Computational Characterization of Exogenous MicroRNAs that Can Be Transferred into Human Circulation

Science.gov (United States)

Shu, Jiang; Chiang, Kevin; Zempleni, Janos; Cui, Juan

2015-01-01

MicroRNAs have been long considered synthesized endogenously until very recent discoveries showing that human can absorb dietary microRNAs from animal and plant origins while the mechanism remains unknown. Compelling evidences of microRNAs from rice, milk, and honeysuckle transported to human blood and tissues have created a high volume of interests in the fundamental questions that which and how exogenous microRNAs can be transferred into human circulation and possibly exert functions in humans. Here we present an integrated genomics and computational analysis to study the potential deciding features of transportable microRNAs. Specifically, we analyzed all publicly available microRNAs, a total of 34,612 from 194 species, with 1,102 features derived from the microRNA sequence and structure. Through in-depth bioinformatics analysis, 8 groups of discriminative features have been used to characterize human circulating microRNAs and infer the likelihood that a microRNA will get transferred into human circulation. For example, 345 dietary microRNAs have been predicted as highly transportable candidates where 117 of them have identical sequences with their homologs in human and 73 are known to be associated with exosomes. Through a milk feeding experiment, we have validated 9 cow-milk microRNAs in human plasma using microRNA-sequencing analysis, including the top ranked microRNAs such as bta-miR-487b, miR-181b, and miR-421. The implications in health-related processes have been illustrated in the functional analysis. This work demonstrates the data-driven computational analysis is highly promising to study novel molecular characteristics of transportable microRNAs while bypassing the complex mechanistic details. PMID:26528912

Realization of size controllable graphene micro/nanogap with a micro/nanowire mask method for organic field-effect transistors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liao, Zhiyu; Wan, Qing; Liu, Huixuan

2011-01-01

with the graphene micro/nanogap bottom electrodes. The ultrathin thickness of the graphene, combined with its good compatibility with organic semiconductors, and high electrical conductivity produced high-performance CuPc film device with mobility at 0.053 cm(2)/Vs and on/off ratio at 10(5), showing promising......A size controllable graphene micro/nanogap fabrication method using micro/nanowire as mask is presented. The gap dimension can be adjusted by the diameter of the mask wire. As a typical application, copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) film organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) were fabricated...

Profiling micro-organic contaminants in groundwater using multi-level piezometers

OpenAIRE

White, Debbie; Lapworth, Dan; Stuart, Marianne; Williams, Peter

2015-01-01

The presence of micro-organic pollutants, including ‘emerging contaminants’ within groundwater is of increasing interest. Robust protocols are required to minimise the introduction of contamination during the sampling process. Below we discuss the sampling protocols used to reduce inputs of plasticisers during the sampling process, as well as the techniques used to characterise the distribution of micro-organic pollutants in the subsurface. In this study multi-level piezometers...

Dispersal of micro-organisms in commercial defeathering systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, V M; Tinker, D B; Hinton, M H; Wathes, C M

2003-03-01

1. The extent of cross contamination between carcases and the dispersal of micro-organisms to the environs during defeathering was measured in a commercial processing plant. 2. Defeathering reduced the numbers of a marker organism, a nalidixic acid-resistant strain of Escherichia coli K12, on inoculated carcases but dispersed the organism on to preceding and following carcases. 3. The pattern of microbial dispersal during defeathering was similar for naturally occurring bacteria on the carcase, for example, total aerobic counts and counts of presumptive coliforms, suggesting that the marker organism mimics the natural situation realistically. 4. The majority of feathers, together with micro-organisms, were removed during the first 10 s of the defeathering process, which was completed in 45 s, indicating that control measures to minimise cross contamination would be most effective if applied in the early stages of the process. 5. The method of defeathering used by the machine influenced the pattern of microbial dispersal and the extent of cross contamination to other carcases on the same processing line.

