Incomplete Blocking Research Articles

Precise Design of a 0.8 nm Pore Size in a Separator Interfacial Layer Inspired by a Sieving Effect toward Inhibiting Polysulfide Shuttling and Promoting Li+ Diffusion.

The incomplete blocking of small-sized polysulfides by pore size and the effect on Li+ transport are generally neglected when the size-sieving effect is employed to suppress the shuttling of polysulfides. Herein, ion-selective modified layers with pore sizes equal to, greater than, and less than 0.8 nm, respectively, on the polypropylene separator are fabricated to obtain the preferable pore size for separation of polysulfides and Li+. As a result, the modified layer with a pore size of 0.8 nm can efficiently inhibit the shuttling of polysulfides and simultaneously boost the diffusion of Li+ under the double effect of the size advantage and electrostatic shielding. Consequently, the battery using a separator with a modified layer having a pore size of 0.8 nm possesses a lower capacity attenuation of 0.047% after 1000 cycles at 2.0 C. This work serves as a vital guide for suppressing polysulfide shuttle using ion-selective sieving effects for lithium-sulfur batteries.

Assessing patient information needs for new antidiabetic medications to inform shared decision-making: A best-worst scaling experiment in China.

Shared decision-making (SDM) is a patient-centred approach to improve the quality of care. An essential requirement for the SDM process is to be fully aware of patient information needs. Our study aimed to assess patient information needs for new antidiabetic medications using the best-worst scaling (BWS) experiment. BWS tasks were developed according to a literature review and the focus group discussion. We used a balanced incomplete block design and blocking techniques to generate choice sets. The final BWS contains 11 attributes, with 6-choice scenarios in each block. The one-to-one, face-to-face BWS survey was conducted among type 2 diabetic patients in Jiangsu Province. Results were analyzed using count-based analysis and modelling approaches. We also conducted a subgroup analysis to observe preference heterogeneity. Data from 539 patients were available for analysis. The most desired information domain was the comparative effectiveness of new antidiabetic medications. It consists of the incidence of macrovascular complications, the length of extended life years, changes in health-related quality of life, the incidence of microvascular complications, and the control of glycated haemoglobin. Of all the attributes, the incidence of macrovascular complications was the primary concern. Patients' glycemic control and whether they had diabetes complications exerted a significant influence on their information needs. Information on health benefits is of critical significance for diabetic patients. Patients have different information needs as their disease progresses. Personalized patient decision aids that integrate patient information needs and provide evidence of new antidiabetic medications are worthy of being established. Before data collection, a pilot survey was carried out among diabetic patients to provide feedback on the acceptability and intelligibility of the attributes.

Hierarchical-unlocking virus-esque NanoCRISPR precisely disrupts autocrine and paracrine pathway of VEGF for tumor inhibition and antiangiogenesis

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) not only serves as an autocrine survival factor for tumor cells themselves, but also stimulates angiogenesis by paracrine pathway. Strategies targeting VEGF holds tremendous potential for tumor therapy, however, agents targeting VEGF are limited by intolerable side effects, together with incomplete and temporary blocking of VEGF, resulting in unsatisfactory and unsustained therapeutic outcomes. Herein, hierarchical-unlocking virus-esque NanoCRISPR (HUNGER) is constructed for complete, permanent and efficient intracellular disruption of autocrine and paracrine pathway of VEGF, thereby eliciting notable tumor inhibition and antiangiogenesis. After intravenous administration, HUNGER exhibits prolonged blood circulation and hyaluronic acid-CD44 mediated tumor-targeting capability. Subsequently, when matrix metalloproteinase-2 is overexpressed in the tumor microenvironment, the PEG layer will be removed. The cell-penetrating peptide R8 endows HUNGER deep tumor penetration and specific cellular uptake. Upon cellular internalization, HUNGER undergoes hyaluronidase-triggered deshielding in lysosome, lysosomal escape is realized swiftly, and then the loaded CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid (>8 kb) is transported to nucleus efficiently. Consequentially, complete, permanent and efficient intracellular disruption of autocrine and paracrine pathway of VEGF ensures inhibition of angiogenesis and tumor growth with inappreciable toxicity. Overall, this work opens a brand-new avenue for anti-VEGF therapy and presents a feasible strategy for in vivo delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 system.

