Excellent Partner Research Articles

Interhelical E@g-N@a interactions modulate coiled coil stability within a de novo set of orthogonal peptide heterodimers.

The designability of orthogonal coiled coil (CC) dimers, which draw on well-established design rules, plays a pivotal role in fueling the development of CCs as synthetically versatile assembly-directing motifs for the fabrication of bionanomaterials. Here, we aim to expand the synthetic CC toolkit through establishing a "minimalistic" set of orthogonal, de novo CC peptides that comprise 3.5 heptads in length and a single buried Asn to prescribe dimer formation. The designed sequences display excellent partner fidelity, confirmed via circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and Ni-NTA binding assays, and are corroborated in silico using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Detailed analysis of the MD conformational data highlights the importance of interhelical E@g-N@a interactions in coordinating an extensive 6-residue hydrogen bonding network that "locks" the interchain Asn-Asn' contact in place. The enhanced stability imparted to the Asn-Asn' bond elicits an increase in thermal stability of CCs up to ~15°C and accounts for significant differences in stability within the collection of similarly designed orthogonal CC pairs. The presented work underlines the utility of MD simulation as a tool for constructing de novo, orthogonal CCs, and presents an alternative handle for modulating the stability of orthogonal CCs via tuning the number of interhelical E@g-N@a contacts. Expansion of CC design rules is a key ingredient for guiding the design and assembly of more complex, intricate CC-based architectures for tackling a variety of challenges within the fields of nanomedicine and bionanotechnology.

Enantioselective Syntheses of Strychnos and Chelidonium Alkaloids through Regio‐ and Stereocontrolled Cooperative Catalysis

AbstractWe describe enantioselective syntheses of strychnos and chelidonium alkaloids. In the first case, indole acetic acid esters were established as excellent partner nucleophiles for enantioselective cooperative isothiourea/Pd catalyzed α‐alkylation. This provides products containing indole‐bearing stereocenters in high yield and with excellent levels of enantioinduction in a manner that is notably independent of the N‐substituent. This led to concise syntheses of (−)‐akuammicine and (−)‐strychnine. In the second case, the poor performance of ortho‐substituted cinnamyl electrophiles in the enantioselective cooperative isothiourea/Ir catalyzed α‐alkylation was overcome by appropriate substituent choice, leading to enantioselective syntheses of (+)‐chelidonine, (+)‐norchelidonine, and (+)‐chelamine.

Enantioselective Syntheses of Strychnos and Chelidonium Alkaloids through Regio- and Stereocontrolled Cooperative Catalysis.

We describe enantioselective syntheses of strychnos and chelidonium alkaloids. In the first case, indole acetic acid esters were established as excellent partner nucleophiles for enantioselective cooperative isothiourea/Pd catalyzed α-alkylation. This provides products containing indole-bearing stereocenters in high yield and with excellent levels of enantioinduction in a manner that is notably independent of the N-substituent. This led to concise syntheses of (-)-akuammicine and (-)-strychnine. In the second case, the poor performance of ortho-substituted cinnamyl electrophiles in the enantioselective cooperative isothiourea/Ir catalyzed α-alkylation was overcome by appropriate substituent choice, leading to enantioselective syntheses of (+)-chelidonine, (+)-norchelidonine, and (+)-chelamine.

