Abstract
X-ray studies of jellyfish galaxies play a crucial role in understanding the interactions between the interstellar medium (ISM) and the intracluster medium (ICM). In this paper, we focused ...on the jellyfish galaxy JO201. By combining archival Chandra observations, Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer H
α
cubes, and maps of the emission fraction of the diffuse ionized gas, we investigated both its high-energy spectral properties and the spatial correlation between its X-ray and optical emissions. The X-ray emission of JO201 is provided by both the Compton-thick active galactic nucleus (
L
= 2.7 · 10
41
erg s
−1
, not corrected for intrinsic absorption) and an extended component (
L
1.9–4.5 · 10
41
erg s
−1
) produced by a warm plasma (
kT
keV), whose luminosity is higher than expected from the observed star formation (
L
3.8 · 10
40
erg s
−1
). The spectral analysis showed that the X-ray emission is consistent with the thermal cooling of hot plasma. These properties are similar to the ones found in other jellyfish galaxies showing extended X-ray emission. A point-to-point analysis revealed that this X-ray emission closely follows the ISM distribution, whereas
CLOUDY
simulations proved that the ionization triggered by this warm plasma would be able to reproduce the O
i
/H
α
excess observed in JO201. We conclude that the galactic X-ray emitting plasma originates on the surface of the ISM as a result of the ICM–ISM interplay. This process would entail the cooling and accretion of the ICM onto the galaxy, which could additionally fuel the star formation, and the emergence of O
i
/H
α
excess in the optical spectrum.
The regeneration of the osteochondral unit represents a challenge due to the distinct cartilage and bone phases. Current strategies focus on the development of multiphasic scaffolds that recapitulate ...features of this complex unit and promote the differentiation of implanted bone‐marrow derived stem cells (BMSCs). In doing so, challenges remain from the loss of stemness during in vitro expansion of the cells and the low control over stem cell activity at the interface with scaffolds in vitro and in vivo. Here, this work scaffolds inspired by the bone marrow niche that can recapitulate the natural healing process after injury. The construct comprises an internal depot of quiescent BMSCs, mimicking the bone marrow cavity, and an electrospun (ESP) capsule that “activates” the cells to migrate into an outer “differentiation‐inducing” 3D printed unit functionalized with TGF‐β and BMP‐2 peptides. In vitro, niche‐inspired scaffolds retained a depot of nonproliferative cells capable of migrating and proliferating through the ESP capsule. Invasion of the 3D printed cavity results in location‐specific cell differentiation, mineralization, secretion of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), and genetic upregulation of collagen II and collagen I. In vivo, niche‐inspired scaffolds are biocompatible, promoted tissue formation in rat subcutaneous models, and regeneration of the osteochondral unit in rabbit models.
Niche‐inspired scaffolds are designed to mimic the natural healing process with an internal depot of quiescent stem cells, mimicking the bone marrow cavity and an electrospun (ESP) capsule that “activates” the cells to migrate into an outer “differentiation‐inducing” 3D printed unit. These Matryoshka‐like scaffolds prove capable of regenerating the osteochondral interface in vitro and in vivo.
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory and degenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by demyelination and concomitant axonal loss. The lack of a single specific test, and ...the similarity to other inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system, makes it difficult to have a clear diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Therefore, laboratory tests that allows a clear and definite diagnosis, as well as to predict the different clinical courses of the disease are of utmost importance. Herein, we compared the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteome of patients with multiple sclerosis (in the relapse-remitting phase of the disease) and other diseases of the CNS (inflammatory and non-inflammatory) aiming at identifying reliable biomarkers of multiple sclerosis.
CSF samples from the discovery group were resolved by 2D-gel electrophoresis followed by identification of the protein spots by mass spectrometry. The results were analyzed using univariate (Student's t test) and multivariate (Hierarchical Cluster Analysis, Principal Component Analysis, Linear Discriminant Analysis) statistical and numerical techniques, to identify a set of protein spots that were differentially expressed in CSF samples from patients with multiple sclerosis when compared with other two groups. Validation of the results was performed in samples from a different set of patients using quantitative (e.g., ELISA) and semi-quantitative (e.g., Western Blot) experimental approaches.
Analysis of the 2D-gels showed 13 protein spots that were differentially expressed in the three groups of patients: Alpha-1-antichymotrypsin, Prostaglandin-H2-isomerase, Retinol binding protein 4, Transthyretin (TTR), Apolipoprotein E, Gelsolin, Angiotensinogen, Agrin, Serum albumin, Myosin-15, Apolipoprotein B-100 and EF-hand calcium-binding domain-containing protein. ELISA experiments allowed validating part of the results obtained in the proteomics analysis and showed that some of the alterations in the CSF proteome are also mirrored in serum samples from multiple sclerosis patients. CSF of multiple sclerosis patients was characterized by TTR oligomerization, thus highlighting the importance of analyzing posttranslational modifications of the proteome in the identification of novel biomarkers of the disease.
