cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Samoan Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL)
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: Pacific Islanders (PIs) are disproportionately affected by the causes and contributing factors regarding cancer health disparities, as identified nearly 15 years ago by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2004). Cancer is the leading cause of death for PIs, with obesity implicated as a causal factor in the onset of many cancers, including breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, and kidney cancers. Unfortunately, relatively little is known about how to effectively prevent/reduce obesity among PIs who number 1.3 million in the U.S., 305,202 in California, and 88,050 in the San Francisco bay area. Responding to the National Cancer Institute’s call for identifying factors influencing implementation of existing evidence-based interventions into community settings, we propose a multi-level, exploratory, implementation science pilot that applies the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to understand the factors associated with the potential adaptation to increase healthy eating and physical activity among Samoans in the bay area. The specific aims are to: 1) explore the organizational pre-implementation factors associated with program adoption among the parishes of the Samoan Congregational Christian Church of American Samoa in the Northern California region. We will conduct key informant (KI) interviews with two leaders from each of 12 parishes (representing 3,000 Samoan members) to understand their perceptions of the barriers and facilitators to EBI adoption; and 2) identify the individual nutritional intake and physical activity levels among members from one parish. We will survey n=70 Samoan adults at this parish to estimate the point prevalence of current diet and physical activity behaviors to inform power analyses in the future R01. The research team is comprised of two academics and two community leaders, all of whom have worked together in the past and have expertise in Pacific Islander health and community-based participatory research. This exploratory study is the essential precursor to the design of a larger implementation study, and the results will inform the development of a larger implementation research proposal in response to the NIH PAR Dissemination and Implementation Research for Health or similar R01 opportunity.
Automerina auletes
Creators: name: Bénéluz, Frédéric
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Saturniidae
Automerina
Automerina auletes

description: Automerina auletes (Herrich-Schäffer, [1854]).
Jo auletes (Boisduval i. l.) Herrich-Schäffer, [1854]: 5, pl. 20, figs 96, 97.
Automerina (Automerula) auletes – Michener 1949: 146.
Automerina auletes – Lemaire 2002: 347.
DÉTERMINATION. — Morphologique.Moléculaire (BOLD:AAC2981).
LOCALITÉ TYPE. — Suriname (Herrich-Schäffer [1854]).
RÉPARTITION GÉOGRAPHIQUE. — Guyano-amazonienne (Lemaire 2002).
DISTRIBUTION EN GUYANE. — Connu des trois zones biogéographiques.
HABITAT EN GUYANE. — Forêts primaire et secondaire, savane.
MATÉRIEL DU MITARAKA EXAMINÉ. — Guyane • 1 ♀; Maripasoula, Mitaraka,Crique Alama (DZ); alt. 310 m; 2°14’1.9”N, 54°27’38.1”W; La Planète revisitée, MNHN / PNI Guyane; APA-973-1; 23.II-26. III.2015; E. Poirier leg.; MNHN • 1 ♀; Maripasoula, Mitaraka, Crique Alama (DZ); alt. 310 m; 2°14’1.9”N, 54°27’38.1”W; La Planète revisitée, MNHN / PNI Guyane; autorisation APA-973-2; 11-21.VIII.2015; FB leg.; Coll. FB.
description: Published as part of Bénéluz, Frédéric, 2021, Liste commentée des Saturniidae (Lepidoptera, Bombycoidea) de Guyane, avec la liste des taxons récoltés au Mitaraka (extrême sud-ouest guyanais), pp. 759-809 in Zoosystema 43 (31) on page 785, DOI: 10.5252/zoosystema2021v43a31, http://zenodo.org/record/5796817
Meta Analytic Methods in the Presence of Competing Risks
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: Meta-analysis of cancer trials frequently use recurrence and overall mortality (death due to any cause) as the primary endpoints. The typical statistical methods for these calculations are often based on logrank tests. For example, the Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group (EBCTC) analyzed 10 trials of 4756 women with early breast cancer using these logrank methods to assess recurrence and mortality endpoints (EBCTC, 2018). However, censoring competing risks (e.g., death) is a key factor in making these standard logrank meta-methods “work right”, but unfortunately may be providing incorrect answers to important questions. An unbiased approach recently developed to tackle this issue for analysis of individual studies is the Fine and Gray’s competing risks approach. To our knowledge, however, this approach is not available for meta-analysis. Unfortunately, we lack meta-analytic strategies that can be used to accurately assess endpoints in the presence of competing risks. We propose to: Aim 1: Develop a meta-analytic competing risks approach that hinges on the theoretical developments of the Fine and Gray methodology. Using simulations or computer-generated artificial data in which we can impose known associations, we will assess the performance of this approach, including bias, type I error rate and statistical power. Aim 2: Demonstrate the effectiveness of the meta-analytic method in eight Phase III randomized controlled clinical trials. We will illustrate the approach from Aim 1 using data from the Breast Cancer Data Mart (BCDM): 5,727 individual patient data, 1368 breast cancer recurrence events in the presence of competing events, 1581 deaths. Aim 3: Disseminate results by developing available software and documentation. Statistical software and associated documentation, including tutorials, will be developed and disseminated to provide cancer researchers with the tools needed to implement meta-analysis in the presence of competing risks.
