Variation in novel exons (RACEfrags) of the MECP2 gene in Rett syndrome patients and controls.

The study of transcription using genomic tiling arrays has lead to the identification of numerous additional exons. One example is the MECP2 gene on the X chromosome; using 5'RACE and RT-PCR in human tissues and cell lines, we have found more than 70 novel exons (RACEfrags) connecting to at least one annotated exon.. We sequenced all MECP2-connected exons and flanking sequences in 3 groups: 46 patients with the Rett syndrome and without mutations in the currently annotated exons of the MECP2 and CDKL5 genes; 32 patients with the Rett syndrome and identified mutations in the MECP2 gene; 100 control individuals from the same geoethnic group. Approximately 13 kb were sequenced per sample, (2.4 Mb of DNA resequencing). A total of 75 individuals had novel rare variants (mostly private variants) but no statistically significant difference was found among the 3 groups. These results suggest that variants in the newly discovered exons may not contribute to Rett syndrome. Interestingly however, there are about twice more variants in the novel exons than in the flanking sequences (44 vs. 21 for approximately 1.3 Mb sequenced for each class of sequences, p=0.0025). Thus the evolutionary forces that shape these novel exons may be different than those of neighboring sequences.

The establishment of two novel bovine cell lines by transfection with the putative transforming region of bovine adenovirus type 3

Human adenoviruses (Ads), members of the family adenoviridae, are medium-sized DNA viruses which have been used as valuable research tools for the study of RNA processing, oncogenic transformation, and for the development of viral vectors for use in gene delivery and immunization technology. The left 12% of the linear Ad genollle codes for products which are necessary for the efficient replication of the virus, as well as being responsible for the forlllation of tumors in animallllodels. The establishlllent of the 293 cell line, by immortalization of human embryonic kidney cells with th~ E1 region of Ad type S (AdS), has facilitated extensive manipulation of the Ads and the development of recombinant Ad vectors. The study of bovine adenoviruses (BAVs), which cause mild respiratory and gastrointestinal infections in cattle has, on the other hand, been limited primarily to that of infectivity, immunology and clinicallllanifestations. As a result, any potential as gene delivery vehicles has not yet been realized. Continued research into the molecular biolo~gy of BAVs and the development of recolllbinant vectors would benefit from the development of a cell line analogous to that of the 293 cells. In an attelllpt to establish such a cell line, the recombinant plaslllid pKC-neo was constructed, containing the left 0-19.7% of the BAV type 3 (BAV3) genome, and the selectable marker for resistance to the aminoglycoside G418, a neomycin derivative. The plasmid construct was then used to transfect both the Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) -iicell line and primary bovine lung cells, after which G418-resistant foci were selected for analysis. Two cell lines, E61 (MDBK) and E24 (primary lung), were subsequently selected and analysed for DNA content, revealing the presence of the pKC-neo sequences in their respective genomes. In addition, BAV3 RNA transcripts were detected in the E61 cells. Although the presence of E1 products has yet to be confirmed in both cell lines, the E24 cells exhibit a phenotype characteristic of partial transformation by E1. The apparent immortalization of the primary lung cells will permit exploitation of their ability to take up exogenous DNA at high efficiency.

An unusual postharvest spotting disease of the comercial mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, caused by a novel pathovar of Pseudomonas tolaasii

An unusual postharvest spotting disease of the commercial mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, which was observed on a commercial mushroom farm in Ontario, was found to be caused by a novel pathovar of Pseudomonas tolaasii. Isolations from the discoloured lesions, on the mushroom pilei, revealed the presence of several different bacterial and fungal genera. The most frequently isolated genus being Pseudomonas bacteria. The most frequently isolated fungal genus was Penicillium. Of the bacteria and fungi assayed for pathogenicity to mushrooms, only Pseudomonas tolaasii was able to reproduce the postharvest spotting symptom. This symptom was typically reproduced 1 to 7 days postharvest, when mushroom pilei were inoculated with 101 to 105 cfu. Of the fungi tested for pathogenicity only a Penicillium sp. and Verticillium fungicola were shown to be pathogenic, however, neither produced the postharvest spotting symptom. The Pseudomonas tolaasii strain isolated from the postharvest lesions differed from a type culture (Pseudomonas tolaasii ATCC 33618) in the symptoms it produced on Agaricus bisporus pilei under the same conditions and at the same inoculum concentration. It was therefore designated a pathovar. This strain also differed from the type culture in its cellular protein profile. Neither the type culture, nor the mushroom pathogen was found to contain plasmid DNA. The presence of plasmid DNA is therefore not responsible for the difference in pathogenicity between the two strains.

