Self-sacrificial leadership and follower self-esteem: When collective identification matters.

In the present research, we examine whether leader's self-sacrifice positively influences followers' self-esteem and whether followers' identification with the collective plays a role in this process. It was predicted that leader self-sacrifice would influence followers' self-esteem, but particularly so when followers exhibited strong (vs. weak) collective identification. Results from an organizational survey showed that leader self-sacrifice and collective identification interacted in predicting follower self-esteem, such that followers' self-esteem was higher when they identified strongly with the collective and when the leader was self-sacrificial (vs. self-benefiting). An experimental scenario study replicated this interactive effect between collective identification and leader's self-sacrifice on followers' self-esteem and also showed that this effect was (at least partly) mediated by followers' perceptions of whether the leader respected and valued the group. Implications with respect to the relationship between self-sacrifice and self-esteem are outlined, and possible integrations of leader self-sacrifice, identity, and empowerment are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Real-Time Fetal ECG Recording

We present a real-time abdominal recording method for the FECG based on a minimization procedure for the MECG interference, by weighted addition of four abdominal leads containing FECG with a large amount of MECG. The minimization of the MECG does not influence the FECG recording adversely. FECG complexes coinciding with MECG complexes are also recorded. Use is made of programmable amplifiers that multiply analog abdominal leads by digital coefficients. These coefficients are calculated at the beginning of the recording by a microcomputer system. Experimental results are shown that clarify the advantages of the measurement principle. The real-time recorded FECG is wide-banded, so that all generally known ECG signal processing techniques, such as complex averaging, can be performed.     

In‐situ curing analysis of photoreplicated objective lenses using Raman and IR spectroscopy

Optical pick‐up lenses are used in optical storage devices such as CD, DVD, and Blu‐Ray Disc. The production of such lenses is based on UV‐induced polymerization of a mixture of a dimethacrylate monomer and an initiator on a spherical glass substrate. The shape of the polymer layer is defined with an aspherical transparent mold. This means that the coating is completely surrounded by glassy materials during processing. Raman spectroscopy is applied in situ to monitor the polymerization reaction under conditions that closely resemble the actual production process. As a result improvements can be made to the reaction conditions if necessary. Data are compared to results obtained with IR spectroscopy in an off‐line approach. The value of the in situ characterization using Raman spectroscopy is illustrated by the observation that contrary to expectation, the local rate of polymerization is not influenced by shrinkage effects caused by local variations in volume relaxation in the wedge‐shaped sample volume. Instead, even quartz glass mold plates with a thickness of 30 times that of liquid monomer were deformed to accommodate for thermodynamically required volume shrinkage. The assumption of isochoric polymerization in a confined volume turned out to be incorrect. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 1287–1295, 2006     

Protein structural transitions and their functional role

Living cells are a collection of molecular machines which carry out many of the functions essential for the cell's existence, differentiation and reproduction. Most, though not all, of these machines are made up of proteins. Because of their complexity, an understanding of how they work requires a synergistic combination of experimental and theoretical studies. In this paper we outline our studies of two such protein machines. One is GroEL, the chaperone from Escherichia coli, which aids in protein folding; the other is F(1)-ATPase, a motor protein which synthesizes and hydrolyses ATP.     

Effects of Cancer Presence and Therapy on the Platelet Proteome

Platelets are involved in tumor angiogenesis and cancer progression. Previous studies indicated that cancer could affect platelet content. In the current study, we investigated whether cancer-associated proteins can be discerned in the platelets of cancer patients, and whether antitumor treatment may affect the platelet proteome. Platelets were isolated from nine patients with different cancer types and ten healthy volunteers. From three patients, platelets were isolated before and after the start of antitumor treatment. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics of gel-fractionated platelet proteins were used to compare patients versus controls and before and after treatment initiation. A total of 4059 proteins were detected, of which 50 were significantly more abundant in patients, and 36 more in healthy volunteers. Eight of these proteins overlapped with our previous cancer platelet proteomics study. From these data, we selected potential biomarkers of cancer including six upregulated proteins (RNF213, CTSG, PGLYRP1, RPL8, S100A8, S100A9) and two downregulated proteins (GPX1, TNS1). Antitumor treatment resulted in increased levels of 432 proteins and decreased levels of 189 proteins. In conclusion, the platelet proteome may be affected in cancer patients and platelets are a potential source of cancer biomarkers. In addition, we found in a small group of patients that anticancer treatment significantly changes the platelet proteome.     

The tale of proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) for Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 (LRRK2)

Here we present the rational design and synthetic methodologies towards proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) for the recently-emerged target leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2). Two highly potent, selective, brain-penetrating kinase inhibitors were selected, and their structure was appropriately modified to assemble a cereblon-targeting PROTAC. Biological data show strong kinase inhibition and the ability of the synthesized compounds to enter the cells. However, data regarding the degradation of the target protein are inconclusive. The reasons for the inefficient degradation of the target are further discussed.     

Reappraisal of variable-range hopping in quantum-dot solids

The temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity of assemblies of ZnO nanocrystals, studied with an electrochemically gated transistor is very accurately described by the relation ln sigma=ln sigma0-(T0/T)(x) with x=2/3 over the entire temperature range from 7 to 200 K, independent of charge concentration and dielectric environment. These results cannot be explained by existing models but are supported by results on Au nanocrystals where an identical temperature dependence was observed (Zabet-Khosousi et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 2006, 96 (15), 156403). We propose an adaptation of the Efros-Shklovskii variable-range hopping model by introducing an expression for nonresonant tunneling based on local energy fluctuations, which yields exactly the temperature dependence that is observed experimentally.