Erythema Nodosum Associated With Streptococcal Infection in Pregnancy

Background: Erythema nodosum (EN) is a condition characterized by the presence of painful erythematous nodules on the pretibial aspects of the lower extremities. EN is thought to be a local inflammatory, immune-mediated reaction to a number of systemic antigenic stimuli. This condition is noted most often in women between menarche and menopause and is associated with certain drugs, infections, and pregnancy. However, no reports in the literature describe EN as a result of streptococcal infection during pregnancy

Small-Scale Hydroelectric Power for Remote Communities

The Pico-Hydro Energy Project (PHEP) focuses on providing affordable electric power for off-grid communities in developing countries. The work that PHEP is doing involves the design, optimization, and experimental testing of small hydroelectric generators provided by our project partner Engineering Ministries International.https://mosaic.messiah.edu/engr2020/1000/thumbnail.jp

Mechanism of calmodulin inactivation of the calcium-selective TRP channel TRPV6

Calcium (Ca2+) plays a major role in numerous physiological processes. Ca2+ homeostasis is tightly controlled by ion channels, the aberrant regulation of which results in various diseases including cancers. Calmodulin (CaM)–mediated Ca2+-induced inactivation is an ion channel regulatory mechanism that protects cells against the toxic effects of Ca2+ overload. We used cryo-electron microscopy to capture the epithelial calcium channel TRPV6 (transient receptor potential vanilloid subfamily member 6) inactivated by CaM. The TRPV6-CaM complex exhibits 1:1 stoichiometry; one TRPV6 tetramer binds both CaM lobes, which adopt a distinct head-to-tail arrangement. The CaM carboxyl-terminal lobe plugs the channel through a unique cation-π interaction by inserting the side chain of lysine K115 into a tetra-tryptophan cage at the pore’s intracellular entrance. We propose a mechanism of CaM-mediated Ca2+-induced inactivation that can be explored for therapeutic design

High Repetition Rate, LINAC-based Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence FY 2009 Final Report

Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence (NRF), which is possible for nuclei with atomic numbers greater than helium (Z=2), occurs when a nuclear level is excited by resonant absorption of a photon and subsequently decays by reemission of a photon. The excited nuclear states can become readily populated, provided the incident photon’s energy is within the Doppler-broadened width of the energy level being excited. Utilizing continuous energy photon spectra, as is characteristic of a bremsstrahlung photon beam, as the inspection source, ensures that at least some fraction of the impinging beam will contribute to the population of the excited energy levels in the material of interest. Upon de-excitation, either to the ground state or to a lower-energy excited state, the emitted fluorescence photon’s energy will correspond to the energy difference between the excited state and the state to which it decays. As each isotope inherently contains unique nuclear energy levels, the NRF states for each isotope are also unique. By exploiting this phenomenon, NRF photon detection provides a well-defined signature for identifying the presence of individual nuclear species. This report summarizes the second year (Fiscal Year [FY] 2009) of a collaborative research effort between Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho State University’s Idaho Accelerator Center, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. This effort focused on continuing to assess and optimize NRF-based detection techniques utilizing a slightly modified, commercially available, pulsed medical electron accelerator

Submicroscopic metallic iron in lunar soils estimated from the in situ spectra of the Chang’E-3 mission

Submicroscopic metallic iron (SMFe) created by space weathering has strong effects on the optical properties of the lunar surface. Spectra measured in situ by the visible-near-infrared spectrometer (VNIS) on board the Chang’E-3 Yutu rover were used to investigate optical maturity differences at the CE-3 landing site caused by lander exhaust. SMFe abundances were estimated using Hapke’s radiative transfer model. Analysis of the spectrum for a minimally disturbed soil indicates that it contains 0.368 wt % SMFe, corresponding to an Is/FeO maturity index of ~53 and indicating that the landing site is submature. The soil at a location that was more disturbed contains 0.217 wt % SMFe, suggesting that the material removed by the rocket blast is more weathered than the regolith that remained behind. We conclude that maturity differences related to removal of the finest, highly mature particles play a major role in the observed reflectance changes associated with rocket blast.…This research was supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program: 2015AA123704), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41422110 and 41490633), the Science and Technology Development Fund of Macau (020/2014/A1), and Minor Planet Foundation of Purple Mountain Observatory. The contribution of D.T.B. was made possible by the Chinese Academy of Sciences President’s International Fellowship Initiative, grant 2015VEB057 and by NASA Lunar Data Analysis Program grant NNX16AN55G. E.A.C. thanks NSERC and the Canadian Space Agency for supporting this study.https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/2017GL07265

Identification of Antifungal Compounds Active against Candida albicans Using an Improved High-Throughput Caenorhabditis elegans Assay

Candida albicans, the most common human pathogenic fungus, can establish a persistent lethal infection in the intestine of the microscopic nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The C. elegans–C. albicans infection model was previously adapted to screen for antifungal compounds. Modifications to this screen have been made to facilitate a high-throughput assay including co-inoculation of nematodes with C. albicans and instrumentation allowing precise dispensing of worms into assay wells, eliminating two labor-intensive steps. This high-throughput method was utilized to screen a library of 3,228 compounds represented by 1,948 bioactive compounds and 1,280 small molecules derived via diversity-oriented synthesis. Nineteen compounds were identified that conferred an increase in C. elegans survival, including most known antifungal compounds within the chemical library. In addition to seven clinically used antifungal compounds, twelve compounds were identified which are not primarily used as antifungal agents, including three immunosuppressive drugs. This assay also allowed the assessment of the relative minimal inhibitory concentration, the effective concentration in vivo, and the toxicity of the compound in a single assay

Offset paraboloidal scanning antenna

Issued as Monthly technical status report no. 1-24, Preshipment test procedures report, and range instrumentation operation and maintenance manual, Project no. A-118

HWL radar studies

Issued as Monthly contract technical status report no. 1-21, Project no. A-147

Instrumentation techniques for tracking low-flying vehicles

Issued as Technical report (Monthly progress report) no. 1-9, and Final technical report, Project no. A-1678Final technical report has title: Instrumentation techniques for tracking low-flying vehicle

A comparative study of two methods of teaching the organization of expository writing to ninth-grade pupils

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston UniversityPLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at [email protected]. Thank you.2031-01-0