Open source bioimage informatics for cell biology

Significant technical advances in imaging, molecular biology and genomics have fueled a revolution in cell biology, in that the molecular and structural processes of the cell are now visualized and measured routinely. Driving much of this recent development has been the advent of computational tools for the acquisition, visualization, analysis and dissemination of these datasets. These tools collectively make up a new subfield of computational biology called bioimage informatics, which is facilitated by open source approaches. We discuss why open source tools for image informatics in cell biology are needed, some of the key general attributes of what make an open source imaging application successful, and point to opportunities for further operability that should greatly accelerate future cell biology discovery

An invisible wall : the relationships between congregational and seminary libraries in the United States

Theological (seminary) and congregational libraries in the Christian and Jewish religious traditions have coexisted in some fashion since their beginnings; however, little research exists regarding the relationship between these related-but-distinct library types. This essay explores the relationship between these types of libraries through a survey of their literatures and available statistics, considering their histories and contexts within the broader religious and library worlds, as well as their current relationship in light of their diverse religious institutions. The roles of these libraries will be examined regarding religious, theological, and information literacies as well as exploring their staffs, their staff's education, funding, library hours, their goals, objectives, and outcomes, particularly regarding the changing landscape of religious and theological education for both clergy and laypeople. It concludes with future possibilities in the religious library world in a congregational landscape that often cannot afford full-time, traditionally-theologically-educated clergy, much less paid congregational librarians

Zotero for Faith Communities: Encouraging Faith Thinking and Sharing Through an Information Management Tool

Zotero, known as a research tool for students, faculty, and other scholars, has tremendous potential for use in faith communities as a place to store and share nearly any type of digital information encountered in congregational life. This presentation opens with a basic overview of available research managers. It continues with the use of Zotero at Liberation Christian Church, and covers the benefits (including a more fully-integrated intellectual presence in the congregation’s faith life) and potential issues (such as copyright concerns) of using Zotero within faith communities. It concludes with the marketing and educational efforts involved in generating the interest and skills that congregational leadership and members must have in order to obtain full benefits from the use of this resource

ECRG4 regulates neutrophil recruitment and CD44 expression during the inflammatory response to injury.

The complex molecular microenvironment of the wound bed regulates the duration and degree of inflammation in the wound repair process, while its dysregulation leads to impaired healing. Understanding factors controlling this response provides therapeutic targets for inflammatory disease. Esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4) is a candidate chemokine that is highly expressed on leukocytes. We used ECRG4 knockout (KO) mice to establish that the absence of ECRG4 leads to defective neutrophil recruitment with a delay in wound healing. An in vitro human promyelocyte model identified an ECRG4-mediated suppression of the hyaluronic acid receptor, CD44, a key receptor mediating inflammation resolution. In ECRG4 KO mouse leukocytes, there was an increase in CD44 expression, consistent with a model in which ECRG4 negatively regulates CD44 levels. Therefore, we propose a previously unidentified mechanism in which ECRG4 regulates early neutrophil recruitment and subsequent CD44-mediated resolution of inflammation

Uniquely human CHRFAM7A gene increases the hematopoietic stem cell reservoir in mice and amplifies their inflammatory response.

A subset of genes in the human genome are uniquely human and not found in other species. One example is CHRFAM7A, a dominant-negative inhibitor of the antiinflammatory α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR/CHRNA7) that is also a neurotransmitter receptor linked to cognitive function, mental health, and neurodegenerative disease. Here we show that CHRFAM7A blocks ligand binding to both mouse and human α7nAChR, and hypothesized that CHRFAM7A-transgenic mice would allow us to study its biological significance in a tractable animal model of human inflammatory disease, namely SIRS, the systemic inflammatory response syndrome that accompanies severe injury and sepsis. We found that CHRFAM7A increased the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) reservoir in bone marrow and biased HSC differentiation to the monocyte lineage in vitro. We also observed that while the HSC reservoir was depleted in SIRS, HSCs were spared in CHRFAM7A-transgenic mice and that these mice also had increased immune cell mobilization, myeloid cell differentiation, and a shift to inflammatory monocytes from granulocytes in their inflamed lungs. Together, the findings point to a pathophysiological inflammatory consequence to the emergence of CHRFAM7A in the human genome. To this end, it is interesting to speculate that human genes like CHRFAM7A can account for discrepancies between the effectiveness of drugs like α7nAChR agonists in animal models and human clinical trials for inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease. The findings also support the hypothesis that uniquely human genes may be contributing to underrecognized human-specific differences in resiliency/susceptibility to complications of injury, infection, and inflammation, not to mention the onset of neurodegenerative disease