Routine Monitoring of Toxics in New Jersey Fish:  Third Year (2006) of Routine Monitoring Program
Creators: name: No Name Supplied
Publisher: name: Patrick Center for Environmental Research, Academy of Natural Sciences
Year: 2008

description: In July 2002, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP) began a Routine Monitoring Program for Toxics in Fish for NJDEP. There has been a clear need for a continuous monitoring program for toxic chemicals in fish to regularly assess the status and trends of fish  contamination and related consumption advisories in New Jersey waters, in order to provide current data on a variety of species and sites. Due to the large number of water bodies in the state, the sampling program is based on a rotating assessment of contamination of five regions of  the state on a 5-year cycle. This document reports findings of the third year of the cycle, the Raritan River Region, which involved freshwater fish and blue crabs (Task I) and marine fish (Task II) sampled in 2006-2007. The main objectives of this program are to provide current and more comprehensive data to the State of New Jersey on concentrations of toxic contaminants in finfish and shellfish.
Challenges and opportunities of the global change for sustainability in Central America
Creators: name: Quesada-Román, Adolfo
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025

description: Global change presents pressing challenges for Central America, including increasing hydrometeorological disasters, environmental pollution, and soil degradation. This study examines socio-environmental trends from 1990 to 2020 using comprehensive datasets from the World Bank and EM-DAT. Through country-specific correlation analyses, we uncover complex statistical relationships between socioeconomic and environmental variables. The findings highlight critical interactions, such as the link between economic diversification away from agriculture and GDP growth, which is paradoxically accompanied by rising CO2 emissions. Renewable energy consumption emerges as a pivotal factor in mitigating carbon footprints, while sustainable freshwater management is shown to be essential for long-term economic resilience. These results offer valuable insights into the dynamics of economic growth, agricultural practices, and environmental sustainability in the region. By addressing these multifaceted challenges through coordinated and integrated strategies, Central America has the opportunity to enhance regional perspective and potential research gaps, safeguard its natural resources, and foster a sustainable and resilient future through international, regional and national institutions initiatives and projects.
Structure-guided ADAR1 inhibition to expand immunotherapy
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: Treating cancer by employing immunotherapy checkpoint inhibitors has shown remarkable promise recently. This therapy has proven effective in treating diverse solid tumor types, including melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and many others. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are designed to block inhibitory immune signals and restore immune responses against tumor cells resulting in tumor eradication. However, most patients do not respond to immunotherapy, or develop therapeutic resistance because of mutations in the interferon pathway. A number of recent publications have identified that an RNA editing enzyme, ADAR1, plays an important role in both immune checkpoint and interferon pathways, and depleting or inactivating the enzyme sensitizes tumors to immunotherapy and overcomes resistance to the checkpoint blockade. ADAR1, or adenosine deaminase 1 acting on dsRNA, edits the RNA by changing adenosine to inosine (A-to-I), thereby altering its hydrogen bonding capacity, which will influence interactions with other RNA molecules including tRNA, resulting in potential codon changes. A-to-I editing has also been proposed to prevent the cytoplasmic dsRNA sensor PKR (protein kinase R) from erroneously recognizing endogenous dsRNA as foreign and triggering the interferon pathway. Knowing the atomic structure of human ADAR1 can lead to a better understanding of its function and aid in the development of inhibitors that, if administered with immunotherapy treatment, can increase the efficacy in immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Our laboratory recently determined the atomic resolution crystal structure of human ADAR2 complexed with RNA, which has furnished significant insight into its function. Human ADAR1 is 40% identical in protein sequence to ADAR2. This proposal aims to employ similar strategies used on ADAR2 structure determination, including incorporating nucleotide analogs to capture the protein-RNA complex formation, to uncover the structure of human ADAR1. This structure will drive inhibitor discovery trials by recruiting both virtual and activity-based screening algorithms to identify lead compounds. If successful in identifying an ADAR1 inhibitor, it will expand the number of cancer patients that can successfully be treated with checkpoint immunotherapy.
Tettigonia cantans
Creators: name: Skejo, Josip
name: Rebrina, Fran
name: Szövényi, Gergely
name: Puskás, Gellért
name: Tvrtković, Nikola
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Orthoptera
Tettigoniidae
Tettigonia
Tettigonia cantans

description: 72. Tettigonia cantans (Fuessly, 1775) = kratkokrili zeleni konjic
First faunistic record for Croatia: Nagy 2006 [or Padewieth 1900 —to be checked for T. balcanica]
Distribution in Croatia: Present in the inland part of the country (Western Dinaric Alps and the Pannonian region), replaced by T. balcanica in the Dinaric Alps south of Velebit Mt. Kuthy's (1908) record from Krivi put (Velika Kapela Mt.) should be revised.
