Commentary: Pulling the plug

Reproductive Evolution: Pulling the Plug on Selection

Hermaphroditism leads to reduced sexual selection and can result in the retention of deleterious mutations. A new study characterizes one such mutation that results in male-male copulation in nematodes, while also implicating a previously undescribed source of chemical signaling.

Are You "Pulling the Plug" or "Pushing Up the Daisies"?

We are becoming more and more dependent upon a broad range of more or less ubiquitous communication technologies, and these are increasingly integrated with our PCs. The more connected we become, the more important it is that we pro-actively manage our communication patterns. If not, we risk being forced to either temporarily disconnecting ourselves from communicating, or spend all our time try...

Pulling the plug – halting cancer's theft of mitochondria

"Pulling the plug" on cellular copper: the role of mitochondria in copper export.

Mitochondria contain two enzymes, Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (Sod1) and cytochrome c oxidase (CcO), that require copper as a cofactor for their biological activity. The copper used for their metallation originates from a conserved, bioactive pool contained within the mitochondrial matrix, the size of which changes in response to either genetic or pharmacological manipulation of cellular copper ...

Pulling the Plug: Software Project Management and the Problem of Project Escalation

Information technology (IT) projects can fail for any number of reasons and in some cases can result in considerable financial losses for the organizations that undertake them. One pattern of failure that has been observed but seldom studied is the IT project that seems to take on a life of its own, continuing to absorb valuable resources without reaching its objective. A significant number of ...