Elemental imaging of organic matter and associated metals in ore deposits using micro PIXE and micro-EBS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuchs, S., E-mail: fuchs@geomin.eu [Department of Earth and Planetary Science, McGill University, 3450 University Street, Montreal H3A 0E8 (Canada); Przybylowicz, W.J., E-mail: przybylowicz@tlabs.ac.za [Materials Research Department, iThemba LABS, National Research Foundation, P.O. Box 722, Somerset West 7129 (South Africa); AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, Al. A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow (Poland); Williams-Jones, A.E., E-mail: anthony.williams-jones@mcgill.ca [Department of Earth and Planetary Science, McGill University, 3450 University Street, Montreal H3A 0E8 (Canada)

2014-01-01

Micro-PIXE and micro-EBS analyses were carried out on samples from the Au–U-bearing Carbon Leader Reef of the Witwatersrand in South Africa to investigate the role of organic matter in the formation of this deposit. Micro-PIXE and Micro-EBS shows a very complex metal distribution within the bitumen nodules and their interstitial spaces. The style of the gold distribution and its association with epigenetic minerals (REE phosphates, phyllosilicates) indicates that all observed gold migrated in aqueous solution and precipitated by reduction on the surfaces of the bitumen nodules. Uraninite occurrences are confined to the bitumen nodules, which supports the argument of a uraninite paleo-placer; however the pervasive distribution of uranium also supports the argument that uraninite is derived from organo-metallic complexes. This study shows that micro-PIXE is a powerful tool to characterize metals associated with hydrocarbons. However, the organic matrix, the complexity of the obtained spectra and the small size of the minerals have significant influence on the reliability of the quantitative data. Due to highly variable amounts of heavy metals (U, Au, Pb) the obtained micro-EBS results are of questionable quality.

Identification of differentially expressed microRNAs in human male breast cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schipper Elisa

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The discovery of small non-coding RNAs and the subsequent analysis of microRNA expression patterns in human cancer specimens have provided completely new insights into cancer biology. Genetic and epigenetic data indicate oncogenic or tumor suppressor function of these pleiotropic regulators. Therefore, many studies analyzed the expression and function of microRNA in human breast cancer, the most frequent malignancy in females. However, nothing is known so far about microRNA expression in male breast cancer, accounting for approximately 1% of all breast cancer cases. Methods The expression of 319 microRNAs was analyzed in 9 primary human male breast tumors and in epithelial cells from 15 male gynecomastia specimens using fluorescence-labeled bead technology. For identification of differentially expressed microRNAs data were analyzed by cluster analysis and selected statistical methods. Expression levels were validated for the most up- or down-regulated microRNAs in this training cohort using real-time PCR methodology as well as in an independent test cohort comprising 12 cases of human male breast cancer. Results Unsupervised cluster analysis separated very well male breast cancer samples and control specimens according to their microRNA expression pattern indicating cancer-specific alterations of microRNA expression in human male breast cancer. miR-21, miR519d, miR-183, miR-197, and miR-493-5p were identified as most prominently up-regulated, miR-145 and miR-497 as most prominently down-regulated in male breast cancer. Conclusions Male breast cancer displays several differentially expressed microRNAs. Not all of them are shared with breast cancer biopsies from female patients indicating male breast cancer specific alterations of microRNA expression.

Review: Micro-organic contaminants in groundwater in China

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Weihong; Xie, Wei; Su, Xiaosi; Wen, Chuanlei; Cao, Zhipeng; Wan, Yuyu

2018-03-01

Micro-organic contaminants (MOs) in groundwater, which may have adverse effects on human health and ecosystems worldwide, are gaining increased attention in China. A great deal of research has been conducted to investigate their sources, occurrences and behavior in aquifers. This paper reviews the main sources, distribution, concentrations and behavior of a wide range of MOs in groundwater in China. These MOs include well-established persistent organic pollutants—polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), endocrine disrupting chemicals (poly brominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), phthalic acid esters (PAEs), bisphenol A (BPA)—and some contaminants of emerging concern such as pharmaceutical and personal care products (antibiotics, caffeine, shampoos) and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). The results reveal that the main MOs in groundwater are PAHs, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), PBDEs, PAEs, and antibiotics. Moreover, some PFCs such as perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS), perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) have only recently been observed in groundwater as emerging organic contaminants. Additionally, most MOs are distributed in populated and industrialized areas such as the southeast coast of China. Finally, industrial emissions, wastewater treatment plant effluents and agricultural wastewater are found to be dominant sources of MOs in groundwater. Based on the existing pollution levels, regulation and amelioration of MOs are warranted.

