Colocalization of MCM8 and MCM7 with proteins involved in distinct aspects of DNA replication

Minichromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins are essential for DNA replication in eukaryotes. A subcomplex of the MCM2-7 family members, initially characterized in yeast, is thought to serve as a eukaryotic DNA replicative helicase. MCM8 is a new family member, not present in yeast, which may function alone or with other family members in aspects of DNA metabolism, including replication initiation and elongation. Through the use of chromatin immunoprecipitation, we find that MCM8, like MCM7, colocalizes on a specific DNA segment of the c-MYC replication initiation zone (c-MYC replicator) with Cdc6, a protein potentially involved in loading MCM proteins onto DNA. The association between MCM8 and MCM7 peaks in mid G1, at the time of assembly of the prereplication complex. The association of both MCM proteins with Cdc6, however, continues even after DNA replication is complete. We also find that MCM8 colocalizes at the c-MYC replicator with chromatin-bound Cdk2. Our data indicate that any role MCM8 may play in elongation is likely to be discontinuous, in its association with DNA, from a potential role in initiation. Using immunogold electron microscopy we show that MCM8 and MCM7 differ in spatial relation to RPA70 during S phase. Our data strongly suggest that MCM8 functions with other known replication proteins in processes which accompany DNA replication, especially initiation, and which are specifically adapted to suit higher eukaryotes.     

Identifying violation-provoking conditions in a healthcare setting

Procedural violations (intentional deviations from established protocols) are prone to occur in many occupational settings, with a potentially detrimental effect on quality or safety. They are thought to result from organisational practices and the social characteristics of rule-related behaviour. This study makes use of qualitative methods to investigate the nature and causes of violations in anaesthetic practice. Twenty-three consultant anaesthetists took part in the study, which involved naturalistic observations and semi-structured interviews. Several factors influencing anaesthetic violations were identified. These include the nature of the rule, the anaesthetist (both as an individual and as a professional group) and the situation. Implications for the understanding and management of human reliability issues within an organisation are discussed. This study provides an insight into procedural violations, which pose a threat to organisational safety but are distinct from human errors. The study also demonstrates the value of qualitative methods in ergonomics research. It is of relevance to researchers and practitioners interested in human reliability and error, especially in healthcare.     

Using Hypercard to Collect,Analyse and Report on Qualitative Data

This paper describes how qualitative data collected using several application software programs were consolidated into a single linked database using HyperCard. A Macintosh Computing environment with word processing, database, spreadsheet and graphics applications was first used to transcribe, code, organize and report on the data. The creation of the HyperCard database facilitated pulling together and re-analysing the data to produce new findings. The example used is a multiple-site case study of the implementation of microcomputers in a school district that was conducted during 1986–7 and included structured interviews, informal interviews, naturalistic observations, content analysis of historical documents, computer usage statistics, and stages-of-concern graphs.     

The influence of color on student emotion,heart rate,and performance in learning environments

In this study, six colors (vivid red, vivid blue, vivid yellow, pale red, pale blue, and pale yellow^?) were manipulated in a simulated study environment to determine their effects on university students' learning performance, emotions, and heart rate. It was hypothesized that learning, physiological and emotional states would be affected by different colors in private study spaces. A total of 24 undergraduate and postgraduate students participated in this study. The dependent variables were reading task performance, emotional responses, and changes in heart rate. The results showed that, although participants assessed the situation as relaxed, calm, and pleasant in the pale color conditions, reading scores were significantly higher in the vivid color conditions. Heart rates were significantly affected by hue; they increased in the red and yellow conditions. In addition, the results suggested that, regardless of the degree of whiteness, the hue had a significant impact on participants' emotions; blue increased relaxation and calmness feelings of participants compared to the other colors. Implications of these findings and suggestions for further research are discussed. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 41, 196–205, 2016     

High‐pressure processing with hot sauce flavouring enhances sensory quality for raw oysters (Crassostrea virginica)

