EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF A PERCEPTUAL-COGNITIVE TASK ON LANDING BIOMECHANICS OF THE LOWER LIMB

The majority of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur without player contact following a movement such as a landing or change of direction. Much attention has been focused on muscle strengthening to delay the biomechanical effects of muscle fatigue reduce the risk of injury. However, recent studies have indicated there may be a link between cognitive factors and non-contact ACL injuries. In this study, kinematic data was acquired from seven athletes who performed jumping and landing trials. Half of the trials performed while tracking multiple virtual objects in a 3D volume, meant to simulate a game-situation cognitive load. For all participants, significant differences were observed for several angles. Increased knee abduction, which is known to increase strain on the ACL, was observed in 4 of 7 participants

Where Cosmic Dawn Breaks First: Mapping the Primordial Overdensity Powering a z 9 Ionized Bubble

Models of cosmic reionization predict that the earliest star-forming systems develop in primordial overdensities which, in turn, create ionized bubbles. With time, these bubbles grow and coalesce until the intergalactic medium is fully ionized. Since Lyman-alpha photons originating in these protoclusters can propagate freely through ionized gas, the highest redshift Lyman Alpha emitters (LAEs) act as valuable tracers of early ionized bubbles. We present evidence that the highest redshift LAE, EGSz8p7 (z=8.68), is likely embedded in such an overdensity. Collectively, in all of HST's deep fields, blank fields and gravitationally-lensed fields spanning >1000 arcmin^2 there are ~30 photometric candidates at z~9, yet a third lie within 3.75' (10 cMpc) of EGSz8p7. To confirm and exploit this extraordinary early overdensity we seek systemic redshifts and diagnostic features only JWST can provide. We propose blind, grism spectroscopy to map the ionized bubble around EGSz8p7 using the [OIII] doublet. A blind survey is optimal for determining a complete census of EGSz8p7's physical neighbors. Spitzer/IRAC color excesses at z>8 imply extreme [OIII] EWs (~6000 A) ensuring efficient use of JWST. Stellar population modeling of the sources around EGSz8p7 may give us the strongest constraints yet on when star-formation first commenced after the Big Bang (i.e., cosmic dawn). Our spectra will likewise constrain the ionizing photon production efficiency, a key unknown in reionization calculations. Our observing strategy is designed for maximum legacy value with a footprint overlapping the CEERS ERS survey and use of the wide F444W grism that will guarantee additional

Functional comparison of blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum malaria vaccine candidate antigens

The malaria genome encodes over 5,000 proteins and many of these have also been proposed to be potential vaccine candidates, although few of these have been tested clinically. RH5 is one of the leading blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum malaria vaccine antigens and Phase I/II clinical trials of vaccines containing this antigen are currently underway. Its likely mechanism of action is to elicit antibodies that can neutralize merozoites by blocking their invasion of red blood cells (RBC). However, many other antigens could also elicit neutralizing antibodies against the merozoite, and most of these have never been compared directly to RH5. The objective of this study was to compare a range of blood-stage antigens to RH5, to identify any antigens that outperform or synergize with anti-RH5 antibodies. We selected 55 gene products, covering 15 candidate antigens that have been described in the literature and 40 genes selected on the basis of bioinformatics functional prediction. We were able to make 20 protein-in-adjuvant vaccines from the original selection. Of these, S-antigen and CyRPA robustly elicited antibodies with neutralizing properties. Anti-CyRPA IgG generally showed additive GIA with anti-RH5 IgG, although high levels of anti-CyRPA-specific rabbit polyclonal IgG were required to achieve 50% GIA. Our data suggest that further vaccine antigen screening efforts are required to identify a second merozoite target with similar antibody-susceptibility to RH5

Little Red Dots: an abundant population of faint AGN at z∼5z\sim5 revealed by the EIGER and FRESCO JWST surveys

Characterising the prevalence and properties of faint active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the early Universe is key for understanding the formation of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and determining their role in cosmic reionization. We perform a spectroscopic search for broad H$\alpha$ emitters at $z\approx4-6$ using deep JWST/NIRCam imaging and wide field slitless spectroscopy from the EIGER and FRESCO surveys. We identify 20 H$\alpha$ lines at $z = 4.2 - 5.5$ that have broad components with line widths from $\sim1200 - 3700$ km s$^{-1}$, contributing $\sim 30 - 90$ % of the total line flux. We interpret these broad components as being powered by accretion onto SMBHs with implied masses $\sim10^{7-8}$ M$_{\odot}$. In the UV luminosity range M$_{\rm UV}$ = -21 to -18, we measure number densities of $\approx10^{-5}$ cMpc$^{-3}$. This is an order of magnitude higher than expected from extrapolating quasar UV luminosity functions. Yet, such AGN are found in only $<1$% of star-forming galaxies at $z\sim5$. The SMBH mass function agrees with large cosmological simulations. In two objects we detect narrow red- and blue-shifted H$\alpha$ absorption indicative, respectively, of dense gas fueling SMBH growth and outflows. We may be witnessing early AGN feedback that will clear dust-free pathways through which more massive blue quasars are seen. We uncover a strong correlation between reddening and the fraction of total galaxy luminosity arising from faint AGN. This implies that early SMBH growth is highly obscured and that faint AGN are only minor contributors to cosmic reionization.Comment: 23 pages, 17 figures. Submitted to ApJ. Main Figs 4, 10, 15 (faint AGN UV luminosity function) and 16 (SMBH mass function). Fig. 17 summarises the results. Comments welcom

Pfmrk, a MO15-related protein kinase from Plasmodium falciparum. Gene cloning, sequence, stage-specific expression and chromosome localization.

Cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) play a central role in the regulation of the eukaryotic cell cycle. A novel gene encoding a Cdk-like protein, Pfmrk, has been isolated from the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The gene has no introns and comprises an open reading frame encoding a protein of 324 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 38 kDa. Database searches revealed a striking similarity to the Cdk subfamily with the highest similarity to human MO15 (Cdk7). The overall sequence of Pfmrk shares 62% similarity and 46% identity with human MO15, in comparison to the 49-58% similarity and 34-43% identity with other human Cdks. Pfmrk contains two unique inserts: one consisting of 5 amino acids just before the cyclin-binding motif and the other composed of 13 amino acids within the T-loop equivalent region. Southern blots of genomic DNA digests and chromosomal separations showed that Pfmrk is a single-copy gene conserved between several parasite strains and is located on chromosome 10. A 2500-nucleotide transcript of this gene is expressed predominantly in the sexual blood stages (gametocytes), suggesting that Pfmrk may be involved in sexual stage development

Cuf2 Is a Novel Meiosis-Specific Regulatory Factor of Meiosis Maturation

Meiosis is the specialized form of the cell cycle by which diploid cells produce the haploid gametes required for sexual reproduction. Initiation and progression through meiosis requires that the expression of the meiotic genes is precisely controlled so as to provide the correct gene products at the correct times. During meiosis, four temporal gene clusters are either induced or repressed by a cascade of transcription factors