Interview Magazine: Art & Fame

The world today is radically different from the world of the 1960s. Andy Warhol was the pinnacle of Pop, and print publications were supreme in the industry of news and fashion alike. What was Pop culture in 1969 seems foreign and antiquated today, and yet there are similarities to be drawn between the era of mod and the modern era. In the research paper Interview Magazine: Art & Fame, I aim to explore the connection between the artistic excellence that launched the publication’s success and the obsession with celebrity that charged its passion — a bond that formed to act as the crux of the magazine that impacted the industry with innovative clout

Efficient and Accurate Modeling of Conformational Transitions in Proteins: The Case of c-Src Kinase

The theoretical computational modeling of large conformational transitions occurring in biomolecules still represents a challenge. Here, we present an accurate "in silico" description of the activation and deactivation mechanisms of human c-Src kinases, a fundamental process regulating several crucial cell functions. Our results clearly show that by applying an efficient and automated algorithm able to drive the molecular dynamics (MD) sampling along the pathway between the two c-Src conformational states - the active state and the inactive state - it is possible to accurately describe, at reduced computational costs, the molecular mechanism underlying these large conformational rearrangements. This procedure, combining the MD simulations with the sampling along the well-defined principal motions connecting the two conformational states, allows to provide a description well beyond the present computational limits, and it is easily applicable to different systems where the structures of both the initial and final states are known

Out Online: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth on the Internet

This report examines the online experiences of LGBT students in 6-12th grade. LGBT youth experience nearly three times as much bullying and harassment online as non-LGBT youth, but also find greater peer support, access to health information and opportunities to be civically engaged

Generalists at the interface:Nematode transmission between wild and domestic ungulates

AbstractMany parasitic nematode species are generalists capable of infecting multiple host species. The complex life cycle of nematodes, involving partial development outside of the host, facilitates transmission of these parasites between host species even when there is no direct contact between hosts. Infective nematode larvae persist in the environment, and where grazing or water sources are shared ingestion of parasite larvae deposited by different host species is likely. In this paper we examine the extent to which nematode parasite species have been observed in sympatric wild and domestic ungulates. First, using existing host–parasite databases, we describe expected overlap of 412 nematode species between 76 wild and 8 domestic ungulate host species. Our results indicate that host-specific parasites make up less than half of the nematode parasites infecting any particular ungulate host species. For wild host species, between 14% (for common warthog) and 76% (for mouflon) of parasitic nematode species are shared with domestic species. For domestic host species, between 42% (for horse) and 77% (for llamas/alpacas) of parasitic nematode species are shared with wild species. We also present an index of liability to describe the risk of cross-boundary parasites to each host species. We then examine specific examples from the literature in which transmission of nematode parasites between domestic and wild ungulates is described. However, there are many limitations in the existing data due to geographical bias and certain host species being studied more frequently than others. Although we demonstrate that many species of parasitic nematode are found in both wild and domestic hosts, little work has been done to demonstrate whether transmission is occurring between species or whether similar strains circulate separately. Additional research on cross-species transmission, including the use of models and of genetic methods to define strains, will provide evidence to answer this question

Dollars and Sense: Maine State Budgeting at a Crossroads

Dollars and Sense: Maine State Budgeting at a Crossroads provides a bird\u27s eye view and analysis. The value of this approach is the capacity to take an arm\u27s length look at state finances. We hope that the broader perspective will promote viewing expenditure and tax policy issues comprehensively, not as isolated slices of the state budget pie, but rather, as interdependent building blocks of a healthy fiscal system. There is an important limitation to an outside study, however, which is actually the same as its strength: distance from the whys and whens. We do not pretend to understand every policy area as fully as specialists within government, nor to be privy to the same information. Thus, this report will be best used as a working document, to encourage and facilitate directed inquiry, open and thoughtful discussion of issues, and hopefully, decisions that can place Maine on a sound fiscal footing for the 1990\u27s.https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/facbooks/1236/thumbnail.jp

Conidial Germination and Infection by Diplocarpon Rosae on Susceptible and Resistant Rose Species

