Search

This study looked at a different approach to professional development of higher education faculty. Faculty members were asked to participate in a pre-service technology course. Seventy faculty members accepted the invitation and took the course either during Fall Semester 2001, Winter Semester 2002, or Spring/Summer Terms 2002. Interviews and focus groups were used to determine the impact participation in this technology course had on the faculty members' attitudes toward technology integration in teacher preparation courses as well as their use of technology in their own teacher preparation courses. Our preliminary study found that faculty members are accepting of and will excel in this model of professional development.

Experiments and computer calculations are presented that extend the theory of double-quantum coherence preparation from the strong coupling/small chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) limit to weal coupling limit. It was found that the efficiency of double-quantum coherence preparation by gamma-encoded sequences departed from the predictions of first order theory.

The theory and practice of double-quantum solid-state NMR (ssNMR) structure-determination techniques used to determine the secondary structures of surface-adsorbed peptides and proteins are described. The NMR data on peptides that are designed to adsorb from aqueous solutions onto highly porous hydrophobic surfaces are reviewed.

Concentrations of Pb, Cu, Zn, Fe, and Mn were measured in the gills and visceral mass of Mytilus edulis (mussels) and in the surrounding seawater (as dissolved ions and suspended particulate matter) over a one-year period (at monthly intervals) from two locations in British Columbia. Higher concentrations of Pb, Zn, and Cu were observed in tissues of mussels taken from the location containing higher levels in the seawater. All elemental concentrations in the mussels, except copper, could be correlated with seawater (dissolved ion) concentrations. Seasonal variations occurred in the Pb, Zn, Cu, and Fe mussel tissue concentrations but only occurred for soluble Fe and Zn in the surrounding seawater. Significant correlations were observed between Cu concentrations in both organs and Pb and Zn concentrations in seawater, suggesting an interelemental effect, facilitating copper uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Using proteomics, we aimed to reveal molecular types of human atherosclerotic lesions and study their associations with histology, imaging, and cardiovascular outcomes., Methods: Two hundred nineteen carotid endarterectomy samples were procured from 120 patients. A sequential protein extraction protocol was employed in conjunction with multiplexed, discovery proteomics. To focus on extracellular proteins, parallel reaction monitoring was employed for targeted proteomics. Proteomic signatures were integrated with bulk, single-cell, and spatial RNA-sequencing data, and validated in 200 patients from the Athero-Express Biobank study., Results: This extensive proteomics analysis identified plaque inflammation and calcification signatures, which were inversely correlated and validated using targeted proteomics. The inflammation signature was characterized by the presence of neutrophil-derived proteins, such as S100A8/9 (calprotectin) and myeloperoxidase, whereas the calcification signature included fetuin-A, osteopontin, and gamma-carboxylated proteins. The proteomics data also revealed sex differences in atherosclerosis, with large-aggregating proteoglycans versican and aggrecan being more abundant in females and exhibiting an inverse correlation with estradiol levels. The integration of RNA-sequencing data attributed the inflammation signature predominantly to neutrophils and macrophages, and the calcification and sex signatures to smooth muscle cells, except for certain plasma proteins that were not expressed but retained in plaques, such as fetuin-A. Dimensionality reduction and machine learning techniques were applied to identify 4 distinct plaque phenotypes based on proteomics data. A protein signature of 4 key proteins (calponin, protein C, serpin H1, and versican) predicted future cardiovascular mortality with an area under the curve of 75% and 67.5% in the discovery and validation cohort, respectively, surpassing the prognostic performance of imaging and histology., Conclusions: Plaque proteomics redefined clinically relevant patient groups with distinct outcomes, identifying subgroups of male and female patients with elevated risk of future cardiovascular events., Competing Interests: Disclosures S.W. van der Laan has received Roche funding for unrelated work. The other authors report no conflicts.

