Rutgers University

About: Rutgers University is a education organization based out in New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 68736 authors who have published 159418 publications receiving 6713860 citations. The organization is also known as: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey & Rutgers.

The 2011 Report on Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D From the Institute of Medicine: What Clinicians Need to Know

Abstract: This report summarizes the findings of the 2011 Institute of Medicine Committee on dietary intake requirements for calcium and vitamin D in North America, and provides updated data from the previous Institute of Medicine report of 1997. The Committee extensively reviewed existing published evidence on dietary and supplemental intake requirements for calcium and vitamin D with respect to both skeletal health and extraskeletal chronic disease outcomes. Calcium and vitamin D intake requirements were examined for several risk indictors of bone and skeletal health as well as extraskeletal outcomes (including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases, neuropsychological function, and disorders of pregnancy). Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) was defined as the level of intake of calcium or serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D that would meet the requirements of at least 97.5% of the population. The available scientific data supported an important role for calcium and vitamin D in bone and skeletal health outcomes that was consistent with a cause-and-effect relationship. However, data from randomized clinical trials for extraskeletal health outcomes were limited and inconclusive regarding a possible relationship with calcium and vitamin D intake requirements, and no evidence was found for dose-response or other established criteria for cause-and-effect. For bone health outcome, RDAs of calcium ranged from 700 to 1300 mg/d for life-stage groups at ≥1 year of age, and RDAs of vitamin D were 600 IU/d for ages 1 to 70 years and 800 IU/d for ages ≥71 (corresponding to a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of at least 20 ng/mL [50 nmol/L]). There was an assumption of minimal or no sun exposure for estimation of RDA levels because of the wide variation in vitamin D synthesis from ultraviolet light and concern over risk of skin cancer. No consistent evidence was found that dietary or supplemental intake of vitamin D levels above the RDA provides additional benefit for bone health or extraskeletal outcomes; several investigators have found an U-shaped curve for several outcomes related to vitamin D intake, with increased risks at both low and high levels. The findings of this report suggest that prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in North America has been overestimated. The data show that almost all individuals in this population meet their RDA for vitamin D.

Public Participation in Scientific Research: a Framework for Deliberate Design

Abstract: Members of the public participate in scientific research in many different contexts, stemming from traditions as varied as participatory action research and citizen science. Particularly in conservation and natural resource management contexts, where research often addresses complex social-ecological questions, the emphasis on and nature of this participation can significantly affect both the way that projects are designed and the outcomes that projects achieve. We review and integrate recent work in these and other fields, which has converged such that we propose the term public participation in scientific research (PPSR) to discuss initiatives from diverse fields and traditions. We describe three predominant models of PPSR and call upon case studies suggesting that—regardless of the research context—project outcomes are influenced by (1) the degree of public participation in the research process and (2) the quality of public participation as negotiated during project design. To illustrate relationships between the quality of participation and outcomes, we offer a framework that considers how scientific and public interests are negotiated for project design toward multiple, integrated goals. We suggest that this framework and models, used in tandem, can support deliberate design of PPSR efforts that will enhance their outcomes for scientific research, individual participants, and social-ecological systems.

Observation of Van Hove singularities in twisted graphene layers

Abstract: When a Van Hove singularity exists near the Fermi energy of a solid’s density of states, it can cause a variety of exotic phenomena to emerge. Scanning tunnelling microscope measurements indicate that when graphite’s graphene sheets are rotated out of their usual alignment, it can generate low-energy Van Hove singularities for which the position is controlled by the angle of rotation.

Human telomeric sequence forms a hybrid-type intramolecular G-quadruplex structure with mixed parallel/antiparallel strands in potassium solution

Abstract: Human telomeric DNA consists of tandem repeats of the sequence d(TTAGGG). The formation and stabilization of DNA G-quadruplexes in the human telomeric sequence have been shown to inhibit the activity of telomerase, thus the telomeric DNA G-quadruplex has been considered as an attractive target for cancer therapeutic intervention. However, knowledge of the intact human telomeric G-quadruplex structure(s) formed under physiological conditions is a prerequisite for structure-based rational drug design. Here we report the folding structure of the human telomeric sequence in K+ solution determined by NMR. Our results demonstrate a novel, unprecedented intramolecular G-quadruplex folding topology with hybrid-type mixed parallel/antiparallel G-strands. This telomeric G-quadruplex structure contains three G-tetrads with mixed G-arrangements, which are connected consecutively with a double-chain-reversal side loop and two lateral loops, each consisting of three nucleotides TTA. This intramolecular hybrid-type telomeric G-quadruplex structure formed in K+ solution is distinct from those reported on the 22 nt Tel22 in Na+ solution and in crystalline state in the presence of K+, and appears to be the predominant conformation for the extended 26 nt telomeric sequence Tel26 in the presence of K+, regardless of the presence or absence of Na+. Furthermore, the addition of K+ readily converts the Na+-form conformation to the K+-form hybrid-type G-quadruplex. Our results explain all the reported experimental data on the human telomeric G-quadruplexes formed in the presence of K+, and provide important insights for understanding the polymorphism and interconversion of various G-quadruplex structures formed within the human telomeric sequence, as well as the effects of sequence and cations. This hybrid-type G-quadruplex topology suggests a straightforward pathway for the secondary structure formation with effective packing within the extended human telomeric DNA. The hybrid-type telomeric G-quadruplex is most likely to be of pharmacological relevance, and the distinct folding topology of this G-quadruplex suggests that it can be specifically targeted by G-quadruplex interactive small molecule drugs.

DNA sequence-dependent deformability deduced from protein–DNA crystal complexes

Abstract: The deformability of double helical DNA is critical for its packaging in the cell, recognition by other molecules, and transient opening during biochemically important processes. Here, a complete set of sequence-dependent empirical energy functions suitable for describing such behavior is extracted from the fluctuations and correlations of structural parameters in DNA–protein crystal complexes. These elastic functions provide useful stereochemical measures of the local base step movements operative in sequence-specific recognition and protein-induced deformations. In particular, the pyrimidine-purine dimers stand out as the most variable steps in the DNA–protein complexes, apparently acting as flexible “hinges” fitting the duplex to the protein surface. In addition to the angular parameters widely used to describe DNA deformations (i.e., the bend and twist angles), the translational parameters describing the displacements of base pairs along and across the helical axis are analyzed. The observed correlations of base pair bending and shearing motions are important for nonplanar folding of DNA in nucleosomes and other nucleoprotein complexes. The knowledge-based energies also offer realistic three-dimensional models for the study of long DNA polymers at the global level, incorporating structural features beyond the scope of conventional elastic rod treatments and adding a new dimension to literal analyses of genomic sequences.