Reducing Single-Use Plastic In Chicago\u27s Edgewater Neighborhood

Plastics are harmful to the environment due to its inability to biodegrade, turning into microplastics instead. Single use plastics, while convenient, can lead to long term environmental damage. Working with the Edgewater Environmental Coalition, we went to 10 different restaurants around Edgewater. We advocated for the removal of single use plastics from their operations and to find alternatives to replace them. We learned that the restaurants were open to change or already implementing eco-friendly alternatives, such as compostable containers and utensils for takeout. This indicates that the Edgewater community is willing to take part in initiatives concerning the environment

Social determinants of student-athletes’ well-being

This article reveals the specifics, content, and results of theoretical analysis and synthesis of data on identifying social determinants of student-athletes’ well-being.В данной статье раскрываются специфика, содержание и результаты теоретического анализа и синтеза данных по выявлению социальных детерминант благополучия студентов-спортсменов

The RATAN-600 multi-frequency catalogue of blazars -- BLcat

In this paper we present the RATAN-600 multi-frequency catalogue of blazars, an updated version of the BLcat: the RATAN-600 multi-frequency catalogue of BL Lacertae objects. The main novelty in the catalogue is an extension of the sample with flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs), thus currently it contains more than 1700 blazars of different types. The main feature of the BLcat is a compilation of radio continuum data for blazars based on the RATAN-600 quasi-simultaneous measurements at frequencies of 1.1, 2.3, 4.7, 7.7/8.2, 11.2, and 21.7/22.3 GHz. We additionally supplement the catalogue with the radio data from external sources to provide an opportunity to more complete study of radio spectra and radio light curves. For the convenience of users, we developed tools to calculate the spectral index, variability index, and radio luminosity. We briefly describe basic radio properties of blazar subsamples of the catalogue: spectral classification, spectral indices, flux density variability, and radio luminosity.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure

The terrain of health policy analysis in low and middle income countries: a review of published literature 1994–2007

This article provides the first ever review of literature analysing the health policy processes of low and middle income countries (LMICs). Based on a systematic search of published literature using two leading international databases, the article maps the terrain of work published between 1994 and 2007, in terms of policy topics, lines of inquiry and geographical base, as well as critically evaluating its strengths and weaknesses. The overall objective of the review is to provide a platform for the further development of this field of work

The crystal structures of macrophage migration inhibitory factor from Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium berghei

Malaria, caused by Plasmodium falciparum and related parasites, is responsible for millions of deaths each year, mainly from complications arising from the blood stages of its life cycle. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a protein expressed by the parasite during these stages, has been characterized in mammals as a cytokine involved in a broad spectrum of immune responses. It also possesses two catalytic activities, a tautomerase and an oxidoreductase, though the physiological significance of neither reaction is known. Here, we have determined the crystal structure of MIF from two malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium berghei at 2.2 Å and 1.8 Å, respectively. The structures have an α/β fold and each reveals a trimer, in agreement with the results of analytical ultracentrifugation. We observed open and closed active sites, these being distinguished by movements of proline-1, the catalytic base in the tautomerase reaction. These states correlate with the covalent modification of cysteine 2 to form a mercaptoethanol adduct, an observation confirmed by mass spectrometry. The Plasmodium MIFs have a different pattern of conserved cysteine residues to the mammalian MIFs and the side chain of Cys58, which is implicated in the oxidoreductase activity, is buried. This observation and the evident redox reactivity of Cys2 suggest quite different oxidoreductase characteristics. Finally, we show in pull-down assays that Plasmodium MIF binds to the cell surface receptor CD74, a known mammalian MIF receptor implying that parasite MIF has the ability to interfere with, or modulate, host MIF activity through a competitive binding mechanism

Recording Biological Information with CRISPR–Cas Systems

Biological systems—in all their diverse forms, ranging from macromolecules to multicellular organisms—are highly complex and dynamic. Recent advances in genome editing, coupled with substantial reductions in DNA sequencing and synthesis costs, have opened new opportunities for harnessing this potential of DNA as an information storage system for biological applications. This chapter reviews the development and existing applications of CRISPR-Cas systems for DNA writing and discuss features and current limitations of these technologies for recording biological information in living cells. Molecular recording can be classified into digital and analog based on the encoding regime. CRISPR spacer acquisition evolved in bacteria and archaea as a natural mechanism to capture molecular records of genetic encounters and horizontal gene transfer events in the form of spacers stored within CRISPR arrays

Recording transcriptional histories using Record-seq

ISSN:1750-2799ISSN:1745-2481ISSN:1754-218

Transcriptional recording by CRISPR spacer acquisition from RNA

ISSN:0028-0836ISSN:1476-468