A type II secreted subtilase from commensal rhizobacteria cleaves immune elicitor peptides and suppresses flg22-induced immune activation.

Plant roots grow in association with a community of microorganisms collectively known as the rhizosphere microbiome. Immune activation in response to elicitors like the flagellin-derived epitope flg22 restricts bacteria on plant roots but also inhibits plant growth. Some commensal root-associated bacteria are capable of suppressing the plant immune response to elicitors.

Detection of pathogenic bacteria and biomarkers in lung specimens from cystic fibrosis patients.

Diagnosing lung infections is often challenging because of the lack of a high-quality specimen from the diseased lung. Since persons with cystic fibrosis are subject to chronic lung infection, there is frequently a need for a lung specimen. In this small, proof of principle study, we determined that PneumoniaCheck, a non-invasive device that captures coughed droplets from the lung on a filter, might help meet this need.

Using vulnerability assessment to characterize coastal protection benefits provided by estuarine habitats of a dynamic intracoastal waterway.

The existence of coastal ecosystems depends on their ability to gain sediment and keep pace with sea level rise. Similar to other coastal areas, Northeast Florida (United States) is experiencing rapid population growth, climate change, and shifting wetland communities. Rising seas and more severe storms, coupled with the intensification of human activities, can modify the biophysical environment, thereby increasing coastal exposure to storm-induced erosion and inundation.

Quantifying the Occupational Voice Use of Teachers.

Purpose: The teaching profession is a high-voice use occupation at elevated risk for developing voice disorders. Continued research on teachers' vocal demands is necessary to advocate for and establish vocal health programs. This study quantified ambulatory vocal dose measures for teachers during both on- and off-work periods, comparing their occupational voice use to that in other studies that have reported percent phonation ranging from 17% to 30%.

Characterization of Soybean Events with Enhanced Expression of the Microtubule-Associated Protein 65-1 (MAP65-1).

Microtubule-associated protein 65-1 (MAP65-1) protein plays an essential role in plant cellular dynamics through impacting stabilization of the cytoskeleton by serving as a crosslinker of microtubules. The role of MAP65-1 in plants has been associated with phenotypic outcomes in response to various environmental stresses. The MAP65-1 (MAP65-1) is a known virulence target of plant bacterial pathogens and is thus a component of plant immunity.

Marina Observation of Sea Turtles: Establishing a Database of Intracoastal Waterway Green Sea Turtles in Northeast Florida.

As conservation efforts regarding green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas, continue, it is imperative to document behaviors and foraging habits/habitats of understudied populations. We have conducted an 18-month study dedicated to photographing the local population feeding alongside floating docks within the Guana Tolomato Matanzas estuary to determine the capability of matching head scale patterns efficiently through a pattern matching program: HotSpotter. To date, 195 unique sea turtles have been identified between two different marinas located in St.

Cyclic ADP ribose isomers: Production, chemical structures, and immune signaling.

Cyclic adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribose (cADPR) isomers are signaling molecules produced by bacterial and plant Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domains via nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (oxidized form) (NAD) hydrolysis. We show that v-cADPR (2'cADPR) and v2-cADPR (3'cADPR) isomers are cyclized by O-glycosidic bond formation between the ribose moieties in ADPR. Structures of 2'cADPR-producing TIR domains reveal conformational changes that lead to an active assembly that resembles those of Toll-like receptor adaptor TIR domains.

T cells use distinct topographical and membrane receptor scanning strategies that individually coalesce during receptor recognition.

During immune surveillance, CD8 T cells scan the surface of antigen-presenting cells using dynamic microvillar palpation and movements as well as by having their receptors preconcentrated into patches. Here, we use real-time lattice light-sheet microscopy to demonstrate the independence of microvillar and membrane receptor patch scanning. While T cell receptor (TCR) patches can distribute to microvilli, they do so stochastically and not preferentially as for other receptors such as CD62L.

The Nucleotide Revolution: Immunity at the Intersection of Toll/Interleukin-1 Receptor Domains, Nucleotides, and Ca.

