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Accumulation
Get PDFAlvin Erasga Tolentino explores themes of performance and assemblage in “Accumulation.” Writing about the interdisciplinary dance creation of the same name, Tolentino pairs his reflective essay on the performance, which explores the body in movement overtaken by debris amassed on his body (plastic, fabrics, branches, styrofoam), with photographs by Yasuhiro Okada
Impact of Membrane Lipid Composition on the Structure and Function of Uncoupling Proteins 1 and 2 from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtUCP1 and AtUCP2)
Get PDFA proton gradient across the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) is required for the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) via ATP synthase. In other words, generation of the proton gradient is coupled to the synthesis of ATP. Interestingly, uncoupling proteins (UCPs), also located in the IMM, dissipate the proton gradient, meaning that the gradient is not efficiently used for the production of ATP.1 The mechanism of proton transport activity of UCPs has been hypothesized and widely debated for the past 20 years to also reduce oxidative stress by reducing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS).2 The majority of research on plant UCPs (also referred to as Plant Uncoupling Mitochondrial Proteins, or PUMPs) has focused on the UCP1 protein of Arabidopsis thaliana (AtUCP1). There is, however, relatively little known about the structure and function of the UCP1 protein, which is similarly true for its mammalian homologues. The research conducted herein contributes to filling this knowledge gap by expressing and purifying functional AtUCP1 and AtUCP2 proteins, then using biophysical approaches to study their structure and function to compare it in parallel to hUCP2. The results show both proteins expressed had high α-helical content in both mild detergent and liposome environments tested, and the observations suggest a quaternary structure for both proteins to exist as a mixture of monomers and dimers for the UCPs. This work investigates the impact of different membrane lipid components with a primary focus on phosphatidylcholine (PC), and the impact of cardiolipin (CL), on the structure and function of both AtUCP1and AtUCP2. Both have been reconstituted into liposomes that resemble the lipid composition of the IMM for analyses of influence on the structure. A preliminary functional analysis has been conducted that indicated under these conditions that AtUCP1 and AtUCP2 were both capable of transporting protons with AtUCP2 having a lower efflux rate of the two, but both were similarly inhibited by ATP. This ii functional analysis is compared to recent literature that suggests that AtUCP2 is directed to the Golgi and is not a true uncoupling protein like AtUCP1
Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Public Perceptions of Victim Forgiveness and Offender Reparative Effort
Get PDFPassing judgment is an inevitable aspect of human behaviour, particularly in cases of severe wrongdoing or crime. These assessments can affect the individuals implicated in the transgressions, including the victim and offender. This research enhances our understanding of how third parties judge offenders and victims of crime, exploring whether offender participation in rehabilitation, offender remorsefulness, and the victim\u27s forgiveness following a crime influence the third party\u27s judgement of the victim and offender. Participants were presented with a scenario depicting a significant transgression, after which they responded to prompts concerning their perceptions of the event and the people involved. The findings reveal that participants placed considerable importance on offender rehabilitation. This was evidenced by examining their perceptions of fairness, empathy toward the offender, the participant\u27s extent of forgiveness, and the likelihood the offender would re-offend. These findings suggest that actions speak louder than words
Review of: Bloody Orkney? A comparison of the perceptions held by sailors and the reality of leisure and recreational opportunities at Scapa Flow during the First World War”
Get PDFThis review examines Ian Watson’s article, Bloody Orkney? A comparison of the perceptions held by sailors and the reality of leisure and recreational opportunities at Scapa Flow during the First World War, published in The Mariner’s Mirror. Watson investigates the contrasting views of sailors stationed at Scapa Flow, a newly established naval base in the Orkney Islands, which, despite its strategic importance, was often seen as dull due to a lack of typical amenities. Through a rich array of primary sources, including letters and audio recordings, alongside secondary research, Watson describes how the Navy developed recreational activities to boost morale among the over 150,000 sailors and civilians present. The article argues that while leisure opportunities existed, sailors frequently felt bored, influenced by limited shore leave and an imbalance between the number of sailors and available facilities. Watson effectively highlights the gap between sailors\u27 perceptions and the reality of their situation, underscoring the importance of understanding their viewpoints. This review appreciates Watson’s methodological approach and his insights into the psychological impact of perception on military life
A Clash of Conflicting Priorities: Why did the Battle for the Beveland Causeway last almost three weeks? 7 October - 24 October 1944
No full textThis article examines the 2nd Canadian Division’s nearly three-week campaign to drive German forces from the Beveland Causeway, a key part of the Battle of the Scheldt. Despite having superior numbers, the Canadians—led by Brigadier Holley Keefler—were unable to break through the enemy lines at Woensdrecht. In the secondary literature, high praise is given to the skill of the German battle group, at the expense of Canadian combat effectiveness. Drawing on primary sources, this article highlights the aggravating factors that contributed to this unexpected stalemate. It shows that, independent of the courage and ability of the soldiers on the ground, it was the conflicting strategic priorities of the opposing sides that shaped the developments on the battlefield
