High resolution transit spectroscopy has proven to be a reliable technique for the characterization of the chemical composition of exoplanet atmospheres. Taking advantage of the broad spectral ...coverage of the CARMENES spectrograph, we initiated a survey aimed at characterizing a broad range of planetary systems. Here, we report our observations of three transits of GJ 3470 b with CARMENES in search of He (2
3
S) absorption. On one of the nights, the He
I
region was heavily contaminated by OH
−
telluric emission and, thus, it was not useful for our purposes. The remaining two nights had a very different signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) due to weather. They both indicate the presence of He (2
3
S) absorption in the transmission spectrum of GJ 3470 b, although a statistically valid detection can only be claimed for the night with higher S/N. For that night, we retrieved a 1.5 ± 0.3% absorption depth, translating into a
R
p
(
λ
)∕
R
p
= 1.15 ± 0.14 at this wavelength. Spectro-photometric light curves for this same night also indicate the presence of extra absorption during the planetary transit with a consistent absorption depth. The He (2
3
S) absorption is modeled in detail using a radiative transfer code, and the results of our modeling efforts are compared to the observations. We find that the mass-loss rate,
Ṁ
, is confined to a range of 3 × 10
10
g s
−1
for
T
= 6000 K to 10 × 10
10
g s
−1
for
T
= 9000 K. We discuss the physical mechanisms and implications of the He
I
detection in GJ 3470 b and put it in context as compared to similar detections and non-detections in other Neptune-size planets. We also present improved stellar and planetary parameter determinations based on our visible and near-infrared observations.
Abstract
Text mining enables search, extraction, categorisation and information visualisation. This study aimed to identify oral manifestations in patients with COVID-19 using text mining to ...facilitate extracting relevant clinical information from a large set of publications. A list of publications from the open-access COVID-19 Open Research Dataset was downloaded using keywords related to oral health and dentistry. A total of 694,366 documents were retrieved. Filtering the articles using text mining yielded 1,554 oral health/dentistry papers. The list of articles was classified into five topics after applying a Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) model. This classification was compared to the author's classification which yielded 17 categories. After a full-text review of articles in the category “Oral manifestations in patients with COVID-19”, eight papers were selected to extract data. The most frequent oral manifestations were xerostomia (n = 405, 17.8%) and mouth pain or swelling (n = 289, 12.7%). These oral manifestations in patients with COVID-19 must be considered with other symptoms to diminish the risk of dentist-patient infection.
S1, a multi-domain ribosomal protein associated with the 30S subunit, is essential for translation initiation. S1 binds with high affinity to single-stranded mRNA containing AU-rich patches upstream ...of the start codon. It was previously reported that domains 1-3 of S1 protein play a role in the docking and unfolding of structured mRNAs to the ribosome. Moreover, S1-deficient 30S subunits are still able to bind to low structured mRNAs. However, mRNAs containing AU-rich patches in the early base positions after start codon enhance protein synthesis and mRNA binding to the ribosome, which suggests that S1 is also able to interact with these AU-rich regions. To evaluate the essentiality of S1 domains in the binding to low structured mRNAs containing A/U/G nucleotides after the start codon as well as their role in translation and cell viability, S1 protein deletion variants were generated. We show that S1 domain 3 is necessary to discriminate these mRNAs according to the nucleotide nature since its absence abrogated S1 binding to A/U-rich mRNAs and allowed binding to G-rich mRNAs. Interestingly, domains 2-3 were required for the binding of mRNAs containing A/U-rich sequences after the start codon to 30S, in vitro translation, and cell viability.
With additive manufacturing (AM) individual and biocompatible implants can be generated by using suitable materials. The aim of this study was to investigate the biological effects of polylactic acid ...(PLA) manufactured by Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) on osteoblasts in vitro according to European Norm / International Organization for Standardization 10,993-5.
Human osteoblasts (hFOB 1.19) were seeded onto PLA samples produced by FDM and investigated for cell viability by fluorescence staining after 24 h. Cell proliferation was measured after 1, 3, 7 and 10 days by cell-counting and cell morphology was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. For control, we used titanium samples and polystyrene (PS).
