Phase-separating resins for light-based three-dimensional printing of oxide glasses.

Silica-based glasses can be shaped into complex geometries using a variety of additive manufacturing technologies. While the three-dimensional printing of glasses opens unprecedented design opportunities, the development of up-scaled, reliable manufacturing processes is crucial for the broader dissemination of this technology. Here, we design and study phase-separating resins that enable light-based 3D printing of oxide glasses with high-aspect-ratio features and enhanced manufacturing yields.

A dynamical measure of the black hole mass in a quasar 11 billion years ago.

Tight relationships exist in the local Universe between the central stellar properties of galaxies and the mass of their supermassive black hole (SMBH). These suggest that galaxies and black holes co-evolve, with the main regulation mechanism being energetic feedback from accretion onto the black hole during its quasar phase. A crucial question is how the relationship between black holes and galaxies evolves with time; a key epoch to examine this relationship is at the peaks of star formation and black hole growth 8-12 billion years ago (redshifts 1-3).

The role of the maleimide ring system on the structure-activity relationship of showdomycin.

Showdomycin produced by Streptomyces showdoensis ATCC 15227 is a C-nucleoside microbial natural product with antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties. The unique feature of showdomycin in comparison to other nucleosides is its maleimide base moiety, which has the distinct ability to alkylate nucleophilic thiol groups by a Michael addition reaction. In order to understand structure-activity relationships of showdomycin, we synthesized a series of derivatives with modifications in the maleimide ring at the site of alkylation to moderate its reactivity.

Controlled Monofunctionalization of Molecular Spherical Nucleic Acids on a Buckminster Fullerene Core.

An azide-functionalized 12-armed Buckminster fullerene has been monosubstituted in organic media with a substoichiometric amount of cyclooctyne-modified oligonucleotides. Exposing the intermediate products then to the same reaction (i.e.

Expanding the Scope of the Cleavable -(methoxy)oxazolidine Linker for the Synthesis of Oligonucleotide Conjugates.

Oligonucleotides modified by a 2'-deoxy-2'-(-methoxyamino) ribonucleotide react readily with aldehydes in slightly acidic conditions to yield the corresponding -(methoxy)oxazolidine-linked oligonucleotide-conjugates. The reaction is reversible and dynamic in slightly acidic conditions, while the products are virtually stable above pH 7, where the reaction is in a ''switched off-state''. Small molecular examinations have demonstrated that aldehyde constituents affect the cleavage rate of the -(methoxy)oxazolidine-linkage.

Kinetic and NMR spectroscopic study of the chemical stability and reaction pathways of sugar nucleotides.

The alkaline cleavage of two types of sugar nucleotides has been studied by H and P NMR in order to obtain information on the stability and decomposition pathways in aqueous solutions under alkaline conditions. The reaction of glucose 1-UDP is straightforward, and products are easy to identify. The results obtained with ribose 5-UDP and ribose 5-phosphate reveal, in contrast, a more complex reaction system than expected, and the identification of individual intermediate species was not possible.

Immobilized Carbohydrates for Preparation of 3'-Glycoconjugated Oligonucleotides.

A detailed protocol for preparation 3'-glycoconjugated oligonucleotides is described based on one-pot immobilization of 4,4'-dimethoxytrityl-protected carbohydrates to a solid support followed by on-support peracetylation and automated oligonucleotide assembly. Compared to an appropriate building block approach and post-synthetic manipulation of oligonucleotides, this protocol may simplify the synthesis scheme and increase overall yield of the conjugates. Furthermore, the immobilization to a solid support typically increases the stability of reactants, enabling prolonged storage, and makes subsequent processing convenient.

Conjugation of Oligonucleotides to Peptide Aldehydes via a pH-Responsive -Methoxyoxazolidine Linker.

