Silent Partners Research Articles

Electronics: Our Silent Partners in Progress [Women in Electron Devices

Electronics: Our Silent Partners in Progress [Women in Electron Devices

Prostate Cancer's Silent Partners: Fibroblasts and Their Influence on Glutamine Metabolism Manipulation.

Cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF)s in the tumour microenvironment (TME) modulate the extracellular matrix, interact with cancer cells, and facilitate communication with infiltrating leukocytes, significantly contributing to cancer progression and therapeutic response. In prostate cancer (PCa), CAFs promote malignancy through metabolic rewiring, cancer stem cell regulation, and therapy resistance. Pre-clinical studies indicate that targeting amino acid metabolism, particularly glutamine (Gln) metabolism, reduces cancer proliferation and stemness. However, most studies lack the context of CAF-cancer interaction, focusing on monocultures. This study assesses the influence of CAFs on PCa growth by manipulating Gln metabolism using colour-labelled PCa cell lines (red) and fibroblast (green) in a co-culture system to evaluate CAFs' effects on PCa cell proliferation and clonogenic potential. CAFs increased the proliferation of hormone-sensitive LNCaP cells, whereas the castration-resistant C4-2 cells were unaffected. However, clonogenic growth increased in both cell lines. Gln deprivation and GLS1 inhibition experiments revealed that the increased growth rate of LNCAP cells was associated with increased dependence on Gln, which was confirmed by proteomic analyses. Tissue analysis of PCa patients revealed elevated GLS1 levels in both the PCa epithelium and stroma, suggesting that GLS1 is a therapeutic target. Moreover, the median overall survival analysis of GLS1 expression in the PCa epithelium and stroma identified a "high-risk" patient group that may benefit from GLS1-targeted therapies. Therefore, GLS1 targeting appears promising in castration-resistant PCa patients with high GLS1 epithelium and low GLS1 stromal expression.

Structural, Biophysical, and Computational Studies of a Murine Light Chain Dimer.

Antibodies are widely used in medicinal and scientific research due to their ability to bind to a specific antigen. Most often, antibodies are composed of heavy and light chain domains. Under physiological conditions, light chains are produced in excess, as compared to the heavy chain. It is now known that light chains are not silent partners of the heavy chain and can modulate the immune response independently. In this work, the first crystal structure of a light chain dimer originating from mice is described. It represents the light chain dimer of 6A8, a monoclonal antibody specific to the allergen Der f 1. Building on the unexpected occurrence of this kind of dimer, we have demonstrated that this light chain is stable in solution alone. Moreover, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) have revealed that, when the light chain is not partnered to its corresponding heavy chain, it interacts non-specifically with a wide range of proteins. Computational studies were used to provide insight on the role of the 6A8 heavy chain domain in the specific binding to Der f 1. Overall, this work demonstrates and supports the ongoing notion that light chains can function by themselves and are not silent partners of heavy chains.

Use-dependent facilitation of electrical transmission involves changes to postsynaptic K+ current.

Activity-dependent modulation of electrical transmission typically involves Ca2+ influx acting directly on gap junctions or initiating Ca2+-dependent pathways that in turn modulate coupling. We now describe short-term use-dependent facilitation of electrical transmission between bag cell neurons from the hermaphroditic snail, Aplysia californica, that is instead mediated by changes in postsynaptic responsiveness. Bag cell neurons secrete reproductive hormone during a synchronous afterdischarge of action potentials coordinated by electrical coupling. Here, recordings from pairs of coupled bag cell neurons in culture showed that nonjunctional currents influence electrical transmission in a dynamic manner. Under a dual whole cell voltage-clamp, the junctional current was linear and largely voltage-independent, while in current-clamp, the coupling coefficient was similar regardless of the extent of presynaptic hyperpolarization. Moreover, a train stimulus of action potential-like waveforms, in a voltage-clamped presynaptic neuron, elicited electrotonic potentials, in a current-clamped postsynaptic neuron, that facilitated over time when delivered at a frequency approximating the afterdischarge. Junctional current remained constant over the train stimulus, as did postsynaptic voltage-gated Ca2+ current. However, postsynaptic voltage-gated K+ current underwent cumulative inactivation, suggesting that K+ current run-down facilitates the electrotonic potential by boosting the response to successive junctional currents. Accordingly, preventing run-down by blocking postsynaptic K+ channels occluded facilitation. Finally, stimulation of bursts in coupled pairs resulted in synchronous firing, where active neurons could recruit silent partners through short-term use-dependent facilitation. Thus, potentiation of electrical transmission may promote synchrony in bag cell neurons and, by extension, reproductive function.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The understanding of how activity can facilitate electrical transmission is incomplete. We found that electrotonic potentials between electrically coupled neuroendocrine bag cell neurons facilitated in a use-dependent fashion. Rather than changes to the junctional current, facilitation was associated with cumulative inactivation of postsynaptic K+ current, presumably augmenting responsiveness. When made to burst, neurons synchronized their spiking, in part by use-dependent facilitation bringing quiescent cells to the threshold. Facilitation may foster en masse firing and neurosecretion.

