The broad utility of protein bioconjugates has created a need for new and diverse strategies for site-selective protein modification. In particular, chemical reactions that target alternative amino ...acid side chains or unnatural functional groups are emerging as a valuable complement to more commonly used lysine- and cysteine-based strategies. Considering their widespread use in organic synthesis, reactions catalyzed by transition metals could provide a particularly powerful set of transformations for the continued expansion of the bioconjugation toolkit. Recent efforts to apply transition metal catalysis to protein modification have resulted in new methods for protein cross-linking, tryptophan modification, tyrosine modification, reductive amination of protein amines, and unnatural amino acid labeling. These strategies have substantially expanded the synthetic flexibility of protein modification, and thus the range of applications for which bioconjugates can be used in chemical biology and materials science.
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the influence of plasma treatment on the surface properties of PET fibers used as micro reinforcement in cementitious composites. The stress transfer ...across cracks that untreated fibers are able to accomplish can be enhanced via plasma treatment. The increase in surface roughness and the activation of polar groups result in the reduction of surface energy as observed during wetting angle measurements. The improvement in adhesion between primary (non-recycled) fibers and the surrounding matrix brought about a more pronounced strain hardening of the specimens tested in four-point bending. Plasma treatment of thinner fibers from recycled PET led to a lower capacity for transferring tensile stresses due to the reduced cross-sectional area of the fibers. The considerable bridging force provided by the plasma treated primary PET fibers resulted in the prevention of excessive and abrupt cracking, and limited crack openings.
The objective of this study was to describe the oral health status of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) children in a US facility.
Twenty CF children ages 6-18 were recruited from Children's Hospital of Wisconsin ...Pulmonary Clinic. Parents completed a health questionnaire. Clinical examinations checked dental caries using the dmft/DMFT index, dental hygiene using the Simplified Greene-Vermillion Index (DI-S), gingival inflammation using the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs, and enamel defects using the modified Developmental Defects of Enamel Index.
The majority (90%) brush twice a day, 65% consume sugary snacks, and 70% visit the dentist every 6 months. Clinically, they presented DMFT 0.25 and dmft 0.90, fair oral hygiene with DI-S 1.02, 75% had mild gingivitis and 50% had enamel defects. The more antibiotics they took, significantly more frequent (p=0.007) and more severe (p=0.017) enamel defects were noted. Similar trend was found between the number of surgeries and the presence of enamel defects (p=0.076) and dental caries (p=0.028).
Within the limitations of this study, CF patients were found to be at oral health risk due to the high prevalence of dental enamel defects. Oral health for CF children should be part of the multidisciplinary care.
The urban landscape encompasses a broad spectrum of variable environments ranging from remnant patches to highly modified streetscapes. Despite the expansion of urban environments, few studies have ...examined the influence of urbanization on faunal diversity, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. In this study, four broad habitat types were recognized in the urban environment, representing a continuum of modification ranging from parks with remnant vegetation to streetscapes dominated by native vegetation and those dominated by exotic vegetation to recently developed streetscapes. Bird censuses were conducted at 36 sites throughout urban Melbourne, with nine sites surveyed in each habitat type. The four habitat types supported significantly different bird communities based on species richness, abundance and composition suggesting that bird assemblages of urban environments are non-uniform. Parks and native streetscapes generally supported fewer introduced species than exotic and recently developed streetscapes. Overall abundance and richness of species were lower in the exotic and recently developed streetscapes than in parks and native streetscapes. Significant differences were also observed in foraging guilds within the four habitat types, with parks having the most foraging guilds and recently developed streetscapes having the fewest. The transition from native to exotic streetscapes saw the progressive loss of insectivorous and nectarivorous species reflecting a reliance by these species on structurally diverse and/or native vegetation for both shelter and food resources. The implementation of effective strategies and incentives which encourage the planting of structurally diverse native vegetation in streetscapes and gardens should be paramount if avian biodiversity is to be retained and enhanced in urban environments. It is also critical to encourage the maintenance of the existing remnant vegetation in the urban environment.
The outlook for those with cystic fibrosis (CF) has never been brighter with ever increasing life expectancy and the approval of the highly effective CFTR modulators, such as ...elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor. With that being said, the progressive pulmonary decline and importance of lung health, infection, and inflammation in CF remains. This review is the second part in a three‐part CF Year in Review 2020. Part one focused on the literature related to CFTR modulators while part three will feature the multisystem effects related to CF. This review focuses on articles from Pediatric Pulmonology, including articles from other journals that are of particular interest to clinicians. Herein, we highlight studies published during 2020 related to CF pulmonary disease, infection, treatment, and diagnostics.
Background and Objectives
There are limited data on cystic fibrosis (CF) transmembrane conductance regulator‐related metabolic syndrome (CRMS) outcomes beyond infancy. The goal of this study was to ...analyze outcomes of infants with CRMS up to the age of 9–10 years using the CF Foundation Patient Registry (CFFPR).