An examination of the effects on learning seen in children afforded the opportunity to control the order of repetitions for three novel spatiotemporal sequences

Children were afforded the opportunity to control the order of repetitions for three novel spatiotemporal sequences. The following was predicted: a) children and adults in the self-regulated (SELF) groups would produce faster movement (MT) and reaction times (R T) and greater recall success (RS) during retention compared to the age-matched yoked (YOKE) groups; b) children would choose to switch sequences less often than adults; c) adults would produce faster MT and RT and greater RS than the children during acquisition and retention, independent of experimental group. During acquisition, no effects were seen for RS, however for MT and RT there was a main effect for age as well as block. During retention a main effect for practice condition was seen for RS and failed to reach statistical significance for MT and RT, thus partially supporting our first and second hypotheses. The third hypothesis was not supported.

An investigation of the psychopathy construct and its (novel) correlates in non-clinical samples

A substantial research literature exists regarding the psychopathy construct in forensic populations, but more recently, the construct has been extended to non-clinical populations. The purpose of the present dissertation was to investigate the content and the correlates of the psychopathy construct, with a particular focus on addressing gaps and controversies in the literature. In Study 1, the role of low anxiety in psychopathy was investigated, as some authors have proposed that low anxiety is integral to the psychopathy construct. Participants (n = 346) responded to two self-report psychopathy scales, the SRP-III and the PPI-R, as well as measures of temperament, personality, and antisociality. Of particular interest was the PPI-R Stress Immunity sub scale, which represents low anxiety content. I t was found that Stress Immunity was not correlated with SRP-III psychopathy, nor did it share common personality or temperament correlates or contribute to the prediction of anti sociality. From Study 1, it was concluded that it was unlikely that low anxiety is a central feature of the psychopathy construct. In Study 2, the relationship between SRP-III psychopathy and Ability Emotional Intelligence (Le., Emotional Intelligence measured as an ability, rather than as a self-report personality trait-like characteristic) was investigated, to determine whether psychopathy is be s t seen as a syndrome characterized by emotional deficits or by the ability to skillfully manipulate and prey upon the others' emotions. A negative correlation between the two constructs was found, suggesting that psychopathy is best characterized by deficits in perceiving, facilitating, managing, and understanding emotions. In Study 3, sex differences in the sexual behavior (i.e., promiscuity, age of first sexual behaviors, extradyadic sexual relations) and appearance-related esteem (i.e., body shame,appearance anxiety, self-esteem) correlates of SRP-III psychopathy were investigated. The sexual behavior correlates of psychopathy were quite similar for men and women, but the esteem correlates were very different, such that high psychopathy in men was related to high esteem, whereas high psychopathy in women was generally related to low esteem. This sex difference was difficult to interpret in that it was not mediated by sexual behavior, suggesting that further exploration of this topic is warranted. Together, these three studies contribute to our understanding of non-clinical psychopathy, indicating that low anxiety is likely not part of the construct, that psychopathy is related to low levels of ability in Emotional Intelligence, and that psychopathy is an important predictor of behavior, ability, and beliefs and feelings about the self

A detailed study of the lithiation of iron phosphate as well as the development of a novel synthesis of lithium iron silicate as cathode material for lithium-ion batteries

Dans cette thèse nous démontrons le travail fait sur deux matériaux de cathodes pour les piles lithium-ion. Dans la première partie, nous avons préparé du phosphate de fer lithié (LiFePO4) par deux méthodes de lithiation présentées dans la littérature qui utilisent du phosphate de fer (FePO4) amorphe comme précurseur. Pour les deux méthodes, le produit obtenu à chaque étape de la synthèse a été analysé par la spectroscopie Mössbauer ainsi que par diffraction des rayons X (DRX) pour mieux comprendre le mécanisme de la réaction. Les résultats de ces analyses ont été publiés dans Journal of Power Sources. Le deuxième matériau de cathode qui a été étudié est le silicate de fer lithié (Li2FeSiO4). Une nouvelle méthode de synthèse a été développée pour obtenir le silicate de fer lithié en utilisant des produits chimiques peu couteux ainsi que de l’équipement de laboratoire de base. Le matériau a été obtenu par une synthèse à l’état solide. Les performances électrochimiques ont été obtenues après une étape de broyage et un dépôt d’une couche de carbone. Un essai a été fait pour synthétiser une version substituée du silicate de fer lithié dans le but d’augmenter les performances électrochimiques de ce matériau.