Not so silent partners: Exploring the interconnected roles of entrepreneurs and their spouses

When launching their ventures, the majority of entrepreneurs are married. Yet, our understanding of the spousal influence on the entrepreneurial process remains limited. This is surprising considering the spouse represents one of the most influential figures in an individual's life. Through an inductive qualitative analysis of 18 spouse-entrepreneur pairs, we explore the interactive nature of venture-related roles between the spousal couple and how these spousal roles evolve over the course of the venture. Our study shows that the dynamic alignment between entrepreneurial roles and spousal roles allows the venture to progress through various stages of firm innovation, creation, and growth. Thus, our paper extends the broader literature on roles during the venturing process as we illuminate the “not-so-silent role” of spouses in entrepreneurship.

Silent Partners: How Politicians’ Facebook Communication with Constituents is Mediated

Silent Partners: How Politicians’ Facebook Communication with Constituents is Mediated

Conrad Seabaugh & Company: An Inside Look at an Illinois Hinterland Merchant

Conrad Seabaugh & Company: An Inside Look at an Illinois Hinterland Merchant

Rural–Urban Differences in Solar Renewable Energy Investments Supported by Public Finance in Poland

The deployment of renewable energy (RE) needs to be policy-driven and supported by public funds. Hence, the aim of this study was to find out whether urban and rural areas benefit from public funds for RE deployment equally and whether factors determining other types of investments also determine investments in RES. To do so, we carried out: (i) comparative analyses of qualitative and quantitative data describing 2642 investments in solar RE supported by the European Union funds and carried out in Poland under operational programmes in 2014–2020; (ii) multiple linear regressions, evaluating the predictions. Findings showed that principles of supporting solar RE investments were the same for all kinds of beneficiaries in both urban and rural areas. However, in rural areas, most RE investments cumulated in eastern, north-eastern and south-eastern parts of Poland, and depended only on few socio-economic characteristics. RE investments in urban areas were dispersed all over the country rather evenly and did not depend on any of the socio-economic characteristics. Individual households appeared to be important silent partners to RE investments carried out by local governments. Thus, future policies should focus on them more to increase the deployment and use of solar RE.

Bioactivity study and metabolic profiling of Colletotrichum alatae LCS1, an endophyte of club moss Lycopodium clavatum L.

Endophytes are silent microbial partners of green plants that ensure hosts’ survival in odd conditions. They are known as the factories of multipotent metabolites with diverse bioactivities beneficial to modern pharmaceuticals industry. Endophytic fungi have been screened from a variety of plants and it is the first-time endophytes of club moss is being studied for production of antibacterial and antioxidative compounds. The present study reveals that Lycopodium clavatum L. harbors a potent niche of bioactive endophytic fungi and Colletotrichum alatae LCS1 was the prime producer of antibacterial and antioxidative compounds among them. The minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations of ethyl- acetate culture extract ranged from 15.62 to 250 μg/mL against four Gram negative and three Gram positive microorganisms including methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC-33591). Bio-autogram based screening followed by Gas chromatographic analysis confirmed the occurrence of 17 bioactive compounds and α-bisabolol is known to be the prime one. Alfa bisabolol is a unique and versatile bioactive essential oil and facilitates variety of functions. Killing kinetics data along with leakage of macromolecules into extracellular environment supports the cidal activity of the antibacterial principles at MBC values. Isolate C. alatae LCS1 was optimized by one variable at a time system coupled with response surface methodology for broad spectrum antibacterial production. The organism yielded maximum response (22.66±0.894 mm of zone of inhibition against MRSA) in 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask containing 50 mL potato dextrose broth supplemented with (g/L) glucose, 7.53; yeast extract concentration, 0.47; NaCl, 0.10 with medium pH 6.46; after 134 hours of incubation at 26°C. Optimized fermentation parameters enhanced antibacterial activity up-to more than 50% than the pre-optimized one (10.33±0.57 mm). Endophytic LCS1 was also efficient in free radical scavenging tested by DPPH, ABTS, H2O2 and FRAP assay with an IC50 values of 23.38±5.32 to 82.873±6.479 μg/mL.