Molecular treatment trajectories within psoriatic T lymphocytes: a mini review.

Multiple biological processes in mammalian cells are implicated in psoriasis (Ps) development and progression, as well as in the pathogenic mechanisms associated with this chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID). These refer to molecular cascades contributing to the pathological topical and systemic reactions in Ps, where local skin-resident cells derived from peripheral blood and skin-infiltrating cells originating from the circulatory system, in particular T lymphocytes (T cells), are key actors. The interplay between molecular components of T cell signalling transduction and their involvement in cellular cascades (i.e. throughout Ca2+/CaN/NFAT, MAPK/JNK, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, JAK/STAT pathways) has been of concern in the last few years; this is still less characterised than expected, even though some evidence has accumulated to date identifying them as potential objects in the management of Ps. Innovative therapeutic strategies for the use of compounds such as synthetic Small Molecule Drugs (SMDs) and their various combinations proved to be promising tools for the treatment of Ps via incomplete blocking, also known as modulation of disease-associated molecular tracks. Despite recent drug development having mainly centred on biological therapies for Ps, yet displaying serious limitations, SMDs acting on specific pathway factor isoforms or single effectors within T cell, could represent a valid innovation in real-world treatment patterns in patients with Ps. Of note, due to the intricate crosstalk between intracellular pathways, the use of selective agents targeting proper tracks is, in our opinion, a challenge for modern science regarding the prevention of disease at its onset and also in the prediction of patient response to Ps treatment.

Transpyloric misplacement and intramural dislocation: two novel complications related to balloon-type G-tubes.

To the Editor: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) remains the standard enteral nutrition access in clinical practice with limited complication potential. Beyond mushroom and/or disk-tip tubes (pull technique), in the introducer technique balloon-type G-tubes are implanted, warranting regular, often nurse-led exchanges. Herein, two novel complications related to tube exchange are presented. A frail male patient with advanced diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH)–related dysphagia reported on worsening enteral nutrition tolerance (intermittent administration) due to abdominal pain since the last bedside tube exchange by a specialized nutrition team in the nursing home. On endoscopy, transpyloric misplacement likely related to inadvertent duodenal guidewire insertion (Fig. 1A), resistant to repositioning by external traction (Fig. 1B), was detected. Endoscopy-directed repositioning was easily performed after balloon deflation and withdrawal into the stomach, and other potential causes for deterioration of nutrition tolerance, such as ulcer disease, were excluded. In retrospective, this uncommon and as yet unreported complication may have been avoided by strictly keeping attention to the distance markings during tube exchange, although the mere distance between the PEG exit point and the pylorus was indeed short.Figure 1.: Patient 1: (A) Endoscopic visualization of transpyloric misplacement of a balloon-type G-tube, causing discomfort due to inadvertent duodenal instead of gastric administration of the enteral nutrition regimen. (B) Failed repositioning by external pulling without balloon deflation (not shown uncomplicated repositioning under endoscopic guidance after balloon deflation). Patient 2: (C) Marked edema and hyperemia along endoscopic impression of a “subepithelial lesion” consistent with intramural balloon dislocation. (D) The latter was confirmed after balloon deflation, resulting in collapse of the lesion, and the PEG tract became visible in the vicinity.The second patient with a history of head and neck cancer presented with high-grade abdominal pain. Of note, the patient had only been discharged from a nearby hospital the same day after reinsertion of a balloon-type G-tube using the same PEG stoma after external loss of the previous tube during care measures. CT scans indicated minor free abdominal and intramural air in the stomach along suspected tube dislocation. This was confirmed during urgent endoscopy under CO2, revealing a markedly edematous and hyperemic “pseudotumor” in the antrum (Fig. 1C). After balloon deflation, the stoma entry site was found in the vicinity (Fig. 1D), and the balloon-type tube was repositioned correctly under endoscopic vision, obviating the need for surgery. It remains unclear why this complication occurred despite endoscopic guidance of tube exchange. On a speculative basis, incomplete balloon blocking and/or too aggressive tube retraction during care measures postendoscopy might be discussed. To the best of our knowledge, transpyloric misplacement and intramural dislocation have not yet been reported in the literature and represent two novel, clinically relevant complications related to balloon-type G-tubes.1 Nevertheless, similar to more common G-tube–related complications, such as buried bumper syndrome, strict adherence to tube exchange protocols and proper tube care are of utmost importance. Conflicts of interest The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Spatiotemporal regulation of cholangiocarcinoma growth and dissemination by peritumoral myofibroblasts in a Vcam1-dependent manner

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is characterized by its highly desmoplastic stroma. Myofibroblasts (MFs) are present both within the tumor mass (intratumoral MFs, iMFs) and at the tumor border (peritumoral MFs, pMFs). Using a spheroid-based coculture system, we show that the initial iCCA-pMF contact is growth suppressive to the tumor cells. However, prolonged iCCA-pMF interaction elicits significant tumor cell invasion and dissemination. We find that vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (Vcam1) level is elevated in tumor cells in contact with pMFs but low in disseminated tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. A gene regulatory network analysis of mouse and patient iCCA tumors and Vcam1 knockout (Vcam1KO) demonstrate a heavy involvement of Vcam1 in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. While Vcam1KO has only a limited impact on tumor cell growth in their monoculture, Vcam1KO spheroids exhibit instant dissemination and a severe growth defect when cocultured with pMFs. When transplanted into the liver, Vcam1KO iCCA cells show a similar increase in dissemination but a significant defect in establishing primary and metastatic tumors. Incomplete blocking of Vcam1 in vivo reduces the size but increase the number of metastatic lesions. Overall, our study shows a spatiotemporal regulation of iCCA growth and dissemination by pMFs in a Vcam1-dependent manner.

S-palmitoylation of PCSK9 induces sorafenib resistance in liver cancer by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway.

Sorafenib is currently the first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, sorafenib resistance remains a significant challenge. Aberrant AKT signaling activation is a crucial mechanism driving sorafenib resistance in HCC. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) plays a vital role in antitumor immune responses. In this study, we demonstrate that aberrant PCSK9 upregulation promotes cell proliferation and sorafenib resistance in HCC by inducing AKT-S473 phosphorylation. After palmitoylation at cysteine 600, the binding affinity between PCSK9 and tensin homolog (PTEN) is dramatically increased, inducing lysosome-mediated PTEN degradation and subsequent AKT activation. We identify zinc finger DHHC-type palmitoyltransferase 16 (ZDHHC16) as a palmitoyltransferase that promotes PCSK9 palmitoylation at cysteine 600. We also develop a biologically active PCSK9-derived peptide that competitively inhibits PCSK9 palmitoylation, suppressing AKT phosphorylation and augmenting the antitumor effects of sorafenib in HCC.

Adsorption and fouling behaviors of customized nanocomposite membrane to trace pharmaceutically active compounds under multiple influent matrices

Rare information is available on fouling behavior of customized nanofiltration (NF) membrane evoked by pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) under real multiple influent matrices pretreated by ultrafiltration module beforehand. To this end, a novel tight NF membrane with excellent perm-selectivity and antiadhesion was fabricated and used to assess its separation performance/mechanism and fouling behavior to a broad range of small molecular PhACs in the context. The adsorption ratio results revealed that the affinities between five selected PhACs and the customized nanocomposite membrane surface were all much weaker (below 5.5%) than the solute-solute interacting forces (between 23.6 and 83.2%), whether for natural or synthetic complex micropollutants. The predominant membrane fouling could be interpreted by the incomplete blocking model in the permeation of both influent conditions. For neat nanocomposite membrane, the order of critical factors important on separation mechanism was electrostatic effect, adsorption and steric hindrance. The fouling layer seemed to act as a secondary separating layer for those negatively charged or hydrophilic PhACs, but showed the cake enhanced concentration polarization effect for the neutral and hydrophobic ones. This study provides valuable insights for defining PhACs fate and NF membrane fouling behavior to fit increasingly stringent criteria for wastewater treatment.

Programmable Unlocking Nano-Matryoshka-CRISPR Precisely Reverses Immunosuppression to Unleash Cascade Amplified Adaptive Immune Response.

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is an attractive option in cancer therapy, but its efficacy is still less than expected due to the transient and incomplete blocking and the low responsiveness. Herein, an unprecedented programmable unlocking nano‐matryoshka‐CRISPR system (PUN) targeting programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) and protein tyrosine phosphatase N2 (PTPN2) is fabricated for permanent and complete and highly responsive immunotherapy. While PUN is inert at normal physiological conditions, enzyme‐abundant tumor microenvironment and preternatural intracellular oxidative stress sequentially trigger programmable unlocking of PUN to realize a nano‐matryoshka‐like release of CRISPR/Cas9. The successful nucleus localization of CRISPR/Cas9 ensures the highly efficient disruption of PD‐L1 and PTPN2 to unleash cascade amplified adaptive immune response via revoking the immune checkpoint effect. PD‐L1 downregulation in tumor cells not only disrupts PD‐1/PD‐L1 interaction to attenuate the immunosurveillance evasion but also spurs potent immune T cell responses to enhance adaptive immunity. Synchronously, inhibition of JAK/STAT pathway is relieved by deleting PTPN2, which promotes tumor susceptibility to CD8+ T cells depending on IFN‐γ, thus further amplifying adaptive immune responses. Combining these advances together, PUN exhibits optimal antitumor efficiency and long‐term immune memory with negligible toxicity, which provides a promising alternative to current ICB therapy.

STUDY OF ACCESSORY SUPRAORBITAL FORAMEN IN NORTH INDIAN HUMAN SKULL

Objective: This research was aimed at telling the anatomical characteristics of the accessory supraorbital foramen (ASOF) in relation to the main supraorbital foramen (SOF), which is necessary in clinical situations that require regional surgical procedures.
 Methods: A total dedicated to the presence and location of 72 dry Indian adults of unknown age and sex were investigated. In each skull, the ASOF location was measured on both sides with a Vernier caliper metal case, with the SOF as the reference point. The total number of accessory foramen was also noted.
 Results: Accessory infraorbital foramens (IOFs) were seen only in 4.16% in our study and all seen were single in number. Half of those accessory foramen were present on medial and rest half were present on superomedial position as compared to the main IOF. Half among present accessory foramens were located at a distance of <2 mm and half were located at a distance of more than 2 mm. The mean location of accessory IOF was at 7.07 mm from main IOF.
 Conclusion: Knowledge of the anatomical characteristics of ASOF can have major effects on surgical and local anesthetic preparation blockage of the super orbital nerves. Additional guidance for surgeons may be provided with information on the foramens obtained from this study. The surgeons should note this during the nerve block as damage to either branch will lead to sensory impairment and incomplete blocking of the nerve.

Overcoming Autocrine FGF Signaling-Induced Heterogeneity in Naive Human ESCs Enables Modeling of Random X Chromosome Inactivation.

