Plant microfossil analysis of middle woodland food residues, northern Minnesota

Northern Minnesota lies within the southern edge of the Boreal Forest and, as a result, archaeological sites in this region typically have poor organic preservation and thin, disturbed, stratigraphy. For this reason, little is known about specific plant foods and their importance at many sites. In order to fill this gap, my research focuses on the extraction of plant microfossils (starch, phytoliths and pollen) from carbonized and non- carbonized food residues associated with Middle Woodland (100 BC – AD 500) components. My results show that wild rice was widely consumed during this time along with cultigens such as maize. No additional evidence suggested farming, so there is a possibility of trade with periphery groups to acquire the cultigens recovered from the microfossil analysis. These results demonstrate the importance of plant microfossil studies as a tool for identifying subtle evidence of wild and domesticated plants in regions characterized by poor organic preservation, small seasonally-occupied sites and other fundamental limitations. The mixed economic strategy apparent in some Northern Minnesota sites re-defines a diet of native and domesticated cultigens, which can be applied to the wider archaeobotanical literature of northeastern North America

Structure, function and mechanism of N-glycan processing enzymes : endo-α-1,2-mannanase and endo-α-1,2-mannosidase

While most glycosidases that act on N-linked glycans remove a single sugar residue at a time, endo-α-1,2-mannosidases and endo-α-1,2-mannanases of glycoside hydrolase family GH99 cut within a chain and remove two or more sugar residues. They are stereochemically retaining enzymes that use an enzymatic mechanism involving an epoxide intermediate. Human endo-α-1,2-mannosidase (MANEA) trims glucosylated mannose residues; the endomannosidase pathway provides a glucosidase-independent pathway for glycoprotein maturation. Cell-active MANEA inhibitors alter N-glycan processing and reduce infectivity of dengue virus, demonstrating that MANEA has potential as a host-directed antiviral target. Sequence-related enzymes from gut Bacteroides spp. exhibit endo-α-1,2-mannosidase activity and are a fruitful test bed for structure-guided inhibitor development. The genes encoding the Bacteroides spp. enzymes sit within polysaccharide utilization loci and are preferential endo-α-1,2-mannanases

Long-Term Outcomes After Atrial Switch Operation for Transposition of the Great Arteries

Background: For patients with d-loop transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA) with a systemic right ventricle after an atrial switch operation, there is a need to identify risks for end-stage heart failure outcomes. Objectives: The authors aimed to determine factors associated with survival in a large cohort of such individuals. Methods: This multicenter, retrospective cohort study included adults with d-TGA and prior atrial switch surgery seen at a congenital heart center. Clinical data from initial and most recent visits were obtained. The composite primary outcome was death, transplantation, or mechanical circulatory support (MCS). Results: From 1,168 patients (38% female, age at first visit 29 ± 7.2 years) during a median 9.2 years of follow-up, 91 (8.8% per 10 person-years) met the outcome (66 deaths, 19 transplantations, 6 MCS). Patients experiencing sudden/arrhythmic death were younger than those dying of other causes (32.6 ± 6.4 years vs 42.4 ± 6.8 years; P 120 ms, and severe right ventricle dysfunction based on echocardiography. Conclusions: For most adults with d-TGA after atrial switch, progress to end-stage heart failure or death is slow. A simplified prediction score for 5-year adverse outcome is derived to help identify those at greatest risk

Long-Term Outcomes After Atrial Switch Operation for Transposition of the Great Arteries

Background: For patients with d-loop transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA) with a systemic right ventricle after an atrial switch operation, there is a need to identify risks for end-stage heart failure outcomes. Objectives: The authors aimed to determine factors associated with survival in a large cohort of such individuals. Methods: This multicenter, retrospective cohort study included adults with d-TGA and prior atrial switch surgery seen at a congenital heart center. Clinical data from initial and most recent visits were obtained. The composite primary outcome was death, transplantation, or mechanical circulatory support (MCS). Results: From 1,168 patients (38% female, age at first visit 29 ± 7.2 years) during a median 9.2 years of follow-up, 91 (8.8% per 10 person-years) met the outcome (66 deaths, 19 transplantations, 6 MCS). Patients experiencing sudden/arrhythmic death were younger than those dying of other causes (32.6 ± 6.4 years vs 42.4 ± 6.8 years; P 120 ms, and severe right ventricle dysfunction based on echocardiography. Conclusions: For most adults with d-TGA after atrial switch, progress to end-stage heart failure or death is slow. A simplified prediction score for 5-year adverse outcome is derived to help identify those at greatest risk

Long-Term Outcomes After Atrial Switch Operation for Transposition of the Great Arteries.

BACKGROUND: For patients with d-loop transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA) with a systemic right ventricle after an atrial switch operation, there is a need to identify risks for end-stage heart failure outcomes. OBJECTIVES: The authors aimed to determine factors associated with survival in a large cohort of such individuals. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective cohort study included adults with d-TGA and prior atrial switch surgery seen at a congenital heart center. Clinical data from initial and most recent visits were obtained. The composite primary outcome was death, transplantation, or mechanical circulatory support (MCS). RESULTS: From 1,168 patients (38% female, age at first visit 29 ± 7.2 years) during a median 9.2 years of follow-up, 91 (8.8% per 10 person-years) met the outcome (66 deaths, 19 transplantations, 6 MCS). Patients experiencing sudden/arrhythmic death were younger than those dying of other causes (32.6 ± 6.4 years vs 42.4 ± 6.8 years; P \u3c 0.001). There was a long duration between sentinel clinical events and end-stage heart failure. Age, atrial arrhythmia, pacemaker, biventricular enlargement, systolic dysfunction, and tricuspid regurgitation were all associated with the primary outcome. Independent 5-year predictors of primary outcome were prior ventricular arrhythmia, heart failure admission, complex anatomy, QRS duration \u3e120 ms, and severe right ventricle dysfunction based on echocardiography. CONCLUSIONS: For most adults with d-TGA after atrial switch, progress to end-stage heart failure or death is slow. A simplified prediction score for 5-year adverse outcome is derived to help identify those at greatest risk