Template design based on molecular and crystal structure similarity to regulate conformational polymorphism nucleation: the case of α,ω-alkanedicarboxylic acids

Template design on polymorph control, especially conformational polymorphs, is still in its infancy and the result of polymorph control is often accidental. A method of regulating the crystallization of conformational polymorphs based on the crystal structure similarity of templates and the target crystal form has been developed. Crystal structure similarity was considered to be able to introduce lattice matching (geometric term) with chemical interactions to regulate conformational polymorph nucleation. The method was successfully applied to induce the crystallization of DA7-II [HOOC–(CH2) n −2–COOH (diacids), named DAn, where n = 7, 9, 15, 17 and II represents the metastable polymorph] on the surface of DA15-II. An analogous two-dimensional plane – the (002) face of both DA15-II and DA7-II – was firstly predicted as the epitaxially attached face with similar lattice parameters and the strongest adsorption energy. The powder DA15-II template with the preferred orientation face in (002) presented much stronger inducing DA7-II ability than the template with other preferred orientation faces. The epitaxial growth of DA7-II on DA15-II through an identical (002) face was clearly observed and verified by the single-crystal inducing experiments. The molecular dynamics simulation results demonstrated that the strong interactions occurred between DA7 molecules and the (002) face of DA15-II. This method has been verified and further applied to the crystallization of DA7-II on the surface of DA17-II and DA9-II on the surface of DA15-II. This study developed a strategy based on structure similarity to regulate the conformational polymorph and verified the significant role of lattice matching and chemical effects on the design and preparation of templates.

Ribocutter: Cas9-mediated rRNA depletion from multiplexed riboseq libraries

RNA sequencing libraries produced from fragmented RNA, especially Ribo-seq libraries, contain high proportions of reads from abundant non-coding RNAs. Here, we describe a streamlined Cas9-based protocol for removing abundant rRNA/ncRNA contaminants from Ribo-seq (or other small RNA-seq) libraries and an easy-to-use software tool, ribocutter, for designing sgRNA templates. Following sgRNA template design, the pool of templates is in vitro transcribed using a 1-step commercial kit, which produces enough sgRNAs for multiple treatments. A single multiplexed sequencing library is then treated with Cas9/sgRNAs, followed by a short PCR program, which can increase the fraction of useful reads by more than 3-fold. Comparison of samples before and after depletion demonstrates that Cas9 produces minimal off-target effects and preserves key features (eg. footprint length, periodicity) of Ribo-seq libraries. The method is thus highly effective, costs <€1.00 per sample, and minimises non-specific depletion and technical variation between samples.

Improved access in minimally invasive temporomandibular joint surgery through a novel endaural template

Background Digitally designed surgical templates for minimally invasive temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery (MITMJS) are a promising tool for improving the safety of these procedures. Given the TMJ anatomy, the template fitting and intraoperative overview are the most important issues for a safe surgery. This article is a technical advance article that aims to describe an endaural surgical template based on the Moses approach as a possible solution in TMJ surgery. Methods Three patients with internal derangement were treated with the guidance of a MITMJS template based on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and a surface imprint of the periauricular region. None of the patients needed an additional open surgical procedure. Fitting of the templates was judged in terms of position and rotational stability. Surgical side effects and complications were recorded for each patient. Results The template design and clinical use were satisfactory for MITMJS. The templates showed satisfying fit and good visibility. In the study cohort, no bleeding, facial nerve injury, or other complications occurred after the procedure, and no visible scars were noted postoperatively. Conclusion Our feasibility report on template-guided MITMJS shows a promising new application of templates. It points to improved access in arthroscopy or arthrocentesis of TMJ surgery through endaural access with an increased level of safety during surgery.

Prototyping of Agricultural Education Website Using the Design Sprint Approach

Agricultural technology is developing in line with discoveries in soil science and plant nutrition. This technology enables increased tonnage of yields at lower costs. But unfortunately, this useful technological development cannot be directly applied by farmers due to the slow transformation of information to farmers. One thing that can be done is to create an appropriate agricultural technology information service website. For the information presented to suit the farmers' needs and easy for them to understand, a user interface design process is needed that involves the farmer directly. So this study uses Design Sprint as an approach to design and validate the user interface. This research succeeded in making a website template design and has been validated with a grade of 3.6 from a scale of 5. The grade is included in the category of very good and suitable for use as an educational medium.

Improved access in minimally invasive temporomandibular joint surgery through a novel endaural template.

BackgroundDigitally designed surgical templates for minimally invasive temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery (MITMJS) are a promising tool for improving the safety of these procedures. Given the TMJ anatomy, the template fitting and intraoperative overview are the most important issues for a safe surgery. This article is a technical advance article that aims to describe an endaural surgical template based on the Moses approach as a possible solution in TMJ surgery.Methods:Three patients with internal derangement were treated with the guidance of a MITMJS template based on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and a surface imprint of the periauricular region. None of the patients needed an additional open surgical procedure. Fitting of the templates was judged in terms of position and rotational stability. Surgical side effects and complications were recorded for each patient.Results:The template design and clinical use were satisfactory for MITMJS. The templates showed satisfying fit and good visibility. In the study cohort, no bleeding, facial nerve injury, or other complications occurred after the procedure, and no visible scars were noted postoperatively.Conclusion:Our feasibility report on template-guided MITMJS shows a promising new application of templates. It points to improved access in arthroscopy or arthrocentesis of TMJ surgery through endaural access with an increased level of safety during surgery.

Micro-Credentials in Higher Education

Micro-credentials are becoming an efficient and financially sound method of delivering skills and content knowledge to adult learners. This chapter will define micro-credentials, explore how higher education and business organizations view and utilize them, and discuss the challenges of creating and implementing them. This chapter will conclude with a description of how a small private non-profit university created several micro-credentials by adapting components of their Online Teaching and Instructional Design Master's program. It will also outline the reasons behind the implementation, the research conducted to validate the change, and the process of creating the micro-credentials through template design.