Addendum: "The Dynamics of M15: Observations of the Velocity Dispersion Profile and Fokker-Planck Models" (ApJ, 481, 267 [1997])

It has recently come to our attention that there are axis scale errors in three of the figures of Dull et al. (1997, hereafter D97). D97 presented Fokker-Planck models for the collapsed-core globular cluster M15 that include a dense, centrally concentrated population of neutron stars and massive white dwarfs, but do not include a central black hole. In this Addendum, we present corrected versions of Figures 9, 10, and 12, and an expanded version of Figure 6. This latter figure, which shows the full run of the velocity dispersion profile, indicates that the D97 model predictions are in good agreement with the moderately rising HST-STIS velocity dispersion profile for M15 reported by Gerssen et al. (2002, astro-ph/0209315). Thus, a central black hole is not required to fit the new STIS velocity measurements, provided that there is a sufficient population of neutron stars and massive white dwarfs. This conclusion is consistent with the findings of Gerssen et al. (2002, astro-ph/0210158), based on a reapplication of their Jeans equation analysis using the corrected mass-to-light profile (Figure 12) for the D97 models.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Ap

Transgenic expression of human glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (hGDNF) from integration-deficient lentiviral vectors is neuroprotective in a rodent model of Parkinson's disease

Standard integration-proficient lentiviral vectors (IPLVs) are effective at much lower doses than other vector systems and have shown promise for gene therapy of Parkinson's disease (PD). Their main drawback is the risk of insertional mutagenesis. The novel biosafety-enhanced integration-deficient lentiviral vectors (IDLVs) may offer a significant enhancement in biosafety, but have not been previously tested in a model of a major disease. We have assessed biosafety and transduction efficiency of IDLVs in a rat model of PD, using IPLVs as a reference. Genomic insertion of lentivectors injected into the lesioned striatum was studied by linear amplification-mediated polymerase chain reaction (PCR), followed by deep sequencing and insertion site analysis, demonstrating lack of significant IDLV integration. Reporter gene expression studies showed efficient, long-lived, and transcriptionally targeted expression from IDLVs injected ahead of lesioning in the rat striatum, although at somewhat lower expression levels than from IPLVs. Transgenic human glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (hGDNF) expression from IDLVs was used for a long-term investigation of lentivector-mediated, transcriptionally targeted neuroprotection in this PD rat model. Vectors were injected before striatal lesioning, and the results showed improvements in nigral dopaminergic neuron survival and behavioral tests regardless of lentiviral integration proficiency, although they confirmed lower expression levels of hGDNF from IDLVs. These data demonstrate the effectiveness of IDLVs in a model of a major disease and indicate that these vectors could provide long-term PD treatment at low dose, combining efficacy and biosafety for targeted central nervous system applications

An overview of the Michigan Positron Microscope Program

An overview of the Michigan Positron Microscope Program is presented with particular emphasis on the second generation microscope that is presently near completion. The design and intended applications of this microscope will be summarized.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87602/2/391_1.pd

The effects of transport of 18-day old hatching eggs on physiology and behaviour of slow growing broiler chicken

Incubation and hatching commonly takes places at hatcheries, separate from the grow-out facilities where broiler chicks are raised. This means that chicks are sorted and transported immediately after hatch, during which time they typically do not have access to feed and water, and are subjected to transport stress. Recently, innovative housing systems are being developed in which fertilised eggs are transported on embryonic day 18 (E18) from the hatchery to the grow-out facility, where they hatch on day 21. In chicken, the hypothalamic– pituitary–adrenal (HPA)-axis becomes functional around embryonic day 14–16. It is therefore conceivable that transport of eggs at E18 may lead to a stress response in the chick embryo. Exposure to prenatal stress may affect the coping capacity of the individual and negatively impact its further development. We investigated whether prolonged transport on E18 has effects on the development of a slow growing broiler chicken strain (Hubbard JA257). E18 eggs were transported for either 41 min (short transport, ST) or 219 min (long transport, LT). Transportation significantly increased embryonic heart rate after ST. This increase continued during an intermediate measure at 120 min. The increased embryonic HR then remained high at measurement immediately following LT. We did not find effects of prolonged transport on behavioural parameters measured in the juvenile chicken in the tonic immobility and open field test. Concentrations of feather corticosterone as well as faecal corticosterone metabolites did not differ on postnatal day 36. We showed that transport leads to an autonomic stress response in chicken embryos at E18, but that this elevation had no further effects on other indicators of prenatal stress. Nevertheless, our results emphasise that transport of incubated eggs should be as refined as possible to minimise the exposure to stress