The formation of -methoxyoxazolidines in the preparation of oligonucleotide-peptide conjugates was evaluated. The reaction occurred between unprotected 2'--(methoxy)amino-modified oligonucleotides and peptide aldehydes in reasonable yields when isolated. The reaction is reversible under slightly acidic conditions, and it is pH-responsive.

Administration of aromatase inhibitor MPV-2213ad to blue fox vixens (Vulpes lagopus) as a model for contraception in female dogs.

The interest in non-surgical approaches to contraception and fertility control in female dogs has increased in recent years. In this study the effect of an aromatase inhibitor (finrozole) was evaluated in fur production animals, farmed blue fox vixens, as a model for contraception in bitches. A total of 80 vixens were divided into 4 groups, receiving orally placebo (A) or finrozole 0.

TGF-β2 silencing to target biliary-derived liver diseases.

Objective: TGF-β2 (TGF-β, transforming growth factor beta), the less-investigated sibling of TGF-β1, is deregulated in rodent and human liver diseases. Former data from bile duct ligated and MDR2 knockout (KO) mouse models for human cholestatic liver disease suggested an involvement of TGF-β2 in biliary-derived liver diseases.

Design: As we also found upregulated in liver tissue of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), we now fathomed the positive prospects of targeting TGF-β2 in early stage biliary liver disease using the MDR2-KO mice.

Culturally and linguistically diverse healthcare students' experiences of the clinical learning environment and mentoring: A qualitative study.

Development of educators' and students' global competence in higher education is increasingly important due to internationalization. Internationalization significantly influences healthcare education through an increase in the mobility of students. When conducting clinical practice in healthcare education, culturally and linguistically diverse healthcare students face the challenges of having limited learning opportunities and social isolation.

Lack of androgen receptor SUMOylation results in male infertility due to epididymal dysfunction.

Androgen receptor (AR) is regulated by SUMOylation at its transactivation domain. In vitro, the SUMOylation is linked to transcriptional repression and/or target gene-selective regulation. Here, we generated a mouse model (ArKI) in which the conserved SUMO acceptor lysines of AR are permanently abolished (Ar).

DNA-Templated N(Me)-Alkoxyamine Glycosylation.

The potential of N(Me)-alkoxyamine glycosylation as a DNA-templated ligation has been studied. On a hairpin stem-template model, a notable rate enhancement and an increased equilibrium yield are observed compared to the corresponding reaction without a DNA catalyst. The N-glycosidic connection is dynamic at pH 5, whereas it becomes irreversible at pH 7.

Development of a fermented quinoa-based beverage.

Quinoa is a crop that originated from the Andes. It has high nutritional value, outstanding agro-ecological adaptability, and low water requirements. Quinoa is an excellent crop alternative to help overcome food shortages, and it can also have a role in the prevention of developed world lifestyle diseases, such as type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, etc.

Aspergillus flavus growth inhibition by Lactobacillus strains isolated from traditional fermented Kenyan milk and maize products.

Certain strains of lactic acid bacteria have been reported to inhibit fungal growth and may so be potential as biocontrol agents. In this study, 171 LAB strains were isolated from traditional fermented Kenyan milk and maize products and tested against aflatoxin-producing A. flavus fungi.

No Sun-like dynamo on the active star ζ Andromedae from starspot asymmetry.

Sunspots are cool areas caused by strong surface magnetic fields that inhibit convection. Moreover, strong magnetic fields can alter the average atmospheric structure, degrading our ability to measure stellar masses and ages. Stars that are more active than the Sun have more and stronger dark spots than does the Sun, including on the rotational pole.

TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 abundance in liver diseases of mice and men.

TGF-β1 is a major player in chronic liver diseases promoting fibrogenesis and tumorigenesis through various mechanisms. The expression and function of TGF-β2 have not been investigated thoroughly in liver disease to date. In this paper, we provide evidence that TGF-β2 expression correlates with fibrogenesis and liver cancer development.

Metal ion-promoted cleavage of nucleoside diphosphosugars: a model for reactions of phosphodiester bonds in carbohydrates.

