SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease plays multiple roles in regulating cellular proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum.

Nsp3s are the largest nonstructural proteins of coronaviruses. These transmembrane proteins include papain-like proteases (PLpro) that play essential roles in cleaving viral polyproteins into their mature units. The PLpro of SARS-CoV viruses also have deubiquitinating and deISGylating activities.

Citizen science and online data: Opportunities and challenges for snake ecology and action against snakebite.

The secretive behavior and life history of snakes makes studying their biology, distribution, and the epidemiology of venomous snakebite challenging. One of the most useful, most versatile, and easiest to collect types of biological data are photographs, particularly those that are connected with geographic location and date-time metadata. Photos verify occurrence records, provide data on phenotypes and ecology, and are often used to illustrate new species descriptions, field guides and identification keys, as well as in training humans and computer vision algorithms to identify snakes.

Oligomeric complexes formed by Redβ single strand annealing protein in its different DNA bound states.

Redβ is a single strand annealing protein from bacteriophage λ that binds loosely to ssDNA, not at all to pre-formed dsDNA, but tightly to a duplex intermediate of annealing. As viewed by electron microscopy, Redβ forms oligomeric rings on ssDNA substrate, and helical filaments on the annealed duplex intermediate. However, it is not clear if these are the functional forms of the protein in vivo.

Is Routine Preprocedural Bloodwork Needed for Elective Central Venous Access Device Removals in Children without Bleeding Dyscrasias?

Purpose: To assess the utility of routine preprocedural bloodwork during elective removal of central venous access devices (CVADs) with respect to bleeding complications.

Materials And Methods: Patients who underwent removal of a CVAD (tunneled central venous catheter [CVC] or port) by the interventional radiology service between January 2009 and December 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Removals for infection or malfunction, without preprocedural bloodwork, with another concurrent procedure at the time of CVAD removal, or in patients with a bleeding dyscrasia were excluded.

Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury Concentrations in the Livers of Free-Ranging Common Garter Snakes () from Minnesota, USA.

Livers of 25 common garter snakes () from Minnesota (2015-16) were analyzed for heavy metals by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. Dry weight mean concentrations (ranges μg/g) were arsenic, 118.94 (0.

Work function and temperature dependence of electron tunneling through an N-type perylene diimide molecular junction with isocyanide surface linkers.

Conducting probe atomic force microscopy (CP-AFM) was employed to examine electron tunneling in self-assembled monolayer (SAM) junctions. A 2.3 nm long perylene tetracarboxylic acid diimide (PDI) acceptor molecule equipped with isocyanide linker groups was synthesized, adsorbed onto Ag, Au and Pt substrates, and the current-voltage (I-V) properties were measured by CP-AFM.

Exceptionally Small Statistical Variations in the Transport Properties of Metal-Molecule-Metal Junctions Composed of 80 Oligophenylene Dithiol Molecules.

Strong stochastic fluctuations witnessed as very broad resistance (R) histograms with widths comparable to or even larger than the most probable values characterize many measurements in the field of molecular electronics, particularly those measurements based on single molecule junctions at room temperature. Here we show that molecular junctions containing 80 oligophenylene dithiol molecules (OPDn, 1 ≤ n ≤ 4) connected in parallel display small relative statistical deviations-δR/R ≈ 25% after only ∼200 independent measurements-and we analyze the sources of these deviations quantitatively. The junctions are made by conducting probe atomic force microscopy (CP-AFM) in which an Au-coated tip contacts a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of OPDs on Au.

Snake fungal disease: an emerging threat to wild snakes.

Since 2006, there has been a marked increase in the number of reports of severe and often fatal fungal skin infections in wild snakes in the eastern USA. The emerging condition, referred to as snake fungal disease (SFD), was initially documented in rattlesnakes, where the infections were believed to pose a risk to the viability of affected populations. The disease is caused by Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, a fungus recently split from a complex of fungi long referred to as the Chrysosporium anamorph of Nannizziopsis vriesii (CANV).

Effect of Heteroatom Substitution on Transport in Alkanedithiol-Based Molecular Tunnel Junctions: Evidence for Universal Behavior.

