Native fluorescence, or autofluorescence (AF), consists in the emission of light in the UV-visible, near-IR spectral range when biological substrates are excited with light at suitable wavelength. ...This is a well-known phenomenon, and the strict relationship of many endogenous fluorophores with morphofunctional properties of the living systems, influencing their AF emission features, offers an extremely powerful resource for directly monitoring the biological substrate condition. Starting from the last century, the technological progresses in microscopy and spectrofluorometry were convoying attention of the scientific community to this phenomenon. In the future, the interest in the autofluorescence will certainly continue. Current instrumentation and analytical procedures will likely be overcome by the unceasing progress in new devices for AF detection and data interpretation, while a progress is expected in the search and characterization of endogenous fluorophores and their roles as intrinsic biomarkers.
Our objective was to compare reproductive outcomes of primiparous lactating Holstein cows of different genetic merit for fertility submitted for insemination with management programs that prioritized ...artificial insemination (AI) at detected estrus (AIE) or timed AI (TAI). Moreover, we aimed to determine whether subgroups of cows with different fertility potential would present a distinct response to the reproductive management strategies compared. Lactating primiparous Holstein cows (n = 6 commercial farms) were stratified into high (Hi-Fert), medium (Med-Fert), and low (Lo-Fert) genetic fertility groups (FG) based on a Reproduction Index value calculated from multiple genomic-enhanced predicted transmitting abilities. Within herd and FG, cows were randomly assigned either to a program that prioritized TAI and had an extended voluntary waiting period (P-TAI; n = 1,338) or another that prioritized AIE (P-AIE; n = 1,416) and used TAI for cows, not AIE. Cows in P-TAI received first service by TAI at 84 ± 3 d in milk (DIM) after a Double-Ovsynch protocol, were AIE if detected in estrus after a previous AI, and received TAI after an Ovsynch-56 protocol at 35 ± 3 d after a previous AI if a corpus luteum (CL) was visualized at nonpregnancy diagnosis (NPD) 32 ± 3 d after AI. Cows with no CL visualized at NPD received TAI at 42 ± 3 d after AI after an Ovsynch-56 protocol with progesterone supplementation (P4-Ovsynch). Cows in P-AIE were eligible for AIE after a PGF2α treatment at 53 ± 3 DIM and after a previous AI. Cows not AIE by 74 ± 3 DIM or by NPD 32 ± 3 d after AI received P4-Ovsynch for TAI at 74 ± 3 DIM or 42 ± 3 d after AI. Binary data were analyzed with logistic regression, count data with Poisson regression, continuous data by ANOVA, and time to event data by Cox's proportional hazard regression. Pregnancy per AI (P/AI) to first service was greater for cows in the Hi-Fert (59.8%) than the Med-Fert (53.6%) and Lo-Fert (47.7%) groups, and for the P-TAI (58.7%) than the P-AIE (48.7%) treatment. Overall, P/AI for all second and subsequent AI combined did not differ by treatment (P-TAI = 45.2%; P-AIE = 44.5%) or FG (Hi-Fert = 46.1%; Med-Fert = 46.0%; Lo-Fert = 42.4%). The hazard of pregnancy after calving was greater for the P-AIE than the P-TAI treatment hazard ratio (HR) = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.37), and for the Hi-Fert than the Med-Fert (HR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.28) and Lo-Fert (HR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.20 to 1.49) groups. More cows in the Hi-Fert (91.2%) than the Med-Fert (88.4%) and Lo-Fert (85.8%) groups were pregnant at 200 DIM. Within FG, the hazard of pregnancy was greater for the P-AIE than the P-TAI treatment for the Hi-Fert (HR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.22 to 1.64) and Med-Fert (HR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.12 to 1.46) groups but not for the Lo-Fert group (HR = 1.13, 95% CI: 0.98 to 1.31). We conclude that primiparous Holstein cows of superior genetic merit for fertility had better reproductive performance than cows of inferior genetic merit for fertility, regardless of the type of reproductive management used. In addition, the effect of programs that prioritized AIE or TAI on reproductive performance for cows of superior or inferior genetic merit for fertility depended on the outcomes evaluated. Thus, programs that prioritize AIE or TAI could be used to affect certain outcomes of reproductive performance or management.
Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) or sicca syndrome was described by Swedish ophthalmologist Sjögren in the year 1933 for the first time. The etiology of the SS is multifunctional and includes a combination of ...genetic predisposition and environmental as well as epigenetic factors. It is an autoimmune disease characterized by features of systemic autoimmunity, dysfunction, and inflammation in the exocrine glands (mainly salivary and lacrimal glands) and lymphocytic infiltration of exocrine glands. In fact, the involvement of lacrimal and salivary glands results in the typical features of dry eye and salivary dysfunction (xerostomia). Only in one-third of the patients also present systemic extraglandular manifestations. T cells were originally considered to play the initiating role in the autoimmune process, while B cells were restricted to autoantibody production. In recent years, it is understood that the roles of B cells are multiple. Moreover, autoantibodies and blood B cell analysis are major contributors to a clinical diagnosis of Sjögren’s syndrome. Recently, there has been rising interest in microRNA implication in autoimmunity. Unfortunately, to date, there are only a few studies that have investigated their participation in SS etiopathogenesis. The purpose of this work is to gather the data present in the literature to clarify this complex topic.