Distribution Europe: From Northern Spain in the west and Central Finland in the north, to Sardinia and Southern Italy in the south and Eastern European Russia in the east (Hochkirch et al. 2016).
description: Published as part of Skejo, Josip, Rebrina, Fran, Szövényi, Gergely, Puskás, Gellért & Tvrtković, Nikola, 2018, The first annotated checklist of Croatian crickets and grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Ensifera, Caelifera), pp. 1-95 in Zootaxa 4533 (1) on page 36, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4533.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/2615747
Mechanisms of Tissue-Resident Immunity to Metastasis
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Research from the past decade has demonstrated the exciting potential of harnessing a patient’s immune system to prevent or delay tumor progression and metastasis. Although immunotherapies targeting adaptive lymphocytes (i.e. antigen-specific T cells) have proven successful in certain circumstances, many cancer patients ultimately do not respond and can suffer complications due to unrestrained immune responses. Thus, there is an increasing need to understand the fundamental mechanisms utilized by the host immune system to suppress tumor formation and metastasis in order to develop more effective therapeutic strategies. Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are tissue-resident lymphocytes that are rapid producers of both proinflammatory and regulatory cytokines in response to local injury, inflammation, pathogen infection, or commensal microbiota perturbation. Our work has shown that type 1 ILCs (ILC1) are present in all organs analyzed in mice, and are the first and most potent lymphocyte producers of interferon (IFN)-gamma in initial virally infected tissues in response to local dendritic cell (DC) production of interleukin (IL)-12. However, the role of tissue-resident ILCs during tumor metastasis to distal organs remains unknown. We have found that genetic deletion of both liver resident ILC1 and circulating natural killer (NK) cells leads to increased liver metastasis of melanoma tumor cells. Furthermore, we have found that the absence of liver-resident ILC1 responses leads to suboptimal recruitment and activation of NK cells during viral infection. In this proposal, we will build on this preliminary data by investigating the hypothesis that liver-resident ILC1 prime endogenous anti-metastatic innate immune responses through early production of IFN-gamma. We will investigate this hypothesis through two aims: Aim 1 – Determine whether liver ILC1-derived IFN-gamma is required for decreased metastasis and NK cell recruitment to the liver in vivo; Aim 2 – Investigate whether liver ILC1 are required for optimal DC activation during tumor metastasis in vivo. Our work will challenge traditional paradigms that only target circulating lymphocytes for tumor immunotherapy, and discover novel mechanisms by which tissue-resident immunity restrains metastasis.
Automerina beneluzi Lemaire 2002
Creators: name: Bénéluz, Frédéric
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Saturniidae
Automerina
Automerina beneluzi

description: Automerina beneluzi Lemaire, 2002
Automerina beneluzi Lemaire, 2002: 349, pl. 120, figs 1, 2.
DÉTERMINATION. — Morphologique.Moléculaire (BOLD:AAD9023).
LOCALITÉ TYPE. — Guyane (Lemaire 2002).
RÉPARTITION GÉOGRAPHIQUE. — Guyane (Lemaire 2002).
DISTRIBUTION EN GUYANE. — Connu des trois zones biogéographiques.
HABITAT EN GUYANE. — Forêt primaire.
description: Published as part of Bénéluz, Frédéric, 2021, Liste commentée des Saturniidae (Lepidoptera, Bombycoidea) de Guyane, avec la liste des taxons récoltés au Mitaraka (extrême sud-ouest guyanais), pp. 759-809 in Zoosystema 43 (31) on page 785, DOI: 10.5252/zoosystema2021v43a31, http://zenodo.org/record/5796817
Defining the irregular ER stress response of myeloma cells
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: Maintaining homeostasis is vital for cells. Cells have specialized mechanisms—stress responses—that detect internal imbalances and respond to them to restore homeostasis. However, if restoring homeostasis is impossible, these mechanisms induce cell death instead, thus removing injured cells to protect the organism. The aberrant genetic makeup of cancer cells predisposes them to chronic stress, as they show dysregulated gene expression and often produce defective or overactive proteins. To cope with chronic stress, some cancer cells alter their stress responses, becoming addicted to compensatory cell functions that enable tumor progression. Multiple myeloma (MM), a cancer of plasma cells, demonstrates this notion: in MM cells, chronic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is offset by the proteasome, a key component of the protein homeostasis network. This renders MM hypersensitive to proteasome inhibitors, which have revolutionized MM treatment. Unfortunately, relapse is inevitable and MM remains incurable. Fulfilling the unmet need of new targeted therapies for MM requires the dentification of resistance mechanisms. We have shown that MM cells overcome proteasome inhibition through upregulation of autophagy components, suggesting an adaptive switch in protein turnover mechanisms (Acosta-Alvear, et al. 2015). Here we propose to define the mechanisms by which MM cells modify their unfolded protein response (UPR)—the ER stress response—to their advantage. We found that the UPR is enhanced in MM cells, allowing them to survive ER stress that kills other cells. Moreover, inhibiting the UPR hampers MM cell growth/division. These results suggest that MM cells rely on the UPR for survival. We will address the question of how MM cells respond and adapt to genetic or pharmacologic perturbations of the UPR in two specific aims. In aim 1, we will define the specific UPR components that confer a survival advantage to MM cells. In aim 2, we will follow up on our recent finding that blocking a single UPR component—the ER stress sensor kinase/RNase IRE1—protects MM cells from the harmful effects of inhibiting the G2 cell cycle-checkpoint kinase PKMYT1. Our work has the potential to reveal elusive genetic vulnerabilities that arise upon targeted intervention of the UPR in MM cells, exposing Achilles’ heels that could be exploited for designing of new therapies for MM.