This study evaluated flavouring raw oysters by placing them under pressure in the presence of a commercially available hot sauce. Hand‐shucked raw oysters were processed at high pressure (600 MPa), in the presence or absence of hot sauce flavouring and evaluated by an experienced sensory panel 3 and 10 days after postharvest processing. The sensory panel evaluated high‐pressure‐processed oysters, with and without flavouring, for eleven flavours and three texture characteristics using an 11‐point intensity scale. Oysters were plump and characterised as moderately chewy and firm. Most oyster flavour characteristics were low in intensity with moderate intensity for briny and umami attributes. Flavoured oysters had a moderately intense tangy flavour and aftertaste. Flavouring a raw oyster by high‐pressure processing provides the potential to create a microbiologically safe product with unique sensory characteristics, which may influence consumer acceptance and marketability.     

Treatment failures in private practice: How do psychologists proceed?

Very little is known about how psychotherapists proceed when patients fail to progress. Psychologists in independent practice (N = 591) were surveyed regarding their approach to treatment failures in an updated partial replication of P. C. Kendall, D. Kipnis, and L. Otto-Salaj (1992). Overall, practitioners reported seeing patients a median of 12 sessions before concluding no progress was being made and relying on colleague consultation and clinical experience to formulate their next steps. Practitioners of different orientations varied on treatment duration and ensuing strategies. Specifically, psychodynamic practitioners treated patients significantly longer than cognitive-behavioral and eclectic practitioners before concluding treatment failure. Cognitive-behavioral and eclectic practitioners were more likely than psychodynamic practitioners to utilize treatment materials informed by psychotherapy outcome research and to refer patients to other clinicians. The ethical and practical implications of handling treatment failures in private practice are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Color‐person‐environment relationships

Although the nature of color and the person environment relationship are both well‐documented, it is posited that both domains need to be integrated to understand the active role that color plays in the relationship between a person and the surrounding environment. The color person environment relationship (COL‐PE) introduced in this article is an important theoretical concept for designers, and as a consequence, for environmental‐color researchers to investigate. The potential of color to be an active agent in the relationship between people and environments is introduced by drawing upon what is known about color and the person environment relationship from other sources. The nature of transition spaces is used to emphasize how color affects the emotional connection and disconnection between people and spaces. As an example of COL‐PE, transition spaces highlight the nature of the person who is also psychologically in‐transition and color as a potentially important aspect of the transitory experience. In addition, the connections between color and the constructs that we hold of the people who visit, work, or live in particular environments will be discussed briefly. Designers often focus on the object or artifact which is being colored (whether a building or a chair) as an end in itself, without considering in any depth how the designed objects or places can influence how people experience their daily activities and each other. COL‐PE is introduced as a means to address this omission and broaden designers' understandings of the potential impact of their work. The discussion of the aspects of environmental design (with particular reference to architecture and interior design), introduces the foundation of the COL‐PE as a particular way of addressing color in the built environment. The principles of COL‐PE are relevant for a range of disciplines involved in environmental design including urban design, landscape architecture, interior design, industrial design, and architecture. The COL‐PE aims to make explicit what is often an unrecognized or tacit understanding of the role of environmental color, and thereby, the article highlights the need for research to understand the relationship more fully. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 33, 312–319, 2008.     

Assessing an Engineering Day Camp for Middle-School Girls

Many engineering outreach activities are conducted for young people on university campuses. Many of these programs have some assessment in place, but few have reported results of multiple evaluation and assessment tools. The Future Engineers’ Summer Camp, an engineering day camp for middle-school girls, is a week-long day camp containing hands-on, minds-on activities spanning a range of engineering disciplines. Evaluation and assessment tools including a retrospective survey, evaluation cards, and focus groups are used to evaluate the camp’s activities and determine effectiveness in increasing girls’ knowledge of and attitudes and aspirations toward engineering. Analysis of retrospective surveys demonstrates that the girls learn about engineering while participating in the camp. Evaluation cards, used to evaluate individual activities, indicate that fun is positively correlated with the overall rating of an activity. Additionally, while the girls in the camp already have positive attitudes and high aspirations related to math and science, the camp reinforces these attributes. Recordings and scribe notes of focus-group discussions support retrospective survey results.