Characteristics of airborne micro-organisms in a neurological intensive care unit: Results from China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yao; Yin, Sufeng; Kuan, Yi; Xu, Yingjun; Gao, Xuguang

2015-06-01

To describe the characteristics of airborne micro-organisms in the environment in a Chinese neurological intensive care unit (NICU). This prospective study monitored the air environment in two wards (large and small) of an NICU in a tertiary hospital in China for 12 months, using an LWC-1 centrifugal air sampler. Airborne micro-organisms were identified using standard microbiology techniques. The mean ± SD number of airborne bacteria was significantly higher in the large ward than in the small ward (200 ± 51 colony-forming units [CFU]/m(3) versus 110 ± 40 CFU/m(3), respectively). In the large ward only, the mean number of airborne bacteria in the autumn was significantly higher than in any of the other three seasons. A total of 279 airborne micro-organisms were identified (large ward: 195; small ward: 84). There was no significant difference in the type and distribution of airborne micro-organisms between the large and small wards. The majority of airborne micro-organisms were Gram-positive cocci in both wards. These findings suggest that the number of airborne micro-organisms was related to the number of patients on the NICU ward. © The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Human Milk MicroRNA and Total RNA Differ Depending on Milk Fractionation.

Science.gov (United States)

Alsaweed, Mohammed; Hepworth, Anna R; Lefèvre, Christophe; Hartmann, Peter E; Geddes, Donna T; Hassiotou, Foteini

2015-10-01

MicroRNA have been recently discovered in human milk signifying potentially important functions for both the lactating breast and the infant. Whilst human milk microRNA have started to be explored, little data exist on the evaluation of sample processing, and analysis to ensure that a full spectrum of microRNA can be obtained. Human milk comprises three main fractions: cells, skim milk, and lipids. Typically, the skim milk fraction has been measured in isolation despite evidence that the lipid fraction may contain more microRNA. This study aimed to standardize isolation of microRNA and total RNA from all three fractions of human milk to determine the most appropriate sampling and analysis procedure for future studies. Three different methods from eight commercially available kits were tested for their efficacy in extracting total RNA and microRNA from the lipid, skim, and cell fractions of human milk. Each fraction yielded different concentrations of RNA and microRNA, with the highest quantities found in the cell and lipid fractions, and the lowest in skim milk. The column-based phenol-free method was the most efficient extraction method for all three milk fractions. Two microRNAs were expressed and validated in the three milk fractions by qPCR using the three recommended extraction kits for each fraction. High expression levels were identified in the skim and lipid milk factions for these microRNAs. These results suggest that careful consideration of both the human milk sample preparation and extraction protocols should be made prior to embarking upon research in this area. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The role of micro-NRA and micro-PIXE in carbon mapping of organic tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niekraszewicz, L.A.B.; Souza, C.T. de; Stori, E.M.; Jobim, P.F.C.; Amaral, L.; Dias, J.F.

2015-01-01

This study reports the work developed in the Ion Implantation Laboratory (Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil) in order to implement the micro-NRA technique for the study of light elements in organic tissues. In particular, the work was focused on nuclear reactions employing protons and alphas with carbon. The (p,p) resonances at 0.475 and 1.734 were investigated. The (α,α) resonance at 4.265 MeV was studied as well. The results indicate that the yields for the 0.475 and 1.734 MeV resonances are similar. Elemental maps of different structures obtained with the micro-NRA technique using the 1.734 MeV resonance were compared with those obtained with micro-PIXE employing a SDD detector equipped with an ultra-thin window. The results show that the use of micro-NRA for carbon at 1.734 MeV resonance provides good results in some cases at the expense of longer beam times. On the other hand, micro-PIXE provides enhanced yields but is limited to surface analysis since soft X-rays are greatly attenuated by matter

Fundamental Autopoietic Building Blocks in 4.0 Organization as a Challenge to Humane Organization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tanja Balažic Peček

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Research question (RQ: The area of a human, organizations and Organizations is complex and with new aspects of 4.0 organization even more complex. We did an autopoietic outline with horizontal and vertical view of a researcher who sticks to humanity of an individual and organizations. The research question stems from the central study: Which are building blocks of autopoises in a modern and which in 4.0 organization? Purpose: To detect, recognize, research principles of autopoiesis and setting building blocks of autopoiesis in organizations. We are interested in a human in organization, in interpersonal co-dependance on micro and macro level. Inside this more and more virtual organization we are studying a human, humanity and human potential as a creative potential of humane organization. Method: Action research with mixed methods for comprehensive study of autopoietic principle and methodology of setting the autopoietic building blocks. We used Atlas.ti software and methodological informational software »Informational graph of Autopoiesis - IGA«. Validation was carried out with double triangulaton (static and dynamic view. Results: We formed and validated four directional building blocks and 36 process building blocks, which are shown in a human as: emotions, thinking, directing and activity. Significant difference in two process building blocks of autopoiesis in modern and 4.0 organization confirms the set thesis statement that the building blocks of modern and 4.0 organization are different. We detected that in 4.0 organization the process building blocks of self-/co-feeling and self-/co-referencing aregetting weaker. With results we claim that 4.0 organization is oriented mostly towards action and is getting stronger in improved communication. However, it decreases in emotions and thinking of a human in an organization. Organization: Results can serve as a guideline and challenge to humane organizations. We present the challenge how – by

