Complete genome sequence of Torque teno indri virus 1, a novel anellovirus in blood from a free-living lemur

ABSTRACT We identified Torque teno indri virus 1 (TTIV1), the first anellovirus in a free-living lemur ( Indri indri ). The complete circular 2,572-nucleotide (nt) TTIV1 genome is distantly related to torque teno sus virus. Phylogenetic and sequence analyses support TTIV1 as a putative member of a new genus within the Anelloviridae family. </jats:p

False-vacuum decay in generalized extended inflation

False-vacuum decay was studied in context of generalized extended inflationary theories, and the bubble nucleation rates was computed for these theories in the limit of G(sub N) yields 0. It was found that the time dependence of the nucleation rate can be exponentially strong through the time dependence of the Jordan-Brans-Dicke field. This can have a pronounced effect on whether extended inflation can be successfully implemented

Extended inflation from higher dimensional theories

The possibility is considered that higher dimensional theories may, upon reduction to four dimensions, allow extended inflation to occur. Two separate models are analayzed. One is a very simple toy model consisting of higher dimensional gravity coupled to a scalar field whose potential allows for a first-order phase transition. The other is a more sophisticated model incorporating the effects of non-trivial field configurations (monopole, Casimir, and fermion bilinear condensate effects) that yield a non-trivial potential for the radius of the internal space. It was found that extended inflation does not occur in these models. It was also found that the bubble nucleation rate in these theories is time dependent unlike the case in the original version of extended inflation

Long term in vitro expansion of epithelial stem cells enabled by pharmacological inhibition of PAK1-ROCK-Myosin II and TGF-β signaling

Summary: Despite substantial self-renewal capability in vivo, epithelial stem and progenitor cells located in various tissues expand for a few passages in vitro in feeder-free condition before they succumb to growth arrest. Here, we describe the EpiX method, which utilizes small molecules that inhibit PAK1-ROCK-Myosin II and TGF-β signaling to achieve over one trillion-fold expansion of human epithelial stem and progenitor cells from skin, airway, mammary, and prostate glands in the absence of feeder cells. Transcriptomic and epigenomic studies show that this condition helps epithelial cells to overcome stresses for continuous proliferation. EpiX-expanded basal epithelial cells differentiate into mature epithelial cells consistent with their tissue origins. Whole-genome sequencing reveals that the cells retain remarkable genome integrity after extensive in vitro expansion without acquiring tumorigenicity. EpiX technology provides a solution to exploit the potential of tissue-resident epithelial stem and progenitor cells for regenerative medicine. : Zhang et al. screen a small-molecule collection and find that pharmacologic inhibition of TGF-β and PAK1-ROCK-Myosin II, in low calcium conditions, supports extended expansion of epithelial stem cells in 2D format. This approach enhances the potential of tissue-resident epithelial stem cells for cell therapy. Keywords: epithelial stem and progenitor cells, cell culture method, TGF-β, PAK1/ROCK/Myosin II, feeder-free, regenerative medicine, cell therap

Preparing Librarians to be Campus Leaders through Mapping and Integrating Information Literacy into Curriculum

Curriculum mapping is a process by which curricula are methodically examined to determine where information literacy (IL) capabilities are, or should be taught during formal coursework. Curriculum integration is the process of intentionally integrating IL capability at the points in coursework when students need to master those capabilities and competencies. During this session, librarians will develop an understanding of curriculum mapping and how to integrate IL in curricula. This knowledge prepares librarians for campus leadership, since the curriculum is the primary focus of teaching and learning and affects the entire campus. The curriculum in higher education can be viewed as: the intended curriculum (the institution\u27s expectation of what is to be taught or learned), the offered curriculum (what teachers teach or plan to teach), and the received curriculum (the knowledge and skills that are actually learned by students via the courses). Curriculum mapping analyzes the offered curriculum and maps it against the intended curriculum. The purpose of curriculum mapping is to identify the gaps in IL capabilities in the curriculum and to fill those gaps by integrating IL into the curriculum. This presentation will demonstrate how to analyze the offered program curriculum; how to map it against the intended curriculum; and how to integrate IL into the curriculum. It will provide higher education faculty, librarians, and administrators with strategies for integration of information literacy into the curriculum. Finally, the presenters will discuss a project to assess the degree to which IL is integrated into curricula. This is a collaborative project that will involve US and New Zealand colleges and universities. This project will result in cross institutional comparison data that should strengthen justifications for engaging in curriculum mapping and integration projects. Participants will: Understand the meaning of intended curriculum and offered curriculum to gain new understanding of curriculum structure in an institution Understand how to identify potential academic courses for integrating IL across the curriculum and how to redesign course curricula by integrating IL into the curriculum Understand the institutional perspective for assessing the achievement of IL curriculum integratio