Apoptosis, programmed cell death, has been shown to play a major role in maintaining normal cellular and tissue physiology and morphology. As such, an altered state of apoptosis has been linked to several biological and pathological conditions. Elucidating the underlying mechanisms of programed cell death, consequently, may one day facilitate cures for a myriad of disorders ranging from Parkinsons Disease to cancer, lymphomas to auto immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
In this paper, we show that the simple bulk phase synthesis of silver(n-alkane)thiolates, (AgS(CH2)nCH3), involving drop-wise addition of a silver salt to a solution containing equimolar amounts of long-chain alkanethiol and triethylamine, can be accurately described in terms of a hierarchical self-assembly process involving two major steps.
Aniridia is a human genetic disease that is manifested by alterations in the structure and function of the eye, including reduced iris size, absence of the fovea, and lens deformities (Glaser, et al. 1992). First documented as a genetic disease over 150 years ago, it has since become a model for autosomal dominant genetic disorders because of the high penetrance of its mutant alleles, the ease of diagnosis at birth, and a similar incidence in various populations (Glaser, et al. 1995). It was not until recently, however, that the aniridia gene (AN) was mapped (to chromosome band 11p13) and determined to be the gene PAX6 (Glaser, et al. 1992), a regulator of development of the eyes and central nervous system.
This study was conducted to determine which sex of the blue-headed vireo(Vireo solitarius) shows greater nest defense during incubation and nesting stages. Since both sexes in this species share parental duties throughout the breeding cycle, both would be expected to face equal costs of nest predation and benefits of nest defense. In order to compare nest defense of males and females at early and late stages of nesting, a stuffed, mounted blue jay was presented at nests in which there were either eggs or nestlings.