The Feel-Bad Film . By Nikolaj Lübecker

In this book Nikolaj Lübecker offers an astonishing engagement with contemporary trends in European and avant-garde cinema. He cuts through recent discussions of new French extremism to offer a scintillating, urgent, and original take on the subject. The book opens by conjuring two scenes, from Alain Resnais’s Muriel (1963) and Todd Haynes’s Safe (1995), that can be seen as both unpleasant and disconcerting. Evocation of these scenes leads Lübecker towards his formulation of ‘the feel-bad experience’: ‘the film produces a spectatorial desire, but then blocks its satisfaction; it creates, then deadlocks, our desire for catharsis’ (p. 2; original emphasis). In so doing, he argues, films raise political and ethical questions. Lübecker identifies a series of strategies that allow him to distinguish between the works and feelings of different directors, and thus nuance and stratify his discussion. Informing the project is a wide-ranging analysis of ideas about spectatorship and reception in moves from Aristotle to Brecht. A provocative Introduction leads to a series of scintillating readings that, with unstinting intellectual courage, take the reader close to demanding material. The early chapters on Lars von Trier and Michael Haneke are perhaps the most brilliant with expert, controlled close readings. Lübecker suggests that in these films we experience ‘unbearable intimacy’ with scenes that are ‘excruciating’ in their emotional charge (p. 26), yet we are also invited to engage intellectually with the material. He argues: ‘on the one hand, we are not given the distance that Brecht recommends; on the other, we are deprived of the cathartic release that Artaud and Bataille aim for. This is the source of the “feel-bad” experience; this is how von Trier puts a deadlock on catharsis’ (p. 27). The book offers a very rich compendium of film references and associations, whilst allowing a major argument to emerge. There is discussion of Redacted (dir. by Brian De Palma, 2007) through Georges Didi-Huberman and Boris Groys, a reading of Elephant (dir. by Gus Van Sant, 2003) through Merleau-Ponty and Bataille, and of Claire Denis through Butler. Lübecker is also passionately engaged with the work of other critics. His rereadings are achieved in a fearless move to confront uncertainties and in an acknowledgement of our vulnerability as viewers. His book is unremittingly open to contradictions. Even as he thinks about the ethical in film, he refuses to see this cinema as only ethically efficacious, writing, close to the end: ‘So even if it is true that cinema can be an excellent partner when we seek to make sense of the world (an excellent partner also because no “answer” it gives will be definitive), it is equally true that cinema can help to make life opaque and strange’ (p. 174). There is something gripping, tonic, and assaultive in Lübecker’s writing. What he has done here is to track, explain, imagine the force of and reason for contemporary cinema’s multiple and varied encounters with distress, sickness, and contradiction.

Abstract 4720: Synergistic antitumor effect of selinexor, a selective inhibitor of nuclear export (SINE) compound and panobinostat in a mouse model of multiple myeloma

Abstract Introduction: Selinexor is an oral, first-in-class SINE compound that binds to the primary nuclear exporter XPO1/CRM1. XPO1 exports over 200 cargos, including major tumor suppressor proteins (TSPs) leading to their inactivation. Inhibition of XPO1 results in nuclear retention of TSPs and restores their normal functions. XPO1 also mediates the export of key signaling molecules in multiple myeloma (MM) including c-MYC mRNA and NF-κB. Selinexor is currently being investigated in phase 2 clinical trials in MM in combination with dexamethasone, pomalidamide, lenalidomide, bortezomib and carfilzomib. In preclinical studies selinexor has been shown to synergize broadly with these anti-MM drugs making it an excellent candidate partner for combination therapies in MM. To identify additional synergistic pairings, we investigated the use of selinexor in combination with panobinostat, a pan-histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDAC) recently approved by the FDA in combination with bortezomib for 3rd line treatment of MM, as a potential treatment for MM both in-vitro and in-vivo. Methods: The effects of selinexor and panobinostat alone or in combination on cell viability were tested on MM1.S and NCI-H929 cell lines using MTT assays. Total RNA and whole protein cell lysates were extracted and analyzed by qPCR and by immunoblots. In-vivo, MM.1S cells were used to derive a xenograft mouse model. Mice were treated with sub-therapeutic doses of selinexor and panobinostat alone or in combination and with the therapeutic dose of selinexor. Tumor growth was monitored for 17 days and% Tumor Growth Inhibition (%TGI) was determined. Xenografts were harvested and analyzed microscopically and by immunohistochemestry (IHC). Results: Selinexor-panobinostat combination was highly effective both in-vitro and in-vivo. In MTT assays, both selinexor and panobinostat demonstrated low IC50 values (nanomolar) and when combined, they synergistically/ additively inhibit proliferation. Gene expression and western blot analyses showed that the combination treatment leads to a synergistic reduction in c-MYC mRNA and protein levels. In addition, an overall reduction in expression of anti-apoptotic signaling molecules including NF-κB and p21 and an increase of expression of pro-apoptotic molecules including cleaved caspase 3 and BAX were observed. Importantly, in-vivo, while%TGI of sub-therapeutic doses of selinexor and panobinostat measured 58% and 52% respectively, the combination showed a synergistic effect, measuring 93%. Importantly this high%TGI exceeded the effect of the therapeutic dose of selinexor alone 79%. Conclusion: Selinexor-panobinostat combination synergizes to induce apoptosis in MM cells and amplifies anti-tumor effect in a MM xenograft model. These data provide rational support for study of selinexor/ panobinostat combination in clinical trials. Citation Format: Sivan Elloul, Hua Chang, Boris Klebanov, Trinayan Kashyap, Maxwell Werman, Margaret Lee, Yosef Landesman, Sharon Shacham, Michael Kauffman, Sharon Y. Friedlander. Synergistic antitumor effect of selinexor, a selective inhibitor of nuclear export (SINE) compound and panobinostat in a mouse model of multiple myeloma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4720.