Silent Partners? Trade Unions, Corporations and Penalty Privilege in the Federal Court of Australia

‘Penalty privilege’ is sometimes referred to as ‘the right to silence’ or more correctly the privilege against self-exposure to civil penalty. It is a procedural rule that applies equally to trade unions and corporations in Australian federal courts. This article critically investigates this equality of this treatment, revealing its historical evolution and arguing that it results in unequal outcomes, relative to the social and historical roles of unions and corporations. But it also discovers distinct incoherence in the application of penalty privilege, along with a host of related legislative interventions that have sought to entrench the equal treatment of trade unions and corporations more broadly. Accordingly, this article proposes a range of reform, with a particular focus on the application of penalty privilege in the federal arena. A more coherent application of penalty privilege, it is proposed, is one that applies in proportion to the social power exercised by persons and entities before the Court.

Die Schweizer KZ-Häftlinge: Vergessene Opfer des Dritten Reichs Balz Spörri, René Staubli and Benno TuchschmidLa fuite en Suisse: Les Juifs à la frontière franco-suisse durant les années de“la Solution finale,”Ruth Fivaz-Silbermann

Over the past twenty years, scholarly contributions to Swiss history during the Second World War were few and far between. It was as if the subject had been exhausted in the 1990s, when revelations about dormant Jewish accounts and deposits of Nazi-plundered gold in Swiss banks generated a frenzy of negative depictions of Switzerland’s conduct during the Second World War. The decade produced sensationalist titles such as Swiss Banks and Jewish Souls; Hitler’s Silent Partners; The Swiss, the Gold, and the Dead; and Last Deposit, to name just a few, closing with the important, and critical, report of the independent experts’ Bergier Commission titled Switzerland: National Socialism and the Second World War (2002). The books under review here shed light on two previously uninvestigated topics: the fate of Swiss inmates in Nazi concentration camps; and the increased flight of Jews from the Nazi-occupied Netherlands, Belgium, and...

Faraway Women and the Atlantic Monthly

<i>Faraway Women and the</i> Atlantic Monthly

Boom, Bust, and Beyond: New Perspectives on the 1720 Stock Market Bubble. Ed. Stefano Condorelli and Daniel Menning.

<i>Boom, Bust, and Beyond: New Perspectives on the 1720 Stock Market Bubble</i>. Ed. Stefano Condorelli and Daniel Menning.

Special Issue: Quo Vadis? (Where Are We Going?)

