SatNOGS Project

Our project is to build and contribute improvements to an existing open source ground station design. This project called SatNOGS (Satellite Networked Open Ground Station) was started a year ago by the Libre Space Foundation in Athens, Greece to address the problem of data downlink from Low Earth Orbiting Satellites. We are most interested in improving the ease of construction of the ground station to enable more people to deploy ground stations

The yeast oxysterol binding protein Kes1 maintains sphingolipid levels.

The oxysterol binding protein family are amphitropic proteins that bind oxysterols, sterols, and possibly phosphoinositides, in a conserved binding pocket. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae oxysterol binding protein family member Kes1 (also known as Osh4) also binds phosphoinositides on a distinct surface of the protein from the conserved binding pocket. In this study, we determine that the oxysterol binding protein family member Kes1 is required to maintain the ratio of complex sphingolipids and levels of ceramide, sphingosine-phosphate and sphingosine. This inability to maintain normal sphingolipid homeostasis resulted in misdistribution of Pma1, a protein that requires normal sphingolipid synthesis to occur to partition into membrane rafts at the Golgi for its trafficking to the plasma membrane

Use of an interdisciplinary, participatory design approach to develop a usable patient self-assessment tool in atrial fibrillation

Lori MacCallum,1,2 Heather McGaw,1 Nazanin Meshkat,3 Alissia Valentinis,4 Leslie Beard Ashley,5 Rajan Sacha Bhatia,3,6,7 Kaye Benson,7 Noah Ivers,6,8 Kori Leblanc,2,7 Dante Morra3,5,7 1Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, 2Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 3Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, 4Taddle Creek Family Health Team, Toronto, 5Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, 6Women's College Hospital, Toronto, 7Centre for Innovation in Complex Care, University Health Network, Toronto, 8Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada Abstract: After identifying that significant care gaps exist within the management of atrial fibrillation (AF), a patient-focused tool was developed to help patients better assess and manage their AF. This tool aims to provide education and awareness regarding the management of symptoms and stroke risk associated with AF, while engaging patients to identify if their condition is optimally managed and to become involved in their own care. An interdisciplinary group of health care providers and designers worked together in a participatory design approach to develop the tool with input from patients. Usability testing was completed with 22 patients of varying demographics to represent the characteristics of the patient population. The findings from usability testing interviews were used to further improve and develop the tool to improve ease of use. A physician-facing tool was also developed to help to explain the tool and provide a brief summary of the 2012 Canadian Cardiovascular Society atrial fibrillation guidelines. By incorporating patient input and human-centered design with the knowledge, experience, and medical expertise of health care providers, we have used an approach in developing the tool that tries to more effectively meet patients' needs. Keywords: patient education, atrial fibrillation, care gaps, patient care tools, patient self-assessmen

Kes1 regulates Pma1 localization.

<p>SEY6210-<i>PMA1</i>-dsRFP (wild type) and SEY6210-<i>PMA1</i>-dsRFP <i>kes1</i>Δ (CMY306) cells were grown to mid-logarithmic phase in SC medium at 25°C and visualized using a RFP filter. For quantification, 150 and 120 cells were counted for wild type and <i>kes1</i>Δ cells, respectively, over three different experiments to determine the percentage of cells with Pma1-RFP intracellular accumulation (6% for wild type and 81% for <i>kes1</i>Δ). Representative images are shown.</p

Kes1 affects sphingoid base and ceramide levels.

<p>Sphingolipids were extracted and measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and normalized to total inorganic phosphate. Total lipid levels representing all chain lengths are given for (A) dihydroceramide (DHC) and phytoceramide (PHC), (B) dihydrosphingosine (DHS) and phytosphingosine (PHS) and (C) dihydrosphingosine-1-phosphate (DHS-1-P) and phytosphingosine-1-phosphate (PHS-1-P). Data are expressed as a mean +/− SE of a minimum of three separate experiments.</p

Ceramide species is unchanged in cells lacking Kes1.

<p>Lipids were extracted from cells and (A) dihydroceramide (DHCer) and (B) phytoceramide (PHCer) measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and normalized to total inorganic phosphate.</p

Kes1 enhances complex sphingolipid metabolism.

<p>(A) Phosphoinositides plays a central role in the synthesis of sphingolipids in yeast. Gene names are shown in italics. Metabolic intermediates and complex sphingolipids are shown in bold font. Inactivation of <i>KES1</i> inhibits the synthesis of sphingolipids. (B) Cells were grown to late logarithmic phase and inoculated into medium containing <i>myo</i>-[³H]inositol, grown to mid-logarithmic phase and lipids were extracted and resolved by thin layer chromatography. Radioactivity of the resolved lipids was measured for PI, IPC, MIPC and M(IP)₂C. Values were normalized to cell number and are presented as fold-change over wild type. Data represent mean +/− SE of four independent experiments performed in triplicate. *P<0.05 respective to control.</p

Yeast strains used in this study.

<p>Yeast strains used in this study.</p