Novel antiinflammatory biologics shaped by parasite-host coevolution

Parasitic helminth infections, while a major cause of neglected tropical disease burden, negatively correlate with the incidence of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). To evade expulsion, helminths have developed sophisticated mechanisms to regulate their host\u27s immune responses. Controlled experimental human helminth infections have been assessed clinically for treating inflammatory conditions; however, such a radical therapeutic modality has challenges. An alternative approach is to harness the immunomodulatory properties within the worm\u27s excretory-secretory (ES) complement, its secretome. Here, we report a biologics discovery and validation pipeline to generate and screen in vivo a recombinant cell-free secretome library of helminth-derived immunomodulatory proteins. We successfully expressed 78 recombinant ES proteins from gastrointestinal hookworms and screened the crude in vitro translation reactions for anti-IBD properties in a mouse model of acute colitis. After statistical filtering and ranking, 20 proteins conferred significant protection against various parameters of colitis. Lead candidates from distinct protein families, including annexins, transthyretins, nematode-specific retinol-binding proteins, and SCP/TAPS were identified. Representative proteins were produced in mammalian cells and further validated, including ex vivo suppression of inflammatory cytokine secretion by T cells from IBD patient colon biopsies. Proteins identified herein offer promise as novel, safe, and mechanistically differentiated biologics for treating the globally increasing burden of inflammatory diseases

Single-cell epigenomics reveals mechanisms of human cortical development

During mammalian development, differences in chromatin state coincide with cellular differentiation and reflect changes in the gene regulatory landscap

Experimental magic state distillation for fault-tolerant quantum computing

Any physical quantum device for quantum information processing is subject to errors in implementation. In order to be reliable and efficient, quantum computers will need error correcting or error avoiding methods. Fault-tolerance achieved through quantum error correction will be an integral part of quantum computers. Of the many methods that have been discovered to implement it, a highly successful approach has been to use transversal gates and specific initial states. A critical element for its implementation is the availability of high-fidelity initial states such as |0> and the Magic State. Here we report an experiment, performed in a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) quantum processor, showing sufficient quantum control to improve the fidelity of imperfect initial magic states by distilling five of them into one with higher fidelity

National Standard Eight and processing labor : an assessment of processors in the Mid-Atlantic region

In this report, we provide a broad overview of the processing sector in the Mid-Atlantic region, which we defined as those firms engaged in processing and conducting business in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. Delaware also is in the region, but the data on processing activities in Delaware were inadequate, and thus, processing activities in Delaware were not included in this study. The objective of this study was to obtain information about processing labor dependency on fisheries subject to federal fishery management plans (FMPs); assess how changes in fishery regulations might affect labor; determine product levels and sources of raw materials required for processing fish and shellfish products; assess the distribution of sales by geographic region and market level; determine the level of employment and types of jobs in processing; assess the distribution of labor by gender, job or occupation, race, and national origin; determine the dependency of processing plants on H2B workers; assess how other types of regulations (e.g., land-use policies, environmental, and OSHA) may have affected processing activities; and assess the potential future plans of processors

Factors associated with humeral avulsion of glenohumeral ligament lesions in patients with anterior shoulder instability: An analysis of the MOON shoulder instability cohort

BACKGROUND: Humeral avulsion of the glenohumeral ligament (HAGL) lesions are an uncommon cause of anterior glenohumeral instability and may occur in isolation or combination with other pathologies. As HAGL lesions are difficult to detect via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and arthroscopy, they can remain unrecognized and result in continued glenohumeral instability. PURPOSE: To compare patients with anterior shoulder instability from a large multicenter cohort with and without a diagnosis of a HAGL lesion and identify preoperative physical examination findings, patient-reported outcomes, imaging findings, and surgical management trends associated with HAGL lesions. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: Patients with anterior glenohumeral instability who underwent surgical management between 2012 and 2020 at 11 orthopaedic centers were enrolled. Patients with HAGL lesions identified intraoperatively were compared with patients without HAGL lesions. Preoperative characteristics, physical examinations, imaging findings, intraoperative findings, and surgical procedures were collected. The Student RESULTS: A total of 21 HAGL lesions were identified in 915 (2.3%) patients; approximately one-third (28.6%) of all lesions were visualized intraoperatively but not identified on preoperative MRI. Baseline characteristics did not differ between study cohorts. Compared with non-HAGL patients, HAGL patients were less likely to have a Hill-Sachs lesion (54.7% vs 28.6%; CONCLUSION: Approximately one-third of HAGL lesions were missed on preoperative MRI. HAGL patients were less likely to exhibit preoperative imaging findings associated with anterior shoulder instability, such as Hill-Sachs lesions or anterior labral pathology. These patients underwent open procedures more frequently than patients without HAGL lesions

BYU Rocketry: 2018 IREC & Spaceport America Cup

BYU Rocketry will compete in the 2018 Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition at the 2nd Annual Spaceport America Cup in Las Cruces, NM by building an 8 foot High Power rocket to send an 8.8 lb. CubeSat payload 10,000 ft. above ground level. Over 100 collegiate teams from around the world will compete