Interview with David Body-owner of the Alcove

David Body discusses the Alcove and from where their food comes.https://digital.kenyon.edu/elfs_interviews/1031/thumbnail.jp

Detection of snRNP assembly intermediates in Cajal bodies by fluorescence resonance energy transfer

Spliceosomal small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs) are required for pre-mRNA splicing throughout the nucleoplasm, yet snRNPs also concentrate in Cajal bodies (CBs). To address a proposed role of CBs in snRNP assembly, we have used fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) microscopy to investigate the subnuclear distribution of specific snRNP intermediates. Two distinct complexes containing the protein SART3 (p110), required for U4/U6 snRNP assembly, were localized: SART3•U6 snRNP and SART3•U4/U6 snRNP. These complexes segregated to different nuclear compartments, with SART3•U6 snRNPs exclusively in the nucleoplasm and SART3•U4/U6 snRNPs preferentially in CBs. Mutant cells lacking the CB-specific protein coilin and consequently lacking CBs exhibited increased nucleoplasmic levels of SART3•U4/U6 snRNP complexes. Reconstitution of CBs in these cells by expression of exogenous coilin restored accumulation of SART3•U4/U6 snRNP in CBs. Thus, while some U4/U6 snRNP assembly can occur in the nucleoplasm, these data provide evidence that SART3•U6 snRNPs form in the nucleoplasm and translocate to CBs where U4/U6 snRNP assembly occurs

Resistant atherosclerosis: the need for monitoring of plaque burden

Background and Purpose—Recent studies indicate that patients with lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) have greater regression of coronary plaque. In 2002, we found that carotid plaque progression doubled cardiovascular risk. In 2003, we therefore implemented a new approach, treating arteries instead of risk factors. Since then, we have seen many patients with carotid plaque progression despite very low levels of LDL-C, suggesting other causes of atherosclerosis. We studied the relationship of achieved LDL-C and change in LDL-C to progression/regression of atherosclerosis, before and after 2003. Methods—All 4512 patients in our clinic database with at least 2 measurements of LDL-C and carotid total plaque area approximately a year apart and complete data for analyses (n=2025 before and 2487 after December 31, 2003) were included in the study. Results—Baseline total plaque area was significantly higher after 2003 (129.56±134.32 versus 113.33±121.52 mm2; P\u3c0.0001), and plaque progression was significantly less after 2003 (2.94±37.11 versus 12.62±43.24 mm2; P\u3c0.0001). Many patients with LDL-C \u3c1.8 mm had plaque progression (47.5%), and change in LDL-C was not correlated with plaque progression/regression. Increasing age and serum creatinine contributed to resistant atherosclerosis. Conclusions—Many patients have Resistant Atherosclerosis, failing to achieve regression of atherosclerosis despite low levels of LDL-C. Instead of relying on LDL-C, measuring plaque burden may be a more useful way of assessing individual response to therapy, particularly in resistant atherosclerosis

Analysis of New Hampshire Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) to Better Understand Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration by Industry Category

This supplemental report provides additional information on breastfeeding initiation and duration, and a woman’s job category (industry) as reported to the NH Division of Vital Records Administration via the NH birth certificate. De-identified responses in the NH birth certificate data linked to the responses in the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey data provided the opportunity to better understand duration of breastfeeding by a woman’s industry. The findings may be useful to policymakers and employers when framed in terms of the health and economic benefits of breastfeeding to inform workplace policy formation

Teaching the Honors Public Speaking Course

The honors student comes to the public speaking class with a unique set of needs and learning preferences which require alterations to the traditional course. This article explores a variety of honors course formats, honors students’ characteristics and learning preferences, and some ideas for restructuring the typical public speaking course to best accommodate honors students. As such, this article can serve as an initial step toward creating a new honors course or restructuring an existing course. The suggested formats and content changes can create added challenge and participatory experience to improve honors education

The environmental toxicant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin disrupts morphogenesis of the rat pre-implantation embryo

© 2008 Hutt et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 2.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The definitive version was published in BMC Developmental Biology 8 (2008): 1, doi:10.1186/1471-213X-8-1.Environmental toxicants, whose actions are often mediated through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway, pose risks to the health and well-being of exposed species, including humans. Of particular concern are exposures during the earliest stages of development that while failing to abrogate embryogenesis, may have long term effects on newborns or adults. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of maternal exposure to the AhR-specific ligand 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on the development of rat pre-implantation embryos with respect to nuclear and cytoskeletal architecture and cell lineage allocation. We performed a systematic 3 dimensional (3D) confocal microscopy analysis of rat pre-implantation embryos following maternal exposure to environmentally relevant doses of TCDD. Both chronic (50 ng/kg/wk for 3 months) and acute (50 ng/kg and 1 μg/kg at proestrus) maternal TCDD exposure disrupted morphogenesis at the compaction stage (8–16 cell), with defects including monopolar spindle formation, f-actin capping and fragmentation due to aberrant cytokinesis. Additionally, the size, shape and position of nuclei were modified in compaction stage pre-implantation embryos collected from treated animals. Notably, maternal TCDD exposure did not compromise survival to blastocyst, which with the exception of nuclear shape, were morphologically similar to control blastocysts. We have identified the compaction stage of pre-implantation embryogenesis as critically sensitive to the effects of TCDD, while survival to the blastocyst stage is not compromised. To the best of our knowledge this is the first in vivo study to demonstrate a critical window of pre-implantation mammalian development that is vulnerable to disruption by an AhR ligand at environmentally relevant doses.This research was supported by NIH/NIEHS-012916 (BKP), ESHE Fund (DFA), Hall Family Foundation (DFA and KJH) and Biomedical Research Training Grant KUMC (KJH)

Visualizador virtual tridimensional con tecnología de iluminación de estado sólido

El visualizador virtual tridimensional es una pantalla 3D con tecnología de iluminación de estado sólido, usando tecnología integrada de sistemas embebidos, tales como los microcontroladores modernos de alta velocidad, gran capacidad de procesamiento y almacenamiento de información, a su vez compuesto por una hilera de LED‟s RGB que giran a una velocidad de 1800 rpm con una visibilidad de 360 grados, lo cual lo hace ideal para comunicaciones, publicidad, ambientación, lanzamiento y posicionamiento de marcas, contribuyendo también con el medio ambiente por su bajo consumo de energía. Este proyecto se compone de dos etapas fundamentales para su construcción: Parte Mecánica: Consta del ensamble de un motor que por medio de poleas transmite el movimiento a un eje central el cual tiene adherido un disco en acrílico que sirve de soporte a los circuitos impresos, y una base en acero con buena adherencia a la superficie que sostiene todo el mecanismo para darle estabilidad al visualizador cuando este en movimiento. Parte Eléctrica: Se compone de los circuitos eléctricos que nos permiten visualizar mediante la programación adecuada el mensaje que se deseen mostrar y controlan la velocidad a la que debe girar el motor. Con respecto a lo anterior se dará una descripción de todos los componentes y metodologías utilizadas para la elaboración del visualizador virtual tridimensional, se explicara claramente el desarrollo del chasis y el funcionamiento de cada uno de sus componentes y se tendrán los cálculos necesarios para la elaboración del circuito y del control del motor