Pharmacokinetics of carprofen and firocoxib for medication control in racing greyhounds

Animals used in sport should be treated as required to ensure animal welfare but any such use of medication should also be controlled to ensure integrity. Pharmacokinetic studies on groups of six greyhounds were performed to measure plasma and urine levels of carprofen and firocoxib to inform medication control advice. Using the standard methodology for medication control the Irrelevant Plasma Concentration was determined as 20 ng/mL and 2 ng/mL for carprofen and firocoxib respectively. The Irrelevant Urine Concentration was also determined as 0.3 ng/ml and 2 ng/mL for carprofen and firocoxib respectively. These Irrelevant Plasma and Urine Concentrations will allo

EXAMINATION OF IRRADIATED RaLa SOURCE FUEL ROD (PROTOTYPE NO. 2) FOR LOS ALAMS SCIENTIFIEC LABORATORY. Final Reoprt on Metallurgy Program 6.1.21

A LASL fuel-bearing assembly was irradiated in the Materials Testing Reactor and subsequently examined at ANL. The design was found to be adequate for containing specimens irradiated to high burnup levels if certain defects introduced by the fabrication procedure are corrected. (auth

Acute inhibition of MEK suppresses congenital melanocytic nevus syndrome in a murine model driven by activated NRAS and Wnt signaling

Congenital melanocytic nevus (CMN) syndrome is the association of pigmented melanocytic nevi with extra-cutaneous features, classically melanotic cells within the central nervous system, most frequently caused by a mutation of NRAS codon 61. This condition is currently untreatable and carries a significant risk of melanoma within the skin, brain, or leptomeninges. We have previously proposed a key role for Wnt signaling in the formation of melanocytic nevi, suggesting that activated Wnt signaling may be synergistic with activated NRAS in the pathogenesis of CMN syndrome. Some familial pre-disposition suggests a germ-line contribution to CMN syndrome, as does variability of neurological phenotypes in individuals with similar cutaneous phenotypes. Accordingly, we performed exome sequencing of germ-line DNA from patients with CMN to reveal rare or undescribed Wnt-signaling alterations. A murine model harboring activated NRASQ61K and Wnt signaling in melanocytes exhibited striking features of CMN syndrome, in particular neurological involvement. In the first model of treatment for this condition, these congenital, and previously assumed permanent, features were profoundly suppressed by acute post-natal treatment with a MEK inhibitor. These data suggest that activated NRAS and aberrant Wnt signaling conspire to drive CMN syndrome. Post-natal MEK inhibition is a potential candidate therapy for patients with this debilitating condition

Population Uncertainty in Model Ecosystem: Analysis by Stochastic Differential Equation

Perturbation experiments are carried out by contact process and its mean-field version. Here, the mortality rate is increased or decreased suddenly. It is known that the fluctuation enhancement (FE) occurs after the perturbation, where FE means a population uncertainty. In the present paper, we develop a new theory of stochastic differential equation. The agreement between the theory and the mean-field simulation is almost perfect. This theory enables us to find much stronger FE than reported previously. We discuss the population uncertainty in the recovering process of endangered species.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure, submitted to J. Phys. Soc. Jp

Oocyte expression with injection of purified T7 RNA polymerase.

International audienceThe Xenopus oocyte is a widely used system for protein expression. Investigators have had the choice between two different techniques: injection into the cytoplasm of in vitro transcribed complementary RNA (cRNA) or injection into the nucleus of complementary DNA (cDNA). We report on a third expression technique that is based on the combined injection of cDNA and purified T7 RNA polymerase directly into the cytoplasm of oocytes

The dusty AGB star RS CrB: first mid-infrared interferometric observations with the Keck Telescopes

We report interferometric observations of the semi-regular variable star RS CrB, a red giant with strong silicate emission features. The data were among the first long baseline mid-infrared stellar fringes obtained between the Keck telescopes, using parts of the new nulling beam combiner. The light was dispersed by a low-resolution spectrometer, allowing simultaneous measurement of the source visibility and intensity spectra from 8 to 12 microns. The interferometric observations allow a non-ambiguous determination of the dust shell spatial scale and relative flux contribution. Using a simple spherically-symmetric model, in which a geometrically thin shell surrounds the stellar photosphere, we find that ~30% to ~70% of the overall mid-infrared flux - depending on the wavelength - originates from 7-8 stellar radii. The derived shell opacity profile shows a broad peak around 11 microns (tau ~ 0.06), characteristic of Mg-rich silicate dust particles.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

Oral Sciences PhD Program Enrollment, Graduates, and Placement: 1994 to 2016

For decades, dental schools in the United States have endured a significant faculty shortage. Studies have determined that the top 2 sources of dental faculty are advanced education programs and private practice. Those who have completed both DDS and PhD training are considered prime candidates for dental faculty positions. However, there is no national database to track those trainees and no evidence to indicate that they entered academia upon graduation. The objective of this study was to assess outcomes of dental school–affiliated oral sciences PhD program enrollment, graduates, and placement between 1994 and 2016. Using the American Dental Association annual survey of advanced dental education programs not accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and data obtained from 22 oral sciences PhD programs, we assessed student demographics, enrollment, graduation, and placement. Based on the data provided by program directors, the average new enrollment was 33, and graduation was 26 per year. A total of 605 graduated; 39 did not complete; and 168 were still in training. Among those 605 graduates, 211 were faculty in U.S. academic institutions, and 77 were faculty in foreign institutions. Given that vacant budgeted full-time faculty positions averaged 257 per year during this period, graduates from those oral sciences PhD programs who entered academia in the United States would have filled 9 (3.6%) vacant faculty positions per year. Therefore, PhD programs have consistently generated only a small pipeline of dental school faculty. Better mentoring to retain talent in academia is necessary. Stronger support and creative funding plans are essential to sustain the PhD program. Furthermore, the oral sciences PhD program database should be established and maintained by dental professional organizations to allow assessments of training models, trends of enrollment, graduation, and placement outcomes

Amelogenin Nanoparticles in Suspension: Deviations from Spherical Shape and pH-Dependent Aggregation

It is well-known that amelogenin self-assembles to form nanoparticles, usually referred to as amelogenin nanospheres, despite the fact that not much is known about their actual shape in solution. In the current paper, we combine SAXS and DLS to study the three-dimensional shape of the recombinant amelogenins rP172 and rM179. Our results show for the first time that amelogenins build oblate nanoparticles in suspension using experimental approaches that do not require the proteins to be in contact with a support material surface. The SAXS studies give evidence for the existence of isolated amelogenin nano-oblates with aspect ratios in the range of 0.45-0.5 at pH values higher than pH 7.2 and show an aggregation of these nano-oblates at lower pH values. The role of the observed oblate shape in the formation of chain-like structures at physiological conditions is discussed as a key factor in the biomineralization of dental enamel