The interaction between wakes and rotors is typically detrimental in terms of the overall power production of a wind farm. The recently studied wind farm controllers represent a promising way to ...increase the energy harvested through the mitigation of the effects induced by wake impingement. Recently, a novel methodology, based on a dynamic variation of induction, has been proposed as an alternative to steady induction and wake redirection controls. According to this new technology, a periodic collective motion of blade pitch generates a dynamic induction, associated with a stronger flow mixing and therefore a faster wake recovery. Although this technique proved to be effective in terms of power increase, both in numerical simulations and in wind tunnel experiments, much is to be done in order to demonstrate its feasibility. In particular, the impact of dynamic induction control in terms of downstream turbine dynamics has not been yet analyzed in detail. This paper presents a CFD-based analysis aimed at describing the response of a downstream rotor inside the wake of an upstream machine performing dynamic induction control. Specifically, the periodic induction entails a pulsating flow downstream which interacts significantly with the aero-servo-elastic dynamics of the downstream turbines. For low wind speeds, such an oscillating flow may trigger a shut-down/start-up sequence any time the velocity results lower than the cut-in speed.
It has recently been claimed that a surprisingly massive black hole (BH) is present in the core of the dwarf spheroidal galaxy (dSph) Leo I. This finding, based on integral field spectroscopy, ...challenges the typical expectation that dSphs host intermediate-mass BHs since such a BH would be classified as supermassive. Indeed, the analysis points toward Leo I harboring a BH with a lower mass limit exceeding a few 10 6 M ⊙ at 1 σ , and the no-BH case excluded at 95% significance. Such a mass, which is comparable to the entire stellar mass of the galaxy, makes Leo I a unique system that warrants further investigation. Using equilibrium models based on distribution functions that depend on actions f ( J ) coupled with the same integral field spectroscopy data and an extensive exploration of a very large parameter space, we demonstrate, within a comprehensive Bayesian model–data comparison framework, that the posterior on the BH mass is flat toward the low-mass end and, thus, that the kinematics of the central galaxy region only imposes an upper limit on the BH mass of few 10 5 M ⊙ (at 3 σ ). Such an upper limit indicates that the putative BH of Leo I is at most an intermediate-mass BH, and it is also in line with formation scenarios and expectations from scaling relations at the mass regime of dwarf galaxies.
New light in flavin autofluorescence Croce, A C; Bottiroli, G
European journal of histochemistry,
11/2015, Letnik:
59, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Our attention was captured by the interesting debate on the identification of lipofuscins, lipofuscin-like lipopigments, or flavins as the responsible for intracellular autofluorescence (AF) detected ...in epithelial cancer stem cells when exciting at 480-490 nm. Evidence was provided leading to ascribe AF emission to flavins accumulating in cytoplasmic structures, bounded to membranes and bearing ATP-dependent ABCG2 transporters. Flavins were then proposed as an intrinsic AF biomarker of cancer stem cells, with advantageous implications on cell invasiveness and chemoresistance investigations. It is however worth recalling the huge amount of literature on flavins and NAD(P)H as AF biomarkers of cell energetic metabolism and redox state, an aspect that should not be overlooked in the renewed course to extend the potential of flavins as AF biomarkers, entailing also a recent proposal of Flavin-based fluorescent proteins as substitutes of Green fluorescent proteins.
Abstract
Dynamic Induction Control (DIC) has been recently proposed as means for enhancing wake recovery and, in turn, for increasing the overall produced power. A faster wake recovery is triggered ...by a Periodic Collective Motion (PCM), following a single sine function (S-PCM), or by a combination of Gaussian functions (G-PCM). Both techniques are associated with power gains in simple two- or three-turbine farms, but entail an increase in machine loading. A technique named the Helix approach generates a dynamic induction through a thrust that varies in direction but not in magnitude, reducing the tower loading. This work aims to analyse the impact of bluff bodies, such as nacelle and tower on the performances of PCD techniques, and to quantify the DIC impact on the loads. A 5 MW reference wind turbine is used for the model, implemented in OpenFAST and SOWFA to perform large-eddy simulations (LES). The results obtained at a distance of 3D downstream, show less evidence of the bluff bodies using the PCM than the baseline, as an effect of the increased in-wake mixing. In a two-turbine wind farm with a separation of 3D between turbines, this effect leads to an increment in the overall power output of the farm, despite the presence of the tower and nacelle. The blockage itself does not seem to hamper the effectiveness of DIC. In both cases, DIC is responsible for an increment of about 7% in the overall power output.
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