Research Project Summary: A Screening Model for Predicting Concentrations of Volatile Organic Chemicals in Shower Stall Air
Creators: name: No Name Supplied
Publisher: name: Division of Science, Research and Technology, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Year: 2002

description: A simple equilibrium model was developed to predict maximum possible concentrations of volatile organic chemicals that may occur in shower stall air from the use of contaminated water during a showering event. The only site-specific parameter that must be known to use the model is the contaminant concentration in the influent water. Data was compiled from four previous studies for which vapor concentrations of contaminants in experimental shower stalls were measured. Peak concentrations reported in these experiments were compared to model-predicted concentrations. Experimental peak concentrations were typically within an order magnitude of concentrations predicted from the model (used under standard conditions), with the predicted value almost always being the higher of the two concentrations. When the model-predicted  values were adjusted for experimentally reported values for water temperature, air exchange rates, and water flow rates,  agreement between experimental and predicted values improved; predicted values usually were in the range of 1 to 3 times the experimental peak concentrations. The behavior of the model suggests that it would be useful as a screening tool for estimating maximum concentrations of volatile organic chemicals in shower stall air, arising from the use of contaminated water during a showering event. Example calculations of shower water criteria to protect against unacceptable inhalation exposures indicated that at times these criteria were lower than drinking water Maximum Contaminant Levels or other criteria based on ingestion of the water. This research was supported through the New Jersey A-280 Drinking Water Research Fund.
Multiplexed in vivo imaging of the tumor immuno-environment
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: A first-in-class, in vivo wireless biopsy consisting of an implantable miniaturized sensor of real- time responses within the tumor itself would provide a ground-breaking means to guide optimal, personalized patient care. To accomplish this, we will design a network of millimeter scale sensor “motes” relaying real-time tissue and immune response from directly within tissue. Recent innovations in wireless power and data transfer and unprecedented integration of high- speed circuits with photonics will unlock an entirely new paradigm of real-time response assessment. In Aim 1, we will build a mm^3 chip-scale fluorescence-imaging mote, allowing in vivo fluorescence imaging of the tumor microenvironment from directly within the tumor, non-invasively and continuously. We demonstrate delivery of power to a deeply implanted micro-laser diode and imaging of fluorescently labeled cells. In Aim 2, we utilize our images to achieve real-time imaging of the dynamic immune response in a mouse tumor model, providing an heretofore unobtainable view into the evolving tumor microenvironment. Using an immune component model of melanoma, we dynamically image surrogates of immune response: CD8+ T cells. Metrics of success are measured by linking in vivo imaging to tissue slices from the excised tumor. Implementation of these sensors will enable dynamic readouts of each patient's tumor composition and response to therapy. This will facilitate customized application of novel therapeutics and immunotherapy tailored to the individual patient's tumor biology. Future efforts based on this preliminary data will seek to measure strategies to convert a "cold" tumor to a "hot" one by using various immune stimulating agents, such as radiotherapy in hard to treat disease, such as pancreas cancer. This project represents a fundamentally new direction in research for my laboratory and is not currently funded by any source.
Research Project Summary: Sources of Lead in Homes Served by Private Wells in Hunterdon County, NJ
Creators: name: No Name Supplied
Publisher: name: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Technology
Year: 2006

description: Lead is one of the inorganic constituents required for testing in New Jersey's Private Well Testing Act. During the first two years of this new law, elevated lead levels in private well water were reported to the state. A study was initiated with researchers at Rutgers University to identify the source(s) of the lead in these private well water samples. The results of this study, conducted in Hunterdon County, indicate that plumbing is responsible for the lead in the water samples. Specifically, plumbing associated with the holding tanks appears to be the primary source of lead in the water samples collected.
