Pattern Project - French Press

The Pattern Project explores the process of developing visual patterns, intended for the built interior environment, through both hand and digital crafts. Inspirations evolve into pattern concepts that inform message and intention. The intended message then informs motif, color, density, composition, line, repetition, hierarchy, and texture. Drawing from history, designers assess the role of pattern within the built environment and its connection to architecture and building occupants. Traditional handcrafts have evolved and are now used in contemporary processes while new digital crafts have emerged as pattern-making tools. The patterns developed through the Pattern Project were produced to scale on paper or textile measuring approximately 24 wide x 60 long.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/pp/1006/thumbnail.jp

Developmental competence of human in vitro aged oocytes as host cells for nuclear transfer

BACKGROUND: Improving human nuclear transfer (NT) efficiencies is paramount for the development of patient-specific stem cell lines, although the opportunities remain limited owing to difficulties in obtaining fresh mature oocytes. METHODS: Therefore, the developmental competence of aged, failed-to-fertilize human oocytes as an alternate cytoplasmic source for NT was assessed and compared with use of fresh, ovulation-induced oocytes. To further characterize the developmental potential of aged oocytes, parthenogenetic activation, immunocytochemical analysis of essential microtubule proteins involved in meiotic and mitotic division, and RT-PCR in single oocytes (n = 6) was performed to determine expression of oocyte-specific genes [oocyte-specific histone 1 (H1FOO), growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9), bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15), zygote arrest 1 (ZAR1)] and microtubule markers [nuclear mitotic arrest (NuMA), minus-end directed motor protein HSET and the microtubule kinesin motor protein EG5]. RESULTS: For NT, enucleation and fusion rates of aged oocytes were significantly lower compared with fresh oocytes (P < 0.05). Cleavage rates and subsequent development were poor. In addition, parthenote cleavage was low. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that many oocytes displayed aberrant expression of NuMA and EG5, had disrupted meiotic spindles and tetrapolar spindles. One of the six oocytes misexpressed GDF9, BMP15 and ZAR1. Two oocytes expressed EG5 messenger RNA (mRNA), and HSET and NuMA were not detectable. RT-PCR of mRNA for oocyte specific genes and microtubule markers in single aged oocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, aneuploidy and spindle defects may contribute to poor parthenogenetic development and developmental outcomes following NT

Museomic approaches to genotype historic <i>Cinchona</i> barks

AbstractOver the last few centuries, millions of plant specimens have been collected and stored within herbaria and biocultural collections. They therefore represent a considerable resource for a broad range of scientific uses. However, collections degrade over time, and it is therefore increasingly difficult to characterise their genetic signatures. Here, we genotyped highly degraded Cinchona barks and leaves from herbaria using two separate high-throughput sequencing methods (HtS) and compared their performance. We subsequently genotyped specimens using genome skimming, the most commonly performed high-throughput sequencing (HtS) technique. We additionally used a recently developed capture bait set (Angiosperm353) for a target enrichment approach. Specifically, phylogenomic analyses of modern leaf and historical barks of Cinchona were performed, including 23 historical barks and six fresh leaf specimens. We found that samples degraded over time, which directly reduced the quantity and quality of the data produced by both methodologies (in terms of reads mapped to the references). However, we found that both approaches generated enough data to infer phylogenetic relationships, even between highly degraded specimens that are over 230 years old. However, the target capture kit produced data for target nuclear loci and also chloroplast data, which allowed for phylogenies to be inferred from both genomes, whereas it was only possible to use chloroplast data using genome skimming. We therefore find the Angiosperms353 target capture kit a powerful alternative to genome skimming, which can be used to obtain more information from herbarium specimens, and ultimately additional cultural benefits.</jats:p