Guest Editors\u27 Introduction

In this introduction, the guest editors of this special issue share their call to action in support of Black crossover youth

Agrin isoforms and their role in synaptogenesis

Agrin is thought to mediate the motor neuron-induced aggregation of synaptic proteins on the surface of muscle fibers at neuromuscular junctions. Recent experiments provide direct evidence in support of this hypothesis, reveal the nature of agrin immunoreactivity at sites other than neuromuscular junctions, and have resulted in findings that are consistent with the possibility that agrin plays a role in synaptogenesis throughout the nervous system

Neurogenin2 Expression in Ventral and Dorsal Spinal Neural Tube Progenitor Cells Is Regulated by Distinct Enhancers

AbstractThe basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor Neurogenin2 (NGN2) is expressed in distinct populations of neural progenitor cells within the developing central and peripheral nervous systems. Transgenic mice containing ngn2/lacZ reporter constructs were used to study the regulation of ngn2 in the developing spinal cord. ngn2/lacZ transgenic embryos containing sequence found 5′ or 3′ to the ngn2 coding region express lacZ in domains that reflect the spatial and temporal expression profile of endogenous ngn2. A 4.4-kb fragment 5′ of ngn2 was sufficient to drive lacZ expression in the ventral neural tube, whereas a 1.0-kb fragment located 3′ of ngn2 directed expression to both dorsal and ventral domains. Persistent β-gal activity revealed that the NGN2 progenitor cells in the dorsal domain give rise to a subset of interneurons that send their axons to the floor plate, and the NGN2 progenitors in the ventral domain give rise to a subset of motor neurons. We identified a discrete element that is required for the activity of the ngn2 enhancer specifically in the ventral neural tube. Thus, separable regulatory elements that direct ngn2 expression to distinct neural progenitor populations have been defined

Faculty Forum - Status of Women Faculty at UMaine

Video of faculty forum on the status of women faculty at the University of Maine. The forum was moderated by UMaine’s Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost Jeffrey E. Heckler. The forum featured presentations from UMaine faculty members Sharon Barker, Karen Horton, Amy Blackstone, and Shannon McCoy

Koinonia

Best Practices FeaturesStudents of Concern Committee: Coordinating Care, Connie Horton and Mark Davis Want to Change Student Culture on Your Campus? Do the CORE!, Eric Lowdermilk Spotlight FeaturesYou Only Get 1 Up, Justin Heth and Caleb Farmer The Season, Sharon Virkler Book ReviewsThe Future of Christian Learning: An Evangelical and Catholic Dialogue (by Mark Noll and James Turner), reviewed by Philip D. Byers Restoring Rebecca: A Story of Traumatic Stress, Caregiving and the Unmasking of a Superhero (by Christopher Marchand), reviewed by David M. Johnstone A Review of Culture Making: Recovering our Creative Calling (by Andy Crouch), reviewed by Jeff Rioux Revisiting How Minority Students Experience College: Implications for Planning and Policy (by LKemuel Watson, Melvin Terrell, Doris Wright, Fred Bonner II, Michael Cuyjet, James Gold, Donna Rudy and Dawn Person), reviewed by Joshua Canada Excerpts from Breathe: Finding Freedom to Thrive in Relationships after Childhood Sexual Abuse, Nicole Braddock Bromley ReflectionsMy Journey into Student Affairs, Kim Stave FeaturesThe President\u27s Corner Editor\u27s Deskhttps://pillars.taylor.edu/acsd_koinonia/1079/thumbnail.jp

Integrated Proteomic Analysis of Human Cancer Cells and Plasma from Tumor Bearing Mice for Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Discovery

Background: The complexity of the human plasma proteome represents a substantial challenge for biomarker discovery. Proteomic analysis of genetically engineered mouse models of cancer and isolated cancer cells and cell lines provide alternative methods for identification of potential cancer markers that would be detectable in human blood using sensitive assays. The goal of this work is to evaluate the utility of an integrative strategy using these two approaches for biomarker discovery. Methodology/Principal Findings: We investigated a strategy that combined quantitative plasma proteomics of an ovarian cancer mouse model with analysis of proteins secreted or shed by human ovarian cancer cells. Of 106 plasma proteins identified with increased levels in tumor bearing mice, 58 were also secreted or shed from ovarian cancer cells. The remainder consisted primarily of host-response proteins. Of 25 proteins identified in the study that were assayed, 8 mostly secreted proteins common to mouse plasma and human cancer cells were significantly upregulated in a set of plasmas from ovarian cancer patients. Five of the eight proteins were confirmed to be upregulated in a second independent set of ovarian cancer plasmas, including in early stage disease. Conclusions/Significance: Integrated proteomic analysis of cancer mouse models and human cancer cell populations provides an effective approach to identify potential circulating protein biomarkers