Ectodysplasin Receptor in breast density and breast cancer
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: It is well established that women of Asian descent have denser breast tissue (a risk factor for breast cancer) compared to other women world-wide but they have lower rates of breast cancer. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the relationship between breast density and breast cancer risk has never been determined. I am proposing a pilot study to determine the causal mechanism of the breast density and breast cancer risks in different human populations. Evidence from across palentological, biological and agricultural sciences suggests that the ectodysplasin pathway and the Ectodysplasin Receptor (EDAR) determines ectodermal structures such as hair, teeth, sweat gland and mammary gland. In particular, the 370A variant of EDAR gene, which is enriched in Native Americans and people of Asian descent, underwent strong positive selection about ~30,000 years ago and is now believed to induce increases in mammary branching density in virgin mice, implicating its role in regulating breast density. However, its potential function in mammary gland development has never been studied in detail. We hypothesize that EDAR 370A is the critical causal link between denser breast tissue and the lower breast cancer rate observed in Native American and Asian women. To test this, we will generate a knockin mouse expressing human EDAR V370A in the mammary gland and cross it with a breast cancer mouse model to determine whether this allele affects breast cancer occurrence and progression. The impact of EDAR V370A on the activities of various signaling pathways known to be involved in breast cancer will be examined. Our study may open up an entirely new area of breast cancer research and identify new anti-cancer drug targets. My past research focus is signal transduction and breast cancer using both mouse models and human cancer cell lines. This proposed project allows me to enter a new research direction to understand the factors influencing the mammary gland structures during early development and how this may contribute to breast cancer risk later. This project will be a collaborative effort with Dr. Leslea Hlusko, a world-class expert in human evolution and biological variation focusing on ectodermally-derived structures.
Research Project Summary: Northern New Jersey Radionuclide Investigation: Determination of Uranium, Radium and Radon in Ground Water with High Gross Alpha-Particle Activity, and Implications for Future Monitoring Efforts
Creators: name: No Name Supplied
Publisher: name: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Technology
Year: 2008

description: While a great deal is known about radioactivity in southern New Jersey ground water, the amounts of radioactivity  in the ground water in Northern New Jersey ground water are not as well defined. The purpose of this study  was to evaluate the presence of gross alpha, radium, uranium, and radon in ground water in the Highlands  Physiographic Province. A total of 31 wells were targeted for sampling. The wells selected were known to have  high levels of gross alpha-particle activity or were near wells that had previously been shown to have radiological  problems. The ground water samples from the targeted wells were collected between June, 2007 and November, 2007.
Structural insight into METTL13-mediated eEF1A methylation
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: Protein synthesis is one of the essential cellular processes that control cell survival and proliferation. To adapt to various cellular environments, the activity of translation machinery is fine-tuned by a multifaceted regulation, including a wide array of posttranslational modifications (PTMs). Dysregulation of translation in cancers results in boosted global protein synthesis or selective production of oncogenic proteins, which in turn promotes tumor growth and metastasis. Recent evidence has revealed that methylation of the lysine residues of eukaryotic elongation factor 1 alpha (eEF1A), which delivers aminoacyl-tRNAs to the ribosome during mRNA translation, regulates translation dynamics in cells. For instance, the N-terminus and lysine 55 (K55) of eEF1A are both subjected to specific methylation by methyltransferase (MTase)-like protein 13 (METTL13). Upregulation of METTL13 and K55-methylated eEF1A levels in lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) and Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) promotes translational output and negatively correlates with patient survival. METTL13 belongs to a novel protein methyltransferase family, harboring two tandem methyltransferase domains. The N-terminal MTase domain of METTL13 mediates the di-methylation of eEF1A K55, while the C-terminal MTase domain is responsible for the N-terminal tri-methylation. Due to the lack of the structural information, how these two domains achieve specific eEF1A methylation is currently unclear, which hampers the development of specific inhibitors against this emerging therapeutic target. In this application, we seek to determine the structural basis of METTL13-mediated methylation of eEF1A. In Aim 1, we propose to determine the atomic structure of METTL13 free and in complex with eEF1A, thereby providing molecular details on the METTL13-eEF1A recognition. In Aim 2, we will perform structure-guided mutational and enzymatic analysis to determine the enzymatic mechanisms and functional cooperation between the two MTase domains of METTL13. Together, these studies will provide mechanistic details of the METTL13-mediated eEF1A methylation, setting a paradigm for the structure-function relationship of METTL13-like protein methyltransferases. Furthermore, the proposed study will provide a framework for the development of novel therapeutic agents against cancers.