Cleavage of five different nucleoside diphosphosugars has been studied in the presence of Cu(2+) and Zn(2+) complexes. The results show that metal ion catalysts promote the cleavage via intramolecular transesterification whenever a neighbouring HO group can adopt a cis-orientation with respect to the phosphate. The HO group attacks the phosphate and two monophosphate products are formed.

DICER Regulates the Formation and Maintenance of Cell-Cell Junctions in the Mouse Seminiferous Epithelium.

The endonuclease DICER that processes micro-RNAs and small interfering RNAs is essential for normal spermatogenesis and male fertility. We previously showed that the deletion of Dicer1 gene in postnatal spermatogonia in mice using Ngn3 promoter-driven Cre expression caused severe defects in the morphogenesis of haploid spermatid to mature spermatozoon, including problems in cell polarization and nuclear elongation. In this study, we further analyzed the same mouse model and revealed that absence of functional DICER in differentiating male germ cells induces disorganization of the cell-cell junctions in the seminiferous epithelium.

The Role of Protein-Ligand Contacts in Allosteric Regulation of the Escherichia coli Catabolite Activator Protein.

Allostery is a fundamental process by which ligand binding to a protein alters its activity at a distant site. Both experimental and theoretical evidence demonstrate that allostery can be communicated through altered slow relaxation protein dynamics without conformational change. The catabolite activator protein (CAP) of Escherichia coli is an exemplar for the analysis of such entropically driven allostery.

Design and Selection of Antisense Oligonucleotides Targeting Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGF-β) Isoform mRNAs for the Treatment of Solid Tumors.

Transforming growth factor beta isoforms (TGF-β1, -β2, and -β3) are cytokines associated with a wide range of biological processes in oncology including tumor cell invasion and migration, angiogenesis, immunosuppression, as well as regulation of tumor stem cell properties. Hence, blocking the TGF-β signaling pathways may have a multifold therapeutic benefit for the treatment of solid tumors. Here, we describe the identification and selection processes for the development of highly potent and selective chemically modified antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (fully phosphorothioate locked nucleic acid gapmers) allowing effective and selective suppression of TGF-β isoform expression in cell-based assays and in vivo preclinical models.

Potential of lactic acid bacteria in aflatoxin risk mitigation.

Aflatoxins (AF) are ubiquitous mycotoxins contaminating food and feed. Consumption of contaminated food and feed can cause a severe health risk to humans and animals. A novel biological method could reduce the health risks of aflatoxins through inhibiting mold growth and binding aflatoxins.

A procedure for the preparation and isolation of nucleoside-5'-diphosphates.

Tris[bis(triphenylphosphoranylidene)ammonium] pyrophosphate (PPN pyrophosphate) was used in the SN2 displacements of the tosylate ion from 5'-tosylnucleosides to afford nucleoside-5'-diphosphates. Selective precipitation permitted the direct isolation of nucleoside-5'-diphosphates from crude reaction mixtures.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 3 promotes leukocyte rolling by mobilizing endothelial P-selectin.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) participates in inflammation; however, its role in leukocyte rolling is still unclear. Here we use intravital microscopy in inflamed mouse cremaster muscle venules and human endothelial cells to show that S1P contributes to P-selectin-dependent leukocyte rolling through endothelial S1P receptor 3 (S1P3) and Gαq, PLCβ and Ca(2+). Intra-arterial S1P administration increases leukocyte rolling, while S1P3 deficiency or inhibition dramatically reduces it.

Modelling artificial sea salt emission in large eddy simulations.

We study the dispersion of sea salt particles from artificially injected sea spray at a cloud-resolving scale. Understanding of how different aerosol processes affect particle dispersion is crucial when designing emission sources for marine cloud brightening. Compared with previous studies, we include for the first time an explicit treatment of aerosol water, which takes into account condensation, evaporation and their effect on ambient temperature.