation analysis is extraction from a biological material into an aqueous solution which undergoes HPLC separation and then simultaneous online detection by elemental and molecular mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/ES-MS). This paper describes a study to determine the speciation of arsenic and, in particular, the arsenite phytochelatin complexes in the root from an ornamental garden plant Thunbergia alata exposed to 1 mg As L(-1) as arsenate. The approach of formic acid extraction followed by HPLC-ES-MS/ICP-MS identified different As(III)-PC complexes in the extract of this plant and made their quantification via sulfur (m/z 32) and arsenic (m/z 75) possible. Although sulfur sensitivity could be significantly increased when xenon was used as collision gas in ICP-qMS, or when HR-ICP-MS was used in medium resolution, the As:S ratio gave misleading results in the identification of As(III)-PC complexes due to the relatively low resolution of the chromatography system in relation to the variety of As-peptides in plants. Hence only the parallel use of ES-MS/ICP-MS was able to prove the occurrence of such arsenite phytochelatin complexes. Between 55 and 64% of the arsenic was bound to the sulfur of peptides mainly as As(III)(PC(2))(2), As(III)(PC(3)) and As(III)(PC(4)). XANES (X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy) measurement, using the freshly exposed plant root directly, confirmed that most of the arsenic is trivalent and binds to S of peptides (53% As-S) while 38% occurred as arsenite and only 9% unchanged as arsenate. EXAFS data confirmed that As-S and As-O bonds occur in the plants. This study confirms, for the first time, that As-peptides can be extracted by formic acid and chromatographically separated on a reversed-phase column without significant decomposition or de-novo synthesis during the extraction step.

Building Trust in a Post-Conflict Society: An Integrative Model of Intergroup Contact and Intergroup Emotions.

Across one longitudinal and two cross-sectional surveys in Northern Ireland, we tested a model of intergroup relations in which out-group attitudes and behavioral tendencies are predicted by cross-group friendship and positive intergroup appraisals, mediated by intergroup emotions and out-group trust. In study 1, out-group friendship at time 1 predicted out-group trust at time 2 (one year later), controlling for prior out-group trust. In study 2, positive and negative intergroup emotions mediated the effects of friendship on positive and negative behavioral tendencies and attitudes. In study 3, a confirmatory factor analysis indicated that trust and emotions are distinct constructs with unique predictive contributions. We then tested a model in which cross-group friendship predicted intergroup emotions and trust through intimate self-disclosure in out-group friendships. Our findings support an integration of an intergroup emotions framework with research highlighting the importance of cross-group friendship in fostering positive intergroup outcomes.