Detecting tumor-specific exosomes on a chip
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: Sensitive detection of circulating tumor-associated exosomes (TEXs) and related extracellular vesicles (EVs) may improve strategies for ovarian cancer (OvCa) detection and monitoring because (i) they represent stable and protected biomarkers in blood circulation and (ii) their composition, including surface protein markers, is tissue and pathology-specific. To achieve the best sensitivity for detecting low-frequency TEXs in early stage cancer patients, innovative high-resolution tools are needed. The cornerstone of this multidisciplinary project is to develop an extremely sensitive and affordable on-chip bio-sensing platform able to accurately detect the presence of EVs including TEXs in microseconds, with crucial implications for early detection of OvCa. We have previously demonstrated that our sensor, which relies on a novel transduction mechanism that merges tailored optical and nanomechanical resonances, outperforms at room temperature the sensitivity of the best commercial FTIRs over a narrowband, and here propose to apply this novel technology to bio-sensing for the first time. To accomplish this objective, we will first isolate circulating EVs using density-gradient ultracentrifugation from human OvCa patient plasma. We are currently collecting more than one hundred plasma samples per week from women suspected of OvCa malignancy through the UCDCC Biorepository resource. Second, we will be capturing EV subsets on our innovative sensors according to multiplexed capture agents like known general exosome-specific and also cancer-exosome-specific molecules, including the recently reported potent OvCa-binding peptide, LXY30. This enrichment method will provide unprecedented sensitivity towards TEX subpopulations. Third, we will use the nanomechanical resonance properties of hundreds of individual detectors, tuned to particular intrinsic EV-specific vibrating frequencies, to label-free sensitively detect small numbers of EVs. Fourth, we will apply custom nanomaterials composed of gold nanoparticles (NPs) and nanorods (NRs) coated with EV-targeting agents to further identify subpopulations of detector-captured EVs. We expect the detected signatures to be significantly more sensitive and specific than the current gold standard diagnostic approach, which may accelerate clinical cancer diagnostic platforms for a wide range of cancers.
Tettigonia caudata
Creators: name: Skejo, Josip
name: Rebrina, Fran
name: Szövényi, Gergely
name: Puskás, Gellért
name: Tvrtković, Nikola
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Orthoptera
Tettigoniidae
Tettigonia
Tettigonia caudata

description: 73. Tettigonia caudata (Charpentier, 1842) = bodljonogi zeleni konjic
First faunistic record for Croatia: Frauenfeld 1861
Distribution in Croatia: Not common, present in the Pannonian region, Istria, Kvarner, Dalmatia and the Dinaric Alps, not recorded in Dubrovnik area and the Adriatic islands
Distribution Europe: From Eastern Switzerland in the west and Northeastern Germany in the north, to the Peloponnesus (Greece) in the south and Eastern European Russia in the east (Hochkirch et al. 2016).
description: Published as part of Skejo, Josip, Rebrina, Fran, Szövényi, Gergely, Puskás, Gellért & Tvrtković, Nikola, 2018, The first annotated checklist of Croatian crickets and grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Ensifera, Caelifera), pp. 1-95 in Zootaxa 4533 (1) on page 36, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4533.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/2615747
Automeris janus
Creators: name: Bénéluz, Frédéric
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Saturniidae
Automeris
Automeris janus

description: Automeris janus (Cramer, 1775).
Phalaena Attacus janus Cramer, 1775: 100, pl. 64, figs A, B.
Automeris janus – Conte 1906: 206.
DÉTERMINATION. — Morphologique.Moléculaire (BOLD:ACF3806).
LOCALITÉ TYPE. — Suriname (Lemaire 1971).
RÉPARTITION GÉOGRAPHIQUE. — Guyano-amazonienne (Lemaire 2002).
DISTRIBUTION EN GUYANE. — Connu des trois zones biogéographiques.
HABITAT EN GUYANE. — Forêt primaire.
MATÉRIEL DU MITARAKA EXAMINÉ. — Guyane • 1 ♂; Maripasoula, Mitaraka, DZ Coulé-Coulé; 2°43’30”N, 54°47’30”W; 21.X.2004 ou Inselberg; 2°27’30”N, 54°53’W; 28.X-2.XI.2004, J.-P. Champenois leg.; Coll. BH (no. Hem 0029) • 1♂; Maripasoula, Mitaraka, Borne 1, alt. 670 m; 2°08’N, 54°25’W; 19-26.IX.2006, J.-P. Champenois leg.; Coll. BH (no. Hem 0030) • 2♂ 1♀; Maripasoula, Mitaraka, Crique Alama (DZ); alt. 310 m; 2°14’1.9”N, 54°27’38.1”W; La Planète revisitée, MNHN / PNI Guyane; APA-973-1; 23.II-26. III.2015; E. Poirier leg.; MNHN • 1 ♂; mêmes données que précédent; Coll. FB • 2 ♂; Maripasoula, Mitaraka, Crique Alama (DZ); alt. 310 m; 2°14’1.9”N, 54°27’38.1”W; La Planète revisitée, MNHN / PNI Guyane; autorisation APA-973-2; 11-21.VIII.2015; FB leg.; MNHN • 1 ♀; mêmes données que précédent; Coll. FB.
description: Published as part of Bénéluz, Frédéric, 2021, Liste commentée des Saturniidae (Lepidoptera, Bombycoidea) de Guyane, avec la liste des taxons récoltés au Mitaraka (extrême sud-ouest guyanais), pp. 759-809 in Zoosystema 43 (31) on pages 785-786, DOI: 10.5252/zoosystema2021v43a31, http://zenodo.org/record/5796817
Research Project Summary: Integrated Biomarkers for Assessing the Exposure and Effects of Endocrine Disruptors and Other Contaminants on Marine/Estuarine Fish
Creators: name: No Name Supplied
Publisher: name: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Technology.
