Spontaneous conversion of fetal heart block to sinus rhythm post externalized pacemaker placement in an undiagnosed mother with lupus antibodies.

The incidence for congenital heart block is estimated as high as 1 in 15,000 live births. Up to 90% of cases of congenital heart block, in which there is no anatomical abnormalities, are attributed to maternal systemic lupus erythematous or Sjögren's disease. 50% of these mothers are asymptomatic at time of diagnosis.

The Professional Identity of STEM Faculty as Instructors of Course-based Research Experiences.

The professional identity of scientists has historically been cultivated to value research over teaching, which can undermine initiatives that aim to reform science education. Course-Based Research Experiences (CRE) and the inclusive Research and Education Communities (iREC) are two successful and impactful reform efforts that integrate research and teaching. The aim of this study is to explicate the professional identity of instructors who implement a CRE within an established iREC and to explore how this identity contributes to the success of these programs.

In situ-crosslinked Zippersomes enhance cardiac repair by increasing accumulation and retention.

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a promising treatment for myocardial infarction (MI), but their therapeutic efficacy is limited by inefficient accumulation at the target site. A minimally invasive MSC EV therapy that enhances EV accumulation at the disease site and extends EV retention could significantly improve post-infarct cardiac regeneration. Here, we show that EVs decorated with the next-generation of high-affinity (HiA) heterodimerizing leucine zippers, termed HiA Zippersomes, amplify targetable surface areas through in situ crosslinking and exhibited ~7-fold enhanced accumulation within the infarcted myocardium in mice after 3 days and continued to be retained up to Day 21, surpassing the performance of unmodified EVs.

In Situ-Crosslinked Zippersomes Enhance Cardiac Repair by Increasing Accumulation and Retention.

Unlabelled: Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a promising treatment for myocardial infarction, but their therapeutic efficacy is limited by inefficient accumulation at the target site. A non-invasive MSC EV therapy that enhances EV accumulation at the disease site and extends EV retention could significantly improve post-infarct cardiac regeneration. Here we show that EVs decorated with the next-generation of high-affinity heterodimerizing leucine zippers, termed high-affinity (HiA) Zippersomes, amplify targetable surface areas through in situ crosslinking and exhibited ∼7-fold enhanced accumulation within the infarcted myocardium in mice after three days and continued to be retained up to day 21, surpassing the performance of unmodified EVs.

Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and systemic immune inflammatory index (SII) for the differential diagnosis of CT-negative mild acute ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack.

: A number of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) cases may be misdiagnosed as transient ischemic attack (TIA), due to no infarct on initial computed tomography scan and/or mild deficits upon presentation. Several studies have found that the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an accurate differential diagnostic biomarker for AIS versus TIA; however, no study has evaluated the use of the NLR in differentiating CT negative AIS from TIA. Furthermore, the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) is a relatively novel immune biomarker that has been shown to be positively correlated with AIS severity, poor functional outcomes and mortality.

Models of Classroom Assessment for Course-Based Research Experiences.

Course-based research pedagogy involves positioning students as contributors to authentic research projects as part of an engaging educational experience that promotes their learning and persistence in science. To develop a model for assessing and grading students engaged in this type of learning experience, the assessment aims and practices of a community of experienced course-based research instructors were collected and analyzed. This approach defines four aims of course-based research assessment - 1) Assessing Laboratory Work and Scientific Thinking; 2) Evaluating Mastery of Concepts, Quantitative Thinking and Skills; 3) Appraising Forms of Scientific Communication; and 4) Metacognition of Learning - along with a set of practices for each aim.

Genome Annotation for Pinkcreek, a C1 Subcluster Mycobacteriophage from New Orleans, Louisiana.

The mycobacteriophage Pinkcreek (C1 subcluster) was extracted from soil collected on the Dr. Norman C. Francis Parkway Bike Trail in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Complete Genome Sequence of Finnry, a Subcluster L3 Mycobacteriophage from Charleston, South Carolina.

Subcluster L3 bacteriophage Finnry was isolated from soil collected in Charleston, South Carolina, using Mycobacterium smegmatis mc155 as a host. The genome of this temperate siphovirus is 75,632 bp long (130 predicted protein-coding genes, 9 tRNAs, and no transfer-messenger RNAs), and BLASTn alignment revealed 99.86% identity with the genome of L3 mycobacteriophage Samty.

Multiple QRS Morphologies: Findings on an Initial Newborn ECG.

Regular wide complex tachycardia carries with it a standard array of differential diagnoses. This electrocardiogram demonstrates wide complex tachycardia and multiple QRS configurations in a neonate without structural heart disease with an uncommon suspected underlying diagnosis. ().

Isolation and Annotation of the Genome Sequences of Bacteriophages InvictusManeo (Subcluster K5) and Netyap (Subcluster L2).

The mycobacteriophages InvictusManeo (K5 subcluster) and Netyap (L2 subcluster) were isolated from soils in Cullowhee Creek, Cullowhee, North Carolina. Both exhibit morphology and infect Mycobacterium smegmatis mc155. The InvictusManeo genome is 61,147 bp and contains 96 predicted protein-coding genes, whereas the Netyap genome is 76,366 bp with 131 predicted protein-coding genes.

