The effects of COVID-19 risk, gender, and self-compassion on the workplace cyberbullying and job satisfaction of university faculty.

The purpose of this study is to examine workplace cyberbullying (WPCB) in higher education. Specifically, the study examines the relationship between WPCB and several important factors such as self-compassion, job satisfaction, and gender. The cross-sectional study administered a survey to a convenience sample of 179 faculty members.

A Phase 2 Trial of Sibeprenlimab in Patients with IgA Nephropathy.

Background: A proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) is implicated in the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy. Sibeprenlimab is a humanized IgG2 monoclonal antibody that binds to and neutralizes APRIL.

Methods: In this phase 2, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial, we randomly assigned adults with biopsy-confirmed IgA nephropathy who were at high risk for disease progression, despite having received standard-care treatment, in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to receive intravenous sibeprenlimab at a dose of 2, 4, or 8 mg per kilogram of body weight or placebo once monthly for 12 months.

Area-Selective Deposition by Cyclic Adsorption and Removal of 1-Nitropropane.

The ever-greater complexity of modern electronic devices requires a larger chemical toolbox to support their fabrication. Here, we explore the use of 1-nitropropane as a small molecule inhibitor (SMI) for selective atomic layer deposition (ALD) on a combination of SiO, Cu, CuO, and Ru substrates. Results using water contact angle goniometry, Auger electron spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy show that 1-nitropropane selectively chemisorbs to form a high-quality inhibition layer on Cu and CuO at an optimized temperature of 100 °C, but not on SiO and Ru.

Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of Subcutaneous Sibeprenlimab in Healthy Participants.

Sibeprenlimab blocks the cytokine "A Proliferation-Inducing Ligand" (APRIL), which may play a key role in immunoglobulin A nephropathy pathogenesis. A phase 1 study of subcutaneous (SC) sibeprenlimab evaluated preliminary safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics in healthy participants. This was an open-label, single-ascending-dose study.

Cyberbullying and the Faculty Victim Experience: Perceptions and Outcomes.

Cyberbullying affects US youth, adolescents, and adults and can occur in various settings. Among the academic literature exploring cyberbullying, most discuss cyberbullying of youth and adolescents within the K-12 academic setting. While some studies address cyberbullying targeting adults, a limited amount of research has been conducted on the topic of cyberbullying among adults within the higher education context.

MYC oncogene elicits tumorigenesis associated with embryonic, ribosomal biogenesis, and tissue-lineage dedifferentiation gene expression changes.

MYC is a transcription factor frequently overexpressed in cancer. To determine how MYC drives the neoplastic phenotype, we performed transcriptomic analysis using a panel of MYC-driven autochthonous transgenic mouse models. We found that MYC elicited gene expression changes mostly in a tissue- and lineage-specific manner across B-cell lymphoma, T-cell acute lymphoblastic lymphoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, and lung adenocarcinoma.

Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of VIS649 (Sibeprenlimab), an APRIL-Neutralizing IgG Monoclonal Antibody, in Healthy Volunteers.

Introduction: VIS649 (sibeprenlimab), a humanized IgG monoclonal antibody that inhibits APRIL, is being developed as a potential treatment for IgA nephropathy (IgAN). This phase 1, first-in-human, randomized, double-blind, single ascending dose study aimed to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics (PD) of VIS649 in healthy adults.

Methods: Participants were randomized to VIS649 (sequential i.

Molecular origins of reduced activity and binding commitment of processive cellulases and associated carbohydrate-binding proteins to cellulose III.

Efficient enzymatic saccharification of cellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars can enable production of bioproducts like ethanol. Native crystalline cellulose, or cellulose I, is inefficiently processed via enzymatic hydrolysis but can be converted into the structurally distinct cellulose III allomorph that is processed via cellulase cocktails derived from Trichoderma reesei up to 20-fold faster. However, characterization of individual cellulases from T.

Using alt text to make science Twitter more accessible for people with visual impairments.

Scientists increasingly post images and photos on social media to share their research activities. However, posting images and photos could potentially exclude people with visual impairments. Here, we outline actions that should be taken to foster accessibility and inclusion in posting scientific images on social media.

A multi-institutional review of endovenous thermal ablation of the saphenous vein finds male sex and use of anticoagulation are predictors of long-term failure.

Background: To review long-term outcomes and saphenous vein (SV) occlusion rate after endovenous ablation (EVA) for symptomatic varicose veins.

Methods: A review of our EVA database (1998-2018) with at least 3-years of clinical and sonographic follow-up. The primary end point was SV closure rate.

Distinct roles of N- and O-glycans in cellulase activity and stability.

In nature, many microbes secrete mixtures of glycoside hydrolases, oxidoreductases, and accessory enzymes to deconstruct polysaccharides and lignin in plants. These enzymes are often decorated with N- and O-glycosylation, the roles of which have been broadly attributed to protection from proteolysis, as the extracellular milieu is an aggressive environment. Glycosylation has been shown to sometimes affect activity, but these effects are not fully understood.

The Multi Domain Caldicellulosiruptor bescii CelA Cellulase Excels at the Hydrolysis of Crystalline Cellulose.

The crystalline nature of cellulose microfibrils is one of the key factors influencing biomass recalcitrance which is a key technical and economic barrier to overcome to make cellulosic biofuels a commercial reality. To date, all known fungal enzymes tested have great difficulty degrading highly crystalline cellulosic substrates. We have demonstrated that the CelA cellulase from Caldicellulosiruptor bescii degrades highly crystalline cellulose as well as low crystallinity substrates making it the only known cellulase to function well on highly crystalline cellulose.

