Revision of the genus Calofulcinia Giglio-Tos (Mantodea: Nanomantidae: Fulciniinae) in Australia.

The genus Calofulcinia comprises several species of small, cryptic mantis, three of which have been described from Australia. The genus is infrequently recorded and is thus very poorly known, and even basic questions of species delimitation and distribution have remained virtually unknown since the descriptions of these taxa. We here redescribe and figure the three known Australian species of Calofulcinia in full and provide a detailed key to Australian species. We record significant range extensions for all three species, and provide the first detailed behavioural and ecological records for the genus. In addition, we group the Australian species into a Robust Group (C. paraoxypila) and a Gracile Group (C. australis and C. oxynota), we detail the occurrence of colour polymorphism within the genus, and finally we discuss the apparent microhabitat specificity of Calofulcinia spp. (mosses and lichens) and their preference for cool, moist environments with reference to our changing climate.

A revision of the genus Ima Tindale (Mantodea: Nanomantidae: Fulciniinae) with the description of a new genus.

Ima fusca is one of a number of unusual and infrequently collected Australian mantises about which relatively little is known. Long considered a single species, morphological studies instead revealed the presence of a second cryptic species. We here describe this species as Ima corymbia sp. nov. and redescribe both Ima and Ima fusca in detail. Additionally, we describe a unique, robust species allied to Ima that was discovered with the aid of citizen science, Inimia nat gen. et sp. nov. In light of this discovery, we provide keys to both the Australian Fulciniini genera and to the species of Ima. Finally, we provide detailed behavioural and ecological records for all three species, including the peculiar host plant specificity of Ima spp. We document and discuss this specificity in depth and suggest several possible reasons for its occurrence.

Long telomeres bypass the requirement for telomere maintenance in human tumorigenesis.

Despite the importance of telomere maintenance in cancer cell survival via the elongation of telomeres by telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) or alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT), it had not been tested directly whether telomere maintenance is dispensable for human tumorigenesis. We engineered human tumor cells containing loxP-flanked hTERT to enable extensive telomere elongation prior to complete hTERT excision. Despite unabated telomere erosion, hTERT-excised cells formed tumors in mice and proliferated in vitro for up to 1 year. Telomerase reactivation or ALT was not observed, and the eventual loss of telomeric signal coincided with loss of tumorigenic potential and cell viability. Crisis was averted via the reintroduction of active but not inactive hTERT. Thus, telomere maintenance is dispensable for human tumorigenesis when telomere reserves are long. Yet, despite telomere instability and the presence of oncogenic RAS, human tumors remain susceptible to crisis induced by critically short telomeres.

The TPR-containing domain within Est1 homologs exhibits species-specific roles in telomerase interaction and telomere length homeostasis.

BACKGROUND: The first telomerase-associated protein (Est1) was isolated in yeast due to its essential role in telomere maintenance. The human counterparts EST1A, EST1B, and EST1C perform diverse functions in nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), telomere length homeostasis, and telomere transcription. Although Est1 and EST1A/B interact with the catalytic subunit of yeast and human telomerase (Est2 and TERT, respectively), the molecular determinants of these interactions have not been elaborated fully. RESULTS: To investigate the functional conservation of the EST1 protein family, we performed protein-protein interaction mapping and structure-function analysis. The domain in hEST1A most conserved between species, containing a TPR (tricotetrapeptide repeat), was sufficient for interaction of hEST1A with multiple fragments of hTERT including the N-terminus. Two mutations within the hTERT N-terminus that perturb in vivo function (NAAIRS(92), NAAIRS(122)) did not affect this protein interaction. ScEst1 hybrids containing the TPR of hEST1A, hEST1B, or hEST1C were expressed in yeast strains lacking EST1, yet they failed to complement senescence. Point mutations within and outside the cognate ScEst1 TPR, chosen to disrupt a putative protein interaction surface, resulted in telomere lengthening or shortening without affecting recruitment to telomeres. CONCLUSIONS: These results identify a domain encompassing the TPR of hEST1A as an hTERT interaction module. The TPR of S. cerevisiae Est1 is required for telomerase-mediated telomere length maintenance in a manner that appears separable from telomere recruitment. Discrete residues in or adjacent to the TPR of Est1 also regulate telomere length homeostasis.

The N-terminus of hTERT contains a DNA-binding domain and is required for telomerase activity and cellular immortalization.

Telomerase defers the onset of telomere damage-induced signaling and cellular senescence by adding DNA onto chromosome ends. The ability of telomerase to elongate single-stranded telomeric DNA depends on the reverse transcriptase domain of TERT, and also relies on protein:DNA contacts outside the active site. We purified the N-terminus of human TERT (hTEN) from Escherichia coli, and found that it binds DNA with a preference for telomeric sequence of a certain length and register. hTEN interacted with the C-terminus of hTERT in trans to reconstitute enzymatic activity in vitro. Mutational analysis of hTEN revealed that amino acids Y18 and Q169 were required for telomerase activity in vitro, but not for the interaction with telomere DNA or the C-terminus. These mutants did not reconstitute telomerase activity in cells, maintain telomere length, or extend cellular lifespan. In addition, we found that T116/T117/S118, while dispensable in vitro, were required for cellular immortalization. Thus, the interactions of hTEN with telomere DNA and the C-terminus of hTERT are functionally separable from the role of hTEN in telomere elongation activity in vitro and in vivo, suggesting other roles for the protein and nucleic acid interactions of hTEN within, and possibly outside, the telomerase catalytic core.

Telomere maintenance and survival in saccharomyces cerevisiae in the absence of telomerase and RAD52.