Micro-incubator for bacterial biosensing applications

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Clasen, E

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The presence of Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a commonly used indicator micro-organism to determine whether water is safe for human consumption. This paper discusses the design of a micro-incubator that can be applied to concentrate bacteria prior...

Efficiency of swimming of micro-organism and singularity in shape space

OpenAIRE

Kawamura, Masako

1996-01-01

Micro-organisms can be classified into three different types according to their size. We study the efficiency of the swimming of micro-organism in two dimensional fluid as a device for helping the explanation of this hierarchy in the size. We show that the efficiency of flagellate becomes unboundedly large, whereas that of ciliate has the upper bound. The unboundedness is related to the curious feature of the shape space, that is, a singularity at the basic shape of flagellate.

Impact of compost process conditions on organic micro pollutant degradation during full scale composting.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadef, Yumna; Poulsen, Tjalfe Gorm; Bester, Kai

2015-06-01

Knowledge about the effects of oxygen concentration, nutrient availability and moisture content on removal of organic micro-pollutants during aerobic composting is at present very limited. Impact of oxygen concentration, readily available nitrogen content (NH4(+), NO3(-)), and moisture content on biological transformation of 15 key organic micro-pollutants during composting, was therefore investigated using bench-scale degradation experiments based on non-sterile compost samples, collected at full-scale composting facilities. In addition, the adequacy of bench-scale composting experiments for representing full-scale composting conditions, was investigated using micro-pollutant concentration measurements from both bench- and full-scale composting experiments. Results showed that lack of oxygen generally prevented transformation of organic micro-pollutants. Increasing readily available nitrogen content from about 50 mg N per 100 g compost to about 140 mg N per 100 g compost actually reduced micro-pollutant transformation, while changes in compost moisture content from 50% to 20% by weight, only had minor influence on micro-pollutant transformation. First-order micro-pollutant degradation rates for 13 organic micro-pollutants were calculated using data from both full- and bench-scale experiments. First-order degradation coefficients for both types of experiments were similar and ranged from 0.02 to 0.03 d(-1) on average, indicating that if a proper sampling strategy is employed, bench-scale experiments can be used to represent full-scale composting conditions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Crocodylians evolved scattered multi-sensory micro-organs

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background During their evolution towards a complete life cycle on land, stem reptiles developed both an impermeable multi-layered keratinized epidermis and skin appendages (scales) providing mechanical, thermal, and chemical protection. Previous studies have demonstrated that, despite the presence of a particularly armored skin, crocodylians have exquisite mechanosensory abilities thanks to the presence of small integumentary sensory organs (ISOs) distributed on postcranial and/or cranial scales. Results Here, we analyze and compare the structure, innervation, embryonic morphogenesis and sensory functions of postcranial, cranial, and lingual sensory organs of the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) and the spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus). Our molecular analyses indicate that sensory neurons of crocodylian ISOs express a large repertoire of transduction channels involved in mechano-, thermo-, and chemosensory functions, and our electrophysiological analyses confirm that each ISO exhibits a combined sensitivity to mechanical, thermal and pH stimuli (but not hyper-osmotic salinity), making them remarkable multi-sensorial micro-organs with no equivalent in the sensory systems of other vertebrate lineages. We also show that ISOs all exhibit similar morphologies and modes of development, despite forming at different stages of scale morphogenesis across the body. Conclusions The ancestral vertebrate diffused sensory system of the skin was transformed in the crocodylian lineages into an array of discrete multi-sensory micro-organs innervated by multiple pools of sensory neurons. This discretization of skin sensory expression sites is unique among vertebrates and allowed crocodylians to develop a highly-armored, but very sensitive, skin. PMID:23819918

Toxicological impacts of antibiotics on aquatic micro-organisms: A mini-review.

