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•Non-technical skill uses of immersive virtual reality in surgical education encompass applications that inform clinical decision making and anatomy/preoperative planning.•The mean Medical Education Research Quality Instrument (MERSQI) score of studies utilizing immersive virtual reality applications for surgical education was 10.3 ± 2.3 (max 18).•A wide variety of head mounted display technologies were utilized in immersive virtual reality studies, with the Oculus Rift being the most common.•Most immersive virtual reality studies utilized non-commercial software.

CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBPs) are a family of transcription factors that regulate cell growth and differentiation in numerous cell types. To identify novel C/EBP-target genes, we performed transcriptional profiling using inducible NIH 3T3 cell lines expressing 1 of 4 members of the C/EBP family. Functional analysis revealed a previously unknown link between C/EBP proteins and circadian clock genes. Our microarray data showed that the expression levels of 2 core components of the circadian network, Per2 and Rev-Erbα, were significantly altered by C/EBPs. Recent studies suggested that Per2 behaves as a tumor suppressor gene in mice. Therefore, we focused our additional studies on Per2. We showed that Per2 expression is up-regulated by C/EBPα and C/EBPϵ. Per2 levels were reduced in lymphoma cell lines and in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient samples. In addition, we generated stable K562 cells that expressed an inducible Per2gene. Induction of Per2 expression resulted in growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and loss of clonogenic ability. These results suggest that Per2 is a downstream C/EBPα-target gene involved in AML, and its disruption might be involved in initiation and/or progression of AML. (Blood. 2005; 106:2827-2836)

A genetic linkage map was constructed for watermelon using 117 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) (F2S7) descended from a cross between the high quality inbred line 97103 [Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] and the Fusarium wilt (races 0, 1, and 2) resistant U.S. Plant Introduction (PI) 296341 (C. lanatus var. citroides). The linkage map contains 87 randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers, 13 inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers, and four sequenced characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers. The map consists of 15 linkage groups. Among them are a large linkage group of 31 markers covering a mapping distance of 277.5 cM, six groups each with 4 to 12 markers covering a mapping distance of 51.7 to 172.2 cM, and eight small groups each with 2-5 markers covering a mapping distance of 7.9 to 46.4 cM. The map covers a total distance of 1027.5 cM with an average distance of 11.7 cM between two markers. The map is useful for the further development of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting fruit qualities and for identification of genes conferring resistance to Fusarium wilt (races 0, 1 and 2). The present map can be used for further construction of a reference linkage map for watermelon based on an immortalized mapping population with progenies homozygous for most gene loci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]