Cell viability showed higher viability on PLA (95,3% ± 2.1%) than in control (91,7% ±2,7%). Cell proliferation was highest in the control group (polystyrene) and higher on PLA samples compared to the titanium samples. Scanning electron microscopy revealed homogenous covering of sample surface with regularly spread cells on PLA as well as on titanium.
The manufacturing of PLA discs from polylactic acid using FDM was successful. The in vitro investigation with human fetal osteoblasts showed no cytotoxic effects. Furthermore, FDM does not seem to alter biocompatibility of PLA. Nonetheless osteoblasts showed reduced growth on PLA compared to the polystyrene control within the cell experiments. This could be attributed to surface roughness and possible release of residual monomers. Those influences could be investigated in further studies and thus lead to improvement in the additive manufacturing process. In addition, further research focused on the effect of PLA on bone growth should follow. In summary, PLA processed in Fused Deposition Modelling seems to be an attractive material and method for reconstructive surgery because of their biocompatibility and the possibility to produce individually shaped scaffolds.
It has been hypothesised that oral bacteria can migrate, through the blood, from the mouth to the arterial plaques, thus exacerbating atherosclerosis. This study compared bacteria present in the ...peripheral blood of individuals with and without coronary artery disease (CAD). RNA sequences obtained from blood were downloaded from GEO (GSE58150). Eight patients with coronary artery calcification (CAC) scoring > 500 and eight healthy individuals were analysed. After conducting quality control, the sequences were aligned to the hg38 reference genome using Hisat2. Bacterial taxa were analysed by inputting the unmapped sequences into Kraken. Ecological indices were calculated using Vegan. The package DESeq2 was used to compare the counts of bacteria per standard rank between groups. A total of 51 species were found only in patients with CAD and 41 were exclusively present in healthy individuals. The counts of one phylum, one class, three orders, two families and one genus were significantly different between the analysed groups (p < 0.00032, FDR < 10%), including the orders Cardiobacteriales, Corynebacteriales and Fusobacteriales. Twenty-three bacterial species belonging to the subgingival plaque bacterial complexes were also identified in the blood of individuals from both the groups; Fusobacterium nucleatum was significantly less frequent in patients with CAD (p = 0.0012, FDR = 4.8%). Furthermore, the frequency of another 11 bacteria differed significantly among patients with CAD than that among healthy individuals (p < 0.0030, FDR < 10%). These bacteria have not been previously reported in patients with atherosclerosis and periodontitis. The presence of members of the subgingival plaque bacterial complexes in the blood of patients with CAC supports the hypothesis that the periodontopathogens can be disseminated through the blood flow to other body parts where they may enhance inflammatory processes that can lead to the development or exacerbation of atherosclerosis.
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•CS has a unique physical interaction with the binder, with no chemical interaction.•When adding CS, the excessive rigidity is reduced in mixes with RAP.•Deformation is due to the ...lack of affinity of aggregate and CS with the aged binder.•Combinations of RAP and CS between 45% and 55% improve the behaviour of the mixes.•The size of the reused materials does not influence the behaviour of the mixes.
Copper slag (CS) is a derivative of copper production that is mainly composed of heavy metals. The large amount of this material accumulated around the world entails a serious environmental danger. Its use as a replacement of mineral aggregate in asphalt mixtures would allow to increase the durability and resistance, taking advantage of its physical-chemical properties. In this research, physicochemical analyses of different combinations of CS, reclaimed asphalt pavements (RAP), asphalt cement and aggregates by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-Transform InfraRed spectroscopy (FT-IR) were developed. Subsequently, Marshall stiffness ratio, indirect tensile strength (IDT) and resilient modulus tests were performed to determine their implication in mechanical behaviour.