Science.gov (United States)

Välitalo, Pia; Kruglova, Antonina; Mikola, Anna; Vahala, Riku

2017-05-01

Antibiotics are found globally in the environment at trace levels due to their extensive consumption, which raises concerns about the effects they can have on non-target organisms, especially environmental micro-organisms. So far the majority of studies have focused on different aspects of antibiotic resistance or on analyzing the occurrence, fate, and removal of antibiotics from hospital and municipal wastewaters. Little attention has been paid to ecotoxicological effects of antibiotics on aquatic micro-organisms although they play a critical role in most ecosystems and they are potentially sensitive to these substances. Here we review the current state of research on the toxicological impacts of antibiotics to aquatic micro-organisms, including proteobacteria, cyanobacteria, algae and bacteria commonly present in biological wastewater treatment processes. We focus on antibiotics that are poorly removed during wastewater treatment and thus end up in surface waters. We critically discuss and compare the available analytical methods and test organisms based on effect concentrations and identify the knowledge gaps and future challenges. We conclude that, in general, cyanobacteria and ammonium oxidizing bacteria are the most sensitive micro-organisms to antibiotics. It is important to include chronic tests in ecotoxicological assessment, because acute tests are not always appropriate in case of low sensitivity (for example for proteobacteria). However, the issue of rapid development of antibiotic resistance should be regarded in chronic testing. Furthermore, the application of other species of bacteria and endpoints should be considered in the future, not forgetting the mixture effect and bacterial community studies. Due to differences in the sensitivity of different test organisms to individual antibiotic substances, the application of several bioassays with varying test organisms would provide more comprehensive data for the risk assessment of antibiotics

Two-dimensional tracking of a motile micro-organism allowing high-resolution observation with various imaging techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oku, H.; Ogawa, N.; Ishikawa, M.; Hashimoto, K.

2005-01-01

In this article, a micro-organism tracking system using a high-speed vision system is reported. This system two dimensionally tracks a freely swimming micro-organism within the field of an optical microscope by moving a chamber of target micro-organisms based on high-speed visual feedback. The system we developed could track a paramecium using various imaging techniques, including bright-field illumination, dark-field illumination, and differential interference contrast, at magnifications of 5 times and 20 times. A maximum tracking duration of 300 s was demonstrated. Also, the system could track an object with a velocity of up to 35 000 μm/s (175 diameters/s), which is significantly faster than swimming micro-organisms

Beta particle dose rates to micro-organisms in soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kabir, M.; Spiers, F.W.; Iinuma, Takeshi.

1977-01-01

Studies were made to estimate the beta-particle dose rates to micro-organisms of various sizes in soil. The small insects and organisms living in soil are constantly exposed to beta-radiation arising from naturally occuring radionuclides in soil as in this case no overlying tissue shields them. The technique of measuring beta-particle dose rate consisted of using of a thin plastic scintillator to measure the pulse height distribution as the beta particle traverses the scintillator. The integrated response was determined by the number and size of the photomultiplier pulses. From the data of soil analyses it was estimated that typically about 29% of the beta particles emitted per gm. of soil were contributed by the U/Ra series, 21% by the Th series and about 50% by potassium. By combining the individual spectra of these three radionuclides in the proportion found in a typical soil, a resultant spectrum was computed representing the energy distribution of the beta particles. The dose rate received by micro-organisms of different shape and size in soil was derived from the equilibrium dose rates combined with a 'Geometrical Factor' of the organisms. For small organisms, the dose rates did not vary between the spherical and cylindrical types, but in the case of larger organisms, the dose rates were found to be greater for the spherical types of the same diameter. (auth.)

Smoking-related microRNAs and mRNAs in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su, Ming-Wei; Yu, Sung-Liang; Lin, Wen-Chang; Tsai, Ching-Hui; Chen, Po-Hua; Lee, Yungling Leo