FERMI GBM OBSERVATIONS OF LIGO GRAVITATIONAL-WAVE EVENT GW150914

ABSTRACT With an instantaneous view of 70% of the sky, the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) is an excellent partner in the search for electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational-wave (GW) events. GBM observations at the time of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) event GW150914 reveal the presence of a weak transient above 50 keV, 0.4 s after the GW event, with a false-alarm probability of 0.0022 (2.9σ). This weak transient lasting 1 s was not detected by any other instrument and does not appear to be connected with other previously known astrophysical, solar, terrestrial, or magnetospheric activity. Its localization is ill-constrained but consistent with the direction of GW150914. The duration and spectrum of the transient event are consistent with a weak short gamma-ray burst (GRB) arriving at a large angle to the direction in which Fermi was pointing where the GBM detector response is not optimal. If the GBM transient is associated with GW150914, then this electromagnetic signal from a stellar mass black hole binary merger is unexpected. We calculate a luminosity in hard X-ray emission between 1 keV and 10 MeV of 1.8 − 1.0 + 1.5 × 10 49 erg s−1. Future joint observations of GW events by LIGO/Virgo and Fermi GBM could reveal whether the weak transient reported here is a plausible counterpart to GW150914 or a chance coincidence, and will further probe the connection between compact binary mergers and short GRBs.

Life Decoded

In Greg Bear’s critically acclaimed science fiction novel Darwin’s Radio, the activation of an endogenous retrovirus (SHEVA), ironically located in a “noncoding region” of the human genome, causes extreme symptoms in women worldwide, including miscarriages. In the United States, a task force is assembled to control the pandemic crisis and to find out how SHEVA operates at the genomic level. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes manifest that SHEVA is too complex to decode in this way and, moreover, that it is not a disease at all. Biologist Kay Lang speculates that SHEVA is triggered by signals from the environment, and that newborn SHEVA children will be a new variation or species of Man. In this essay I analyze Bear’s literary experiment with science along Deleuze and Guattari’s important, but largely overlooked, concepts of State science and nomad science. Bear’s novel gives narrative form to nomad-scientific ideas about life, notably Lynn Margulis’s theory of endosymbiogenesis, which holds that a species’ DNA is an assemblage of many genomes acquired in symbiotic relations. The import of Bear’s informed speculations, I argue, is not crass prediction but a nomadic vision of life as always already different (impure, infected) and in becoming—a counterpoint to the image of the double helix as the bedrock of human identity. Darwin’s Radio is a key example of how fiction can be an excellent partner for science, technology, and society, analyzing and intervening in debates about life and laying bare epistemological and biopolitical tensions of technoscience.

Primena programskog paketa MATLAB u digitalnoj obradi signala brzom Furijeovom transformacijom

Theoretical bases o f digital signal processing must be visualized in order to be comprehensible and applicable. Software package Matlab is an excellent partner in this mission. Thanks to its flexible environment, a wide range o f built-in functions, and the possibility of algorithm developing and programming Matlab has become an indispensable tool in almost all areas o f engineering. One o f the most important algorithms for digital signal processing is fast Fourier transform whose function is built into Matlab. In this paper some o f the basic examples o f digital signal processing by means of fast Fourier transform and Matlab software are visualized.

Intensify chemical reduction to remove nitrate from groundwater via internal microelectrolysis existing in nano-zero valent iron/granular activated carbon composite

A composite combination of nano-zero valent iron (nZVI) and granular activated carbon (GAC) was introduced to achieve nitrate transformation into nitrogen with minimum byproducts via chemical reduction. The results showed that nitrate removal was significantly intensified and GAC was an excellent partner of nZVI chemical reduction. Both the dispersion and long-term reactivity of nZVI were improved, and more than 80% of nitrate was removed at 10 g/L nZVI/GAC composite within 90 min in steady state. The byproducts of nitrite and ammonium formed in reduction process were below 0.008 and 0.04 mg/L, respectively, and nitrogen was the main end product, which was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. Moreover, the kinetic model of nitrate reduction by nZVI/GAC composite can be described well by pseudo-first-order reaction kinetic (R2 = 0.984). The intensification is closely related to the dispersion effect of GAC matrix to nZVI and the promotion effect to electrons transfer between nZVI and nitrate pollutant of internal iron–carbon microelectrolysis existing in such a composite. Therefore, the findings are very beneficial to develop an efficient and low-cost chemical remediation method for nitrate-contaminated groundwater.