Heart Failure as the Initial Presentation of Anomalous Left Coronary Artery From the Pulmonary Artery.

Coronary arteries arising from the pulmonary artery have an incidence of 0.002% in the general population. We present a 29-year-old woman who presented to our hospital with acute decompensated heart failure and atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular rate.

Evaluation of Genome Sequences of the Bacteriophages JeTaime and Luna22.

The mycobacteriophages JeTaime (E cluster) and Luna22 (Q cluster) were isolated from soil in Providence, Rhode Island, and Charleston, South Carolina, respectively, using a Mycobacterium smegmatis mc 155 host. The genome of JeTaime is 75,099 bp (142 predicted genes), and that of Luna22 is 53,730 bp (87 predicted genes). Both phages exhibit morphology.

Complete Genome Sequence of the Cluster B4 Mycobacteriophage Lolalove, Isolated in Charleston, South Carolina.

Lolalove, a B4 subcluster soil bacteriophage of Mycobacterium smegmatis, was isolated in Charleston, SC. It possesses a 71,111-bp linear double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genome with 99 protein-coding genes and a GC content of 68.9%.

Genome Sequences of the Mycobacteriophages Awesomesauce and LastJedi.

Bacteriophages Awesomesauce and LastJedi infect mc155. While the Awesomesauce genome is 57,054 bp with 94 protein-coding genes, the LastJedi genome is 55,149 bp with 94 protein-coding genes. Nucleotide sequence comparison in Phamerator detected synteny between Awesomesauce gp49 to gp61 and singleton LilSpotty.

Complete Genome Sequence of the Cluster F1 Mycobacteriophage KingMidas.

Subcluster F1 bacteriophage KingMidas was isolated from soil collected in Providence, Rhode Island, using mc155 as the host. The genome is 57,386 bp and contains 105 predicted protein-coding genes but no transfer-messenger RNAs or tRNAs. This siphovirus has an icosahedral head, with a genome 99.

Long-term outcomes up to 25 years following balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty: A multicenter study.

Objective: Evaluate long-term outcomes following balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty (BPV) for pulmonary stenosis (PS).

Background: Long-term data following BPV is limited to small, single center studies.

Methods: BPV from April 12, 1985 to January 7, 2015 from three centers were included.

Exploring the sea urchin genome with undergraduates using bioinformatic tools.

It is important to provide undergraduate students with research experiences so that they obtain essential problem-solving skills and come to appreciate the process of science whether or not they pursue graduate study. However, such experiences can be difficult to achieve at a primarily undergraduate institution where time and resources are limited. One strategy is to incorporate research into the laboratory component of courses, with students having input into the specific topic being investigated.

Restricted expression of karyopherin alpha mRNA in the sea urchin suggests a role in neurogenesis.

Karyopherin alpha (KAP-α) proteins are critical for the transport of many molecules into the nucleus. In this study, we identified three members of the KAP-α family in the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus and described the developmental expression of these proteins. Although many importins are assumed to have ubiquitous expression, we found that all three genes were differentially expressed.

Nuclearization of β-catenin in ectodermal precursors confers organizer-like ability to induce endomesoderm and pattern a pluteus larva.

Background: In many bilaterians, asymmetric activation of canonical Wnt (cWnt) signaling at the posterior pole is critical for anterior-posterior (AP) body axis formation. In 16-cell stage sea urchins, nuclearization of β-catenin in micromeres activates a gene regulatory network that defines body axes and induces endomesoderm. Transplanting micromeres to the animal pole of a host embryo induces ectopic endomesoderm in the mesomeres (ectoderm precursors) whereas inhibiting cWnt signaling blocks their endomesoderm-inducing activity and the micromeres become ectoderm-like.

Characterization of circadian behavior in the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis.

Background: Although much is known about how circadian systems control daily cycles in the physiology and behavior of Drosophila and several vertebrate models, marine invertebrates have often been overlooked in circadian rhythms research. This study focuses on the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, a species that has received increasing attention within the scientific community for its potential as a model research organism. The recently sequenced genome of N.

A novel adjuvant to the resident selection process: the hartman value profile.

Objectives: The goal of resident selection is twofold: (1) select candidates who will be successful residents and eventually successful practitioners and (2) avoid selecting candidates who will be unsuccessful residents and/or eventually unsuccessful practitioners. Traditional tools used to select residents have well-known limitations. The Hartman Value Profile (HVP) is a proven adjuvant tool to predicting future performance in candidates for advanced positions in the corporate setting.

A gathering of minds: expanding understanding of the origins of biological diversity and the evolution of developmental mechanisms.

This paper is a short report on the 2012 Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology Annual Meeting. Charleston, South Carolina, USA. 3-7 January 2012 (abstracts freely available at http://www.

Transseptal catheter decompression of the left ventricle during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) can result in left-ventricular distension and the development of pulmonary edema. We present the case of a 13-year-old girl who presented with cardiogenic shock. VA-ECMO was initiated, but after 6 days, severe left-ventricular distension resulted in decreased VA-ECMO flows.