The discovery of the enzymatic activity of the toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain protein SARM1 five years ago preceded a flood of discoveries regarding the nucleotide substrates and products of TIR domains in plants, animals, bacteria, and archaea. These discoveries into the activity of TIR domains coincide with major advances in understanding the structure and mechanisms of NOD-like receptors and the mutual dependence of pattern recognition receptor- and effector-triggered immunity (PTI and ETI, respectively) in plants. It is quickly becoming clear that TIR domains and TIR-produced nucleotides are ancestral signaling molecules that modulate immunity and that their activity is closely associated with Ca signaling.

Comparing Flaxseed and Perindopril in the Prevention of Doxorubicin and Trastuzumab-Induced Cardiotoxicity in C57Bl/6 Mice.

Background: Two anti-cancer agents, doxorubicin (DOX) and trastuzumab (TRZ), are commonly used in the management of breast cancer in women. Despite their efficacy in reducing the morbidity and mortality of individuals with breast cancer, the use of these agents is limited by adverse cardiotoxic side effects. Both the nutraceutical agent flaxseed (FLX) and the pharmaceutical drug perindopril (PER) have been studied individually in the prevention of chemotherapy-mediated cardiac dysfunction.

Detection and population genomics of sea turtle species via noninvasive environmental DNA analysis of nesting beach sand tracks and oceanic water.

Elusive aquatic wildlife, such as endangered sea turtles, are difficult to monitor and conserve. As novel molecular and genetic technologies develop, it is possible to adapt and optimize them for wildlife conservation. One such technology is environmental (e)DNA - the detection of DNA shed from organisms into their surrounding environments.

A phytobacterial TIR domain effector manipulates NAD to promote virulence.

The Pseudomonas syringae DC3000 type III effector HopAM1 suppresses plant immunity and contains a Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain homologous to immunity-related TIR domains of plant nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors that hydrolyze nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD ) and activate immunity. In vitro and in vivo assays were conducted to determine if HopAM1 hydrolyzes NAD and if the activity is essential for HopAM1's suppression of plant immunity and contribution to virulence. HPLC and LC-MS were utilized to analyze metabolites produced from NAD by HopAM1 in vitro and in both yeast and plants.

Prevalence and Functional Implication of Silent Coronary Artery Disease in Marathon Runners Over 40 Years of Age: The MATCH-40 Study.

Background: Marathon participation is becoming increasingly popular among individuals ≥40 years of age. Little is known about the prevalence of subclinical coronary artery disease (CAD) and corresponding ischemia in this patient population. The study objectives are: (1) to characterize the prevalence of silent CAD in marathoners ≥ 40 years old using cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCT); and (2) if subclinical CAD was detected, to determine the functional significance of occult lesions by stress echocardiography (SE).

Color Tuning of Face-Selective Neurons in Macaque Inferior Temporal Cortex.

What role does color play in the neural representation of complex shapes? We approached the question by measuring color responses of face-selective neurons, using fMRI-guided microelectrode recording of the middle and anterior face patches of inferior temporal cortex (IT) in rhesus macaques. Face-selective cells responded weakly to pure color (equiluminant) photographs of faces. But many of the cells nonetheless showed a bias for warm colors when assessed using images that preserved the luminance contrast relationships of the original photographs.

Bispecific Targeting of PD-1 and PD-L1 Enhances T-cell Activation and Antitumor Immunity.

The programmed cell death protein 1 receptor (PD-1) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) coinhibitory pathway suppresses T-cell-mediated immunity. We hypothesized that cotargeting of PD-1 and PD-L1 with a bispecific antibody molecule could provide an alternative therapeutic approach, with enhanced antitumor activity, compared with monospecific PD-1 and PD-L1 antibodies. Here, we describe LY3434172, a bispecific IgG1 mAb with ablated Fc immune effector function that targets both human PD-1 and PD-L1.

Earlier radiosurgery leads to better pain relief and less medication usage for trigeminal neuralgia patients: an international multicenter study.

Objective: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a chronic pain condition that is difficult to control with conservative management. Furthermore, disabling medication-related side effects are common. This study examined how stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) affects pain outcomes and medication dependence based on the latency period between diagnosis and radiosurgery.

