The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC System to differentiate it from its flagship, UNC-Chapel Hill. The university system has a total enrollment of over 239,987 students and in 2008 conferred over 75% of all baccalaureate degrees in North Carolina. UNC campuses conferred 43,686 degrees in 2008–2009, the bulk of which were at the bachelor's level, with 31,055 degrees awarded.
Purpose The biomechanics of surgically treated metacarpal base fractures are poorly described. We hypothesized that intramedullary threaded nail (IMTN) fixation and dorsal plate and screw (DPS) fixation would perform similarly in multiple fracture locations approaching the metacarpal base. Methods Sixty-four metacarpals from eight matched pair cadaveric hands were stripped. Matched pairs were randomly divided into four cohorts based on fracture distance from the metacarpal base. Transverse osteotomies were created at 50%, 35%, 25%, and 15% of the total metacarpal length, measured from the metacarpal base. The 50% cohort served as a control. For each cohort, paired metacarpals were randomized to either DPS or IMTN fixation groups. All specimens were cyclically loaded in 3-point bending for 2,000 cycles at 70 N, 2,000 cycles at 120 N, and then loaded to failure. Bending stiffness, cycles to failure, and peak load to failure (LTF) were collected. Results Peak bending stiffness and peak LTF were not significantly different in the 15%, 25%, or 35% groups compared to the 50% control for both IMTN and DPS fixation. Direct comparison of IMTN and DPS fixation at each osteotomy level yielded no significant differences in LTF or bending stiffness. There was a nonsignificant trend toward higher LTF and bending stiffness with DPS fixation in more proximal fractures. Conclusions Peak LTF and bending stiffness were not significantly different for IMTN or DPS fixation in fractures located as proximally as 15% from the metacarpal base. Furthermore, both IMTN and DPS fixation had no significant differences in peak bending stiffness and LTF for metacarpal fractures as proximal as 15% from the base compared to a 50% control. Clinical relevance When managing proximal metacarpal fractures surgeons can expect no significant difference in stiffness or LTF using either DPS or IMTN fixation with values comparable to those seen when treating a midshaft metacarpal fracture.
Medicinal plants produce essential secondary metabolites which have immense potential in human welfare, including pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. Over the last few decades, hairy root cultures have emerged as a promising biotechnological platform for the sustainable synthesis of pharmacologically important secondary metabolites. This approach exploits the inherent capability of Agrobacterium rhizogenes to transfer root-inducing (Ri) plasmid T-DNA into the host plant genome, resulting in the formation of genetically stable, fast-growing, and hormone-independent hairy roots. Transformed hairy roots are particularly advantageous due to their high biosynthetic potential, genetic stability, and competence to replicate or even surpass the parent plant in producing bioactive metabolites such as phenolics, alkaloids, terpenoids, and flavonoids. This approach not only conserves plant biodiversity but also enables controlled manipulation of biosynthetic pathways through elicitor treatments, precursor feeding, and metabolic engineering. The integration of advanced technologies including transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics further enhances our understanding of metabolic regulation and supports pathway optimization for improved metabolite yield. Despite its tremendous potential, challenges remain in optimizing transformation protocols, strain selection, and scaling up production using bioreactor systems. Nevertheless, hairy root cultures constitute an efficient and environmentally sustainable platform for the large-scale production of high-value metabolites across diverse plant species. This review explores the biological basis, influencing factors, and applications of hairy root cultures, emphasizing their role in modern plant biotechnology and their commercial relevance in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. We also critically discuss and analyze recent trends and future perspectives.
This study examined the evolving landscape of green entrepreneurship (GE) research through a comprehensive analysis that combined bibliometric and systematic literature reviews. Analysis of 88 articles retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) mapped the research trajectory, identifying key authors, journals and research themes. Findings revealed a growing interest in GE research, with a discernible shift toward six themes. The themes were drivers and motivators, pro-environmental behaviours (PEB) and practices, business models and strategies, entrepreneurial intentions and orientation and the crucial role of innovation and technology. Thus, we identified key gaps, with suggestions for future research directions. These included exploring the interplay between technology and green entrepreneurial activity, the impact of enabling policy frameworks and the influence of consumer behaviour driving green entrepreneurial activity. This study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the GE field, providing a strategic roadmap for future research endeavours.
Myeloid malignancies carrying somatic DNMT3A mutations (DNMT3Amut) are refractory to standard therapy. DNMT3Amut leukemia cells accumulate toxic DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and stalled replication forks, rendering them dependent on DNA damage response (DDR). We report here that DNA polymerase theta (Pol9), a key element in DSB repair by end-joining (Pol9-mediated end-joining [TMEJ]) and in fork restarting, promotes survival and proliferation of DNMT3Amut leukemia cells. Pol9 is overexpressed in DNMT3Amut leukemia cells due to abrogation of PARP1 PARylation-dependent UBE2O E3 ligase-mediated ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of Pol9. In addition, PARP1-mediated recruitment of the SMARCAD1-MSH2/ MSH3 repressive complex to DSBs is diminished in DNMT3Amut leukemia cells, which facilitates association of Pol9 with DNA damage. Pol9 inhibitors enhance the anti-leukemic effects of standard drugs such as FLT3 kinase inhibitor quizartinib, cytarabine +/- doxorubicin, and etoposidein vitro and in mice with DNMT3Amut leukemia. Altogether, Pol9 is an attractive target in DNMT3Amut hematological malignancies.
Neoliberalism, once an economic doctrine responding to the failures of liberalism, has become a widely used concept in sociolegal scholarship. Law and society scholars often invoke it to explain sociolegal and punitive phenomena such as mass incarceration, inequality, and state transformation. But the concept's analytic power is undermined when scholars conflate neoliberalism as a sociohistorical process with neoliberalism as a universal cause. Drawing on an intellectual history of neoliberalism's evolving meanings, I identify two problems - ubiquity and a lack of counterfactual imagination - that limit its theoretical utility in sociolegal research. I argue that neoliberalism should be theorized as a contingent, sociohistorical process; only then can it function as a theory with meaningful consequents.