2016-01-01

Teenager smoking is of great importance in public health. Functional roles of microRNAs have been documented in smoke-induced gene expression changes, but comprehensive mechanisms of microRNA-mRNA regulation and benefits remained poorly understood. We conducted the Teenager Smoking Reduction Trial (TSRT) to investigate the causal association between active smoking reduction and whole-genome microRNA and mRNA expression changes in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). A total of 12 teenagers with a substantial reduction in smoke quantity and a decrease in urine cotinine/creatinine ratio were enrolled in genomic analyses. In Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA), differentially expressed genes altered by smoke reduction were mainly associated with glucocorticoid receptor signaling pathway. The integrative analysis of microRNA and mRNA found eleven differentially expressed microRNAs negatively correlated with predicted target genes. CD83 molecule regulated by miR-4498 in human PBMC, was critical for the canonical pathway of communication between innate and adaptive immune cells. Our data demonstrated that microRNAs could regulate immune responses in human PBMC after habitual smokers quit smoking and support the potential translational value of microRNAs in regulating disease-relevant gene expression caused by tobacco smoke. - Highlights: • We conducted a smoke reduction trial program and investigated the causal relationship between smoke and gene regulation. • MicroRNA and mRNA expression changes were examined in human PBMC. • MicroRNAs are important in regulating disease-causal genes after tobacco smoke reduction.

Smoking-related microRNAs and mRNAs in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Su, Ming-Wei [Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Yu, Sung-Liang [Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Lin, Wen-Chang [Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Tsai, Ching-Hui [Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Chen, Po-Hua [School of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Lee, Yungling Leo, E-mail: leolee@ntu.edu.tw [Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan (China)

2016-08-15

Teenager smoking is of great importance in public health. Functional roles of microRNAs have been documented in smoke-induced gene expression changes, but comprehensive mechanisms of microRNA-mRNA regulation and benefits remained poorly understood. We conducted the Teenager Smoking Reduction Trial (TSRT) to investigate the causal association between active smoking reduction and whole-genome microRNA and mRNA expression changes in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). A total of 12 teenagers with a substantial reduction in smoke quantity and a decrease in urine cotinine/creatinine ratio were enrolled in genomic analyses. In Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA), differentially expressed genes altered by smoke reduction were mainly associated with glucocorticoid receptor signaling pathway. The integrative analysis of microRNA and mRNA found eleven differentially expressed microRNAs negatively correlated with predicted target genes. CD83 molecule regulated by miR-4498 in human PBMC, was critical for the canonical pathway of communication between innate and adaptive immune cells. Our data demonstrated that microRNAs could regulate immune responses in human PBMC after habitual smokers quit smoking and support the potential translational value of microRNAs in regulating disease-relevant gene expression caused by tobacco smoke. - Highlights: • We conducted a smoke reduction trial program and investigated the causal relationship between smoke and gene regulation. • MicroRNA and mRNA expression changes were examined in human PBMC. • MicroRNAs are important in regulating disease-causal genes after tobacco smoke reduction.

Self-organized internal architectures of chiral micro-particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Provenzano, Clementina; Mazzulla, Alfredo; Desiderio, Giovanni; Pagliusi, Pasquale; De Santo, Maria P.; Cipparrone, Gabriella; Perrotta, Ida

2014-01-01

The internal architecture of polymeric self-assembled chiral micro-particles is studied by exploring the effect of the chirality, of the particle sizes, and of the interface/surface properties in the ordering of the helicoidal planes. The experimental investigations, performed by means of different microscopy techniques, show that the polymeric beads, resulting from light induced polymerization of cholesteric liquid crystal droplets, preserve both the spherical shape and the internal self-organized structures. The method used to create the micro-particles with controlled internal chiral architectures presents great flexibility providing several advantages connected to the acquired optical and photonics capabilities and allowing to envisage novel strategies for the development of chiral colloidal systems and materials

Influence of autochthonous micro-organisms on sorption and remobilization of technetium and selenium. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maue, G.; Stroetmann, I.; Dott, W.; Taute, T.; Winkler, A.; Pekdeger, A.

1996-01-01

Within this research project the influence of autochthonous mirco-organisms on immobilization and remobilization of Technetium and Selenium was investigated. Both redoxsensitive radionuclides are part of the waste of nuclear fuel (Tc app. 6%). Former investigations have shown, that immobilization behaviour of both elements could be influenced by micro-organisms. It has not been known, if the autochthonous (or in situ) organisms from greater depth do also have an influence on radionuclide mobility. The autochthonous populations of micro-organisms in deep sediments and their influence on the migration of Tc and Se were investigated in this study. For this reason recirculation column experiments were carried out. Absolutely sterile and anaerobic handling was necessary for the sampling and the further treatment of the sediments and waters used in the experiments. Therefore special methods for sampling, storage and handling had been developed. The results of recirculation column test with autochthonous micro-organisms were compared with sterile parallel tests and were verified with the results of an elaborated version of the hydrogeochemical equilibration code PHREEQE. It was shown that the autochthonous micro-organisms had only very little influence on the migration behaviour. The reason is the very low population (less than 10 E+6 CFU). Nevertheless it has to be taken into consideration, that conventional laboratory experiments for the estimation of the retention capacities of sediments for hazardous waste lead to an overestimation, if the sediments are contaminated with allochthonous micro-organisms (CFU=colony forming units). (orig.) [de

Undersized description on motile gyrotactic micro-organisms individualities in MHD stratified water-based Newtonian nanofluid

Science.gov (United States)

Rehman, Khalil Ur; Malik, Aneeqa Ashfaq; Tahir, M.; Malik, M. Y.

