An Organic Metal/Silver Nanoparticle Finish on Copper for Efficient Passivation and Solderability Preservation

For the first time, a complex formed by polyaniline (in its organic metal form) and silver has been deposited on copper in nanoparticulate form. When depositing on Cu pads of printed circuit boards it efficiently protects against oxidation and preserves its solderability. The deposited layer has a thickness of only nominally 50 nm, containing the Organic Metal (conductive polymer), polyaniline, and silver. With >90% (by volume), polyaniline (PAni) is the major component of the deposited layer, Ag is present equivalent to a 4 nm thickness. The Pani–Ag complex is deposited on Cu in form of about 100 nm small particles. Morphology, electrochemical characteristics, anti-oxidation and solderability results are reported

Association of genetic variants in complement factor H and factor H-related genes with systemic lupus erythematosus susceptibility

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a complex polygenic autoimmune disease, is associated with increased complement activation. Variants of genes encoding complement regulator factor H (CFH) and five CFH-related proteins (CFHR1-CFHR5) within the chromosome 1q32 locus linked to SLE, have been associated with multiple human diseases and may contribute to dysregulated complement activation predisposing to SLE. We assessed 60 SNPs covering the CFH-CFHRs region for association with SLE in 15,864 case-control subjects derived from four ethnic groups. Significant allelic associations with SLE were detected in European Americans (EA) and African Americans (AA), which could be attributed to an intronic CFH SNP (rs6677604, in intron 11, Pmeta = 6.6×10-8, OR = 1.18) and an intergenic SNP between CFHR1 and CFHR4 (rs16840639, Pmeta = 2.9×10-7, OR = 1.17) rather than to previously identified disease-associated CFH exonic SNPs, including I62V, Y402H, A474A, and D936E. In addition, allelic association of rs6677604 with SLE was subsequently confirmed in Asians (AS). Haplotype analysis revealed that the underlying causal variant, tagged by rs6677604 and rs16840639, was localized to a ~146 kb block extending from intron 9 of CFH to downstream of CFHR1. Within this block, the deletion of CFHR3 and CFHR1 (CFHR3-1Δ), a likely causal variant measured using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification, was tagged by rs6677604 in EA and AS and rs16840639 in AA, respectively. Deduced from genotypic associations of tag SNPs in EA, AA, and AS, homozygous deletion of CFHR3-1Δ (Pmeta = 3.2×10-7, OR = 1.47) conferred a higher risk of SLE than heterozygous deletion (Pmeta = 3.5×10-4, OR = 1.14). These results suggested that the CFHR3-1Δ deletion within the SLE-associated block, but not the previously described exonic SNPs of CFH, might contribute to the development of SLE in EA, AA, and AS, providing new insights into the role of complement regulators in the pathogenesis of SLE

Sampling and Processing Methods Impact Microbial Community Structure and Potential Activity in a Seasonally Anoxic Fjord: Saanich Inlet, British Columbia

The Scientific Committee on Oceanographic Research (SCOR) Working Group 144 Microbial Community Responses to Ocean Deoxygenation workshop held in Vancouver, B.C on July 2014 had the primary objective of initiating a process to standardize operating procedures for compatible process rate and multi-omic (DNA, RNA, protein, and metabolite) data collection in marine oxygen minimum zones and other oxygen depleted waters. Workshop attendees participated in practical sampling and experimental activities in Saanich Inlet, British Columbia, a seasonally anoxic fjord. Experiments were designed to compare and cross-calibrate in situ versus bottle sampling methods to determine effects on microbial community structure and potential activity when using different filter combinations, filtration methods, and sample volumes. Resulting biomass was preserved for small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU or 16S rRNA) and SSU rRNA gene (rDNA) amplicon sequencing followed by downstream statistical and visual analyses. Results from these analyses showed that significant community shifts occurred between in situ versus on ship processed samples. For example, Bacteroidetes, Alphaproteobacteria, and Opisthokonta associated with on-ship filtration onto 0.4 μm filters increased fivefold compared to on-ship in-line 0.22 μm filters or 0.4 μm filters processed and preserved in situ. In contrast, Planctomycetes associated with 0.4 μm in situ filters increased fivefold compared to on-ship filtration onto 0.4 μm filters and on-ship in-line 0.22 μm filters. In addition, candidate divisions and Chloroflexi were primarily recovered when filtered onto 0.4 μm filters in situ. Results based on rRNA:rDNA ratios for microbial indicator groups revealed previously unrecognized roles of candidate divisions, Desulfarculales, and Desulfuromandales in sulfur cycling, carbon fixation and fermentation within anoxic basin waters. Taken together, filter size and in situ versus on-ship filtration had the largest impact on recovery of microbial groups with the potential to influence downstream metabolic reconstruction and process rate measurements. These observations highlight the need for establishing standardized and reproducible techniques that facilitate cross-scale comparisons and more accurately assess in situ activities of microbial communities

Heme utilization and storage by Cryptococcus neoformans.

