Private Members Bills (PMBs) should provide an important opportunity for backbench MPs to initiate legislative proposals as well as policy debate, to check the executive, and to respond to issues of ...public interest and concern. In recent decades, however, the number of PMBs receiving Royal Assent has steeply declined. Executive control of the timetable has strangled many, and procedural vulnerability has thwarted others, including many that enjoyed broad parliamentary support and commanded public interest. Despite many recent reforms in other areas of the legislative process, the executive and key parliamentary committees have proven impervious to calls for reform of the PMB process. But there are signs that this may be about to change in light of the parliamentary expenses scandal and the renewed interest in the role and function of MPs and the issue of trust and confidence in parliamentarians that this crisis has generated. This article outlines the current procedural problems with the system, explores what the benefits of an effective PMBs system are, analyses what the options for reform might be and how in light of changing political circumstances at Westminster, we might be on the cusp of much needed and potentially far reaching reform in this area.
We present the discovery and phase-coherent timing of four highly dispersed millisecond pulsars (MSPs) from the Arecibo PALFA Galactic plane survey: PSRs J1844+0115, J1850+0124, J1900+0308, and ...J1944+2236. Three of the four pulsars are in binary systems with low-mass companions, which are most likely white dwarfs, and which have orbital periods on the order of days. The fourth pulsar is isolated. All four pulsars have large dispersion measures (DM > 100 pc cm super(-3)), are distant (gap3.4 kpc), faint at 1.4 GHz (lap0.2 mJy), and are fully recycled (with spin periods P between 3.5 and 4.9 ms). The three binaries also have very small orbital eccentricities, as expected for tidally circularized, fully recycled systems with low-mass companions. These four pulsars have DM/P ratios that are among the highest values for field MSPs in the Galaxy. These discoveries bring the total number of confirmed MSPs from the PALFA survey to 15. The discovery of these MSPs illustrates the power of PALFA for finding weak, distant MSPs at low-Galactic latitudes. This is important for accurate estimates of the Galactic MSP population and for the number of MSPs that the Square Kilometer Array can be expected to detect.
Ru(phen)
(dppz)
has been studied since the 1990s due to its 'light-switch' properties. It can be used as a luminescent DNA probe, with emission switched on through DNA binding. The luminescence ...observed is dependent on the solvent accessibility of the pyrazine nitrogen atoms, and therefore is sensitive to changes in both binding site of the cation and chromophore orientation. The compound is also chiral, and there are distinct differences between the enantiomers in terms of the emission behaviour when bound to a variety of DNA sequences. Whilst a number of binary DNA-complex X-ray crystal structures are available, most include the Λ enantiomer and there is very little structural information about binding of the Δ enantiomer. Here, we present the first X-ray crystal structure of a Δ enantiomer bound to well-matched DNA, in the absence of the other, Λ enantiomer. We show how the binding site observed here can be related to a more general pattern of motifs in the crystallographic literature and propose that the Δ enantiomer can bind with five different binding modes, offering a new hypothesis for the interpretation of solution data.
A stable i: The i‐motif is a unique, four‐stranded DNA structure associated with cytosine‐rich sequences at the ends of human chromosomes. This is the first report of an i‐motif stabilized by a ...deoxycytidine analogue and demonstrates the importance of the sugar conformation in the i‐motif structure.
The curled octopus Eledone cirrhosa and common octopus Octopus vulgaris could be considered resident to the waters around the UK, though the latter is considered rare following historic population ...crashes and severe range contractions. There is evidence of an emerging fishery for octopus in the UK though understanding population dynamics between the two species and producing meaningful stock assessments are difficult because most landings data are not species specific. This emerging fishery, together with the government’s plan for octopus to be included in fisheries management plans, and a growing desire among fishers and the public to have more fisheries certified for sustainability means there is a need for octopus landings data to be species specific. A similar case has existed for two species of megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis and L. boscii) whereby both species were initially subject to a single total allowable catch (TAC), however concerns about sustainability presented the need for the species to be assessed, and their fisheries managed, separately. We consider this work to be applicable to any other commercially important species which are currently assessed as a single unit but where localised populations may exist.
Ultrafast time resolved infrared (TRIR) is used to report on the binding site of the "light-switch" complex Ru(phen)
(dppz)
1 to i-motif structures in solution. Detailed information is provided due ...to perturbation of the local base vibrations by a 'Stark-like' effect which is used to establish the contribution of thymine base loop interactions to the binding site of 1 in this increasingly relevant DNA structure.
X‐ray crystal structures of three Λ‐Ru(L)2dppz2+ complexes (dppz=dipyridophenazine; L=1,10‐phenanthroline (phen), 2,2′‐bipyridine (bpy)) bound to d((5BrC)GGC/GCCG) showed the compounds intercalated ...at a 5′‐CG‐3′ step. The compounds bind through canted intercalation, with the binding angle determined by the guanine NH2 group, in contrast to symmetrical intercalation previously observed at 5′‐TA‐3′ sites. This result suggests that canted intercalation is preferred at 5′‐CG‐3′ sites even though the site itself is symmetrical, and we hypothesise that symmetrical intercalation in a 5′‐CG‐3′ step could give rise to a longer luminescence lifetime than canted intercalation.
DNA structures: Canted intercalation (see figure, left) gives rise to a greater solvent accessibility than symmetrical intercalation (right) for a light‐switch compound bound a DNA 5′‐CG‐3′ step.
SUMMARY
Background/Objectives
UK blood component labels have evolved to accommodate a plethora of information. Concern has, however, been expressed that current UK labelling is too ‘cluttered’, ...detracting from the clarity of critical information. This prompted a holistic review of labelling and available information technology (IT) with the aim of improving the situation.
Methods/Materials
A survey was circulated requiring UK hospital participants to rank each item of information on the label according to its ‘criticality’ and assess three novel ‘future’ and one ‘transition’ prototype labels. Prototypes were based on applicable regulatory standards, best practice guidance, international benchmark data and UK expert input. The prototypes support steps towards ‘full face’ label printing and utilise 2D and quick response (QR) barcodes.
Results
Two‐hundred eleven completed surveys were received identifying 110 contributing hospitals with 41% from clinical staff, 37% from transfusion laboratory staff and 22% from transfusion practitioners. There was excellent agreement between the three groups on the critical information, i.e. blood group, expiry date, blood component name, unique donation identification number (DIN) and blood component volume but far less on the other information, especially the various warning messages. Of the ‘future’ labels, option 3 (closest to the current ‘quadrant model’) was most popular. Option 1, with its additional inverted section replicating critical information was least popular and prompted significant safety concerns.
Conclusion
The prototype labels correctly identified the critical items of information and extensive comments confirmed that this was more prominently and clearly displayed. Laboratory staff commented that the transition label was essential to enable IT systems to be adapted.
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