Aurora A Kinase Inhibition Is Synthetic Lethal with Loss of the Tumor Suppressor Gene.

Loss-of-function mutations in the retinoblastoma gene are common in several treatment-refractory cancers such as small-cell lung cancer and triple-negative breast cancer. To identify drugs synthetic lethal with mutation ( ), we tested 36 cell-cycle inhibitors using a cancer cell panel profiling approach optimized to discern cytotoxic from cytostatic effects. Inhibitors of the Aurora kinases AURKA and AURKB showed the strongest association in this assay.

Color statistics of objects, and color tuning of object cortex in macaque monkey.

We hypothesized that the parts of scenes identified by human observers as "objects" show distinct color properties from backgrounds, and that the brain uses this information towards object recognition. To test this hypothesis, we examined the color statistics of naturally and artificially colored objects and backgrounds in a database of over 20,000 images annotated with object labels. Objects tended to be warmer colored (L-cone response > M-cone response) and more saturated compared to backgrounds.

Molecular Basis for Necitumumab Inhibition of EGFR Variants Associated with Acquired Cetuximab Resistance.

Acquired resistance to cetuximab, an antibody that targets the EGFR, impacts clinical benefit in head and neck, and colorectal cancers. One of the mechanisms of resistance to cetuximab is the acquisition of mutations that map to the cetuximab epitope on EGFR and prevent drug binding. We find that necitumumab, another FDA-approved EGFR antibody, can bind to EGFR that harbors the most common cetuximab-resistant substitution, S468R (or S492R, depending on the amino acid numbering system).

3D-Printed Metal-Organic Framework Monoliths for Gas Adsorption Processes.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown promising performance in separation, adsorption, reaction, and storage of various industrial gases; however, their large-scale applications have been hampered by the lack of a proper strategy to formulate them into scalable gas-solid contactors. Herein, we report the fabrication of MOF monoliths using the 3D printing technique and evaluation of their adsorptive performance in CO removal from air. The 3D-printed MOF-74(Ni) and UTSA-16(Co) monoliths with MOF loadings as high as 80 and 85 wt %, respectively, were developed, and their physical and structural properties were characterized and compared with those of MOF powders.

Formulation of Aminosilica Adsorbents into 3D-Printed Monoliths and Evaluation of Their CO Capture Performance.

Amine-based materials have represented themselves as a promising class of CO adsorbents; however, their large-scale implementation requires their formulation into suitable structures. In this study, we report formulation of aminosilica adsorbents into monolithic structures through a three-dimensional (3D) printing technique. In particular, 3D-printed monoliths were fabricated using presynthesized silica-supported tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) and poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) adsorbents using three different approaches.

3D-Printed Zeolite Monoliths for CO Removal from Enclosed Environments.

Structured adsorbents, especially in the form of monolithic contactors, offer an excellent gas-solid contacting strategy for the development of practical and scalable CO capture technologies. In this study, the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D)-printed 13X and 5A zeolite monoliths with novel structures and their use in CO removal from air are reported. The physical and structural properties of these printed monoliths are evaluated and compared with their powder counterparts.

Tuning Ciprofloxacin Release Profiles from Liposomally Encapsulated Nanocrystalline Drug.

Purpose: In order to attenuate the drug release rate, a single freeze-thaw step was previously shown to convert encapsulated drug into a single nanocrystal within each liposome vesicle. The goal of this study was to alter the nanocrystalline character, and thus the drug encapsulation state and release profile, by addition of surfactant prior to freeze-thaw.

Methods: A liposomal ciprofloxacin (CFI) formulation was modified by the addition of surfactant and frozen.

In Situ Method for Measuring the Mechanical Properties of Nafion Thin Films during Hydration Cycles.

Perfluorinated ionomers, in particular Nafion, are an essential component in hydrogen fuel cells, as both the proton exchange membrane and the binder within the catalyst layer. During normal operation of a hydrogen fuel cell, the ionomer will progressively swell and deswell in response to the changes in hydration, resulting in mechanical fatigue and ultimately failure over time. In this study, we have developed and implemented a cantilever bending technique in order to investigate the swelling-induced stresses in biaxially constrained Nafion thin films.