Designing and Producing CITRINE: A Reflective Essay on Designing a Fashion Collection and My Personal Fashion Philosophy

After four months of extensive creative research and material sourcing, a 6-piece spring/summer ready-to-wear fashion collection came into creation to celebrate the modern woman. Bold, graphic, versatile, and feminine describe both the collection and the woman of today who balances discipline and a vivacious passion for life and humanity. All-natural textile fibers of silk, cotton, and various laser cut leathers were utilized to create the collection of day-to-evening wear constructed by Samantha Davis

Does Handedness Impact Pulmonary Measures during Pickleball?

Pickleball is a racquet sport that originated in the 1960s. Due to its beginner-friendly nature, it attracts players of all ages and fitness levels. Despite becoming the most quickly growing sport in the nation, it is still underresearched. The sport’s physiological demands based on pulmonary measures, and whether the demands differ by handedness, are not fully understood. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze and assess whether differences were evident in performance and physiological responses in players when using the dominant (DH) and nondominant hand (NDH) during pickleball. METHODS: Participants were selected through convenience sampling and consisted of 11 (2 female, 8 male, 1 prefer not to disclose; age = 28.1 ± 9.2 years; height = 176 ± 8.0 cm; mass = 73 ± 13.4 kg). Participants were all equipped with a COSMED K5 wearable metabolic system attached through a harness securely worn on their back. Outcome measures included Ventilation (VE [L/min]), Ventilatory Equivalent for Oxygen (VE/VO2), Ventilatory Equivalent for Carbon Dioxide (VE/VCO2), Tidal Volume (VT), and Respiratory Frequency (Rf). Alternating intervals of five minutes of play followed by five minutes of rest were consistent throughout. The order of using the DH or NDH was counterbalanced. Data were analyzed using a paired t-test with significance accepted at p £ 0.05. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed for VT (DH = 1.4 ± 0.3 vs. NDH = 1.3 ± 0.2, p = 0.05) and VE/VCO2 (DH = 30.9 ± 2.5 vs. NDH = 32 ± 2.9, p = 0.04). However, there were no significant differences found for VE in L/min (DH = 57.5 ± 9.7 ; NDH = 52.5 ± 11.6, p = 0.08), VE/VO2 (DH = 25.9 ± 2.1 vs. NDH = 26 ± 2.9, p = 0.43), or Rf (DH = 40.9 ± 4.1 vs. NDH = 41.3 ± 5.4, p = 0.36). CONCLUSION: The greater mean VE/VCO2 during NDH play compared to DH play suggests that the use of the NDH presents more difficulty performing pickleball-related tasks. Switching to the NDH is reflected in expiring more CO₂, indicating that players exert more effort when using their NDH. Although the respiration measures were similar in terms of exhalation, the use of DH caused a greater mean VT than NDH

Alternative splicing of coq-2 controls the levels of rhodoquinone in animals

Parasitic helminths use two benzoquinones as electron carriers in the electron transport chain. In normoxia, they use ubiquinone (UQ), but in anaerobic conditions inside the host, they require rhodoquinone (RQ) and greatly increase RQ levels. We previously showed the switch from UQ to RQ synthesis is driven by a change of substrates by the polyprenyltransferase COQ-2 (Del Borrello et al., 2019; Roberts Buceta et al., 2019); however, the mechanism of substrate selection is not known. Here, we show helminths synthesize two coq-2 splice forms, coq-2a and coq-2e, and the coq-2e-specific exon is only found in species that synthesize RQ. We show that in Caenorhabditis elegans COQ-2e is required for efficient RQ synthesis and survival in cyanide. Importantly, parasites switch from COQ-2a to COQ-2e as they transit into anaerobic environments. We conclude helminths switch from UQ to RQ synthesis principally via changes in the alternative splicing of coq-2.Agencia Nacional de Investigación e InnovaciónCanadian Institutes of Health Researc

Alternative splicing of coq-2 controls the levels of rhodoquinone in animals

Parasitic helminths use two benzoquinones as electron carriers in the electron transport chain. In normoxia, they use ubiquinone (UQ), but in anaerobic conditions inside the host, they require rhodoquinone (RQ) and greatly increase RQ levels. We previously showed the switch from UQ to RQ synthesis is driven by a change of substrates by the polyprenyltransferase COQ-2 (Del Borrello et al., 2019; Roberts Buceta et al., 2019); however, the mechanism of substrate selection is not known. Here, we show helminths synthesize two coq-2 splice forms, coq-2a and coq-2e, and the coq-2e-specific exon is only found in species that synthesize RQ. We show that in Caenorhabditis elegans COQ-2e is required for efficient RQ synthesis and survival in cyanide. Importantly, parasites switch from COQ-2a to COQ-2e as they transit into anaerobic environments. We conclude helminths switch from UQ to RQ synthesis principally via changes in the alternative splicing of coq-2.Agencia Nacional de Investigación e InnovaciónCanadian Institutes of Health Researc

Teleportation Systems Toward a Quantum Internet

Quantum teleportation is essential for many quantum information technologies, including long-distance quantum networks. Using fiber-coupled devices, including state-of-the-art low-noise superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors and off-the-shelf optics, we achieve conditional quantum teleportation of time-bin qubits at the telecommunication wavelength of 1536.5 nm. We measure teleportation fidelities of ≥90% that are consistent with an analytical model of our system, which includes realistic imperfections. To demonstrate the compatibility of our setup with deployed quantum networks, we teleport qubits over 22 km of single-mode fiber while transmitting qubits over an additional 22 km of fiber. Our systems, which are compatible with emerging solid-state quantum devices, provide a realistic foundation for a high-fidelity quantum Internet with practical devices

Teleportation Systems Toward a Quantum Internet

Quantum teleportation is essential for many quantum information technologies, including long-distance quantum networks. Using fiber-coupled devices, including state-of-the-art low-noise superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors and off-the-shelf optics, we achieve conditional quantum teleportation of time-bin qubits at the telecommunication wavelength of 1536.5 nm. We measure teleportation fidelities of ≥90% that are consistent with an analytical model of our system, which includes realistic imperfections. To demonstrate the compatibility of our setup with deployed quantum networks, we teleport qubits over 22 km of single-mode fiber while transmitting qubits over an additional 22 km of fiber. Our systems, which are compatible with emerging solid-state quantum devices, provide a realistic foundation for a high-fidelity quantum Internet with practical devices

LKB1 loss in melanoma disrupts directional migration toward extracellular matrix cues

Somatic inactivation of the serine/threonine kinase gene STK11/LKB1/PAR-4 occurs in a variety of cancers, including ∼10% of melanoma. However, how the loss of LKB1 activity facilitates melanoma invasion and metastasis remains poorly understood. In LKB1-null cells derived from an autochthonous murine model of melanoma with activated Kras and Lkb1 loss and matched reconstituted controls, we have investigated the mechanism by which LKB1 loss increases melanoma invasive motility. Using a microfluidic gradient chamber system and time-lapse microscopy, in this paper, we uncover a new function for LKB1 as a directional migration sensor of gradients of extracellular matrix (haptotaxis) but not soluble growth factor cues (chemotaxis). Systematic perturbation of known LKB1 effectors demonstrated that this response does not require canonical adenosine monophosphate–activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity but instead requires the activity of the AMPK-related microtubule affinity-regulating kinase (MARK)/PAR-1 family kinases. Inhibition of the LKB1–MARK pathway facilitated invasive motility, suggesting that loss of the ability to sense inhibitory matrix cues may promote melanoma invasion