Enzymatic Evidence for a Revised Congocidine Biosynthetic Pathway

Naturally produced pyrrolamides, such as congocidine, are nonribosomal peptides that bind to the minor groove of DNA. Efforts to delineate the biosynthetic machinery responsible for their assembly have mainly employed genetic methods, and the enzymes responsible for their biosynthesis remain largely uncharacterized. We report the biochemical characterization of four proteins involved in congocidine formation: the adenylation‐thiolation (A–T) di‐domain Cgc18(1–610), its MbtH‐like partner SAMR0548, the AMP‐binding enzyme Cgc3*, and the T domain Cgc19. We assayed the ATP‐dependent activation of various commercially available and chemically synthesized compounds with Cgc18(1–610) and Cgc3*. We report the revised substrate specificities of Cgc18(1–610) and Cgc3*, and loading of 4‐acetamidopyrrole‐2‐carboxylic acid onto Cgc19. Based on these biochemical studies, we suggest a revised congocidine biosynthetic pathway.     

Differential resistance feedback control of a self-sensing shape memory alloy actuated system

There is a growing trend towards miniaturization, and with it comes an increasing need for miniature sensors and actuators for control. Moreover situations occur wherein implementation of external physical sensor is impossible, here self-sensing lends its hand appropriately. Though self-sensing actuation (SSA) is extensively studied in piezoelectric, exploring this property in shape memory alloy is still under study. A simple scheme is developed which allows differential resistance measurement of antagonistic shape memory alloy actuated wires to concurrently sense and actuate in a closed loop system. The usefulness of the proposed scheme is experimentally verified by designing a one link manipulator arm and is performed in a real time tracking control. In a practical implementation of the self-sensing actuator a newly proposed signal processing electronic circuit is used for direct differential resistance feedback control upto a bandwidth of 1.8 Hz. The control design uses fuzzy PID which requires no detailed information about the constitutive model of SMA. At an operating frequency of 1 Hz, the result of the self-sensing feedback control with an angular tracking accuracy of ±0.06° over a movement range of ±15° is demonstrated.     

Civil engineers' managerial roles and needs: report of survey

Attitudes to the monetary risks associated with business decisions are thought to vary in response to at least three identifiable stimuli: the amount of money involved, background economic conditions and the framing of the decision. This paper reports a study of peoples' attitude to risk before and after a real turning point in the real business cycle. This work sheds light on the extent to which (i) risk attitudes remain robust when economic conditions change, (ii) risk attitude is influenced by whether the choice problem is concerned with losses or with gains, and (iii) risk attitude may be subordinated to some other dominating objective.     

Real-time monitoring of morphological changes in living cells by electronic cell sensor arrays: an approach to study G protein-coupled receptors

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute important targets for drug discovery against a wide range of ailments including cancer, inflammatory, and cardiovascular diseases. Efforts are underway to screen selective modulators of GPCRs and also to deorphanize GPCRs with unidentified natural ligands. Most GPCR-based cellular screens depend on labeling or recombinant expression of receptor or reporter proteins, which may not capture the true physiology or pharmacology of the GPCRs. In this paper, we describe a noninvasive and label-free assay for GPCRs that can be used with both engineered and nonengineered cell lines. The assay is based on using cell-electrode impedance to measure minute changes in cellular morphology as a result of ligand-dependent GPCR activation. We have used this technology to assay the functional activation of GPCRs coupled to different signaling pathways and have compared it to standard assays. We have used pharmacological modulators of GPCR signaling pathways to demonstrate the specificity of impedance-based measurements. Our data indicate that cell-electrode impedance measurements offer a convenient, sensitive, and quantitative method for assessing GPCR function. Moreover, the noninvasive nature of the readout offers the added advantage of performing multiple treatments in the same well to study events such as desensitization and receptor cross-talk.     

Depressive personality: Associations with DSM-III-R mood and personality disorders and negative and positive affectivity, 30-month stability, and prediction of course of Axis I depressive disorders.

The authors addressed 5 issues bearing on the validity of the construct of depressive personality disorder (DPD): its relationship with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev.; American Psychiatric Association. 1987) mood and personality disorders and normal personality dimensions of negative and positive affectivity, its stability over 30-months, and its impact on the course of Axis I depressive disorders. Two samples were used: 156 outpatients with mood disorders, personality disorders, or both, and 267 of their 1st-degree relatives. The association between DPD and dysthymia was fairly modest, whereas the associations with major depression and the personality disorders were quite low. DPD was moderately correlated with both negative and positive affectivity; however it contributed unique information beyond that available from the 2 emotional superfactors. Finally, DPD was moderately stable over a 30-month period and was associated with a poorer course of depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Developmental coaching for high school teachers: Executive coaching goes to school.

Teachers are in a very real sense the embodiment of leadership, providing direction, guidance, and feedback to their students in addition to acting as role models. Teachers may well thus benefit from developmental coaching that draws on theories of leadership. This study was both an experimental (randomly assigned conditions) and a quasi-experimental (pre–post) study. A randomized controlled design was used to explore the impact of coaching on goal attainment, mental health, workplace well-being, and resilience, and a quasi-experimental (pre–post) design was used to explore the impact of coaching on leadership styles. Forty-four high school teachers were randomly assigned to either coaching or a waitlist control group. The coaching used a cognitive–behavioral, solution-focused approach and was informed by theories of self-leadership and transformational leadership. Participants in the coaching group received multirater feedback on their leadership style and undertook 10 coaching sessions conducted by professional coaches over a 20-week period. Compared with randomly allocated controls, participation in coaching was associated with increased goal attainment, reduced stress, and enhanced workplace well-being and resilience. Pre–post analyses for the coaching group indicated that coaching enhanced self-reported achievement and humanistic–encouraging components of constructive leadership styles and reduced self-reported aggressive/defensive and passive/defensive leadership styles. Findings suggest that coaching, as a professional development methodology, has great potential to contribute to the development and well-being of society beyond the corporate and organizational settings with which leadership coaching and executive coaching are normally associated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intelligence and substance use.

Why do some individuals choose to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, and use illegal drugs while others do not? The origin of individual preferences and values is one of the remaining theoretical questions in social and behavioral sciences. The Savanna-IQ Interaction Hypothesis suggests that more intelligent individuals may be more likely to acquire and espouse evolutionarily novel values than less intelligent individuals. Consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs is evolutionarily novel, so the Savanna-IQ Interaction Hypothesis would predict that more intelligent individuals are more likely to consume these substances. Analyses of two large, nationally representative, and prospectively longitudinal data from the United Kingdom and the United States partly support the prediction. More intelligent children, both in the United Kingdom and the United States, are more likely to grow up to consume more alcohol. More intelligent American children are more likely to grow up to consume more tobacco, while more intelligent British children are more likely to grow up to consume more illegal drugs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The immediate and enduring impact of a cancer diagnosis on professional growth and development.

Whether one is prepared for them or not, personal challenges that affect professional roles are a fact of life. The author discusses the immediate and enduring consequences of the diagnosis of, treatment of, and recovery from a life-threatening illness as they relate to practicing psychology. In particular, the areas impacted, such as work responsibilities, training and supervision, and professional development, are addressed. In addition, clients' reactions and personal responses to those reactions are considered. The more enduring impact on the understanding of several common therapeutic concepts, including emotional avoidance, rational versus irrational beliefs, just worldview, and acceptance, is explored. Finally, practical implications and recommendations are made. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)