We assessed serum samples collected in Cauca Department, Colombia, from 486 persons for Orientia seroreactivity. Overall, 13.8% showed reactive IgG by indirect immunofluorescence antibody assay and ...ELISA. Of those samples, 30% (20/67) were confirmed to be positive by Western blot, showing >1 reactive band to Orientia 56-kD or 47-kD antigens.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
•Manufacturing systems are shifting towards more efficient and sustainable systems into the Industry 4.0 framework.•Optimization-based control techniques have gained great attention for energy ...managing in discrete manufacturing systems.•Introduction of cyber-physical systems concept, Internet of Things and key technologies of Industry 4.0 have promoted the transformation towards smart manufacturing systems.•Smart manufacturing systems allow the design of control strategies implemented in real time to improve energy efficiency and flexibility of manufacturing systems.
Since the depletion of fossil energy sources, rising energy prices, and governmental regulation restrictions, the current manufacturing industry is shifting towards more efficient and sustainable systems. This transformation has promoted the identification of energy saving opportunities and the development of new technologies and strategies oriented to improve the energy efficiency of such systems. This paper outlines and discusses most of the research reported during the last decade regarding energy efficiency in manufacturing systems, the current technologies and strategies to improve that efficiency, identifying and remarking those related to the design of management/control strategies. Based on this fact, this paper aims to provide a review of strategies for reducing energy consumption and optimizing the use of resources within a plant into the context of discrete manufacturing. The review performed concerning the current context of manufacturing systems, control systems implemented, and their transformation towards Industry 4.0 might be useful in both the academic and industrial dimension to identify trends and critical points and suggest further research lines.
Ehrlichia minasensis is a new pathogenic bacterial species that infects cattle, and Borrelia theileri causes bovine borreliosis. We detected E. minasensis and B. theileri DNA in cattle from ...southwestern Colombia by using PCR. E. minasensis and B. theileri should be considered potential etiologies of febrile syndrome in cattle from Colombia.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Staphylococci produce a large number of extracellular proteases, some of which are considered as potential virulence factors. Staphylococcus epidermidis is a causative agent of nosocomial infections ...in medical devices by the formation of biofilms. It has been proposed that proteases contribute to the different stages of biofilm formation. S. epidermidis secretes a small number of extracellular proteases, such as serine protease Esp, cysteine protease EcpA, and metalloprotease SepA that have a relatively low substrate specificity. Recent findings indicate a significant contribution of extracellular proteases in biofilm formation through the proteolytic inactivation of adhesion molecules. The objective of this work is to provide an overview of the current knowledge of S. epidermidis’ extracellular proteases during pathogenicity, especially in the different stages of biofilm formation.
•Real-time scheduling for daily optimal operation of CHP systems with energy storage.•Economic optimal operation of CHPs based on economic model predictive control (EMPC).•Evaluation of CHP operation ...in dynamic energy-market scenarios.•Non-constant time step along prediction horizon to reduce the computational burden.
The use of decentralized Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants is increasing since the high levels of efficiency they can achieve. Thus, to determine the optimal operation of these systems in dynamic energy-market scenarios, operational constraints and the time-varying price profiles for both electricity and the required resources should be taken into account. In order to maximize the profit during the operation of the CHP plant, this paper proposes an optimization-based controller designed according to the Economic Model Predictive Control (EMPC) approach, which uses a non-constant time step along the prediction horizon to get a shorter step size at the beginning of that horizon while a lower resolution for the far instants. Besides, a softening of related constraints to meet the market requirements related to the sale of electric power to the grid point is proposed. Simulation results show that the computational burden to solve optimization problems in real time is reduced while minimizing operational costs and satisfying the market constraints. The proposed controller is developed based on a real CHP plant installed at the ETA research factory in Darmstadt, Germany.
Guinea pigs (Cavia spp.) have a long association with humans. From as early as 10,000 years ago they were a wild food source. Later, domesticated Cavia porcellus were dispersed well beyond their ...native range through pre-Columbian exchange networks and, more recently, widely across the globe. Here we present 46 complete mitogenomes of archaeological guinea pigs from sites in Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, the Caribbean, Belgium and the United States to elucidate their evolutionary history, origins and paths of dispersal. Our results indicate an independent centre of domestication of Cavia in the eastern Colombian Highlands. We identify a Peruvian origin for the initial introduction of domesticated guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) beyond South America into the Caribbean. We also demonstrate that Peru was the probable source of the earliest known guinea pigs transported, as part of the exotic pet trade, to both Europe and the southeastern United States. Finally, we identify a modern reintroduction of guinea pigs to Puerto Rico, where local inhabitants use them for food. This research demonstrates that the natural and cultural history of guinea pigs is more complex than previously known and has implications for other studies regarding regional to global-scale studies of mammal domestication, translocation, and distribution.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are evaginations of the cytoplasmic membrane, containing nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, enzymes, and toxins. EVs participate in various bacterial physiological ...processes.
interacts and communicates with the host skin.
EVs may have an essential role in this communication mechanism, modulating the immunological environment. This work aimed to evaluate if
EVs can modulate cytokine production by keratinocytes in vitro and in vivo using the imiquimod-induced psoriasis murine model.
