Alpha-synuclein, a presynaptic protein of the central nervous system, has been implicated in the synaptic events such as neuronal plasticity during development and learning, and neuronal degeneration under pathological conditions. As an effort to understand the biological function of alpha-synuclein, we examined the expression patterns of alpha-synuclein in various human hematopoietic cells, and in Drosophila at different developmental stages. The alpha-synuclein was ubiquitously expressed in all the tested hematopoietic cells including T cells, B cells, NK cells, and monocytes, as well as in the lymphoma cell lines, Jurkat and K562. A potential alpha-synuclein homologue was also expressed in Drosophila, and its expression appeared to be temporally and spatially regulated during development. Our data suggest that alpha-synuclein may function in invertebrates as well as in vertebrates and its function may not be restricted to the neuron.

Noting the government's role in diffusing information across various sectors of society, this study analyzes the Twitter activity of the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MFAFF), one of Korea's government organizations. From a broad perspective, this study provides a better understanding of innovation activity mediated by social media-particularly the government's Twitter activity, a topic that has not been addressed by previous webometric research on Triple Helix relationships-by employing social network analysis and content analysis. The results indicate some limitations of the MFAFF's activity on Twitter as a mutual communication channel, although Twitter has the potential to facilitate risk management. Further, based on the MFAFF's confined use of its Twitter account, the results suggest that its Twitter account can be an effective information distribution channel, indicating Twitter's value as a communication tool for innovation activity through social media. This study provides an empirical analysis of the government's Twitter activity and contributes to the literature by providing an in-depth understanding of the Triple Helix relationship on the Web.

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This study analyzes messages from Korean TV debates on the conflict over U.S. beef imports and the process of negotiations over the imports in 2008. The authors have conducted a content analysis and a semantic network analysis by using KrKwic and CONCOR. The data was drawn from nine TV debates aired by three major TV networks in Korea (MBC, KBS, and SBS) from 27 April 27 2008 to 6 July 2008. The results indicate substantial differences in the semantic structure between arguments by the government and those by civic groups. We also investigated the relationship between the terms frequently used by both sides (i.e., the government and civic groups), and the terms used exclusively by one side. There was a gradual increase in the number of terms frequently used by both sides over time, from the formation of the conflict to its escalation to its resolution. The results indicate the possibility of general agreement in conflict situations.

In-situ photoinduced threshold voltage measurement is a sensitive probe for exploring charge transport and exciton diffusion simultaneously, the main determinants of the power conversion efficiency in organic photovoltaic devices. The exciton diffusion length in a pentacene film deposited onto a C60 -terminated self-assembled monolayer is measured. The methodology and analysis presented here can be applied in the design and engineering of electron/donor acceptor interfaces for photovoltaic devices..