Telomeres are essential features of linear genomes that are crucial for chromosome stability. Telomeric DNA is usually replenished by telomerase. Deletion of genes encoding telomerase components leads to telomere attrition with each cycle of DNA replication, eventually causing cell senescence or death. In the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain W303, telomerase-null populations bypass senescence and, unless EXO1 is also deleted, this survival is RAD52 dependent. Unexpectedly, we found that the S. cerevisiae strain S288C could survive the removal of RAD52 and telomerase at a low frequency without additional gene deletions. These RAD52-independent survivors were propagated stably and exhibited a telomere organization typical of recombination between telomeric DNA tracts, and in diploids behaved as a multigenic trait. The polymerase-delta subunit Pol32 was dispensable for the maintenance of RAD52-independent survivors. The incidence of this rare escape was not affected by deletion of other genes necessary for RAD52-dependent survival, but correlated with initial telomere length. If W303 strains lacking telomerase and RAD52 first underwent telomere elongation, rare colonies could then bypass senescence. We suggest that longer telomeres provide a more proficient substrate for a novel telomere maintenance mechanism that does not rely on telomerase, RAD52, or POL32.

Increasing compliance with a request: two touches are more effective than one.

Touch procedures have been shown to increase the likelihood of compliance with requests. But the effect of subsequent touches following a classical touch procedure has not been investigated. It was predicted that two touches would lead to more compliance than one touch. 180 male and 180 female bystanders were asked to fill in a short or long questionnaire by a female confederate. They were touched by the confederate either once, twice, or not at all. Results showed that there was more compliance in the two-touch than in the one-touch condition, and when the participants were touched by the confederate. These findings support the hypothesis. Moreover, whereas participants were less likely to fill in the long questionnaire in the no-touch condition, touch procedures led to more compliance whatever the questionnaire length. Also, touch was more effective when a female confederate made the request to a male participant.

Dust content of lungs and its relationships to pathology, radiology and occupational exposure in Ontario hardrock miners.

BACKGROUND: Autopsied lungs from 29 hard rock miners were investigated to determine the relationship of the dust content to pathology, radiology, and occupational exposure. METHODS: Each lung was divided horizontally into three sections. Pathological and radiological studies and chemical analyses were carried out on samples from each section. The hilar lymph nodes were also studied chemically. The work history and smoking history were assessed. The occupational exposure to silica and total dust were estimated. The effect of smoking was examined, and the relationship between dust content of the lungs to that of the lymph nodes were also investigated. RESULTS: There was a good agreement between radiologic and pathologic findings. Positive correlations were seen between hydroxyproline (as an index of fibrosis), silica dust, non-silica inorganic dust, radiographic category of pneumoconiosis and pathologic grade of silicosis. Smokers lost on average 7 years of life compared to non-smokers, but numbers were small and no adjustment was made. Silica appeared to be concentrated in lungs and lymph nodes compared to the estimates of silica concentration in the mining environment. Silica in the lymph nodes on average is 2.4-fold higher than in the lungs. CONCLUSIONS: This study of autopsied hard rock miners lungs shows positive relationships between lung dust and hydroxyproline content, radiological and pathological findings.

The interpersonal consequences of inflated self-esteem in an inpatient psychiatric youth sample.

This study tested R. F. Baumeister, L. Smart, and J. M. Boden's (1996) theory of inflated self-esteem with an inpatient psychiatric youth sample. Participants were assessed on their self-reported self-esteem, self-reported interpersonal problems, and peer rejection (measured by evaluations from 3 or 4 peers). Consistent with the hypotheses, those with low self-esteem reported the most interpersonal problems, followed consecutively by the moderate self-esteem group and then the high self-esteem group, who reported the fewest interpersonal problems. Also in line with the hypotheses, those with low and high self-esteem were rejected by their peers when compared with the moderate self-esteem group. Thus, the high self-esteem group was rejected by their peers but did not themselves report interpersonal problems. These findings provide further support for Baumeister et al.'s theory and generalize the theory to a clinical setting.

Do positive self-perceptions have a "dark side"? Examination of the link between perceptual bias and aggression.

The hypothesis that positive self-perceptions may have a "dark side" was investigated in the present study by examining the relationship between positively biased self-perceptions and aggression. Ratings of actual and perceived social acceptance of third-grade (n = 278), fourth-grade (n = 260), and fifth-grade (n = 321) students were compared to form a measure of perceptual bias. Peers provided nominations for overt and relational aggression. Gender differences were found for aggression (males were more overtly and relationally aggressive than females) but not perceptual bias. African-American children held more positive perceptions of their social acceptance and were perceived by peers as more aggressive than Caucasian children. Even after controlling for the effects of gender and ethnicity, more positively biased perceptions were associated with more peer nominations for overt and relational aggression. Contrary to an optimal range of bias hypothesis, even moderately positive self-perceptions were associated with elevated levels of aggression.

Positive and negative affectivity in children: confirmatory factor analysis of a two-factor model and its relation to symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) framework that is embodied in the tripartite model of anxiety and depression has proved useful with adult populations; however, there is as yet little investigation with children concerning either the measurement of PA and NA or the relation between PA and NA and levels of adjustment. A confirmatory factor analysis was used in this study to examine the structure of self-reported affect and its relation to depressive and anxious symptoms in school children (4th to 11th grade). Results supported a 2-factor orthogonal model that was invariant across age and sex. Support for the expected pattern of relations between NA and PA with symptoms of depression and anxiety was strong for the older sample (M = 14.2 years) but weaker for the younger sample (M = 10.3 years). Results also provide preliminary support for the reliability and validity of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for children.