The mitochondrial peptidase, neurolysin, regulates respiratory chain supercomplex formation and is necessary for AML viability

Neurolysin (NLN) is a zinc metallopeptidase whose mitochondrial function is unclear. We found that NLN was overexpressed in almost half of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and inhibition of NLN was selectively cytotoxic to AML cells and stem cells while sparing normal hematopoietic cells. Mechanistically, NLN interacted with the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Genetic and chemical inhibition of NLN impaired oxidative metabolism and disrupted the formation of respiratory chain supercomplexes (RCS). Furthermore, NLN interacted with the known RCS regulator, LETM1, and inhibition of NLN disrupted LETM1 complex formation. RCS were increased in patients with AML and positively correlated with NLN expression. These findings demonstrate that inhibiting RCS formation selectively targets AML cells and stem cells and highlights the therapeutic potential of pharmacologically targeting NLN in AML

The importance of communication and involvementin decision-making: A study in Ireland exploring birthsatisfaction using the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R)

Introduction:Evaluation in healthcare services has become a priority, globally1. The Government of Ireland has highlighted the importance of stakeholder engagement to identify the needs of women in the design and delivery of high-quality health services, driven by necessity rather than financial ability2. The Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R), an internationally validated tool, and recommended for measuring childbirth satisfaction by the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM)3; however, it has yet to be considered in the Irish context. The aim of the study was to explore birth satisfaction with a sample of new mothers in Ireland.Methods:A mixed-methods study was conducted including a survey that involved collection of data from the BSS-R 10-item questionnaire from 307 mothers over an 8-week period in 2019, in one urban maternity hospital in Ireland. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Qualitative data from the free-text comments of the survey questions were analyzed using content analysis.Results:Overall, women reported positive relationships with their care providers and were satisfied with the communication and support they received, as well as high levels of control and choice. Postnatal care, however, was highlighted as being less satisfactory with staffing levels described as inadequate.Conclusions:Understanding women’s birth experiences and what is important to them could facilitate midwives and other health professionals to improve the quality of their care and develop guidelines and policies that focus on women and their families’ needs. The vast majority of women rated their birthing experience as extremely positive. The main elements of care that contributed to a positive birthing experience for women were quality relationships with clinicians, choice and control, and emotional safety

Freeing Pseudomonas putida KT2440 of its proviral load strengthens endurance to environmental stresses

2.6% of the genome of the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440 encodes phage-related functions, but the burden of such opportunistic DNA on the host physiology is unknown. Each of the four apparently complete prophages borne by this strain was tested for stability, spontaneous excision and ability to cause lysis under various stressing conditions. While prophages P3 (PP2266-PP2297) and P4 (PP1532-1584) were discharged from the genome at a detectable rate, their induction failed otherwise to yield infective viruses. Isogenic P. putida KT2440 derivatives bearing single and multiple deletions of each of the prophages were then subjected to thorough phenotypic analyses, which generally associated the loss of proviral DNA with an increase of physiological vigour. The most conspicuous benefit acquired by prophage-less cells was a remarkable improvement in tolerance to UV light and other insults to DNA. This was not accompanied, however, with an upgrade of recA-mediated homologous recombination. The range of tolerance to DNA damage gained by the prophage-free strain was equivalent to the UV resistance endowed by the TOL plasmid pWW0 to the wild-type bacterium. While the P. putida's prophages are therefore genuinely parasitic, their detrimental effects can be offset by acquisition of compensatory traits through horizontal gene transfer.This study was supported by the BIO Program of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, the ST-FLOW and ARYSIS Contracts of the EU, the ERANET-IB Program and the PROMT Project of the CAM. The work in MK Laboratory is supported by Estonian Science Foundation, grant number 9114 to MK, by Estonian Ministry of Research Targeted Financing Project SF0180031s08.Peer reviewe

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy