Smartphone-based multimodal tethered capsule endoscopic platform for white-light,narrow-band,and fluorescence/autofluorescence imaging

Multimodal low-cost endoscopy is highly desirable in poor resource settings such as in developing nations. In this work, we developed a smartphone-based low-cost, reusable tethered capsule endoscopic platform that allows white-light, narrowband, and fluorescence/autofluorescence imaging of the esophagus. The ex-vivo studies of swine esophagus were performed and compared with a commercial endoscope to test the white-light imaging capabilities of the endoscope. The efficacy of the capsule for narrow-band imaging was tested by imaging the vascularization of the tongue. To determine the autofluorescence/fluorescence capability of the endoscope, fluorescein dye with different concentrations was imaged. Furthermore, swine esophagus injected with fluorescein dye was imaged using the fluorescence/autofluorescence and the white-light imaging modules, ex-vivo. The overall cost of the capsules is approximately 12 €, 15 €, and 42 € for the white light imaging, the narrow-band imaging, and the fluorescence/autofluorescence imaging respectively. In addition, the cost of the laser source module required for the narrow-band imaging and the fluorescence/autofluorescence imaging is approximately 218 €. This device will open the possibility of imaging the esophagus in underprivileged areas.     

Foamy Virus Gag p71-p68 Cleavage Is Required for Template Switch of the Reverse Transcriptase

In contrast to orthoretroviruses, processing of foamy viral p71 Gag is limited to a single cleavage site. Nevertheless, Gag maturation is essential for infectivity, but deletion of p3 results in a modest drop in infectivity. Here, we show that Gag processing of p71 to p68 and p3 is essential for full-length cDNA synthesis, while inactivation of Gag cleavage results in cDNAs containing only the RU5 region; cDNAs encompassing the U3 region were almost undetectable.     

The insertion of the non-heme FeB cofactor into nitric oxide reductase from P. denitrificans depends on NorQ and NorD accessory proteins

Bacterial NO reductases (NOR) catalyze the reduction of NO into N₂O, either as a step in denitrification or as a detoxification mechanism. cNOR from Paracoccus (P.) denitrificans is expressed from the norCBQDEF operon, but only the NorB and NorC proteins are found in the purified NOR complex.Here, we established a new purification method for the P. denitrificans cNOR via a His-tag using heterologous expression in E. coli. The His-tagged enzyme is both structurally and functionally very similar to non-tagged cNOR. We were also able to express and purify cNOR from the structural genes norCB only, in absence of the accessory genes norQDEF. The produced protein is a stable NorCB complex containing all hemes and it can bind gaseous ligands (CO) to heme b₃, but it is catalytically inactive. We show that this deficient cNOR lacks the non-heme iron cofactor Fe_B. Mutational analysis of the nor gene cluster revealed that it is the norQ and norD genes that are essential to form functional cNOR. NorQ belongs to the family of MoxR P-loop AAA+ ATPases, which are in general considered to facilitate enzyme activation processes often involving metal insertion. Our data indicates that NorQ and NorD work together in order to facilitate non-heme Fe insertion. This is noteworthy since in many cases Fe cofactor binding occurs spontaneously. We further suggest a model for NorQ/D-facilitated metal insertion into cNOR.     

AI for in-line vehicle sequence controlling: development and evaluation of an adaptive machine learning artifact to predict sequence deviations in a mixed-model production line

Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal - Customers in the manufacturing sector, especially in the automotive industry, have a high demand for individualized products at price levels comparable...     

Human presence drives bobcat interactions among the U.S. carnivore guild

Biodiversity and Conservation - Mammalian carnivores are elusive and enigmatic species that often play keystone roles in ecosystems through direct and indirect effects. Growing evidence shows that...     

Reconstructing the Lineage Histories and Differentiation Trajectories of Individual Cancer Cells in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

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The timing of the rise in U.S. obesity varies with measure of fatness

There are several ways to measure fatness and obesity, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. The primary measure for tracking the prevalence of obesity has historically been body mass index (BMI). This paper compares long-run trends in the prevalence of obesity when obesity is defined using skinfold thickness instead of BMI, using data from the full series of U.S. National Health Examination Surveys. The results indicate that when one uses skinfold thickness rather than BMI to define obesity, the rise in the prevalence of obesity is detectable 10-20 years earlier. This underscores the importance of examining multiple measures of fatness when monitoring or otherwise studying obesity.