Year: 2008

description: The development of fish biomarkers can be a powerful tool in assessing the status and trends of contaminants  in estuaries, as well as the effectiveness of ongoing and future source control/cleanup. The goal of this research  was to examine a suite of biomarkers and develop those that can provide an integrated measure of  contaminant exposure from multiple contaminants including endocrine disruptors and provide a gauge of  estuarine/marine water quality and ecosystem health. Mummichog or killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus), a  common and abundant species, was collected from five sites including Newark Bay, Piles Creek, Sandy Hook,  Union Beach and Tuckerton, New Jersey (NJ) for this study. These sites were selected to represent a contaminant  gradient with elevated concentrations in Newark Bay to the reference location at Tuckerton. In addition,  preliminary sampling was carried out examining biomarkers in White Perch (Morone americana) from the  Delaware River, Hackensack River, Passaic River and near Tuckerton, NJ. Biomarkers included external  examinations, blood parameters, organ to body weight ratios, histopathology, and biochemical endpoints.  Vitellogenin concentrations were examined as a biomarker of endocrine disruption in both species.
The role of PARP-induced stress granules in tumor survival
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: The tumor microenvironment changes dynamically and requires tumor cells to adapt to various stressors, such as hypoxia and nutrient starvation. These stressors trigger the assembly of cytosolic stress granules (SGs), sites of translation repression, leading to tumor growth and metastasis. Increasing evidence supports that induction of SGs upon exposure to oxidative stress can lead to tumor cell resistance to chemotherapy-mediated cytotoxicity, although the mechanism is not clear. SGs protect tumor cells likely by translation inhibition and inactivation of pro-apoptotic factors. Characterization of host proteins that catalyze SG assembly is crucial for understanding the anti-apoptotic role of SGs in cancer. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) are important for nuclear processes. PARP1 and the tankyrase PARP5a have been extensively studied for their cancer-relevant functions in DNA repair, telomere homeostasis and Wnt signaling. However, the rest of the PARP family is poorly characterized. PARP5a, -12, -13, -14, and -15 are recently reported to localize to cytosolic SGs and to modulate the kinetics of SG assembly under arsenite-mediated oxidative stress. Given that some of the PARP inhibitors used in clinic demonstrate broad activity against multiple PARP proteins, we need a better understanding of the full spectrum of PARP-dependent cellular processes. The goal of this proposal is to elucidate how PARP-induced SGs promote tumor cell survival, which will shed light on SG targeting as a therapeutic strategy. Given that the catalytic activity of PARPs is required for SG assembly and ADP-ribosylation can significantly change the function of the acceptor protein, we hypothesize that ADP-ribosylation of pro-apoptotic factors by SG-specific PARPs promotes tumor survival. In the first aim, we will determine the effects of ADP-ribosylation on translation and tumor cell survival. In the second aim, we will identify PARP substrates under oxidative stress. The proposed work will lead to identification of potential ADP-ribosylation targets that regulate cell proliferation, which will help prioritizing candidate genes for follow-up studies and provide insights into the mechanism of tumor resistance to apoptosis. Findings from this proposal will lay the groundwork for a more comprehensive and mechanistic study of the stress-coping mechanisms of tumor cells.
Research Project Summary: The New Jersey Private Well Testing Act: An Overview
Creators: name: No Name Supplied
Publisher: name: Division of Science, Research, and Technology,  New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Year: 2009

description: In March 2001, the New Jersey Private Well Testing Act (PWTA) was signed into law, and its regulations  became effective in September 2002. The PWTA is a consumer information law that requires sellers (or  buyers) of property with wells in NJ to test the untreated ground water for a variety of water quality parameters,  including 32 of human health concern, and to review the test results prior to closing of title. Landlords are also  required to test their well water once every five years and to provide each tenant with a copy of the test results.  The test data is submitted electronically by the test laboratories to the NJ Department of Environmental  Protection for statewide analysis of ground water quality. This report provides details of the PWTA, including  individual sample and PWTA program costs, and issues related to program implementation and electronic data  quality. The information is provided for the benefit of states or municipalities that might be considering their  own private well testing program, and as reference material for a report that analyzed the first four and a half  years of test data (Louis at al, 2009).