Primed and naive human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) do not fully recapitulate the X chromosome status observed in human preimplantation epiblast and fail to initiate random X chromosome inactivation (XCI) upon differentiation. Therefore, an ideal system for studying XCI during early human development is yet to be established. We show that incomplete blocking of autocrine fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) signaling in naive hESCs drives significant heterogeneity in X chromosome and pluripotency status. We derived homozygous XaXa naive hESCs with dual allelic XIST expression and high levels of TFCP2L1, whose transcriptome and X chromosome states are similar to human preimplantation epiblast. Random XCI was initiated upon naive-to-primed conversion of these cells, and both pre- and post-XCI primed hESCs were obtained. Weobserved random XCI in all cells upon further differentiation of pre-XCI primed hESCs. Together, these findings enable derivation of homogeneous naive hESCs and establish a powerful platform to study humanXCI.

Comparative Analysis of Generalized Sidelobe Cancellation and Multi-Channel Linear Prediction for Speech Dereverberation and Noise Reduction

For blind speech dereverberation, two frameworks are commonly used: on the one hand, the multi-channel linear prediction (MCLP) framework, and on the other hand, data-dependent beamforming, e.g., the generalized sidelobe canceler (GSC) framework. The MCLP framework is designed to perform deconvolution and hence has gained increased prominence in blind speech dereverberation. The GSC framework is commonly used for noise reduction, but may be applied for dereverberation as well. In previous work, we have shown that for the noiseless case, MCLP and the GSC yield in theory mathematically equivalent results in terms of dereverberation. In this paper, we assume additional coherent as well as incoherent-noise components and formally analyze and compare both frameworks in terms of dereverberation and noise reduction performance. Both the theoretical analysis and time domain simulation results demonstrate that unlike the GSC, MCLP expectably shows limited performance in terms of noise reduction, while both perform equally well in terms of dereverberation, provided that the GSC blocking matrix achieves complete blocking of the early reverberant-speech component and sufficiently many microphones are available. In case of incomplete blocking, however, the GSC performs inferior to MCLP in terms of dereverberation, as shown in short-time Fourier transform domain simulations.

P3-3-10. Electroencephalographic findings of central nervous system symptoms after human papillomavirus vaccine

Little is known about the mechanism of central nervous system (CNS) symptoms after human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, and there is no report on electroencephalographic (EEG) findings about these symptoms. This study shows postictal and interictal EEG findings of two girls with CNS symptoms after HPV vaccine. Case1: a 16-year-old girl. Her attack was left dominant dystonia followed by loss of consciousness. Her interictal EEG showed unilateral (the right side) loss of a photic driving response, B(I) RDs (Brief Potentially Ictal Rhythmic Discharges) on T6 electrode. Her postictal EEG showed asymmetric alpha rhythm amplitude (suppression of the left side; the left was less than 50% of the right). This asymmetry disappeared within 5 min EEG recordings. Case2: a 19-year-old girl. Her attack was right dominant dystonia followed by loss of consciousness. Her interictal EEG showed the left dominant incomplete alpha blocking, asymmetric alpha rhythm frequency (the left side was slower). Trihexyphenidyl was effective in reducing attacks of these patients. These EEG findings look like hemiplegic migraine, epilepsy, so the mechanism of CNS symptoms after HPV vaccine may be similar to these disorders. This study demonstrates objective findings about CNS symptoms (dystonia, loss of consciousness) after HPV vaccine, and that these symptoms are not functional/psychogenic disorders.

The Design and Analysis for the Icing Wind Tunnel Experiment of a New Deicing Coating

ABSTRACTA new kind of deicing coating is developed to provide aircraft with efficient and durable protection from icing-induced dangers. The icing wind tunnel experiment is indispensable in confirming the usefulness of a deicing coating. Due to the high cost of each batch relative to the available budget, an efficient design of the icing wind tunnel experiment is crucial. The challenges in designing this experiment are multi-fold. It involves between-block factors and within-block factors, incomplete blocking with random effects, related factors, hard-to-change factors, and nuisance factors. Traditional designs and theories cannot be directly applied. To overcome these challenges, we propose using a step-by-step design strategy that includes applying a cross array structure for between-block factors and within-block factors, a group of balanced conditions for optimizing incomplete blocking, a run order method to achieve the minimum number of level changes for hard-to-change factors, and a zero aliased matrix for the nuisance factors. New (theoretical) results for D-optimal design of incomplete blocking experiments with random block effects and minimum number of level changes are obtained. Results of the experiments show that this novel deicing coating is promising in offering both high efficiency of ice reduction and a long service lifetime. The methodology proposed here is generalizable to other applications that involve nonstandard design problems. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.