Biofeedback in its scientific format is a truly revolutionary development in the clinical sciences, and yet it strives to maintain its artistic background.How did we get here, and where are we going? A number of great thinkers contributed to the development of biofeedback in the past 100 years. They were helped along by the generally silent partners of technical development; mechanical, electrical, and electronic equipment; and other clinical technology.I once spoke with Dr. John Basmajian, the great pioneer of surface electromyography (SEMG) biofeedback at a conference. We were talking about a colleague's interests, and he laughed and said: “He is a poet.” We need more poets!Compared to other scientific fields, biofeedback pursues different streams related to different somatic components. At the same time, one can foresee when it will endeavor to develop hybrid fields such as muscle and neuro. Not long before I went to college in Montreal in 1965, the idea that the brain was “a black box” with no elasticity was still prevalent. We have evolved far in the past 50 years with the concept of neuroplasticity.When I first joined AAPB in the 1980s, the main interests of the meeting attendees were SEMG and neurofeedback. All the other fields were rather minor compared to these two.In the intervening years, most other fields have developed and taken over to a large extent. At present there is a great interest in heart rate variability (HRV) and mindfulness. The evolution continues and I'm fascinated to see what it will bring in the next few years. I predict hybrid developments with at least two somatic components involved.The authors in this issue of Biofeedback present a variety of scientific and clinical developments.Mari Swingle presents a masterful article in her field of neurofeedback. She truly has treaded along in this field for a respectable number of years. Many years ago, at an AAPB conference, Stu Donaldson introduced a young Mari Swingle to me and told me: “Watch her: She will become someone in this field!” It is due to her and other hard-working clinicians that the field of neurofeedback evolves and has a bright future.Jane Kaufman and her colleagues, Kathryn Stanton and Tiffany Ellsworth Lee, are occupational therapists and work in the field of pelvic floor biofeedback in treating incontinence. As the population ages, the number of people with incontinence increases, and SEMG biofeedback proves to be of great therapeutic value now, and it will be in the future. The article is a useful overview of the field as well as a very practical approach in the therapeutic value of this biofeedback technique.The field of ergonomics in sports performance is discussed by Drs. Filho, Aroni, Bagni, and Ellis. Golf is a highly relevant sport in our society. Putting requires serious attention on the part of the player. The authors present the fact that serious players are preparing themselves beforehand in terms of respiratory and heart rate control; however, the galvanic skin response (GSR) lags behind in terms of autonomic control. Biofeedback is probably an enhanced modality for teaching such control. This field awaits further development and attention.This issue of Biofeedback is dedicated to two old friends whose passing leaves a large empty space in my heart: Michael Thompson and Stu Donaldson. The two were stalwarts of the biofeedback community and will be missed.Their wives, Lynda and Mary, wrote a short script about the two great men. The scripts are included in this special issue.Someday, when one of us is chosen to write real biographies about the historic pillars of AAPB, we will learn and understand more fully the value of these pathfinders. They should smile on us and especially on the young generation, for biofeedback is alive, well, and has great contributors now and in the future.

What Does Mary-Anne Elizabeth Plaatjies-Van Huffel Have to Say to Silent Partners of the Reformed World?

This article is a contribution to the Festschrift in honour of the late Mary-Anne Elizabeth Plaatjies-Van Huffel. The author is mindful of the sensitive nature of such writing, especially for her close and extended family members. However, all would agree that though she passed away on 19 May 2020, she still has something to say to women as silent partners. As part of commemorating her life, talents, achievements and contributions, this article specifically addresses the following question: What does Plaatjies-Van Huffel have to say to women who aspire to serve as leaders in the patriarchal Reformed world? I will defend in due course the notion that though she is deceased, she continues to speak. In addressing the question, this article is divided into four parts. The first part recounts her life with a special focus on her education and pastoral academic career. The second part identifies her sources for the practice of church law and church government. The third part comments on her ecclesial political duties in the patriarchal Reformed world, while the fourth part examines her understanding of the hermeneutical causes of challenges facing Christian women, particularly in their attempt to respond to their calling to lead the liberated and unliberated churches and society. The concluding part draws some of her important messages to women who aspire to serve as leaders in the patriarchal Reformed world, where patriarchy is defined as a social system that promotes hierarchies and awards economic, political, and social power to one group over others.

The Influence of Elite Networks on Green Policy Making

This article analyzes the relationship between the policy networks and the success of renewable energy and emission reduction policies. Arguing that strong connections between typologically different groups of elites are essential for good policies, the analysis looks at the Twitter community structure of the ministers in 34 countries. The results of the network study indicate that the success of renewable energy and CO2 emission reduction policy implementation is strongly related to the community structure in social networks of ministers. Looser network structures within policy communities and an abundance of relatively stronger connections between them are associated with higher renewable energy consumption and also lower CO2 levels, thus possibly with better policies. A case study on seven Nordic and Northern European countries complements and reinforces the theoretical expectations about deliberative policy making.Related ArticlesSabag‐Ben Porat, Chen, Azi Lev‐On, and Sam Lehman‐Wilzig. 2020. “Silent Partners: How Politicians' Facebook Communication with Constituents is Mediated.” Politics &amp; Policy 48 (3): 550‐569. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12352Rowe, Andrew D., and David E. Pitfield. 2019. “The Challenge of Social Media Incorporation: A Case Study of HACAN Clearskies.” Politics &amp; Policy 47 (4): 775‐806. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12319Tanaka, Yugo, Andrew Chapman, Tetsuo Tezuka, and Shigeki Sakurai. 2020. “Multiple Streams and Power Sector Policy Change: Evidence from the Feed‐In Tariff Policy Process in Japan.” Politics &amp; Policy 48 (3): 464‐489. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12357[Correction added on December 17, 2020 after first online publication: The citation “Ben‐Porat, Chen Sabag, Azi Lev‐On, and Sam Lehman‐Wilzig. 2020” was edited to “Sabag‐Ben Porat, Chen, Azi Lev‐On, and Sam Lehman‐Wilzig. 2020“ to reflect correct spelling.]