The transport properties of molecular junctions based on alkanedithiols with three different methylene chain lengths were compared with junctions based on similar chains wherein every third -CH- was replaced with O or S, that is, following the general formula HS(CHCHX)CHCHSH, where X = CH, O, or S and n = 1, 2, or 3. Conducting probe atomic force microscopy revealed that the low bias resistance of the chains increased upon substitution in the order CH < O < S. This change in resistance is ascribed to the observed identical trend in contact resistance, R, whereas the exponential prefactor β (length sensitivity) was essentially the same for all chains.

Charge Transport in 4 nm Molecular Wires with Interrupted Conjugation: Combined Experimental and Computational Evidence for Thermally Assisted Polaron Tunneling.

We report the synthesis, transport measurements, and electronic structure of conjugation-broken oligophenyleneimine (CB-OPI 6) molecular wires with lengths of ∼4 nm. The wires were grown from Au surfaces using stepwise aryl imine condensation reactions between 1,4-diaminobenzene and terephthalaldehyde (1,4-benzenedicarbaldehyde). Saturated spacers (conjugation breakers) were introduced into the molecular backbone by replacing the aromatic diamine with trans-1,4-diaminocyclohexane at specific steps during the growth processes.

Absorbable magnesium-based stent: physiological factors to consider for in vitro degradation assessments.

Absorbable metals have been widely tested in various in vitro settings using cells to evaluate their possible suitability as an implant material. However, there exists a gap between in vivo and in vitro test results for absorbable materials. A lot of traditional in vitro assessments for permanent materials are no longer applicable to absorbable metallic implants.

Domain Structure of the Redβ Single-Strand Annealing Protein: the C-terminal Domain is Required for Fine-Tuning DNA-binding Properties, Interaction with the Exonuclease Partner, and Recombination in vivo.

Redβ is a component of the Red recombination system of bacteriophage λ that promotes a single strand annealing (SSA) reaction to generate end-to-end concatemers of the phage genome for packaging. Redβ interacts with λ exonuclease (λexo), the other component of the Red system, to form a "synaptosome" complex that somehow integrates the end resection and annealing steps of the reaction. Previous work using limited proteolysis and chemical modification revealed that Redβ consists of an N-terminal DNA binding domain, residues 1-177, and a flexible C-terminal "tail", residues 178-261.

Length-Dependent Nanotransport and Charge Hopping Bottlenecks in Long Thiophene-Containing π-Conjugated Molecular Wires.

Self-assembled conjugated molecular wires containing thiophene up to 6 nm in length were grown layer-by-layer using click chemistry. Reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy, ellipsometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to follow the stepwise growth. The electronic structure of the conjugated wires was studied with cyclic voltammetry and UV-vis spectroscopy as well as computationally with density functional theory (DFT).

A Structure-Activity Analysis for Probing the Mechanism of Processive Double-Stranded DNA Digestion by λ Exonuclease Trimers.

λ exonuclease (λexo) is an ATP-independent 5'-to-3' exonuclease that binds to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) ends and processively digests the 5'-strand into mononucleotides. The crystal structure of λexo revealed that the enzyme forms a ring-shaped homotrimer with a central funnel-shaped channel for tracking along the DNA. On the basis of this structure, it was proposed that dsDNA enters the open end of the channel, the 5'-strand is digested at one of the three active sites, and the 3'-strand passes through the narrow end of the channel to emerge out the back.

Experimental and Theoretical Analysis of Nanotransport in Oligophenylene Dithiol Junctions as a Function of Molecular Length and Contact Work Function.

We report the results of an extensive investigation of metal-molecule-metal tunnel junctions based on oligophenylene dithiols (OPDs) bound to several types of electrodes (M1-S-(C6H4)n-S-M2, with 1 ≤ n ≤ 4 and M1,2 = Ag, Au, Pt) to examine the impact of molecular length (n) and metal work function (Φ) on junction properties. Our investigation includes (1) measurements by scanning Kelvin probe microscopy of electrode work function changes (ΔΦ = ΦSAM - Φ) caused by chemisorption of OPD self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), (2) measurements of junction current-voltage (I-V) characteristics by conducting probe atomic force microscopy in the linear and nonlinear bias ranges, and (3) direct quantitative analysis of the full I-V curves. Further, we employ transition voltage spectroscopy (TVS) to estimate the energetic alignment εh = EF - EHOMO of the dominant molecular orbital (HOMO) relative to the Fermi energy EF of the junction.