The opportunistic fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans has been previously shown to use heme as a sole iron source, but the mechanisms for heme utilization are unknown. The goal of this study was to begin a genetic analysis of heme utilization in C. neoformans by deletion of candidate genes and phenotypic characterization. The first hypothesis was that a putative heme oxygenase protein, Hmx1, was responsible for degrading heme to release iron. However, an hmx1 deletion strain was capable of growth on heme, indicating that the gene is not required for heme utilization. The expression pattern of HMX1 showed down-regulation in the presence of heme and hemoglobin indicating that HMX1 likely plays a regulatory role within the cell. Because loss of the heme-related gene HMX1 did not reveal any phenotypes related to heme as an iron source, the role of the vacuolar protein Vps41 in iron and heme utilization was also examined. The work on Vps41 was designed to test a second more general hypothesis that the vacuole is involved in heme or iron storage and utilization. It was found that vps41 mutants had heme and iron growth defects, as well as increased sensitivity to excess levels of both heme and inorganic iron. Analysis of the wild-type strain grown with heme led to the surprising discovery of dark intracellular aggregates that were visible with light microscopy. These aggregates were reminiscent of the crystallized heme (hemozoin) found in malaria parasites. In contrast, the cells of vps41 mutants became filled with diffuse heme throughout the cell, indicating that an intact vacuole was required for aggregate formation. The inability of the mutant to sequester heme in the aggregates may contribute to the observed sensitivity of the strain to heme toxicity. Overall, these results provide new insights into heme utilization and storage in C. neoformans.Science, Faculty ofMicrobiology and Immunology, Department ofGraduat

Differences in affect through medical play

Child life specialists use play as a central mechanism to teach and communicate with their patients. Play allows children to learn, engage in their surroundings, and express themselves. A variety of types of play, including pretend and medical play, can be seen within the work of child life specialists. Few studies have examined medical play outside of the hospital, with no studies examining the affect displayed in medical play. The purpose of this research study is to examine the differences in affect expressed in children through non-medical themed pretend play and medical pretend play. Thirty-seven children, three to four years old, participated in the study. This study aimed to examine medical play outside of the hospital setting. Fantasy, positive expression, and additional pretend play qualities were analyzed to determine participants’ affect during medical play. Participants also engaged in pretend play without a medical theme as a mode of comparison. During non-medical themed pretend play, participants’ played the role of the pizza maker. During medical play, participants’ played the role of the doctor. The play sessions lasted a maximum of 10 minutes each, and they were recorded. Videos were then coded to examine the affect displayed in each play session. Children were asked to self report their feelings during the play sessions. The findings indicated that differences in affect do exist between non-medical themed pretend play and medical play. Children displayed more affect in the pizza play sessions than the medical play sessions. In addition, differences in affect were demonstrated between the quality of fantasy, comfort level, and frequency of play with children displaying more fantasy, comfort, and frequency of affect during play. Participants played longer with the pizza play items and reported more positive feelings after non-medical themed pretend play than medical pretend play. Children who are feeling unpleasant emotions have been found to display less affect and engage in less play. Considering this, the current study may suggest that medical play is associated with unpleasant thoughts decreasing the expression of affect and length of play. Adults providing medical play to children, such as child life specialists, should be sensitive to the cues provided during such play, including affect, and provide support to increase normalization and positive feelings during medical play. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Sampling and processing methods impact microbial community structure and potential activity in a seasonally anoxic fjord: Saanich Inlet, British Columbia