Silent Partners: Women as Public Investors during Britain’s Financial Revolution, 1690–1750, by Amy M. Froide

Silent Partners: Women as Public Investors during Britain’s Financial Revolution, 1690–1750, by Amy M. Froide

Silent partners: archaeological insights on mobility, interaction and civilization in Central Asia’s past

ABSTRACT Civilizations are as complex as the human relationships that engendered them, and outlining these relational qualities within open notions of mobility and interaction frames a reconceptualization of Central Asia’s past. Recent Eurasian archaeological research deconstructs deterministic political-economic or hierarchical typologies of civilization and the overly simplified narrative that roots it in urban centres perpetually juxtaposed with nomadic groups. Archaeological evidence from the Oxus Civilization, Central Asia’s earliest complex polity (ca. 2500–1400 BCE), reveals the deep roots of sedentary–mobile interactions. I argue that Oxus–steppe relationships helped maintain the long-term structural cohesion of the Oxus Civilization as a multicultural entity, with implications for subsequent Central Asian polities. As we begin to balance the lopsided conversations about the social formations of Central Asia’s past and present, the silent partnership that characterized the Oxus Civilization is given a voice that forces us to reconsider who, exactly, belongs inside our notions of civilization.

Silent Partners: How Politicians' Facebook Communication with Constituents is Mediated

Theoretical research on political communication between Members of Parliament (MPs) and the public has focused on the role, activities, and perceptions of the MPs themselves without noting the existence of an intermediate layer: Parliamentary Assistants (PAs). This study examines the presence of PAs in the process of MPs' interactions with the public, and their PA's role in this process. The study investigates the perception that social media involves direct contact between the public and parliamentarians, raising questions regarding how communication is conducted between these two actors in political representation. The study found that PAs' social media skills and knowledge are hardly considered in the hiring process, although they play a central role in the MPs' social media connection with the public. Subjective variables generate differences in PA level of involvement operating MP social media channels. Based on these findings, a typology of PA involvement in MP social media operation is offered.Related ArticlesCortés, Juvenal J. 2019. “Process, Theory, and Practice in Direct Democracy: Avenues for New Research.” Politics &amp; Policy 47 (4): 673‐698. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12317Stephan, Mark. 2004. “Citizens as Representatives: Bridging the Democratic Theory Divides.” Politics &amp; Policy 32 (1): 118‐135. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2004.tb00178.xWaheduzzaman, Wahed, and Sharif As‐Saber. 2015. “Politics and Policy in Achieving Participatory Governance in a Developing Country Context.” Politics &amp; Policy 43 (4): 474‐501. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12121Related MediaIsraeli Knesset website. https://main.knesset.gov.il/EN/Pages/default.aspxKnesset Research and Information Center. https://main.knesset.gov.il/EN/activity/Pages/MMMAbout.aspx

State Fragility and Organized Crime

There are always probabilities of strong relationships between transnational organized crime group, the government, semi-government agencies and irregular formations. Because, at the fundamental level, motivations and aspirations of all these agencies and groups may be similar, i.e. making as much money or profit as quickly as possible; whether in a semi-legitimate or illegitimate means and ways. For this, they will be ready to use any modus operandi; the end result and harm they cause to the nation and society will be the same. Therefore, more often it is also very difficult to distinguish them one from another. In this regard, they all can be termed “the silent partners” of the legitimate government agencies, semi-government corporations and the organized crime groups (OCGs) and wherever they belong: they converge at a single platform, i.e. the Organized Crime. Therefore, the silent partners of the Organized Crime Group can be any of these: a private party or person, a government officer or his office, a semi-government official or a group of people belonging to these organizations. There may be another similarity among these too;…i.e. they all do their utmost to avoid their appearance in public or willingly acknowledged their involvement in any form and deeds on such cooperative undertaking. There are many ways such organized syndicates apply their methods that may be soft, peaceful to even gruesomely violent means to get access to state power, money or government resources. In this regard, they may apply all types of legitimate and illegitimate means, to name the few, such as protection rackets, and capture public resources, seize of property and land forcibly in an illegitimate way, and eventually entry into the licit private sector by money laundering and other means.