Asphalt mixes with ranges from 45 to 55% of recycled material have improved stability, Marshall Flow and Stiffness ratio, obtaining values comparable with those from a conventional mixture. At the same time, its resilient modulus and IDT values increased by 35% compared to conventional mixes. To maintain values similar to conventional mixes, when the amount of RAP decreases the amount of CS should be increased, with a maximum value of 35%. This behaviour is explained by the presence of fayalite and magnetite in CS, which are hard, dense and hydrophobic components that produce increased elastic deformation of the binder before breaking.
Biocomposite films based on PLA reinforced with different β-TCP contents (10%, 20%, and 25%wt.) were fabricated via solvent casting and immersed in SBF for 7, 14, and 21 days. The bioactivity, ...morphological, and thermal behavior of composites with immersion were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis, weight loss (W
), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). This broad analysis leads to a deeper understanding of the evolution of the polymer-filler interaction with the degradation of the biocomposites. The results showed that β-TCP gradually evolved into carbonated hydroxyapatite as the immersion time increased. This evolution affected the interaction of β-TCP with PLA. PLA and β-TCP interactions differed from PLA and carbonated hydroxyapatite interactions. It was observed that β-TCP inhibited PLA hydrolysis but accelerated the thermal degradation of the polymer. β-TCP retarded the cold crystallization of PLA and hindered its crystallinity. However, after immersion in SBF, particles accelerated the cold crystallization of PLA. Therefore, considering the evolution of β-TCP with immersion in SBF is crucial for an accurate analysis of the biocomposites' degradation. These findings enhance the comprehension of the degradation mechanism in PLA/β-TCP, which is valuable for predicting the degradation performance of PLA/β-TCP in medical applications.
Human doublecortin (DCX) mutations are associated with severe brain malformations leading to aberrant neuron positioning (heterotopia), intellectual disability and epilepsy. DCX is a ...microtubule-associated protein which plays a key role during neurodevelopment in neuronal migration and differentiation. Dcx knockout (KO) mice show disorganized hippocampal pyramidal neurons. The CA2/CA3 pyramidal cell layer is present as two abnormal layers and disorganized CA3 KO pyramidal neurons are also more excitable than wild-type (WT) cells. To further identify abnormalities, we characterized Dcx KO hippocampal neurons at subcellular, molecular and ultrastructural levels. Severe defects were observed in mitochondria, affecting number and distribution. Also, the Golgi apparatus was visibly abnormal, increased in volume and abnormally organized. Transcriptome analyses from laser microdissected hippocampal tissue at postnatal day 60 (P60) highlighted organelle abnormalities. Ultrastructural studies of CA3 cells performed in P60 (young adult) and > 9 months (mature) tissue showed that organelle defects are persistent throughout life. Locomotor activity and fear memory of young and mature adults were also abnormal: Dcx KO mice consistently performed less well than WT littermates, with defects becoming more severe with age. Thus, we show that disruption of a neurodevelopmentally-regulated gene can lead to permanent organelle anomalies contributing to abnormal adult behavior.
•Neurodevelopmental Dcx mutation leads to persistent hippocampal abnormalities.•Adult mutant neurons exhibit Golgi apparatus and mitochondria alterations.•In mutant mice, behavioral defects appear earlier and are more severe with aging.
Improvements in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (TERM)-type technologies have allowed the development of specific materials that, together with a better understanding of bone tissue ...structure, have provided new pathways to obtain biomaterials for bone tissue regeneration. In this manuscript, bioabsorbable materials are presented as emerging materials in tissue engineering therapies related to bone lesions because of their ability to degrade in physiological environments while the regeneration process is completed. This comprehensive review aims to explore the studies, published since its inception (2010s) to the present, on bioabsorbable composite materials based on PLA and PCL polymeric matrix reinforced with Mg, which is also bioabsorbable and has recognized osteoinductive capacity. The research collected in the literature reveals studies based on different manufacturing and dispersion processes of the reinforcement as well as the physicochemical analysis and corresponding biological evaluation to know the osteoinductive capacity of the proposed PLA/Mg and PCL/Mg composites. In short, this review shows the potential of these composite materials and serves as a guide for those interested in bioabsorbable materials applied in bone tissue engineering.
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