Virginia Woolf and the poetics of trauma narrative

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

A (dis)play of traces : trauma, witnessing, and the poetics of implication

Cette thèse se propose de fournir une analyse comparative de la poétique de la rétrospective traumatique et les dispositifs littéraires que trois textes - Fugitive Pieces d’Anne Michaels, Solar Storms de Linda Hogan, et Beloved de Toni Morrison - utilisent pour signifier la nécessité du recul, d'un regard rétrospectif, sur le passé atroce. La thèse étudie les façons dont chaque texte négocie la fragmentation qui caractérise la suite traumatique, notamment en raison du caractère incomplet de l'histoire traumatique inscrite comme l'absence de savoir. La thèse explore également le positionnement d'un tel passé, dans un contexte intersubjectif, qui va au-delà du simple sort individuel pour essayer de comprendre la nécessité d'être un agent moralement responsable de la sauvegarde de la mémoire dans le présent. Cette étude met ainsi l'accent sur la façon dont la mémoire et le témoignage sont intimement liés aux outils langagiers, qui, par implosion poétique, offrent la possibilité de concilier l’intervention imaginative avec le référentiel (oblique).

Formation of an unusual copper(II) complex from the degradation of a novel tricopper(II) carbohydrazone complex

An unusual copper(II) complex [Cu(L1a)2Cl2] CH3OH H2O H3O+Cl (1a) was isolated from a solution of a novel tricopper(II) complex [Cu3(HL1)Cl2]Cl3 2H2O (1) in methanol, where L1a is 3-(2-pyridyl)triazolo [1,5-a]-pyridine, and characterized with single crystal X-ray diffraction study. The tricopper(II) complex of potential ligand 1,5-bis(di-2-pyridyl ketone) carbohydrazone (H2L1) was synthesized and physicochemically characterized, while the formation of the complex 1a was followed by time-dependant monitoring of the UV–visible spectra, which reveals degradation of ligand backbone as intensity loss of bands corresponding to O?Cu(II) charge transfer

Optimization of medium for the production of a novel aquaculture probiotic, Micrococcus MCCB 104 using central composite design

A marine isolate of jáÅêçÅçÅÅìë MCCB 104 has been identified as an aquaculture probiotic antagonistic to sáÄêáç. In the present study different carbon and nitrogen sources and growth factors in a mineral base medium were optimized for enhanced biomass production and antagonistic activity against the target pathogen, sáÄêáç=Ü~êîÉóá, following response surface methodology (RSM). Accordingly the minimum and maximum limits of the selected variables were determined and a set of fifty experiments programmed employing central composite design (CCD) of RSM for the final optimization. The response surface plots of biomass showed similar pattern with that of antagonistic activity, which indicated a strong correlation between the biomass and antagonism. The optimum concentration of the carbon sources, nitrogen sources, and growth factors for both biomass and antagonistic activity were glucose (17.4 g/L), lactose (17 g/L), sodium chloride (16.9 g/L), ammonium chloride (3.3 g/L), and mineral salts solution (18.3 mL/L). © KSBB

A Novel Isoform of the Hepatic Antimicrobial Peptide, Hepcidin (Hepc-CB1), from a Deep-Sea Fish, the Spinyjaw Greeneye Chlorophthalmus bicornis (Norman, 1939): Molecular Characterisation and Phylogeny