The model built based on the results obtained upon analysis of the 2D-gels and in the validation phase attained an accuracy of about 80% in distinguishing multiple sclerosis patients and the other two groups.
This review covers 30 years on cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.); a perennial plant adapted to the Mediterranean climate conditions of low rainfall and hot dry summers. Its potential as a non-food ...agricultural crop for set-aside lands and the excellent biomass production created an enthusiastic research interest in this plant and its uses.
The review starts with the plant morphology, ecology and development, followed by the agricultural aspects related to crop establishment and harvest, giving the available data on the production yields by biomass component, from small research plots to large-scale plantations. The biomass components are characterized regarding anatomical, chemical and physical properties in view of their use as feedstock for the different applications. The use of Cynara biomass for energy was assessed according to its fuel properties and performance under the various processes e.g. combustion, gasification and pyrolysis. Cynara seeds contain a linoleic acid rich oil that may be processed into a biodiesel with properties similar to commercial diesel. The production of biomethane and of ethanol were also studied with promising results. Cynara was tested as a fibre source for production of pulp and paper using different delignification processes (kraft, soda, ASAM and organosolvs) with good pulp yields and adequate physical and mechanical properties. More recently, the phytochemical and pharmacological activities of different compounds extracted from Cynara biomass are also being investigated. This plant is a good candidate to be grown in the dry lands of the Mediterranean region as a perennial field crop for multi-purposes and non-conventional uses.
•Cynara cardunculus was studied as a biomass crop under Mediterranean conditions.•Cynara showed potential productivity under conventional agricultural procedures.•Research was made to evaluate its potential for energy, pulp and phytochemicals.
Abstract
We analyze a sample of 244 ram-pressure-stripped candidate galaxy members within the virial radius of 62 nearby clusters to determine their velocity anisotropy profile
β
(
r
). We use ...previously determined mass profiles for the 62 clusters to build an
ensemble cluster
by stacking the 62 cluster samples in projected phase space. We solve the Jeans equation for dynamical equilibrium by two methods,
MAMPOSSt
and the Jeans inversion technique, and determine
β
(
r
) both in parametric form and nonparametrically. The two methods consistently indicate that the orbits of the ram-pressure-stripped candidates are increasingly radial with distance from the cluster center, from almost isotropic (
β
≃ 0) at the center, to very radial at the virial radius (
β
≃ 0.7). The orbits of cluster galaxies undergoing ram pressure stripping are similar to those of spiral cluster galaxies but more radially elongated at large radii.
A comprehensive analysis of outdoor weathering and soil burial of cork during 1-year experiments was carried out with measurements of CIELAB color parameters, cellular observations by scanning ...electron microscopy, and surface chemical features analysed by ATR-FTIR and wet chemical analysis. Cork applied in outdoor conditions above and below ground retained its physical structure and integrity without signs of deterioration or fracturing. The cellular structure was maintained with some small changes at the one-cell layer at the surface, featuring cellular expansion and minute cell wall fractures. Surface color and chemistry showed distinct results for outdoor exposure and soil burial. The weathered cork surfaces acquired a lighter color while the soil buried cork surfaces became darker. With outdoor weathering, the cork polar solubles increased (13.0% vs. 7.6% o.d. mass) while a substantial decrease of lignin occurred (about 28% of the original lignin was removed) leading to a suberin-enriched cork surface. The chemical impact on lignin is therefore responsible for the surface change towards lighter colors. Soil-burial induced hydrolysis of ester bonds of suberin and xylan, and the lignin-enriched cork surface displayed a dark brown color. FTIR and wet chemical results were consistent. Overall cork showed a considerable structural and physical stability that allows its application in outdoor conditions, namely for building façades or other surfacing applications. Architects and designers should take into account the color dynamics of the cork surfaces.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The epithelial to mensenchymal transition program regulates various aspects of embryonic development and tissue homeostasis, but aberrant activation of this pathway in cancer contributes to tumor ...progression and metastasis. TGF-b potently induces an epithelial to mensenchymal transition in cancers of epithelial origin by inducing transcriptional changes mediated by several key transcription factors. Here, we identify the developmental transcription factor SOX4 as a transcriptional target of TGF-b in immortalized human mammary epithelial cells. SOX4 expression and activity are rapidly induced in the early stages of the TGF-b-induced epithelial to mensenchymal transition. We demonstrate that conditional activation of Sox4 is sufficient to induce the expression of N-cadherin and additional mesenchymal markers including vimentin and fibronectin, but fails to induce complete EMT as no changes are observed in the expression of E-cadherin and b-catenin. Moreover, shRNA-mediated knockdown of SOX4 significantly delays TGF-b-induced mRNA and protein expression of mesenchymal markers. Taken together, these data suggest that TGF-b-mediated increased expression of SOX4 is required for the induction of a mesenchymal phenotype during EMT in human mammary epithelial cells.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The dioxane lignin was isolated from extractives- and suberin-free cork (Quercus suber L.) by a modified acidolytic procedure and submitted to structural analysis by permanganate oxidation, ...analytical pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), liquid- and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The molecular weight (M w = 2500 Da) was assessed by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The results obtained show that the cork lignin is of syringyl (S)/guaiacyl (G) type with a small proportion of p-hydroxyphenyl (H) units (S:G:H molar ratio of 23:72:5). Among a dozen detected lignin structures, those linked by ether bonds, such as β-O-4′ (38 mol %) and 4-O-5′ (5 mol %), were the most abundant. The frequency of occurrence of β-5′, β-β′, 5-5′, tetrahydrofuran type, and structures arising from the condensation with concomitant procyanidins was assessed. Ferulates were the only cinnamic structure detected in the cork dioxane lignin.