Multifunctional Cellulolytic Enzymes Outperform Processive Fungal Cellulases for Coproduction of Nanocellulose and Biofuels.

Producing fuels, chemicals, and materials from renewable resources to meet societal demands remains an important step in the transition to a sustainable, clean energy economy. The use of cellulolytic enzymes for the production of nanocellulose enables the coproduction of sugars for biofuels production in a format that is largely compatible with the process design employed by modern lignocellulosic (second generation) biorefineries. However, yields of enzymatically produced nanocellulose are typically much lower than those achieved by mineral acid production methods.

Enzymes in Commercial Cellulase Preparations Bind Differently to Dioxane Extracted Lignins.

Commercial fungal cellulases used in biomass-to-biofuels processes can be grouped into three general classes: native, augmented, and engineered. Colorimetric assays for general glycoside hydrolase activities showed distinct differences in enzyme binding to lignin for each enzyme activity. Native cellulase preparations demonstrated low binding of endo- and exocellulases, high binding of xylanase, and moderate binding for β-D-glucosidases.

In situ label-free imaging of hemicellulose in plant cell walls using stimulated Raman scattering microscopy.

Background: Plant hemicellulose (largely xylan) is an excellent feedstock for renewable energy production and second only to cellulose in abundance. Beyond a source of fermentable sugars, xylan constitutes a critical polymer in the plant cell wall, where its precise role in wall assembly, maturation, and deconstruction remains primarily hypothetical. Effective detection of xylan, particularly by in situ imaging of xylan in the presence of other biopolymers, would provide critical information for tackling the challenges of understanding the assembly and enhancing the liberation of xylan from plant materials.

A Shipping Container-Based Sterile Processing Unit for Low Resources Settings.

Deficiencies in the sterile processing of medical instruments contribute to poor outcomes for patients, such as surgical site infections, longer hospital stays, and deaths. In low resources settings, such as some rural and semi-rural areas and secondary and tertiary cities of developing countries, deficiencies in sterile processing are accentuated due to the lack of access to sterilization equipment, improperly maintained and malfunctioning equipment, lack of power to operate equipment, poor protocols, and inadequate quality control over inventory. Inspired by our sterile processing fieldwork at a district hospital in Sierra Leone in 2013, we built an autonomous, shipping-container-based sterile processing unit to address these deficiencies.

New perspective on glycoside hydrolase binding to lignin from pretreated corn stover.

Background: Non-specific binding of cellulases to lignin has been implicated as a major factor in the loss of cellulase activity during biomass conversion to sugars. It is believed that this binding may strongly impact process economics through loss of enzyme activities during hydrolysis and enzyme recycling scenarios. The current model suggests glycoside hydrolase activities are lost though non-specific/non-productive binding of carbohydrate-binding domains to lignin, limiting catalytic site access to the carbohydrate components of the cell wall.

Predicting enzyme adsorption to lignin films by calculating enzyme surface hydrophobicity.

The inhibitory action of lignin on cellulase cocktails is a major challenge to the biological saccharification of plant cell wall polysaccharides. Although the mechanism remains unclear, hydrophobic interactions between enzymes and lignin are hypothesized to drive adsorption. Here we evaluate the role of hydrophobic interactions in enzyme-lignin binding.

Agave proves to be a low recalcitrant lignocellulosic feedstock for biofuels production on semi-arid lands.

Background: Agave, which is well known for tequila and other liquor production in Mexico, has recently gained attention because of its attractive potential to launch sustainable bioenergy feedstock solutions for semi-arid and arid lands. It was previously found that agave cell walls contain low lignin and relatively diverse non-cellulosic polysaccharides, suggesting unique recalcitrant features when compared to conventional C4 and C3 plants.

Results: Here, we report sugar release data from fungal enzymatic hydrolysis of non-pretreated and hydrothermally pretreated biomass that shows agave to be much less recalcitrant to deconstruction than poplar or switchgrass.

Genomic, proteomic, and biochemical analyses of oleaginous Mucor circinelloides: evaluating its capability in utilizing cellulolytic substrates for lipid production.

Lipid production by oleaginous microorganisms is a promising route to produce raw material for the production of biodiesel. However, most of these organisms must be grown on sugars and agro-industrial wastes because they cannot directly utilize lignocellulosic substrates. We report the first comprehensive investigation of Mucor circinelloides, one of a few oleaginous fungi for which genome sequences are available, for its potential to assimilate cellulose and produce lipids.

Structure and dynamics of adeno-associated virus serotype 1 VP1-unique N-terminal domain and its role in capsid trafficking.

The importance of the phospholipase A2 domain located within the unique N terminus of the capsid viral protein VP1 (VP1u) in parvovirus infection has been reported. This study used computational methods to characterize the VP1 sequence for adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotypes 1 to 12 and circular dichroism and electron microscopy to monitor conformational changes in the AAV1 capsid induced by temperature and the pHs encountered during trafficking through the endocytic pathway. Circular dichroism was also used to monitor conformational changes in AAV6 capsids assembled from VP2 and VP3 or VP1, VP2, and VP3 at pH 7.

Evidence for pH-dependent protease activity in the adeno-associated virus capsid.

Incubation of highly purified adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids in vitro at pH 5.5 induced significant autocleavage of capsid proteins at several amino acid positions. No autocleavage was seen at pH 7.