Context: Too many people living with chronic kidney disease are opting for and starting on hospital-based dialysis compared to a home-based kidney replacement therapy. Dialysis services are becoming financially unsustainable., Objective: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of coproductive research in chronic kidney disease service improvement to achieve greater sustainability., Design: A 2-year coproductive service improvement study was conducted with multiple stakeholders with the specific intention of maximizing engagement with the national health kidney services, patients and public., Setting and Participants: A national health kidney service (3 health boards, 18 dialysis units), patients and families (n = 50), multidisciplinary teams including doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and so forth (n = 68), kidney charities, independent dialysis service providers and wider social services were part of this study., Findings: Coproductive research identified underutilized resources (e.g., patients on home dialysis and social services) and their potential, highlighted unmet social care needs for patients and families and informed service redesign. Education packages were reimagined to support the home dialysis agenda including opportunities for wider service input. The impacts of one size fits all approaches to dialysis on specialist workforce skills were made clearer and also professional, patient and public perceptions of key sustainability policies., Discussion and Conclusions: Patient and key stakeholders mapped out new ways to link services to create more sustainable models of kidney health and social care. Maintaining principles of knowledge coproduction could help achieve financial sustainability and move towards more prudent adult chronic kidney disease services., Patient or Public Contribution: Involved in developing research questions, study design, management and conduct, interpretation of evidence and dissemination., (© 2021 The Authors. Health Expectations published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Competing Interests: The authors have no financial or conflicts of interest to disclose.

The C-terminal regions of several DNA repair and cell cycle checkpoint proteins are homologous to the breast-cancer-associated BRCA-1 protein C-terminal region. These regions, known as BRCT domains, have been found to mediate important protein-protein interactions. We produced the BRCT domain of DNA ligase IIIalpha (L3[86]) for biophysical and structural characterization. A glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion with the L3[86] domain (residues 837-922 of ligase IIIalpha) was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by glutathione affinity chromatography. The GST fusion protein was removed by thrombin digestion and further purification steps. Using this method, (15)N-labeled and (13)C/(15)N-double-labeled L3[86] proteins were prepared to enable a full determination of structure and dynamics using heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy. To obtain evidence of binding activity to the distal BRCT of the repair protein XRCC1 (X1BRCTb), as well as to provide insight into the interaction between these two BRCT binding partners, the corresponding BRCT heterocomplexes were also prepared and studied. Changes in the secondary structures (amount of helix and sheet components) of the two constituents were not observed upon complex formation. However, the melting temperature of the complex was significantly higher relative to the values obtained for the L3[86] or X1BRCTb proteins alone. This increased thermostability imparted by the interaction between the two BRCT domains may explain why cells require XRCC1 to maintain ligase IIIalpha activity., (Copyright 2001 Academic Press.)

Two porous orbital implants available for clinical use in the anophthalmic socket are hydroxyapatite (HA) and porous polyethylene (PP). We examined the rate and the extent of fibrovascular ingrowth into these implants using histopathologic criteria in a rabbit model. Thirty-two New Zealand white rabbits underwent a unilateral enucleation with placement of a 14-mm spherical orbital implant. Twelve rabbits received HA, 12 small-pore PP, and 8 large-pore PP. The implants inserted were wrapped either in autologous sclera with and without anterior fenestrations or as unwrapped spheres. The implants were harvested at 6 and 12 weeks. The extent of fibrovascular ingrowth was assessed by determining the percentage of the cross-sectional area penetrated by fibrovascular tissue. On gross inspection, 12 implants (37.5%) were found to be exposed at harvesting; however, only two were grossly infected. The highest rate of exposure was found among the unwrapped implants. Wrapped versus unwrapped and fenestrated versus unfenestrated implants did not result in significant differences in the extent of vascularization. Hydroxyapatite implants were vascularized most rapidly. The small-pore PP implants did not become fully vascularized during the study, and yet complete vascularization was found in the large-pore PP at 12 weeks. The most intense areas of microscopic fibrovascular ingrowth were in the region where the extraocular muscles were in direct contact with the implant and at the posterior opening. Exposure of the implant was accompanied by chronic and acute inflammation. Both HA and large-pore PP spherical implants are capable of complete vascularization in this animal model.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)