The effects of whole grain high-amylose maize flour as a source of resistant starch on blood glucose, satiety, and food intake in young men.

The objective of this study was to determine the dose response effect of whole grain high-amylose maize (HAM) flour as a source of resistant starch (RS) on blood glucose, appetite and short-term food intake. In a repeated-measures crossover trial, healthy men (n = 30, 22.9 ± 0.

The acute effect of commercially available pulse powders on postprandial glycaemic response in healthy young men.

Whole pulses (beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils) elicit low postprandial blood glucose (BG) responses in adults; however, their consumption in North America is low. One potential strategy to increase the dietary intake of pulses is the utilisation of commercial pulse powders in food products; however, it is unclear whether they retain the biological benefits observed with whole pulses. Therefore, the present study examined the effects of commercially prepared pulse powders on BG response before and after a subsequent meal in healthy young men.

Increasing vitamin A in post-weaning diets reduces food intake and body weight and modifies gene expression in brains of male rats born to dams fed a high multivitamin diet.

High multivitamin gestational diets (HV, 10-fold AIN-93G levels) increase body weight (BW) and food intake (FI) in rat offspring weaned to a recommended multivitamin (RV), but not to a HV diet. We hypothesized that high vitamin A (HA) alone, similar to HV, in post-weaning diets would prevent these effects of the HV maternal diet consistent with gene expression in FI and reward pathways. Male offspring from dams fed HV diets were weaned to a high vitamin A (HA, 10-fold AIN-93G levels), HV or RV diet for 29 weeks.

White vegetables: glycemia and satiety.

The objective of this review is to discuss the effect of white vegetable consumption on glycemia, satiety, and food intake. White vegetables is a term used to refer to vegetables that are white or near white in color and include potatoes, cauliflowers, turnips, onions, parsnips, white corn, kohlrabi, and mushrooms (technically fungi but generally considered a vegetable). They vary greatly in their contribution to the energy and nutrient content of the diet and glycemia and satiety.

Crystal structures of Escherichia coli exonuclease I in complex with single-stranded DNA provide insights into the mechanism of processive digestion.

Escherichia coli Exonuclease I (ExoI) digests single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) in the 3'-5' direction in a highly processive manner. The crystal structure of ExoI, determined previously in the absence of DNA, revealed a C-shaped molecule with three domains that form a central positively charged groove. The active site is at the bottom of the groove, while an extended loop, proposed to encircle the DNA, crosses over the groove.

The effect of yellow pea protein and fibre on short-term food intake, subjective appetite and glycaemic response in healthy young men.

Pulses are low-glycaemic foods rich in protein (20-25 %), resistant starch and fibre that suppress appetite and glycaemia. The objective of the present study was to elucidate the component(s) of yellow peas responsible for these benefits and assess their efficacy as value-added food ingredients. We investigated the effects of 10 or 20 g of isolated yellow pea protein (P10 and P20) or fibre (F10 and F20) on food intake (FI) at an ad libitum pizza meal served at 30 min (Expt 1, n 19) or 120 min (Expt 2, n 20) and blood glucose (BG) and appetite in young, healthy males (20-30 years).

Family experiences and pediatric health services use associated with family-centered rounds.

Background: Family-centered rounds (FCR) are defined as interdisciplinary bedside teaching rounds with active family participation. The objective of this study was to examine the association of FCR with family experiences and health services use.

Methods: Prospective study comparing families with a child admitted to general pediatric inpatient services with and without FCR.

Soy protein-based compared with casein-based diets fed during pregnancy and lactation increase food intake and characteristics of metabolic syndrome less in female than male rat offspring.

We hypothesized that soy protein (S)-based diets fed during pregnancy and lactation increase food intake and the presence of characteristics of the metabolic syndrome to a lesser extent in female than in male rats. Soy protein- and casein (C)-based American Institute of Nutrition-93G diets were fed to 2 groups (n = 12 per group) of pregnant Wistar rats from day 3 of gestation and throughout lactation. Their effects on characteristics of metabolic syndrome and food intake regulation in female pups maintained for 15 weeks on the C diet were compared.