“Mud, mud, mud to the right of us”: How Canadian Reconnaissance Regiments Adapted to the Terrain of the Scheldt Estuary
No full textDuring the Battle of the Scheldt, Canadian reconnaissance regiments played a crucial role in gathering information for their attached divisions and participating in combat operations. To be effective in this role, these regiments needed to maintain a high level of mobility and be adept at operating at or beyond the divisional front. As First Canadian Army moved into the Scheldt Estuary in autumn 1944, the reconnaissance regiments’ mobility and efficiency were challenged by the difficult terrain. These regiments therefore developed new techniques to allow them to continue fulfilling their role despite these challenges, including the adoption of new weaponry and operating on their own initiative
Remembering Tim Cook
No full textTim Cook, C.M., F.R.S.C., Ph.D passed away on 26 October 2025, aged 53. Tim was a prolific contributor to this publication and a pillar of the two organisations that publish it, the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada (LCSC) and the Canadian War Museum. LCSC Director Kevin Spooner offers this remembrance
Evaluating the Risk Posed by Gadolinium in the Grand River Watershed
Get PDFGadolinium (Gd) is a rare earth element (REE), primarily used in contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with additional applications in metallurgy, phosphors, neutron shielding, and other niche applications. Both Gd and Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs, the form used for MRIs) have been detected downstream of wastewater effluent discharges and there is currently little research into the risk this poses to aquatic ecosystems. This study investigated the potential environmental risks of Gd and GBCAs using the Grand River watershed (GRW) in southwestern Ontario as a model ecosystem due to it containing a variety of land uses (urban, industrial, agricultural) and multiple MRI facilities using GBCAs. Total and dissolved REE concentrations were measured throughout the GRW with a focus on potential sources of contamination such as wastewater treatment plants. Sampling results showed low but measurable levels of multiple REEs in the watershed, with Gd anomalies downstream of wastewater discharge points with concentrations up to 9 times the watershed average (176 ng/L at outflow & 19 ng/L in GRW). The potential for adverse effects of inorganic Gd and GBCAs were assessed using standard toxicity test methods with Daphnia magna as well as tissue bioaccumulation studies with fathead minnows. We determined an acute EC50 of 231 µg Gddissolved/L of inorganic Gd for D. magna in a soft water media, but were unable to calculate an EC50 for GBCAs due to insufficient mortalities at the tested concentrations, concluding than it would be \u3e2.5 mg Gddissolved/L of GBCA. Chronic 21d reproduction tests with D. magna, in the same soft water media showed no significant effect on survival or reproduction in concentrations up to 200 μg Gdnominal/L inorganic Gd, however this test was limited by low dissolved concentrations (\u3c20% of nominal). Bioaccumulation tests showed that dissolved organic carbon (DOC) reduced the accumulation of Gd into gill tissues (32% decrease at highest tested concentration), while Ca and Na did not. When combining our environmental Gd and D. magna results into a risk assessment, we found risk quotients below 1, indicating minimal risk, even before considering mitigating conditions such as protective DOC being present or less toxic GBCAs composing some of the Gd present
Synthesis and Biophysical Analysis of Modified Cell-Penetrating Peptides
Get PDFCell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are a family of peptides that have the ability to penetrate biological membranes. They were discovered in the late 1980s and have been the topic of many studies. Much of the interest in CPPs has been due to their ability to translocate biological membranes, and the possibility that they could offer a novel drug delivery method by conjugation to biologically active molecules. Linear CPPs can be modified to form cyclic structures. This change in structure has been observed to enhance the stability and penetrative ability of the CPPs which have been studied. The current thesis focuses on the biophysical properties of CPPs modified to allow for cyclization. Penetratin (primary sequence: RQIKIWFQNRRMKWKK) and the Tat peptide (primary sequence: YGRKKRRQRRR) are two examples of linear CPPs that interact with and translocate across biological membranes. Fmoc based solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) was used to synthesize cyclizable analogs of these two peptides by adding glycine and cysteine residues to the peptides’ termini. Reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was used to purify and analyze the homogeneity of the protected linear analogs of the Tat peptide and penetratin (pTatL and pPenL, respectively). Fluorescence emission spectroscopy and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy were used to observe the conformational differences between the cyclizable analogs, and their original peptide constructs in different (aqueous, organic solvent and lipidic) environments. Dithiothreitol was required to measure the fluorescence and CD spectra of the peptides in the presence of lipid vesicles, to prevent the precipitation which might occur in the absence of the reducing agent. The CD and fluorescence spectra of pPenL were similar to the previously reported spectra of the native penetratin peptide; it displayed an unordered conformation in aqueous environments and α-helical conformations in organic solvents hexafluoroisopropanol and lipidic phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine/phosphatidylglycerol (PC/PG and PE/PG) environments. The Tat peptide has been reported to maintain an unordered secondary structure in all environments and when conjugated to biologically active molecules. The spectra of pTatL in aqueous buffer agreed with the previous reports, but the spectra in HFIP displayed partial α-helical conformations, likely due to the modifications made to the sequence to enable cyclization