Live-cell multiphoton fluorescence correlation spectroscopy with an improved large Stokes shift fluorescent protein.

We report an improved variant of mKeima, a monomeric long Stokes shift red fluorescent protein, hmKeima8.5. The increased intracellular brightness and large Stokes shift (∼180 nm) make it an excellent partner with teal fluorescent protein (mTFP1) for multiphoton, multicolor applications. Excitation of this pair by a single multiphoton excitation wavelength (MPE, 850 nm) yields well-separable emission peaks (∼120-nm separation). Using this pair, we measure homo- and hetero-oligomerization interactions in living cells via multiphoton excitation fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (MPE-FCS). Using tandem dimer proteins and small-molecule inducible dimerization domains, we demonstrate robust and quantitative detection of intracellular protein-protein interactions. We also use MPE-FCCS to detect drug-protein interactions in the intracellular environment using a Coumarin 343 (C343)-conjugated drug and hmKeima8.5 as a fluorescence pair. The mTFP1/hmKeima8.5 and C343/hmKeima8.5 combinations, together with our calibration constructs, provide a practical and broadly applicable toolbox for the investigation of molecular interactions in the cytoplasm of living cells.

From the Editor

Next article FreeEditorialFrom the EditorPDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailQR Code SectionsMoreI am very pleased to be taking on the reins of Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Politics for the four-year term beginning in 2015. I will no doubt have a hard time maintaining the very high standards set by the outgoing co-Editors, Jan Leighley and Bill Mishler, but thankfully I have a tremendous team in place to help me. And by “team,” I mean that in the truest sense of the word: over the next four years, we’ll be experimenting at the JOP with a team-based editorial model. That is, I will work closely with a group of Field Editors and rely upon them to handle the bulk of manuscripts that come in. Specifically, I will take the American Institutions articles and thus serve as the American Institutions Field Editor as well as Editor-in-Chief of the journal, but I will delegate the editorial responsibility of all other manuscripts to five other Field Editors:(1) Elisabeth Ellis (University of Otago): Political Theory Field Editor(2) Sean Gailmard (University of California, Berkeley): Formal Theory and Methodology Field Editor(3) Lanny Martin (Rice University): Comparative Politics Field Editor(4) Jennifer L. Merolla (Claremont Graduate University): American Behavior Field Editor(5) William Reed (University of Maryland): International Relations Field EditorThese five highly accomplished scholars will possess full editorial discretion within their fields: they will choose referees, send out manuscripts for review, collect and review referee reports, and make editorial decisions.In adopting a team-based approach, I am borrowing from allied disciplines (like Economics), where the practice is common. My rationale in doing so is twofold: (1) to share the editorial burden, which is considerable at a top general journal, and (2) to encourage the very best manuscripts in every field to be sent to the JOP. On the latter point, my belief is that authors will be more inclined to send their best work to the journal if they have confidence that the editor will be able to handle the process well from start to finish—by having the appropriate background to select the right referees, assess referee comments and adjudicate conflicting claims, and, finally, determine the overall significance of the work. Having a set of editors in place covering all of the major fields in political science will serve as a signal that the JOP is a true general journal and that all papers will receive careful consideration by an expert.We will be making several other changes as well. Many of these will be detailed in an updated “Guidelines for Manuscripts” section on the JOP website. But two changes deserve specific mention here. First, the JOP is joining the disciplinary effort to establish best practices for the dissemination of replication files. An article will not be published until an author first stores his or her replications files on the JOP Data Archive on Dataverse. In adopting this rule, we wholeheartedly support the movement to promote data access and research transparency. Second, with the increasing use of experimentation in political science, the JOP is adopting submission guidelines on research involving human participants. If an author’s work involves the use of human subjects, he or she should include a statement that the studies were conducted in compliance with relevant laws and were approved or deemed exempt by the appropriate institutional and/or national research ethics committee. In cases where an ethics committee does not exist, the author/s should indicate that the research was conducted in line with the ethical standards contained in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments.In closing, my Field Editors and I look forward to serving the political science community over the next four years and publishing the very best work in the discipline. In this endeavor, we have an excellent partner in the University of Chicago Press. In my initial dealings with them, the Press has been outstanding to work with and has made clear that they will provide the JOP with the editorial and production needs that befit a top general journal.That’s it for now. We welcome your thoughts and feedback as we begin a new editorial era. Please feel free to contact me anytime at [email protected].Sincerely,Jeffery A. Jenkins, University of Virginia Next article DetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Journal of Politics Volume 77, Number 1January 2015 Sponsored by the Southern Political Science Association Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/680234 Views: 299Total views on this site © 2015 by the Southern Political Science Association. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Activated carbon fibers as an excellent partner of Fenton catalyst for dyes decolorization by combination of adsorption and oxidation