Hepcidin is cysteine-rich short peptide of innate immune system of fishes, equipped to perform prevention and proliferation of invading pathogens like bacteria and viruses by limiting iron availability and activating intracellular cascades. Hepcidins are diverse in teleost fishes, due to the varied aquatic environments including exposure to pathogens, oxygenation and iron concentration. In the present study, we report a 87-amino acid (aa) preprohepcidin (Hepc-CB1) with a signal peptide of 24 aa, a prodomain of 39 aa and a bioactive mature peptide of 24 aa from the gill mRNA transcripts of the deep-sea fish spinyjaw greeneye, Chlorophthalmus bicornis. Molecular characterisation and phylogenetic analysis categorised the peptide to HAMP2-like group with a mature peptide of 2.53 kDa; a net positive charge (?3) and capacity to form b-hairpin-like structure configured by 8 conserved cysteines. The present work provides new insight into the mass gene duplication events and adaptive evolution of hepcidin isoforms with respect to environmental influences and positive Darwinian selection. This work reports a novel hepcidin isoform under the group HAMP2 from a nonacanthopterygian deep-sea fish, C. bicornis

Molecular Characterisation and Phylogenetic Analysis of a Novel Isoform of Hepatic Antimicrobial Peptide, Hepcidin (Zc-hepc1), from the Coral Fish Moorish idol, Zanclus cornutus (Linnaeus,1758)

Hepcidin is a family of short cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) participating in various physiological functions with inevitable role in host immune responses. Present study deals with identification and characterisation of a novel hepcidin isoform from coral fish Zanclus cornutus. The 81 amino acid (aa) preprohepcidin obtained from Z. cornutus consists of a hydrophobic aa rich 22 mer signal peptide, a highly variable proregion of 35 aa and a bioactive mature peptide with 8 conserved cysteine residues which contribute to the disulphide back bone. The mature hepcidin, Zc-hepc1 has a theoretical isoelectric point of 7.46, a predicted molecular weight of 2.43 kDa and a net positive charge of ?1. Phylogenetic analysis grouped Z. cornutus hepcidin with HAMP2 group hepcidins confirming the divergent evolution of hepcidin-like peptide in fishes. Zc-hepc1 can attain a b-hairpin-like structure with two antiparallel b-sheets. This is the first report of an AMP from the coral fish Z. cornutus.

The English novel in the time of Shakespeare

The rise of the English novel needs rethinking after it has been confined to the "formal realism" of Defoe, Richardson, and Fielding (Watt, 1957), to "antecedents, forerunners" (Schlauch, 1968; Klein, 1970) or to mere "prose fiction" (McKillop, 1951; Davis, Richetti, 1969; Fish, 1971; Salzman, 1985; Kroll, 1998). My paper updates a book by Jusserand under the same title (1890) by proving that the social and moral history of the long prose genre admits no strict separation of "novel" and "romance", as both concepts are intertwined in most fiction (Cuddon, Preston, 1999; Mayer, 2000). The rise of the novel, seen in its European context, mainly in France and Spain (Kirsch, 1986), and equally in England, was due to the melting of the nobility and high bourgeoisie into a "meritocracy", or to its failure, to become the new bearer of the national culture, around 1600. (Brink, 1998). My paper will concentrate on Euphues (1578), a negative romance, Euphues and His England (1580), a novel of manners, both by Lyly; Arcadia (1590-93) by Sidney, a political roman à clef in the disguise of a Greek pastoral romance; The Unfortunate Traveller (1594) by Nashe, the first English picaresque novel, and on Jack of Newbury (1596-97) by Deloney, the first English bourgeois novel. My analysis of the central values in these novels will prove a transition from the aristocratic cardinal virtues of WISDOM, JUSTICE, COURAGE, and HONOUR to the bourgeois values of CLEVERNESS, FAIR PLAY, INDUSTRY, and VIRGINITY. A similar change took place from the Christian virtues of LOVE, FAITH, HOPE to business values like SERVICE, TRUST, and OPTIMISM. Thus, the legacy of history proves that the main concepts of the novel of manners, of political romance, of picaresque and middle-class fiction were all developed in the time of Shakespeare.

Cognitive coherence in the evluation of a novel single item

Article published in Judgement and Decision-Making

The Poetics of Game Narratives

In this final week we will look at the tensions between ludology and narratology in games design, in effect how the agency of games has been reconciled with the dramatic requirements (and lack of agency) in narrative. I will argue that there are two broad approaches, the mainstream method of concentrating in the Fabula, and a method pioneered by many indie games of fusing narrative and play. We will look in more detail at what this might mean in terms of thematic cohesion, diegetic choices, and mechanics and metaphor. Finally we look at Spec Ops: The Line, as a rare example of a AAA title that takes this fusion approach. Looking at how the game uses many of the techniques we have explored.