The HPC Certification Forum: Toward a Globally Acknowledged HPC Certification
The goal of the HPC Certification Forum is to categorize, define, and examine competencies expected from proficient HPC practitioners. The community-led forum is working toward establishing a globally acknowledged HPC certification process, a process that engages with HPC centers to identify gaps in users’ knowledge, and with users to identify the skills required to perform their tasks. In this article, we introduce the forum and summarize the progress made over the last two years. The release of the first officially supported certificate is planned for the second half of 2020.
Hemocyanin conformational changes associated with SDS-induced phenol oxidase activation.
The enzymatic activity of phenoloxidase is assayed routinely in the presence of SDS. Similar assay conditions elicit phenoloxidase activity in another type 3 copper protein, namely hemocyanin, which normally functions as an oxygen carrier. The nature of the conformational changes induced in type 3 copper proteins by the denaturant SDS is unknown. This comparative study demonstrates that arthropod hemocyanins can be converted from being an oxygen carrier to a form which exhibits phenoloxidase activity by incubation with SDS, with accompanying changes in secondary and tertiary structure. Structural characterisation, using various biophysical methods, suggests that the micellar form of SDS is …
Genome-wide association study and mouse expression data identify a highly conserved 32 kb intergenic region between WNT3 and WNT9b as possible susceptibility locus for isolated classic exstrophy of the bladder
Item does not contain fulltext Bladder exstrophy-epispadias complex (BEEC), the severe end of the urorectal malformation spectrum, has a profound impact on continence as well as sexual and renal functions. It is widely accepted that for the majority of cases the genetic basis appears to be multifactorial. Here, we report the first study which utilizes genome-wide association methods to analyze a cohort comprising patients presenting the most common BEEC form, classic bladder exstrophy (CBE), to identify common variation associated with risk for isolated CBE. We employed discovery and follow-up samples comprising 218 cases/865 controls and 78 trios in total, all of European descent. Our disc…
Is activated hemocyanin instead of phenoloxidase involved in immune response in woodlice?
In the Common woodlouse Porcellio scaber (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea), experimental immune challenge did not induce the expression of pro-phenoloxidase that, in most other invertebrates studied thus far, can be activated into phenoloxidase via an activation cascade upon immune challenge. Instead, Porcellio hemocyanin proved to exhibit catecholoxidase activity upon activation. However, none of the activating factors known from other invertebrates other than SDS-treatment resulted in activation of hemocyanin into a functional phenoloxidase in vitro. The distinct characteristics of isopod hemocyanin are reflected by the quaternary structure of the hemocyanin dodecamers that differs from tha…
Structural characterization of the α-hemolysin monomer fromStaphylococcus aureus
α-Hemolysin from Staphylococcus aureus is secreted as a water-soluble monomer and assembles on membranes to oligomerize into a homo-heptameric, water-filled pore. These pores lead to lysis and cell death. Although the structure of the heptameric pore is solved by means of X-ray crystallography, structures of intermediate states—from the soluble monomer to all potential “pre-pore” structures—are yet unknown. Here, we propose a model of the monomeric α-hemolysin in solution based on molecular modeling, verified by small angle X-ray scattering data. This structure reveals details of the monomeric conformation of the α-hemolysin, for example inherent flexibility, along with definite differences…
Estimating person parameters via item response model and simple sum score in small samples with few polytomous items: A simulation study
Background The Item Response Theory (IRT) is becoming increasingly popular for item analysis. Theoretical considerations and simulation studies suggest that parameter estimates will become precise only by utilizing many items in large samples. Method A simulation study focusing on a single scale was performed on data with (a) n = 40, 60, 80, 120, 200, 300, 500, and 900 cases utilizing (b) 4, 8, 16, or 32 items. The items were (c) symmetrically distributed vs. skew (skewness 0, 1, and 2). Item loadings were (d) homogeneous vs. heterogeneous. Item loadings were (e) low vs. high. Half of the items had (f) a correlated error or not. The number of answering categories (g) was four vs. five. A to…