Performance evaluation of a Cadre Forensics TopMatch-GS 3D system for cartridge case comparisons.

Three-dimensional (3D) measurement systems for firearm forensics are becoming more prevalent in forensic laboratories, and these instruments are typically coupled with algorithms to assist firearm examiners with comparisons. Due to differences in firearm feature reproducibility on different types of ammunition, comparison algorithms need to be tested utilizing a variety of ammunition brands. For this study, 30 shots were fired, utilizing six common ammunition brands, from each of the 10 casework firearms for a total of 300 cartridge cases.

labeling of endogenous genomic loci in using CRISPR/dCas9.

Visualization of genomic loci with open chromatin state has been reported in mammalian tissue culture cells using a CRISPR/Cas9-based system that utilizes an EGFP-tagged endonuclease-deficient Cas9 protein (dCas9::EGFP) (Chen et al. 2013). Here, we adapted this approach for use in .

Genome-wide RNAi screen for regulators of UPRmt in Caenorhabditis elegans mutants with defects in mitochondrial fusion.

Mitochondrial dynamics plays an important role in mitochondrial quality control and the adaptation of metabolic activity in response to environmental changes. The disruption of mitochondrial dynamics has detrimental consequences for mitochondrial and cellular homeostasis and leads to the activation of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt), a quality control mechanism that adjusts cellular metabolism and restores homeostasis. To identify genes involved in the induction of UPRmt in response to a block in mitochondrial fusion, we performed a genome-wide RNAi screen in Caenorhabditis elegans mutants lacking the gene fzo-1, which encodes the ortholog of mammalian Mitofusin, and identified 299 suppressors and 86 enhancers.

High-intensity interval exercise impairs neuroelectric indices of reinforcement-learning.

A single bout of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) improves behavioural measures of cognitive function; however, investigations using event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine the systems that underlie these cognitive improvements are lacking. The reward positivity is a positive-going ERP component that indexes reward processing evoked by 'win' feedback and is a candidate marker of an underlying human reinforcement learning system. While HIIE improves behavioural measures of learning, it is unknown how HIIE affects the amplitude of the reward positivity.

Older adults display diminished error processing and response in a continuous tracking task.

Advancing age is often accompanied by a decline in motor control that results in a decreased ability to successfully perform motor tasks. While there are multiple factors that contribute to age-related deficits in motor control, one unexplored possibility is that age-related deficits in our ability to evaluate motor output result in an increase in motor errors. In line with this, previous work from our laboratory demonstrated that motor errors evoked an error-related negativity (ERN)-a component of the human ERP associated with error evaluation originating within the human medial-frontal cortex.

miRNAs cooperate in apoptosis regulation during development.

Programmed cell death occurs in a highly reproducible manner during development. We demonstrate that, during embryogenesis, miR-35 and miR-58 family microRNAs (miRNAs) cooperate to prevent the precocious death of mothers of cells programmed to die by repressing the gene , which encodes a proapoptotic BH3-only protein. In addition, we present evidence that repression of is dependent on binding sites for miR-35 and miR-58 family miRNAs within the 3' untranslated region (UTR), which affect both mRNA copy number and translation.

P-value-based regulatory motif discovery using positional weight matrices.

To analyze gene regulatory networks, the sequence-dependent DNA/RNA binding affinities of proteins and noncoding RNAs are crucial. Often, these are deduced from sets of sequences enriched in factor binding sites. Two classes of computational approaches exist.

The XXmotif web server for eXhaustive, weight matriX-based motif discovery in nucleotide sequences.

The discovery of regulatory motifs enriched in sets of DNA or RNA sequences is fundamental to the analysis of a great variety of functional genomics experiments. These motifs usually represent binding sites of proteins or non-coding RNAs, which are best described by position weight matrices (PWMs). We have recently developed XXmotif, a de novo motif discovery method that is able to directly optimize the statistical significance of PWMs.

Heparinase-guided thrombelastography in an anticoagulated parturient.

We describe the use of heparinase-guided thrombelastography in the assessment of a parturient who had been anticoagulated with heparin for suspected thromboembolic disease. Reversal of the heparin effect in the heparinase-treated sample facilitated administration of protamine and successful subarachnoid analgesia for delivery.

Pulmonary hemodynamics, extravascular lung water and residual gas bubbles following low dose venous gas embolism in dogs.

Pulmonary hemodynamic responses, extravascular lung water and bubble longevity times were studied in halothane anesthetized dogs receiving low dose venous gas infusions. Dogs in one group (23.3 +/- 4.

Venous gas embolism: time course of residual pulmonary intravascular bubbles.

The time course of pulmonary intravascular air emboli was studied in anesthetized dogs. In one series of experiments air was infused into the right atrium at 0.10 ml.