Towards a population-based threshold of protection for COVID-19 vaccines

Correlates of protection for COVID-19 vaccines are urgently needed to license additional vaccines. We measured immune responses to four COVID-19 vaccines of proven efficacy using a single serological platform. IgG anti-Spike antibodies were highly correlated with ID50 neutralization in a validated pseudoviral assay and correlated significantly with efficacies for protection against infection with wild-type, alpha and delta variant SARS-CoV-2 virus. The protective threshold for each vaccine was calculated for IgG anti-Spike antibody. The mean protective threshold for all vaccine studies for WT virus was 154 BAU/ml (95 %CI 42–559), and for studies with antibody distributions that enabled precise estimation of thresholds (i.e. leaving out 2-dose mRNA regimens) was 60 BAU/ml (95 %CI 35–102). We propose that the proportion of individuals with responses above the appropriate protective threshold together with the geometric mean concentration can be used in comparative non-inferiority studies with licensed vaccines to ensure that new vaccines will be efficacious

A Rapid and Economic In-House DNA Purification Method Using Glass Syringe Filters

Background Purity, yield, speed and cost are important considerations in plasmid purification, but it is difficult to achieve all of these at the same time. Currently, there are many protocols and kits for DNA purification, however none maximize all four considerations. Methodology/Principal Findings We now describe a fast, efficient and economic in-house protocol for plasmid preparation using glass syringe filters. Plasmid yield and quality as determined by enzyme digestion and transfection efficiency were equivalent to the expensive commercial kits. Importantly, the time required for purification was much less than that required using a commercial kit. Conclusions/Significance This method provides DNA yield and quality similar to that obtained with commercial kits, but is more rapid and less costly.This research was supported by Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewe

Measuring gravitational waves from binary black hole coalescences: I. Signal to noise for inspiral, merger, and ringdown

We estimate the expected signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) from the three phases (inspiral,merger,ringdown) of coalescing binary black holes (BBHs) for initial and advanced ground-based interferometers (LIGO/VIRGO) and for space-based interferometers (LISA). LIGO/VIRGO can do moderate SNR (a few tens), moderate accuracy studies of BBH coalescences in the mass range of a few to about 2000 solar masses; LISA can do high SNR (of order 10^4) high accuracy studies in the mass range of about 10^5 to 10^8 solar masses. BBHs might well be the first sources detected by LIGO/VIRGO: they are visible to much larger distances (up to 500 Mpc by initial interferometers) than coalescing neutron star binaries (heretofore regarded as the "bread and butter" workhorse source for LIGO/VIRGO, visible to about 30 Mpc by initial interferometers). Low-mass BBHs (up to 50 solar masses for initial LIGO interferometers; 100 for advanced; 10^6 for LISA) are best searched for via their well-understood inspiral waves; higher mass BBHs must be searched for via their poorly understood merger waves and/or their well-understood ringdown waves. A matched filtering search for massive BBHs based on ringdown waves should be capable of finding BBHs in the mass range of about 100 to 700 solar masses out to 200 Mpc (initial LIGO interferometers), and 200 to 3000 solar masses out to about z=1 (advanced interferometers). The required number of templates is of order 6000 or less. Searches based on merger waves could increase the number of detected massive BBHs by a factor of order 10 or more over those found from inspiral and ringdown waves, without detailed knowledge of the waveform shapes, using a "noise monitoring" search algorithm. A full set of merger templates from numerical relativity could further increase the number of detected BBHs by an additional factor of up to 4.Comment: 40 pages, Revtex, psfig.tex, seven figures, submitted to Phys Rev

Building a circular supply chain:Achieving resilient operations with the circular economy

This paper highlights the fundamental contribution that supply chain professionals can make to the transition to a circular economy. It aims to provide a general understanding of how the circular economy and supply chain management fields are related to one another. By exploring the concept of a circular supply chain, the paper illustrates the role of supply chain professionals in operationalising circular economy initiatives within their organisations, as well as the opportunities and challenges they may encounter along the way. The paper also provides initialrecommendations for and examples of companies overcoming some of these challenges, based on the experiences of supply chain professionals involved in the research

Fsp27 promotes lipid droplet growth by lipid exchange and transfer at lipid droplet contact sites

The lipid droplet–associated protein Fsp27 mediates lipid droplet growth by promoting directional lipid transfer from smaller to larger lipid droplets