EVs were obtained from a commensal strain (ATC12228EVs) and a clinical isolated strain (983EVs). EVs from both origins induced IL-6 expression in HaCaT keratinocyte cultures; nevertheless, 983EVs promoted a higher expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines VEGF-A, LL37, IL-8, and IL-17F than ATCC12228EVs. Moreover, in vivo imiquimod-induced psoriatic skin treated with ATCC12228EVs reduced the characteristic psoriatic skin features, such as acanthosis and cellular infiltrate, as well as VEGF-A, IL-6, KC, IL-23, IL-17F, IL-36γ, and IL-36R expression in a more efficient manner than 983EVs; however, in contrast, Foxp3 expression did not significantly change, and IL-36 receptor antagonist (IL-36Ra) was found to be increased. Our findings showed a distinctive immunological profile induction that is dependent on the clinical or commensal EV origin in a mice model of skin-like psoriasis. Characteristically, proteomics analysis showed differences in the EVs protein content, dependent on origin of the isolated EVs. Specifically, in ATCC12228EVs, we found the proteins glutamate dehydrogenase, ornithine carbamoyltransferase, arginine deiminase, carbamate kinase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, phenol-soluble β1/β2 modulin, and polyglycerol phosphate α-glucosyltransferase, which could be involved in the reduction of lesions in the murine imiquimod-induced psoriasis skin. Our results show that the commensal ATCC12228EVs have a greater protective/attenuating effect on the murine imiquimod-induced psoriasis by inducing IL-36Ra expression in comparison with EVs from a clinical isolate of
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This paper proposes a moving horizon estimator for nonlinear systems with unknown inputs, which do not comply with the model structures proposed in the literature for the design of nonlinear ...observers. The estimator is designed as an optimization problem over a moving horizon, constrained to process model equations and considering the unknown inputs as random inputs among their operating bounds. This proposal is applied to the transport of mineral slurries among process units, typically present in chemical and biological processes. There, to have the slurry properties as online measurements is vital to an efficient control of those processing units. The performance of the proposed estimator is evaluated by simulation with data from a real processing plant, and its performance is compared with a linear estimator executing the same estimation task. Better results are obtained using the proposed estimator by considering the nonlinearities of the process.
A complex coacervate was prepared with whey protein isolate (WPI) and tamarind seed mucilage (TSM) and was compared with a commonly used whey protein isolate (WPI)-gum Arabic (GA) complex coacervate. ...Protolityc titration, ζ-potentiometry and turbidimetry analyses were used to determine structural transitions during coacervate formation. Hydrocolloid blending ratio and pH effects on phase transitions were examined to finding the maximum strength interaction of the complex coacervates. The optimum WPI-TSM complex coacervate ratio and the pH value were 1:0.3 and 3.68, respectively. In contrast, the WPI-GA complex coacervate reached the optimal interaction at ratio of 1.4:1 and pH = 3.46. The complex coacervates were spray-dried and analyzed to characterize structural, morphological and thermal properties. The results of FTIR showed that the formation of complexes was by means of electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds. The XRD analysis of WPI-TSM complex revealed higher crystallinity with respect to WPI-GA complex. The spray-dried complex coacervates exhibited clusters of amorphous aggregates, smooth and non-fractured particles. Thermal stability showed that coacervation enhanced protein stability as compared to WPI alone. Besides, WPI-TSM complex coacervate exhibited higher thermal stability than its WPI-GA counterpart. Therefore, WPI-TSM complex coacervate can be used as an economic and nutritionally valuable alternative for food additives.
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•A novel WPI-TSM complex was carried out mainly by electrostatic interactions.•The WPI-TSM complex presented greater stability than WPI-GA complex.•The spray-dried complex coacervates possessed a morphology smooth with concavities.•The crystallinity degree of the complex coacervates was determined by XRD.•Thermal stability against denaturation of WPI-TSM complex coacervate was improved.
Breast cancer (BC) is a malignant disease with a high prevalence worldwide. The main cause of death is not the primary tumor, but instead the spread of tumor cells to distant sites. The aim of the ...present study was to examine a new method for the detection of cancer cells in aqueous medium using bioimpedance spectroscopy assisted with magnetic nanoparticles (MNP's) exposure to a constant magnetic field. The spectroscopic patterns were identified for three breast cancer cell lines. Each BC cell line represents a different pathologic stage: the early stage (MCF-7), invasive phase (MDA-MB-231) and metastasis (SK-BR-3). For this purpose, bioimpedance measurements were carried out at a certain frequency range with the aid of nanoprobes, consisting of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) coupled to a monoclonal antibody. The antibody was specific for the predominant cell surface protein for each cell line, which was identified by using RT-qPCR and flow cytometry. Accordingly, EpCAM corresponds to MCF-7, MUC-1 to MDA-MB-231, and HER-2 to SK-BR-3. Despite their low concentrations, BC cells could be detected by impedance spectroscopy. Hence, this methodology should permit the monitoring of circulating tumor cells (CTC) and therefore help to prevent recurrences and metastatic processes during BC treatment.
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