Methods
We analyzed data from the CFFPR for individuals with CF and CRMS born between 2010 and 2020. We classified all patients based on the clinical diagnosis reported by the CF care center and the diagnosis using CFF guideline definitions for CF and CRMS, classifying children into groups based on agreement between clinical report and guideline criteria. Descriptive statistics for the cohort were calculated for demographics, nutritional outcomes, and microbiology for the first year of life and lung function and growth outcomes were summarized for ages 6–10 years.
Results
From 2010 to 2020, there were 8765 children with diagnosis of CF or CRMS entered into the CFFPR with sufficient diagnostic data for classification, of which 7591 children had a clinical diagnosis of CF and 1174 had a clinical diagnosis of CRMS. CRMS patients exhibited normal nutritional indices and pulmonary function up to age 9–10 years. The presence of respiratory bacteria associated with CF, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa from CRMS patients ranged from 2.1% to 9.1% after the first year of life.
Conclusions
Children with CRMS demonstrate normal pulmonary and nutritional outcomes into school age. However, a small percentage of children continue to culture CF‐associated respiratory pathogens after infancy.
While urban areas are increasingly recognized as having potential value for biodiversity conservation, the relationship between biodiversity and the structure and configuration of the urban landscape ...is poorly understood. In this study we surveyed birds in 39 remnant patches of native vegetation of various sizes (range 1–107
ha) embedded in the suburban matrix in Melbourne, Australia. The total richness of species within remnants was strongly associated with the size of remnants. Remnant-reliant species displayed a much stronger response to remnant area than matrix-tolerant species indicating the importance of large remnants in maintaining representative bird assemblages. Large remnants are important for other ecological groups of species including migratory species, ground foraging birds and canopy foraging birds. Other landscape (e.g. amount of riparian vegetation) and structural components (e.g. shrub cover) of remnants have a lesser role in determining the richness of individual remnants. This research provides conservation managers and planners with a hierarchical process to reserve design and management in order to conserve the highest richness of native species within urban areas. First of all, conservation efforts should preferentially focus on the retention of larger remnants of native vegetation. Second, where possible, riparian vegetation should be included within reserves or, where it is already present, should be carefully managed to ensure its integrity. Third, efforts should be focused at maintaining appropriate habitat and vegetation structure and complexity.
Urban expansion brings profound impacts and challenges to many ecosystems, including wetlands. Unauthorised public access to wetland sanctuaries can lead to a number of management problems, such as ...increasing disturbance to migratory shorebirds. We investigate unauthorised human use of a coastal urban wetland located in Melbourne, Australia, and use current results to predict future patterns of visitation under different management and urban development scenarios. Despite being officially closed to the public, 20.8% of the 574
ha wetland experienced human intrusions during the sampling period. These were most frequent in the section which directly abuts residential development where over 50% of the wetland experienced intrusions. The most frequently observed activities were walking (4.8
±
4.9 intrusions per observation day), dog walking (8.5
±
4.5), cycling (3.0
±
1.8) and motorised trail bike riding (2.5
±
1.0). There were significant negative relationships between the occurrence of intrusions and distance from the wetland boundary and access points. Walkers and dog walkers were likely to intrude more deeply into the wetlands than other users. We predict that once residential development is completed around the entire perimeter of the wetland that 48% of the total area will be subject to intrusions. This will increase to 58.8% if internal management tracks are opened for public use. We recommend that the current access policy is maintained, and compliance is enhanced through education and additional physical barriers.
A concept of a planar modular mechanical metamaterial inspired by the principle of local adaptivity is proposed. The metamaterial consists of identical pieces similar to jigsaw puzzle tiles. Their ...rotation within assembly provides a substantial flexibility in terms of structural behavior, whereas mechanical interlocks enable reassembly. The tile design with a diagonal elliptical opening allows us to vary elastic properties from stiff to compliant, with positive, zero, or negative Poisson’s ratio. The outcomes of experimental testing on additively manufactured specimens confirm that the assembly properties can be accurately designed using optimization approaches with finite element analysis at heart.
This study explored whether the plains-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus), a species lacking the criteria outlined in the traditional flagship model, is a suitable local flagship for the Northern Plains ...Grasslands of Victoria in Australia. Questionnaires and telephone interviews were used to survey residents and natural resource management professionals and volunteers (‘NRM participants’) in communities living close to the Northern Plains Grasslands. Questionnaires were completed by 146 residents and 69 NRM participants, and 15 interviews were conducted. Results suggest that a significant proportion of the local community was aware of, and valued, the plains-wanderer, and that the species is currently functioning as an effective flagship for the region. Recommendations are provided for the future selection of flagship species in ecosystems where traditional flagships are not present.
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