We report herein three commercial activated carbon fibers (ACFs) with different adsorption capacities for use as Fe-supports in developing a series of heterogeneous Fenton catalysts ([email protected]) for water purification via a simple impregnation method. Studies relating to the characteristics of the [email protected] and their adsorptive or catalytic performance have been performed and these data revealed that high adsorption capacity led to greatly enhanced catalytic activity. HPLC, EPR, DTG and FT-IR were used to differentiate between adsorptive and catalytic behavior. These results demonstrated that the catalytic process leads to extensive multi-step oxidation due to the production of hydroxyl radicals. The effects of various factors such as the initial concentration of substrate, the dosage of catalyst and the addition of H2O2 were evaluated. The use of H2O2 to oxidize pollutants appeared to be optimum at a high concentration of pollutants and low concentration of H2O2. These findings may provide a viable method toward facile improvement in the properties of the Fenton catalyst via control of the support from a new perspective.

Layered Silicate as an Excellent Partner of a TiO2 Photocatalyst for Efficient and Selective Green Fine-Chemical Synthesis

When the partial oxidation of benzene to phenol, which is one of the most important reactions in chemical industry, was conducted using TiO2 in the presence of a phenol-philic adsorbent derived from a layered silicate, phenol was recovered in unprecedentedly high yield and purity. This resulted from the fact that the adsorbent captured the generated phenol promptly, selectively, and effectively to prevent the overoxidation, after which the captured phenol could be easily eluted.

ε-Decalactone: A Thermoresilient and Toughening Comonomer to Poly(l-lactide)

The renewable monomer ε-decalactone is an excellent partner to L-lactide, where their copolymers overcome inherent drawbacks of polylactide, such as low thermal stability and brittleness. ε-Decalactone is a seven-membered lactone that was successfully polymerized with Sn(Oct)(2) and 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene into both an amorphous homopolymer and copolymers with high molecular weight, low dispersity, and predicted macromolecular architecture. The thermoresilient nature of ε-decalactone is reflected in a high polymerization ceiling temperature and increased thermal stability for the prepared copolymers. The high ceiling temperature enables easy modulation of the polymerization rate via temperature while maintaining architectural control. The apparent rate constant was increased 15-fold when the temperature was increased from 110 to 150 °C. Copolymers of L-lactide and ε-decalactone, either with the latter as a central block in triblock polymers or with randomly positioned monomers, exhibited exceptionally tough material characteristics. The triblock copolymer had an elongation-at-break 250 times greater than that of pure poly(L-lactide). The toughness of the copolymers is attributed to the flexible nature of the polymer derived from the monomer ε-decalactone and to the segment immiscibility. These properties result in phase separation to soft and hard domains, which provides the basis for the elastomeric behavior.

Stromal targeted therapy in bone metastatic prostate cancer: promise delivered

Stromal targeted therapy in bone metastatic prostate cancer: promise delivered

Exploiting [2+2] cycloaddition chemistry: achievements with allenes

The allene moiety represents an excellent partner for the [2+2] cycloaddition with alkenes and alkynes, affording the cyclobutane and cyclobutene skeletons in a single step. This strategy has been widely studied under thermal, photochemical and microwave induced conditions. More recently, the use of transition metal catalysis has been introduced as an alternative relying on the activation of the allenic component. On the other hand, the intramolecular version has attracted much attention as a strategy for the synthesis of polycyclic compounds in a regio- and stereoselective fashion. This critical review focuses on the most recently developed [2+2] cycloadditions on allenes along with remarkable early works accounting for the mechanism, the regio- and diastereoselectivity of the cycloadducts formed (103 references).

Chiral N-Acetyl Selone-Promoted Aldol Reactions

The chiral oxazolidineselone functionality was found to be an excellent partner in the stereospecific acetate aldol reaction with aldehydes via the titanium enolates. Good stereocontrol was obtained as determined by NMR spectroscopy. The oxazolidineselone also provided a straightforward way to establish the stereopurity of the coupling reaction through 77Se NMR spectroscopy.

Does perception of the childbirth experience predict women's early parenting behaviors?

