Although genetically identical for autosomal Chrs (Chr), male and female preimplantation embryos could display sex-specific transcriptional regulation. To illustrate sex-specific differences at the ...mRNA level, we compared gene-expression patterns between male and female blastocysts by DNA microarray comparison of nine groups of 60 bovine in vitro-produced blastocysts of each sex. Almost one-third of the transcripts detected showed sexual dimorphism (2,921 transcripts; false-discovery rate, P < 0.05), suggesting that in the absence of hormonal influences, the sex Chrs impose an extensive transcriptional regulation upon autosomal genes. Six genes were analyzed by qPCR in in vivo-derived embryos, which displayed similar sexual dimorphism. Ontology analysis suggested a higher global transcriptional level in females and a more active protein metabolism in males. A gene homolog to an X-linked gene involved in network interactions during spliceosome assembly was found in the Y-Chr. Most of the X-linked-expressed transcripts (88.5%) were up-regulated in females, but most of them (70%) exhibited fold-changes lower than 1.6, suggesting that X-Chr inactivation is partially achieved at the blastocyst stage. Almost half of the transcripts up-regulated in female embryos exhibiting more than 1.6-fold change were present in the X-Chr and eight of them were selected to determine a putative paternal imprinting by gene expression comparison with parthenogenetic embryos. Five (BEX, CAPN6, BEX2, SRPX2, and UBE2A) exhibited a higher expression in females than in parthenotes, suggesting that they are predominantly expressed by the paternal inherited X-Chr and that imprinting may increase the transcriptional skew caused by double X-Chr dosage.
Obesity, insulin resistance, and related pathologies are associated with immune-mediated chronic inflammation. Kit mutant mice are protected from diet-induced obesity and associated co-morbidities, ...and this phenotype has previously been attributed to their lack of mast cells. We performed a comprehensive metabolic analysis of Kit-dependent KitW/Wv and Kit-independent Cpa3Cre/+ mast-cell-deficient mouse strains, employing diet-induced or genetic (LepOb/Ob background) models of obesity. Our results show that mast cell deficiency, in the absence of Kit mutations, plays no role in the regulation of weight gain or insulin resistance. Moreover, we provide evidence that the metabolic phenotype observed in Kit mutant mice, while independent of mast cells, is immune regulated. Our data underscore the value of definitive mast cell deficiency models to conclusively test the involvement of this enigmatic cell in immune-mediated pathologies and identify Kit as a key hematopoietic factor in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome.
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•Obesity and insulin resistance are unaffected by mast cell deficiency•Global Kit deficiency protects mice from obesity and associated metabolic disorders•Reconstitution of Kit mutant mice with Kit+/+ HSCs normalizes metabolic phenotype
Mice with Kit mutations have several immune and non-immune abnormalities, including mast cell deficiency, and are protected from weight gain and insulin resistance during diet-induced obesity. Gutierrez et al. show that this protection is not mediated by mast cell deficiency, as previously thought, but instead through hematopoietic Kit deficiency.
Rapid diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics are important interventions for the management of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. It is timely to systematically review the potential of ...these interventions, including those for Middle East respiratory syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV, to guide policymakers globally on their prioritization of resources for research and development. A systematic search was carried out in three major electronic databases (PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library) to identify published studies in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Supplementary strategies through Google Search and personal communications were used. A total of 27 studies fulfilled the criteria for review. Several laboratory protocols for confirmation of suspected 2019-nCoV cases using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) have been published. A commercial RT-PCR kit developed by the Beijing Genomic Institute is currently widely used in China and likely in Asia. However, serological assays as well as point-of-care testing kits have not been developed but are likely in the near future. Several vaccine candidates are in the pipeline. The likely earliest Phase 1 vaccine trial is a synthetic DNA-based candidate. A number of novel compounds as well as therapeutics licensed for other conditions appear to have in vitro efficacy against the 2019-nCoV. Some are being tested in clinical trials against MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, while others have been listed for clinical trials against 2019-nCoV. However, there are currently no effective specific antivirals or drug combinations supported by high-level evidence.
Background
Elastic fibers are composed primarily of the protein elastin and they provide reversible elasticity to the large arteries. Degradation of elastic fibers is a common histopathology in ...aortic aneurysms. Pentagalloyl glucose (PGG) has been shown to bind elastin and stabilize elastic fibers in some in vitro studies and
in vivo
models of abdominal aortic aneurysms, however its effects on native arteries are not well described.