OR52 AT1R antibody in pediatric heart transplant patients: What are we really detecting

Aim The frequency and impact of AT1R antibodies in pediatric heart transplantation has not been well studied. Our aim was to measure AT1R antibodies (AT1R-Ab) in this patient population and pediatric controls and to assess for non-specific reactivity in this assay. Methods We included 42 patients ( n = 154 samples) for whom pre- and post-transplant sera and HLA Ab data were available. AT1R-Ab were measured by ELISA (One Lambda Inc.). Samples were tested/interpreted as per product insert. Age-matched, sex-balanced, non-transplant patient controls ( n = 27) were collected from cardiac–catheterization laboratory. A subset with positive results ( n = 52 sera from 20 patients) was re-tested following Adsorb Out (One Lambda Inc.). Analysis was performed using GraphPad. Results No significant difference was observed between patient and control AT1R antibody levels (Fig. 1). Values over 40 U/ml were detected in 38% of patient sera. Adsorbed sera had significantly decreased AT1R values vs non-adsorbed sera (Fig. 2A). There was no significant change in AT1R-Ab from pre- to post-transplant overall in either group but a higher proportion of patients changed from positive to negative using adsorbed vs non-adsorbed sera (20% vs 12.5%) (Fig. 2B and C). Conclusions A high proportion of patients and controls were positive for AT1R-Ab, however, many sera appear to be false positive, possibly due to BSA reactivity or incomplete blocking in the assay. As more assays for non-HLA Ab are added into our clinical algorithms, appropriate controls must be included. A ‘blank’ well would be useful in this assay for accurate interpretation of results. Association of the adsorbed and non-adsorbed AT1R-Ab to transplant outcomes is currently being assessed.

Design of UV-Absorbing Polypropylene Films with Polymeric Benzotriaziole Based Nano- and Microparticle Coatings.

UV-absorbing nanoparticles (NPs) and microparticles (MPs) were prepared by emulsion and dispersion copolymerization of the vinylic monomer 2-(2'-hydroxy-5'-methacryloxyethylphenyl)-2H-benzotriazole (Norbloc (NB)) with the crosslinking monomer divinylbenzene. The effect of the initiator concentration on the size and size distribution of the polyNB (PNB) particles was elucidated. Thin coatings of the formed PNB NPs or MPs of 19 ± 2 and 200 ± 25 nm dry diameter, respectively, onto polypropylene (PP) films were then prepared and characterized. Increasing the concentration or thickness of the PNB NP or MP thin coatings on the PP films decreased their UV transmittance, up to complete UV blocking with just 2 μm of a 4% NP coating. Migration of the UV-absorbing agents from the coated PP films was not observed during three years of storage at room temperature, offering a unique solution to current problems of migration of UV-absorbing additives. The thin coatings obtained by the PNB NPs were superior to those of the PNB MPs, in that no UV transmittance or loss of optical properties of the PP films were observed for the NP coatings, while the coatings produced by the PNB MPs resulted in damaged optical properties, particularly increasing the haze, and achieved incomplete UV blocking.