The Scientific Committee on Oceanographic Research (SCOR) Working Group 144 Microbial Community Responses to Ocean Deoxygenation workshop held in Vancouver, B.C on July 2014 had the primary objective of initiating a process to standardize operating procedures for compatible process rate and multi-omic (DNA, RNA, protein, and metabolite) data collection in marine oxygen minimum zones and other oxygen depleted waters. Workshop attendees participated in practical sampling and experimental activities in Saanich Inlet, British Columbia, a seasonally anoxic fjord. Experiments were designed to compare and cross-calibrate in situ versus bottle sampling methods to determine effects on microbial community structure and potential activity when using different filter combinations, filtration methods, and sample volumes. Resulting biomass was preserved for small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU or 16S rRNA) and SSU rRNA gene (rDNA) amplicon sequencing followed by downstream statistical and visual analyses. Results from these analyses showed that significant community shifts occurred between in situ versus on ship processed samples. For example, Bacteroidetes, Alphaproteobacteria, and Opisthokonta associated with on-ship filtration onto 0.4 μm filters increased fivefold compared to on-ship in-line 0.22 μm filters or 0.4 μm filters processed and preserved in situ. In contrast, Planctomycetes associated with 0.4 μm in situ filters increased fivefold compared to on-ship filtration onto 0.4 μm filters and on-ship in-line 0.22 μm filters. In addition, candidate divisions and Chloroflexi were primarily recovered when filtered onto 0.4 μm filters in situ. Results based on rRNA:rDNA ratios for microbial indicator groups revealed previously unrecognized roles of candidate divisions, Desulfarculales, and Desulfuromandales in sulfur cycling, carbon fixation and fermentation within anoxic basin waters. Taken together, filter size and in situ versus on-ship filtration had the largest impact on recovery of microbial groups with the potential to influence downstream metabolic reconstruction and process rate measurements. These observations highlight the need for establishing standardized and reproducible techniques that facilitate cross-scale comparisons and more accurately assess in situ activities of microbial communities

A compendium of multi-omic sequence information from the Saanich Inlet water column.

Marine oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) are widespread regions of the ocean that are currently expanding due to global warming. While inhospitable to most metazoans, OMZs are hotspots for microbial mediated biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur, contributing disproportionately to marine nitrogen loss and climate active trace gas production. Our current understanding of microbial community responses to OMZ expansion is limited by a lack of time-resolved data sets linking multi-omic sequence information (DNA, RNA, protein) to geochemical parameters and process rates. Here, we present six years of time-resolved multi-omic observations in Saanich Inlet, a seasonally anoxic fjord on the coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada that undergoes recurring changes in water column oxygenation status. This compendium provides a unique multi-omic framework for studying microbial community responses to ocean deoxygenation along defined geochemical gradients in OMZ waters

Saanich_TimeSeries_Chemical

Chemical bottle data collected from Station S3 (-123.505, 48.59166667) in Saanich Inlet, BC, Canada. This data includes unique geographical coordinates for sampling station (Decimal degrees), Numerical identifier of individual cruises (Numeric string), Date of cruise (YY-MM-DD), Sampling depth (Meters), Oxygen concentration calculated from CTD SBE (Micromolar), Phosphate (Bran Luebbe AutoAnalyser - colorimetric) (Micromolar), Silicate (Bran Luebbe AutoAnalyser - colorimetric) (Micromolar), Nitrate (Bran Luebbe AutoAnalyser - colorimetric) (Micromolar), Average Ammonium (fluorometric) (Micromolar), Average Nitrite (colorimetric) (Micromolar), Average Hydrogen sulfide (colorimetric) (Micromolar), Cell counts value quantified by flow cytometry (Number of cells per millilitre (cells/mL)), Average concentration of Nitrogen gas (headspace) (Micromolar), Standard deviation for Nitrogen gas, Average concentration of Oxygen (headspace) (Micromolar), Standard deviation for Oxygen, Average concentration of Carbon dioxide (headspace) (Micromolar), Standard deviation for Carbon dioxide, Average concentration of Nitrous oxide (headspace or automated purge-and-trap) (Micromolar), Standard deviation for Nitrous oxide, Average concentration of Methane (headspace or automated purge-and-trap) (Nanomolar), Standard deviation for Methane. For detailed description of methods see manuscript

Saanich_TimeSeries_CTD_DATA

CTD data from Station S3 in Saanich Inlet. This data includes unique geographical coordinates for sampling station (Decimal degrees), Numerical identifier of individual cruises (Numeric string), Date of cruise (YY-MM-DD), CTD pressure measurement in intervals of 1 meter (Decibars), CTD temperature (Celsius degrees), CTD conductivity (Millisiemens per centimetre), CTD fluorometer chlorophyll measurement (Chlorophyll concentration in milligram per cubic meter), CTD transmissometer measurement (Light transmission), CTD Photosintentically active radiation (PAR) measurement (Irradiance), CTD Dissolved oxygen sensor measurement (SBE) (Volts), Oxygen concentration based on CTD Oxygen SBE (Micromolar), CTD salinity measurement at each pressure point (Practical salinity unit), CTD density measurement at each pressure point (Sigma-theta). For detailed description on methods see manuscript