Family -- Dicistroviridae

This chapter focuses on Dicistroviridae family whose two member genera are Cripavirus and Aparavirus. The virions are roughly spherical with a particle diameter of approximately 30 nm and have no envelope. The virions exhibit icosahedral, pseudo T = 3 symmetry and are composed of 60 protomers, each composed of a single molecule of each of VP2, VP3, and VP1. A smaller protein VP4 is also present in the virions of some members and is located on the internal surface of the 5-fold axis below VP1. The virions are stable in acidic conditions and have sedimentation coefficients of between 153 and 167S. They contain a single molecule of infectious, linear, positive sense, single stranded RNA (ssRNA) of approximately 8500–10,000 nt in size with a GC content ranging from 35 to 45%. RNA constitutes about 30% of the virion weight and the proteins account for 70% of the virion weight. The approximately 200 kDa nonstructural polyprotein and 100 kDa structural polyprotein are encoded by ORF 1 and ORF 2, respectively. The virions contain three major structural (capsid) viral proteins, VP1, VP2, and VP3 and the size of these capsid proteins ranges from 24 to 40 kDa. The RNA genome is monopartite and dicistronic with two nonoverlapping ORFs that are separated and flanked by UTRs. All members of the family infect invertebrates and most members of the family are widely distributed in nature. Dicistrovirus infection is not usually associated with overt disease, although infection commonly leads to reduced life expectancy

Linguistics

Contains reports on seven research projects.National Science Foundation (Grant G-16526)National Institutes of Health (Grant MH-04737-02)United States Air Force, Electronic Systems Division (Contract AF19(628)-2487

Linguistics

Contains reports on seven research projects.National Science Foundation (Grant G-16526)National Institutes of Health (Grant MH-04737-03)U. S. Air Force (Electronics Systems Division) under Contract AF19(628)-248

Fear of Failure in High School Band Sight Reading: Effects on Student and Teacher Experiences

Students\u27 fear of failure among social, cultural, experiential, and internal pressures influence sight-reading abilities in the high school band classroom. Investigating the error culture in band sight-reading skills can affect the learning and teaching methods found in current practice, emphasizing the need to understand the experiences of both students and teachers. Band teachers may refine their teaching and learning methods to address student fears while enhancing sight- reading skills implied throughout the study. Although copious research exists on high school sight-reading methodology and rehearsal strategies to help music educators provide an all- encompassing musical experience, students may need help applying the concepts amidst their fear of failure. This failure may inhibit their desire to participate in the educational, social, and intellectual risks required during sight-reading. In addition, the creative musical environment of the band can produce a fear of failure among players if teachers and students need more understanding of error responses. Finally, social pressures, high-stakes testing, and pre-existing conceptions of failure may lead students to avoid situations where they appear physically, socially, or emotionally imperfect. This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study explored the fear of failure culture in high school bands utilizing interviews and observations. Empowering students to take advantage of all the benefits of confident sight-reading, regardless of mistakes, suggested that teachers anticipate future classroom tactics and approaches, resulting in a more successful musical experience

Computational chemical analysis of unconjugated bilirubin anions and insights into pKa values clarification

The pKa, the negative logarithm of the acid dissociation equilibrium constant, of the carboxylic acid groups of unconjugated bilirubin in water is a discussed issue because there are quite different experimental values reported. Using quantum mechanical calculations we have studied the conformational behavior of unconjugated bilirubin species (in gas phase and in solution modeled implicitly and explicitly) to provide evidence that may clarify pKa values because of its pathophysiological relevance. Our results show that rotation of carboxylate group, which is not restricted, settles it in a suitable place to establish stronger interactions that stabilizes the monoanion and the dianion to be properly solvated, demonstrating that the rationalization used to justify the high pKa values of unconjugated bilirubin is inappropriate. Furthermore, low unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) pKa values were estimated from a linear regression analysis.Fil: Vega Hissi, Esteban Gabriel. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Quimica, Bioquimica y Farmacia. Departamento de Quimica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Estrada, Mario Rinaldo. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Quimica, Bioquimica y Farmacia. Departamento de Quimica; ArgentinaFil: Lavecchia, Martín José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico La Plata. Centro de Química Inorgánica; ArgentinaFil: Pis Diez, Reinaldo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico La Plata. Centro de Química Inorgánica; Argentin

Downbeat Nystagmus in a 7-Year-Old Girl with Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Meningitis and Cerebellitis