Objective
Perform detailed studies of the biomechanical effects of PGG on native arteries and the preventative capabilities of PGG for elastin degraded arteries.
Methods
We treated mouse carotid arteries with PGG, elastase (ELA), and PGG + ELA and compared the wall structure, solid mechanics, and fluid transport properties to untreated (UNT) arteries.
Results
We found that PGG alone decreased compliance compared to UNT arteries, but did not affect any other structural or biomechanical measures. Mild (30 s) ELA treatment caused collapse and fragmentation of the elastic lamellae, plastic deformation, decreased compliance, increased modulus, and increased hydraulic conductance of the arterial wall compared to UNT. PGG + ELA treatment partially protected from all of these changes, in particular the plastic deformation. PGG mechanical protection varied considerably across PGG + ELA samples and appeared to correlate with the structural changes.
Conclusions
Our results provide important considerations for the effects of PGG on native arteries and a baseline for further biomechanical studies on preventative elastic fiber stabilization.
ERG is a transcription factor encoded on chromosome 21q22.2 with important roles in hematopoiesis and oncogenesis of prostate cancer. ERG amplification has been identified as one of the most common ...recurrent events in acute myeloid leukemia with complex karyotype (AML‐CK). In this study, we uncover three different modes of ERG amplification in AML‐CK. Importantly, we present evidence to show that ERG amplification is distinct from intrachromosomal amplification of chromosome 21 (iAMP21), a hallmark segmental amplification frequently encompassing RUNX1 and ERG in a subset of high‐risk B‐lymphoblastic leukemia. We also characterize the association with TP53 aberrations and other chromosomal aberrations, including chromothripsis. Lastly, we show that ERG amplification can initially emerge as subclonal events in low‐grade myeloid neoplasms. These findings demonstrate that ERG amplification is a recurrent secondary driver event in AML and raise the tantalizing possibility of ERG as a therapeutic target.
Energy consumption analysis for additive manufacturing processes Gutierrez-Osorio, A. Horacio; Ruiz-Huerta, Leopoldo; Caballero-Ruiz, Alberto ...
International journal of advanced manufacturing technology,
11/2019, Letnik:
105, Številka:
1-4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Additive manufacturing (AM) is defined as the process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, in contrast to subtractive or forming manufacturing ...methodologies. In studies of energy consumption in AM systems reported in the literature, the electric energy consumed by different technologies was measured directly in the main electrical supply wires of the machines, which does not represent the process energy consumption, because there are peripheral devices that do not have an influence on the process. In order to generate a better approach to the energy consumption of the AM process, this paper presents a proposal to measure the energy consumption directly in the system stage in which the AM processes are performed: preparing the material for extrusion, deposition, selection, gluing, curing, and so on, obtaining the geometry of a layer defined by an area with a certain thickness, and carrying out bonding between the layers to form a solid part. Because the combination of material and manufacturing processes determine the mechanical properties of a built part and because different materials and processes could be used to obtain these mechanical properties with different energy consumption values, the authors suggest mathematical models for three AM processes (material extrusion, vat photopolymerization, and material jetting) which predict the energy consumption and then compare the values with their experimental results, obtaining a difference of less than 10%, and find the parameters which define the differences in energy consumption among the processes.
Signal and data processing are essential elements in electronic noses as well as in most chemical sensing instruments. The multivariate responses obtained by chemical sensor arrays require signal and ...data processing to carry out the fundamental tasks of odor identification (classification), concentration estimation (regression), and grouping of similar odors (clustering). In the last decade, important advances have shown that proper processing can improve the robustness of the instruments against diverse perturbations, namely, environmental variables, background changes, drift, etc. This article reviews the advances made in recent years in signal and data processing for machine olfaction and chemical sensing.
Industrial control systems (ICSs), supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, and distributed control systems (DCSs) are fundamental components of critical infrastructure (CI). CI ...supports the operation of transportation and health systems, electric and thermal plants, and water treatment facilities, among others. These infrastructures are not insulated anymore, and their connection to fourth industrial revolution technologies has expanded the attack surface. Thus, their protection has become a priority for national security. Cyber-attacks have become more sophisticated and criminals are able to surpass conventional security systems; therefore, attack detection has become a challenging area. Defensive technologies such as intrusion detection systems (IDSs) are a fundamental part of security systems to protect CI. IDSs have incorporated machine learning (ML) techniques that can deal with broader kinds of threats. Nevertheless, the detection of zero-day attacks and having technological resources to implement purposed solutions in the real world are concerns for CI operators. This survey aims to provide a compilation of the state of the art of IDSs that have used ML algorithms to protect CI. It also analyzes the security dataset used to train ML models. Finally, it presents some of the most relevant pieces of research on these topics that have been developed in the last five years.