Therapeutic TNF Inhibitors can Differentially Stabilize Trimeric TNF by Inhibiting Monomer Exchange

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a homotrimeric cytokine that is a key mediator of inflammation. It is unstable at physiological concentrations and slowly converts into an inactive form. Here, we investigated the mechanism of this process by using a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay that allowed monitoring of monomeric subunit exchange in time. We observed continuous exchange of monomeric subunits even at concentrations of TNF high enough to maintain its bioactivity. The kinetics of this process closely corresponds with the appearance of monomeric subunits and disappearance of trimeric TNF in time at ng/ml concentrations as monitored by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HP-SEC). Furthermore, of the five therapeutic TNF inhibitors that are currently used in the clinic, three (adalimumab, infliximab, etanercept) were found to completely inhibit the monomer exchange reaction and stabilize TNF trimers, whereas golimumab and certolizumab could not prevent monomer exchange, but did slow down the exchange process. These differences were not correlated with the affinities of the TNF inhibitors, measured with both surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and in fluid phase using fluorescence-assisted HP-SEC. The stabilizing effect of these TNF inhibitors might result in prolonged residual TNF bioactivity under conditions of incomplete blocking, as observed in vitro for adalimumab.

On the thermal oxidation of V x O y –InP heterostructures formed by the centrifugation of vanadium(V) oxide gel

The optimal mode for the application of a nanoscale layer of vanadium-pentoxide gel on the surface of indium phosphide by centrifugation is determined via spectroscopic ellipsometry and atomic-force microscopy. By oxidizing the formed VxOy—InP heterostructures, films are obtained with a grain structure, with the height of the relief not exceeding 70 nm. The presence of incompletely oxidized chemostimulator components (VO2, V2O3) in the films and the presence of InVO4, which binds the V2O5 chemostimulator and thereby blocks the regeneration cycle of V+5 ↔ V+4, suggest implementation of the transit mechanism of the chemostimulated oxidation of indium phosphide. The data of spectroscopic ellipsometry indicate incomplete kinetic blocking of the diffusion of indium into the films upon oxidation.

Selective cell targeting and lineage tracing of human induced pluripotent stem cells using recombinant avian retroviruses.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) differentiate into multiple cell types. Selective cell targeting is often needed for analyzing gene function by overexpressing proteins in a distinct population of hiPSC-derived cell types and for monitoring cell fate in response to stimuli. However, to date, this has not been possible, as commonly used viruses enter the hiPSC via ubiquitously expressed receptors. Here, we report for the first time the application of a heterologous avian receptor, the tumor virus receptor A (TVA), to selectively transduce TVA(+) cells in a mixed cell population. Expression of the TVA surface receptor via genetic engineering renders cells susceptible for infection by avian leucosis virus (ALV). We generated hiPSC lines with this stably integrated, ectopic TVA receptor gene that expressed the receptor while retaining pluripotency. The undifferentiated hiPSC(TVA+) as well as their differentiating progeny could be infected by recombinant ALV (so-called RCAS virus) with high efficiency. Due to incomplete receptor blocking, even sequential infection of differentiating or undifferentiated TVA(+) cells was possible. In conclusion, the TVA/RCAS system provides an efficient and gentle gene transfer system for hiPSC and extends our possibilities for selective cell targeting and lineage tracing studies.

Assessing genetic variation within Eucalyptus camaldulensis for survival and growth on two spatially variable saline sites in southern Australia

Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. provenance–family trials were assessed on two southern Australian saline discharge sites, each of which demonstrated spatial and temporal heterogeneity for salinity and groundwater-table depth. Ninety-six seedlots (from 29 Australian provenances) including 82 individual, open-pollinated families, 14 bulked provenances and one clone of E. camaldulensis as well as one seedlot each of E. grandis and E. occidentalis were evaluated for survival and growth up to age 34months. Significant differences in growth were found among provenances and families within provenances. The best provenances at both sites were all from north-western Victoria, particularly those from the terminal wetland of the Wimmera River around Lake Albacutya. Inclusion of statistical model terms for soil salinity (ECe), spatially-oriented incomplete blocking and autoregressive spatial error terms improved the partitioning of within-site variance and were valuable for making selections on these heterogeneous sites.