Purpose:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness of using computed tomography (CT) to cone-beam CT (CBCT) deformable image registration (DIR) for the application of calculating the ...“dose of the day” received by a head and neck patient.
Methods:
NiftyReg is an open-source registration package implemented in our institution. The affine registration uses a Block Matching-based approach, while the deformable registration is a GPU implementation of the popular B-spline Free Form Deformation algorithm. Two independent tests were performed to assess the suitability of our registrations methodology for “dose of the day” calculations in a deformed CT. A geometric evaluation was performed to assess the ability of the DIR method to map identical structures between the CT and CBCT datasets. Features delineated in the planning CT were warped and compared with features manually drawn on the CBCT. The authors computed the dice similarity coefficient (DSC), distance transformation, and centre of mass distance between features. A dosimetric evaluation was performed to evaluate the clinical significance of the registrations errors in the application proposed and to identify the limitations of the approximations used. Dose calculations for the same intensity-modulated radiation therapy plan on the deformed CT and replan CT were compared. Dose distributions were compared in terms of dose differences (DD), gamma analysis, target coverage, and dose volume histograms (DVHs). Doses calculated in a rigidly aligned CT and directly in an extended CBCT were also evaluated.
Results:
A mean value of 0.850 in DSC was achieved in overlap between manually delineated and warped features, with the distance between surfaces being less than 2 mm on over 90% of the pixels. Deformable registration was clearly superior to rigid registration in mapping identical structures between the two datasets. The dose recalculated in the deformed CT is a good match to the dose calculated on a replan CT. The DD is smaller than 2% of the prescribed dose on 90% of the body's voxels and it passes a 2% and 2 mm gamma-test on over 95% of the voxels. Target coverage similarity was assessed in terms of the 95%-isodose volumes. A mean value of 0.962 was obtained for the DSC, while the distance between surfaces is less than 2 mm in 95.4% of the pixels. The method proposed provided adequate dose estimation, closer to the gold standard than the other two approaches. Differences in DVH curves were mainly due to differences in the OARs definition (manual vs warped) and not due to differences in dose estimation (dose calculated in replan CT vs dose calculated in deformed CT).
Conclusions:
Deforming a planning CT to match a daily CBCT provides the tools needed for the calculation of the “dose of the day” without the need to acquire a new CT. The initial clinical application of our method will be weekly offline calculations of the “dose of the day,” and use this information to inform adaptive radiotherapy (ART). The work here presented is a first step into a full implementation of a “dose-driven” online ART.
Eight polyhydroxy triterpenoid acids, hederagenin, (4α)-23-hydroxybetulinic acid, maslinic acid, corosolic acid, arjunolic acid, asiatic acid, caulophyllogenin, and madecassic acid, with 2, 3, and 4 ...hydroxyl substituents, were identified and quantified in the dichloromethane extract of
wood by comparing their GC-retention time and mass spectra with standards. Two other triterpenoid acids were tentatively identified by analyzing their mass spectra, as (2α)-2-hydroxybetulinic acid and (2α,4α)-2,23-dihydroxybetulinic acid, with 2 and 3 hydroxyl substituents. Two MS detectors were used, a quadrupole ion trap (QIT) and a quadrupole mass filter (QMF). The EI fragmentation pattern of the trimethylsilylated polyhydroxy structures of these triterpenoid acids is characterized by the sequential loss of the trimethylsilylated hydroxyl groups, most of them by the retro-Diels-Alder (rDA) opening of the C ring with a π-bond at C12-C13. The rDA C-ring opening produces ions at
320 (or 318) and
278 (or 277, 276, 366). Sequential losses of the hydroxyl groups produce ions with
from M - 90 to M - 90*y, where y is the number of hydroxyl substituents present (from 2 to 4). Moreover, specific cleavage in ring E was observed, passing from
203 to
133 and conducting other major fragments such as
189.
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