•Urinary zinc was positively and molybdenum was inversely associated with HOMA-IR at baseline.•Urinary zinc was inversely associated with HOMA-β at baseline.•Urinary arsenic was associated with a ...faster rate of decline in HOMA-β.•Metal mixtures may play a role in insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction.
Epidemiologic studies on associations between metals and insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction have been cross-sectional and focused on individual metals.
We assessed the association of exposure to metal mixtures, based on assessment of 15 urinary metals, with both baseline levels and longitudinal changes in homeostatic model assessments for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and β-cell function (HOMA-β).
We examined 1262 women, aged 45–56 years at baseline (1999–2000), who were followed through 2015–2016, from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation. Urinary concentrations of 15 metals (arsenic, barium, cadmium, cobalt, cesium, copper, mercury, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, lead, antimony, tin, thallium, and zinc) were determined at baseline. HOMA-IR and HOMA-β were repeatedly measured over 16 years of follow-up. A two-stage modeling was used to account for correlations in dependent and independent variables: In stage-1, linear mixed effects models were used to estimate the participant-specific baseline HOMA levels from random intercepts and participant-specific rates of changes from random slopes. In stage-2, adaptive elastic-net (AENET) models were fit to identify components of metal mixtures associated with participant-specific baseline levels and rates of changes in HOMA-IR and HOMA-β, respectively. An environmental risk score (ERS) was used to integrate metal mixture effects from AENET results.
In multivariable adjusted AENET models, urinary zinc was associated with higher HOMA-IR at baseline, whereas molybdenum was associated with lower HOMA-IR at baseline. The estimated changes in baseline HOMA-IR for one standard deviation increase in log-transformed urinary metal concentrations were 5.76% (3.05%, 8.55%) for zinc and −3.25% (−5.45%, −1.00%) for molybdenum, respectively. Urinary zinc was also associated with lower HOMA- β at baseline. Arsenic was associated with a slightly faster rate of decline in HOMA-β in the AENET model evaluating associations between metals and rate of changes. Significant associations of ERS with both HOMA-IR and HOMA-β at baseline were observed. ERS for the rate of changes was not calculated and examined in relation to rates of changes in HOMA-IR and HOMA-β because only a single metal was selected by AENET.
Exposure to metal mixtures may be exerting effects on insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction, which might be mechanisms by which metal exposures lead to elevated diabetes risks.
In this contribution, authors present a review on the state-of-the-art in the utilization of industrial and agricultural waste materials for the development of metal–matrix composites (MMCs), ...providing, through the judicious analysis of an ample and varied references source – from the oldest to the newest ones – an insight into the challenges and opportunities for the exploitation to their full potential. In addition to its topicality, the novelty of this contribution lies in the presentation of key statistical, technical, and property-related information of a comprehensive variety of waste materials classed into two main groups, namely, fly ash reinforced MMCs and MMCs derived from other waste materials. Although fly ash has been exploited in a broad range of applications, the attention paid for its use in the development of MMCs seems to be insufficient. A purposely designed chart helped to pinpoint the more demanding and profitable applications of fly ash, and establish strategic opportunity areas. With the exception of the recent utilization of fly ash for the automotive industry, virtually no other waste material has been reused for a specific industrial application. In this context, by identifying five reasons for this observed delay, an essential goal of this review is to arouse the interest of academicians, scientists/technologists, and industrialists in the use of those materials for the fabrication of MMCs. In the case of agricultural materials, a twofold perspective may apply, because while on the one hand, certain chemical elements have to be removed for specific applications, on the other hand, recovery of certain elements might be more attractive. Based on the significant progress observed so far, in terms of scientific and technological research, a promising future can be anticipated. The proper use of industrial and agricultural waste materials entails knowledge generation as a prerequisite for incubation of pilot-plant and industrialization stages, culminating with all related benefits to society.
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