Linking the Circadian Clock and Cancer
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: The circadian clock controls several physiological, endocrine and metabolic processes that operate to maintain organismal homeostasis. These biological rhythms are self-perpetuating oscillations that are maintained within a 24-hour periodicity and are synchronized by external environmental cues such as light, temperature and food intake. Several lines of evidence undoubtedly suggest that disruptions in circadian rhythms results in numerous physiological disorders, including cancer. At the organismal level, genetic mutations in the circadian clock machinery accelerate tumorigenesis and this has been demonstrated in mouse models of leukemia/lymphoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma and osteosarcoma. At the molecular level, a crosstalk between the circadian clock and several oncogenic signaling pathways has been reported. Up-regulation of MYC has been shown to disrupt circadian gene expression and therefore perturb circadian glucose and glutamine metabolism in cancer cells. Conversely, the circadian clock has also been shown to target and degrade MYC, thereby inhibiting MYC-dependent proliferation. Additionally, the beta-catenin pathway has been reported to disrupt circadian gene expression, yet how clock disruption mechanistically drives enhanced beta-catenin signaling remains undetermined. We aim to further elucidate the molecular mechanisms related to the bi-directional crosstalk between the circadian machinery and cellular signaling pathways involved in survival and proliferation. Our work has the potential to open new avenues for therapeutic intervention targeting the circadian clock for the treatment of several cancers.
YAP in simple & robust tumor/stroma models of in PDAC
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has one of the highest mortality of common cancers, with a five year survival rate of ~6%. Indeed, despite being the 11th most common cancer, it is the 5th most deadly. Further, the burden disproportionately falls on minority populations, with African American patients having 50-90% higher incidence and mortality, even after accounting for access to care. These sobering statistics underscore the need to identify novel therapeutic targets. Unfortunately, therapeutic progress in PDAC is hindered by the complex interactions between the tumor and its microenvironment, especially involvement of stromal cells in both restraining and encouraging tumor growth. Efforts to target tumor cells or their molecular signaling pathways can have unexpected effects in the stromal population. As a prime example, inhibiting Hedgehog (Hh) signaling proved effective in several PDAC models; however, this resulted in negative or negligibly positive gains clinically. Further research demonstrated that in addition to the roles Hh plays in tumor cell proliferation, Hh is a key component of restraining tumor growth by paracrine signaling with surrounding stromal cells. Similarly, chemotherapeutics that inhibit tumor growth in models can lead to senescence of stromal cells. A key phenotype of these senescent cells is to release a cocktail of cytokines into the microenvironment, encouraging paracrine angiogenesis and tumor metastasis. Preliminary data demonstrate that both Hh and the paracrine effects of senescence are regulated through the protein YAP, which was recently correlated with PDAC mortality but whose mechanistic roles are poorly understood. Despite the importance of tumor/stroma interactions, organotypic models of PDAC remain limited to specialist labs. We propose to develop and validate “simple & robust” organotypic PDAC models that are cost-effective and easy to use, enabling adoption by non-specialist researchers. As key validation of these models, we will demonstrate the clinically relevant tumor/stroma interactions described above and further test the novel hypothesis that YAP regulates these interactions in two independent Aims. In Aim 1, we determine if YAP activity is required for the paracrine impacts of stromal senescence. In Aim 2, we determine if stromal YAP activity is activated by Hh inhibition to encourage tumor growth.
Automeris egeus
Creators: name: Bénéluz, Frédéric
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Saturniidae
Automeris
Automeris egeus

description: Automeris egeus (Cramer, 1775).
Phalaena Attacus egeus Cramer, 1775: 100, pl. 64, fig. C.
Automeris Aegeus [sic] – Conte 1906: 158.
DÉTERMINATION. — Morphologique. Moléculaire (BOLD:AAB5556, ACE6455).
LOCALITÉ TYPE. — Suriname (Lemaire 1971).
RÉPARTITION GÉOGRAPHIQUE. — Guyano-amazonienne (Lemaire 2002).
DISTRIBUTION EN GUYANE. — Connu des trois zones biogéographiques.
HABITAT EN GUYANE. — Forêts primaire et secondaire.
MATÉRIEL DU MITARAKA EXAMINÉ. — Guyane • 3 ♂; Maripasoula, Mitaraka, DZ Coulé-Coulé ou Inselberg; 2°43’30”N, 54°47’30”W ou 2°27’30”N, 54°53’W; 21.X.2004 ou 28.X-2.XI.2004, J.-P. Champenois leg.; Coll. BH (no. Hem 0031- Hem 0033) • Photographie P 3030357; Maripasoula, Mitaraka, Crique Alama (DZ); alt. 310 m; 2°14’1.9”N, 54°27’38.1”W; La Planète revisitée, MNHN / PNI Guyane; APA-973-1; 23.II-26.III.2015; E. Poirier leg.; Coll. FB • 1♂; Maripasoula, Mitaraka, Crique Alama (DZ); alt. 310 m; 2°14’1.9”N, 54°27’38.1”W; La Planète revisitée, MNHN / PNI Guyane; autorisation APA-973-2; 11-21.VIII.2015; FB leg.; Coll. FB.
description: Published as part of Bénéluz, Frédéric, 2021, Liste commentée des Saturniidae (Lepidoptera, Bombycoidea) de Guyane, avec la liste des taxons récoltés au Mitaraka (extrême sud-ouest guyanais), pp. 759-809 in Zoosystema 43 (31) on page 786, DOI: 10.5252/zoosystema2021v43a31, http://zenodo.org/record/5796817