Abstract
In the present work, a lumped-parameter model of a multifunctional ventilation unit for residential applications was developed in the Simulink environment, also relying on the Simscape ...toolbox with Moist Air and Two-Phase fluid libraries. A simple, yet effective method to analyze and optimize the efficiency of the combined HVAC – air distribution system is proposed. To investigate the impact of boundary conditions on system performance, a parametric study of different installation conditions was also carried out, including outdoor air and indoor air temperature, humidity, static pressure, filter fouling, pressure drop in the intake and distribution ducts. The model highlights a strong decrease in the useful cooling/heating heat flow rate produced by the system as the installation and maintenance conditions become more challenging.
Abstract
In the present work, a simple model of a ventilation unit used for residential purposes is proposed, which was developed by means of MATLAB Simulink and the Simscape toolbox, also including ...the Moist Air and Two-Phase fluid libraries. This study falls in the realm of air conditioning in nearly Zero Energy Buildings. The model presented here is focused mostly on the aeraulic system. A parametric analysis of various installation conditions was conducted to assess and enhance the combined heat pump and the air distribution system performance, under various operating conditions. Therefore, the overall approach included several parameters, such as outdoor and indoor air temperature, humidity, static pressure, pressure drop in the intake and the distribution ducts, and filter fouling. The model serves as a predictive tool to evaluate the effectiveness of the whole system, in both design and off-design conditions; notably, critical conditions are emphasized, which are associated to severe fouling conditions, making the use of an additional fan ineffective.
Detection of specific antibodies would be a useful test strategy for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) as a complement to the single skin test. We developed a lateral flow immunochromatography (LFIC) test ...for rapid bTB detection based on the use of a conjugate of gold nanoparticles with a recombinant G protein. After evaluating 3 Mycobacterium bovis (MB) antigens: ESAT-6, CFP-10 and MPB83 for the control line, we selected MPB83 given it was the most specific. The performance of the test was analyzed with 820 bovine sera, 40 sera corresponding to healthy animals, 5 sera from animals infected with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) and 775 sera of animals from herds with bTB. All these sera were also submitted to a validated bTB-ELISA using whole-cell antigen from MB. From the 775 sera of animals from herds with bTB, 87 sera were positive by the bTB-ELISA, 45 were positive by LFIC and only 5 animals were positives by skin test (TST). To confirm bTB infection in the group of TST (−), bTB-ELISA (+) and LFIC (+) animals, we performed postmortem examination in 15 randomly selected animals. Macroscopically, these 15 animals had numerous small and large yellow-white granulomas, characteristic of bTB, and the infection was subsequently confirmed by PCR in these tissues with lesions (gold standard).
No false positive test result was detected with the developed LFIC either with the sera from healthy animals or from animals infected with MAP demonstrating that it can be a useful technique for the rapid identification of animals infected with bTB.
•We developed a lateral flow immunochromatography (LFIC) test for rapid bovine Tuberculosis detection.•MPB83 antigen was found to be sensitive and specific for M. bovis detection.•The LFIC recognizes infected animals that have not been detected by the reference technique.•The use of the LFIC could contribute to the control of bTB in herds.
RNA binding proteins (RBP) regulate the editing, localization, stabilization, translation, and degradation of ribonucleic acids (RNA) through their interactions with specific
cis
-acting elements ...within target RNAs. Post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms are directly involved in the control of the immune response and stress response and their alterations play a crucial role in cancer related processes. In this review, we discuss mRNAs and RNA binding proteins relevant to tumorigenesis, current methodologies for detecting RNA interactions, and last, we describe a novel method to detect such interactions, which combines peptide modified, RNA imaging probes (FMTRIPs) with proximity ligation (PLA) and rolling circle amplification (RCA). This assay detects native RNA in a sequence specific and single RNA sensitive manner, and PLA allows for the quantification and localization of protein-mRNA interactions with single-interaction sensitivity
in situ
.
RNA binding proteins (RBP) regulate the editing, localization, stabilization, translation, and degradation of ribonucleic acids (RNA) through their interactions with specific
cis
-acting elements within target RNAs.