Conidial germination and infection by Dipplocarpon rosae, the causal organism of rose blackspot, were examined on two resistant species of roses, Rosa roxburghii and R. wichuraiana and two susceptible hybrid tea roses (R. hybrid cv. Chicago Peace and Garden Party). Fungal conidia germinated and gave rise to subcuticular mycelium that formed haustoria within epidermal cells of all four roses tested. On the resistant rose species, epidermal cells associated with the infection site became necrotic, indicating that a hypersensitive response is involved in conferring their resistance D. rosae

Different Outcomes of Experimental Hepatitis E Virus Infection in Diverse Mouse Strains, Wistar Rats, and Rabbits

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the causative agent of acute hepatitis E in humans in developing countries, but autochthonous cases of zoonotic genotype 3 (HEV-3) infection also occur in industrialized countries. In contrast to swine, rats, and rabbits, natural HEV infections in mice have not yet been demonstrated. The pig represents a well-established large animal model for HEV-3 infection, but a suitable small animal model mimicking natural HEV-3 infection is currently missing. Therefore, we experimentally inoculated C57BL/6 mice (wild-type, IFNAR−/−, CD4−/−, CD8−/−) and BALB/c nude (nu/nu) mice, Wistar rats, and European rabbits with a wild boar-derived HEV-3 strain and monitored virus replication and shedding, as well as humoral immune responses. HEV RNA and anti-HEV antibodies were detected in one and two out of eight of the rats and all rabbits inoculated, respectively, but not in any of the mouse strains tested. Remarkably, immunosuppressive dexamethasone treatment of rats did not enhance their susceptibility to HEV infection. In rabbits, immunization with recombinant HEV-3 and ratHEV capsid proteins induced protection against HEV-3 challenge. In conclusion, the rabbit model for HEV-3 infection may serve as a suitable alternative to the non-human primate and swine models, and as an appropriate basis for vaccine evaluation studies

Feed pellet and corn durability and breakage during repeated elevator handling

Pelleting of animal feeds is important for improved feeding efficiency and for convenience of handling. Pellet quality impacts the feeding benefits for the animals and pellet integrity during handling. To compare the effect of repeated handling on the quality of feed pellets and corn, a 22.6‐t (1000‐bu) lot of feed pellets made from corn meal and a 25.4‐t (1000‐bu) lot of shelled corn, were each transferred alternately between two storage bins in the USDA‐ARS, Grain Marketing and Production Research Center research elevator at Manhattan, Kansas, at an average flow rate of 59.4 t/h. Samples from a diverter‐type sampler were analyzed for particle size distribution (by sieving) and durability (by the tumbling box method). The apparent geometric mean diameter of pellet samples decreased with repeated transfers, whereas the mass of accumulated broken pellets increased with repeated transfers. The percentage of broken pellets increased by an average of 3.83% with each transfer from an initial value of 17.5%, which was significantly different from the values obtained from shelled corn (p 0.05) during the transfers. The durability index of shelled corn was also not significantly different during the transfers. Analysis of dust removed by the cyclone separators showed that the mass of dust < 0.125 mm was significantly less for feed pellets (0.337 kg/t of pellet mass) than for shelled corn (0.403 kg/t of corn mass)

Accelerated ageing and renal dysfunction links lower socioeconomic status and dietary phosphate intake

Background: We have sought to explore the impact of dietary Pi intake on human age related health in the pSoBid cohort (n=666) to explain the disparity between health and deprivation status in this cohort. As hyperphosphataemia is a driver of accelerated ageing in rodent models of progeria we tested whether variation in Pi levels in man associate with measures of biological ageing and health. Results: We observed significant relationships between serum Pi levels and markers of biological age (telomere length (p=0.040) and DNA methylation content (p=0.028), gender and chronological age (p=0.032). When analyses were adjusted for socio-economic status and nutritional factors, associations were observed between accelerated biological ageing (telomere length, genomic methylation content) and dietary derived Pi levels among the most deprived males, directly related to the frequency of red meat consumption. Conclusions: Accelerated ageing is associated with high serum Pi levels and frequency of red meat consumption. Our data provide evidence for a mechanistic link between high intake of Pi and age-related morbidities tied to socio-economic status