Downbeat nystagmus is a type of jerk nystagmus that may be seen in patients with lesions affecting the vestibulocerebellum. This is a case of a 7-year-old girl presenting with a history of fever, headache, and episodic vertigo with downbeat nystagmus. The diagnosis of Epstein-Barr virus meningitis with acute cerebellitis was made by contrast magnetic resonance imaging, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and serum Epstein-Barr virus titers. Contrast magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated enhancement of the meninges and inferior cerebellar folia, correlating with the neuroophthalmological symptom of downbeat nystagmus

Lunar science: The Apollo Legacy

A general review of lunar science is presented, utilizing two themes: a summary of fundamental problems relating to the composition, structure, and history of the moon and a discussion of some surprising, unanticipated results obtained from Apollo lunar science. (1) The moon has a crust of approximately 60-km thickness, probably composed of feldspar-rich rocks. Such rocks are exposed at the surface in the light-colored lunar highlands. Many highlands rocks are complex impact breccias, perhaps produced by large basin-forming impacts. Most highlands rocks have ages of ∼3.9 × 10^9 yr; the record of igneous activity at older times is obscured by the intense bombardment. The impact rate decreased sharply at 3.8–3.9 × 10^9 yr ago. The impact basins were filled by flows of Fe- and, locally, Ti-rich volcanic rocks creating the dark mare regions and providing the strong visual color contrast of the moon, as viewed from earth. Crustal formation has produced enrichments in many elements, e.g., Ba, Sr, rare earths, and U, analogous to terrestrial crustal rocks. Compared with these elements, relatively volatile elements like Na, K, Rb, and Pb are highly depleted in the source regions for lunar surface rocks. These source regions were also separated from a metal phase, probably before being incorporated into the moon. The physical properties of the lunar mantle are compatible with mixtures of olvine and pyroxene, although Ca- and Al-rich compositions cannot be ruled out. Deeper regions, below ∼1000 km, are probably partially molten. (2) Lunar rocks cooled in the presence of a magnetic field very much stronger than the one that exists today, owing either to dynamo action in an ancient molten core or to an external magnetization of the moon. Lunar soil properties cannot be explained strictly by broken-up local rocks. Distant impacts throw in exotic material from other parts of the moon. About 1% of the soil appears to be of meteoritic origin. Vertical mixing by impacts is important; essentially all material sampled from lunar cores shows evidence of surface residence. The surface layers of lunar material exposed to space contain a chemical record of implanted solar material (rare gases, H) and constituents of a lunar atmosphere (^(40)Ar, Pb). Large isotopic fractionation effects for O, Si, S, and K are present. Physical properties of the surface layers are dominated by radiation damage effects. Lunar rocks have impact craters (≤1 cm) produced by microgram-sized interplanetary particles. The contemporary micrometeorite flux may be much higher than is indicated by the microcrater densities, indicating time variations in the flux. Particle track studies on the returned Surveyor camera filter first showed that the Fe nuclei were preferentially enhanced in solar flares

Comprehensive Evaluation of Treatment and Outcomes of Low-Grade Diffuse Gliomas

Background Low-grade gliomas affect younger adults and carry a favorable prognosis. They include a variety of biological features affecting clinical behavior and treatment. Having no guidelines on treatment established, we aim to describe clinical and treatment patterns of low-grade gliomas across the largest cancer database in the United States. Methods We analyzed the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2015, for adult patients with a diagnosis of World Health Organization grade II diffuse glioma. Results We analyzed 13,621 cases with median age of 41 years. Over 56% were male, 88.4% were white, 6.1% were black, and 7.6% Hispanic. The most common primary site location was the cerebrum (79.9%). Overall, 72.2% received surgery, 36.0% radiation, and 27.3% chemotherapy. Treatment combinations included surgery only (41.5%), chemotherapy + surgery (6.6%), chemotherapy only (3.1%), radiation + chemotherapy + surgery (10.7%), radiation + surgery (11.5%), radiation only (6.1%), and radiotherapy + chemotherapy (6.7%). Radiation was more common in treatment of elderly patients, 1p/19q co-deletion (37.3% versus 24.3%, p \u3c 0.01), and tumors with midline location. Median survival was 11 years with younger age, 1p/19q co-deletion, and cerebrum location offered survival advantage. Conclusions Tumor location, 1p/19q co-deletion, and age were the main determinants of treatment received and survival, likely reflecting tumor biology differences. Any form of treatment was preferred over watchful waiting in the majority of the patients (86.1% versus 8.1%). Survival of low-grade gliomas is higher than previously reported in the majority of clinical trials and population-based analyses. Our analysis provides a real world estimation of treatment decisions, use of molecular data, and outcomes