Evidence regarding the predictors of positive parenting behaviors in the early transition to parenting is inconsistent and limited. In this prospective, cohort study, we examined whether women's perceptions of their childbirth experience, as well as selected demographic, obstetrical, and psychosocial variables, predicted positive parenting behaviors at 1 month postpartum in 175 Canadian mothers. Women's birth experience did not predict early parenting behaviors, however being better educated and having a vaginal birth did. Excellent partner support and maternal mental health were also significantly associated with positive parenting at 1 month. Nurses have a responsibility to assess women for possible risks for sub-optimal parenting, based on the predictors found, and intervene to enhance parenting behaviors.

Predictors of Early Parenting Self-efficacy

Parenting self-efficacy has been identified as one determinant of positive parenting. The literature is inconsistent regarding the predictors of parenting self-efficacy, and there is limited evidence regarding these predictors in the early postpartum period. To determine the factors predictive of parenting self-efficacy at 12 to 48 hr after childbirth and at 1 month postpartum. Six-hundred fifty-two women were recruited consecutively from the postpartum units of two general hospitals on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Data were collected at 12 to 48 hr postpartum using self-report and chart review. On the basis of scoring positive or negative on their childbirth perceptions, 175 of these mothers were assigned to two cohorts. They were visited at home at 1 month postpartum, where data were collected using self-report. Using multiple logistic regression, greater parenting self-efficacy at 12 to 48 hr after childbirth was predicted by multiparity and single marital status and correlated with positive perception of the birth experience, higher general self-efficacy, and excellent partner relationship. Greater parenting self-efficacy at 1 month was predicted by age <or=30 years and multiparity and correlated with excellent partner relationship and maternal perception of infant contentment. Birth perception is a correlate of parenting self-efficacy that is modifiable; therefore, nurses have an opportunity to strive to create a positive birth experience for all women to enhance their early parenting self-efficacy. Nurses can also consider assessing women at risk for suboptimal parenting self-efficacy and intervene through teaching, support, and parenting self-efficacy boosting interventions.

Special issue on ubiquitous mobile information and collaboration systems (UMICS)

Over the last few years, most business processes have changed on various dimensions (e.g., flexibility, interconnectivity, coordination style, autonomy) due to market conditions, organizational models, and usage scenarios of information systems. Frequently, information is relocated within a geographically distributed system according to rules that are only seldom defined as a well codified business process. This creates need for a software infrastructure that enables ubiquitous mobile information and collaboration systems (UMICS). The anywhere/any time/any means paradigm is becoming the major challenge in conceiving, designing, and releasing the next-generation information systems. New technologies, such as wireless local area networks (WLAN) and third-generation (3G) mobile phones, are offering the infrastructure to conceive information systems as ubiquitous information systems, that is, systems that are accessible from anywhere, at any time, and with any device. Ubiquity is not yet another buzzword pushed by emerging technologies, but is mainly a means to support new business models and encourage new ways of working. This new wave of UMICS will exploit the knowledge developed and deployed for conventional information systems, but will also need new concepts, models, methodologies, and supporting technologies to fully exploit the potentials of the enabling infrastructure and to be ready for the challenge. Moreover, people need to move across organizational boundaries and collaborate with others within an organization, as well as between organizations. The ability to query the company’s distributed knowledge base and to cooperate with co-workers is still a requirement, but mobility brings new access scenarios and higher complexity. Therefore, some issues also arise about how to enable users to retain their ability to cooperate while displaced in different points of the enterprise, the role of context and location in determining cooperation, and the support for ad hoc cooperation in situations where the fixed network infrastructure is absent or cannot be used. The eight papers presented in this special issue represent an overview of the 2nd International Workshop on Ubiquitous Mobile Information and Collaboration Systems 2004 (UMICS), co-located with the 16th International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE), 7–8 June 2004 in Riga, Latvia. The contributions cover four areas: data and context management, coordination and control, application frameworks, and process modeling. Each of the papers offers valuable lessons on various aspects of UMICS. Furthermore, they provide insights into an emerging community of research topics, with scientists from various backgrounds working on them. We believe that the authors have succeeded in this pioneering work and we would like to thank them for submitting their work to UMICS 2004 and the extended versions to this special issue. We also would like to thank all reviewers who helped select and refine the papers and the editorial team at Springer for being an excellent partner. We hope to see you at future UMICS workshops! L. Baresi (&) AE M. Matera Dipartimento di Elettronica e Informazione, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy E-mail: baresi@elet.polimi.it E-mail: matera@elet.polimi.it