RNA binding proteins (RBP) and small RNAs regulate the editing, localization, stabilization, translation, and degradation of ribonucleic acids (RNAs) through their interactions with specific ...cis-acting elements within target RNAs. Here, we describe a novel method to detect protein-mRNA interactions, which combines FLAG-peptide modified, multiply-labeled tetravalent RNA imaging probes (FMTRIPs) with proximity ligation (PLA), and rolling circle amplification (RCA). This assay detects native RNA in a sequence specific and single RNA sensitive manner, and PLA allows for the quantification and localization of protein-mRNA interactions with single-interaction sensitivity.
The ability to visualize in real‐time the expression level and localization of specific endogenous RNAs in living cells can offer tremendous opportunities for biological and disease studies. Here we ...demonstrate such a capability using a pair of molecular beacons, one with a donor and the other with an acceptor fluorophore that hybridize to adjacent regions on the same mRNA target, resulting in fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Detection of the FRET signal significantly reduced false positives, leading to sensitive imaging of K‐ras and survivin mRNAs in live HDF and MIAPaCa‐2 cells. FRET detection gave a ratio of 2.25 of K‐ras mRNA expression in stimulated and unstimulated HDF, comparable to the ratio of 1.95 using RT–PCR, and in contrast to the single‐beacon result of 1.2. We further revealed intriguing details of K‐ras and survivin mRNA localization in living cells. The dual FRET molecular beacons approach provides a novel technique for sensitive RNA detection and quantification in living cells.
Integrin α
β
mediates the trafficking of leukocytes, including CD4
T cells, to lymphoid tissues in the gut. Virus mediated damage to the gut is implicated in HIV and SIV mediated chronic immune ...activation and leads to irreversible damage to the immune system. We employed an immuno-PET/CT imaging technique to evaluate the impact of an anti-integrin α
β
mAb alone or in combination with ART, on the distribution of both SIV infected cells and CD4
cells in rhesus macaques infected with SIV. We determined that α
β
mAb reduced viral antigen in an array of tissues of the lung, spleen, axillary, and inguinal lymph nodes. These sites are not directly linked to α
β
mediated homing; however, the most pronounced reduction in viral load was observed in the colon. Despite this reduction, α
β
mAb treatment did not prevent an apparent depletion of CD4
T cells in gut in the acute phase of infection that is characteristic of HIV/SIV infection. However, α
β
mAb appeared to facilitate the preservation or restoration of CD4
T cells in gut tissues at later stages of infection. Since damage to the gut is believed to play a central role in HIV pathogenesis, these results support further evaluation of α
β
antagonists in the study and treatment of HIV disease.
Objective
Longitudinal and cross‐sectional studies suggest that affective instability is inversely related to greater age in borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, existing studies relied on ...retrospective self‐reports of perceived instability. We examined affective instability in everyday life in patients with BPD and healthy controls (HCs) by age in a cross‐sectional e‐diary study.
Methods
Two hundred and sixty female participants between 14 and 53 years of age (130 patients with BPD and 130 HCs) carried an e‐diary over 4 days. The e‐diaries emitted a prompting signal in approximately hourly intervals asking participants to rate their current affective state, that is valence (ranging from pleasant to unpleasant) and tense arousal (ranging from calm/relaxed to restless/under tension).
Results
Multilevel analyses revealed a significant interaction of age and group predicting affective instability (valence: F(1,255.6) = 7.59; P < 0.01; tense arousal: F(1,252) = 6.08; P < 0.01), suggesting that affective instability significantly declines with greater age in patients with BPD. Controlling for the number of comorbid disorders and BPD severity did not change the results, illustrating an inverse relationship between age and affective instability in BPD (significant interaction of age*group for valence: F(1,238.7) = 5.74; P < 0.02 and tense arousal: F(1,235.2) = 5.28; P < 0.02).
Conclusion
Affective instability during daily life declines with greater age in BPD. This decline is irrespective of comorbidity and BPD severity.
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