2018-03-01

The current pagination summarized the influence of bio-convection Schmidt number, bio-convection Peclet number and micro-organisms concentration difference parameter on the density of motile gyrotactic micro-organisms when they have interaction with the thermally stratified magneto-nanofluid flow past a vertical stretching surface. It is observed that the density of motile microorganisms is the decreasing function of the bio-convection Schmidt and Peclet numbers. It is trusted that the outcomes of present analysis will serve as a helping source for the upcoming developments regarding individualities of motile gyrotactic micro-organisms subject to boundary layer flows induced by stretching surfaces.

Fate and effects of Camembert cheese micro-organisms in the human colonic microbiota of healthy volunteers after regular Camembert consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Firmesse, Olivier; Alvaro, Elise; Mogenet, Agnès; Bresson, Jean-Louis; Lemée, Riwanon; Le Ruyet, Pascale; Bonhomme, Cécile; Lambert, Denis; Andrieux, Claude; Doré, Joël; Corthier, Gérard; Furet, Jean-Pierre; Rigottier-Gois, Lionel

2008-07-15

The objective of this study was to determine i) if Camembert cheese micro-organisms could be detected in fecal samples after regular consumption by human subjects and ii) the consequence of this consumption on global metabolic activities of the host colonic microbiota. An open human protocol was designed where 12 healthy volunteers were included: a 2-week period of fermented products exclusion followed by a 4-weeks Camembert ingestion period where 2x40 g/day of Camembert cheese was consumed. Stools were collected from the volunteers before consumption, twice during the ingestion period (2nd and 4th week) and once after a wash out period of 2 weeks. During the consumption of Camembert cheese, high levels of Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides were measured in fecal samples using real-time quantitative PCR, reaching median values of 8.2 and 7.5 Log(10) genome equivalents/g of stool. For Ln. mesenteroides, persistence was observed 15 days after the end of Camembert consumption. The survival of Geotrichum candidum was also assessed and the fecal concentration reached a median level of 7.1 Log(10) CFU/g in stools. Except a decreasing trend of the nitrate reductase activity, no significant modification was shown in the metabolic activities during this study.

Detecting new microRNAs in human osteoarthritic chondrocytes identifies miR-3085 as a human, chondrocyte-selective, microRNA

OpenAIRE

Crowe, N.; Swingler, T.E.; Le, L.T.T.; Barter, M.J.; Wheeler, G.; Pais, H.; Donell, S.T.; Young, D.A.; Dalmay, T.; Clark, I.M.

2016-01-01

Summary Objective To use deep sequencing to identify novel microRNAs (miRNAs) in human osteoarthritic cartilage which have a functional role in chondrocyte phenotype or function. Design A small RNA library was prepared from human osteoarthritic primary chondrocytes using in-house adaptors and analysed by Illumina sequencing. Novel candidate miRNAs were validated by northern blot and qRT-PCR. Expression was measured in cartilage models. Targets of novel candidates were identified by microarray...

Effect of micro-organism and particle size on fermentation of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aziwo Niba

2013-06-26

Jun 26, 2013 ... Full Length Research Paper. Effect of micro-organism and particle size on ... fermentation for pH, sugar and organic acids analysis. Significant reductions in the pH of maize and sorghum .... Raw sorghum was milled in a hammer mill to pass through a 3 mm screen while equal quantities of raw maize were ...

Iodine and freeze-drying enhanced high-resolution MicroCT imaging for reconstructing 3D intraneural topography of human peripheral nerve fascicles.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Liwei; Guo, Yongze; Qi, Jian; Zhu, Qingtang; Gu, Liqiang; Zheng, Canbin; Lin, Tao; Lu, Yutong; Zeng, Zitao; Yu, Sha; Zhu, Shuang; Zhou, Xiang; Zhang, Xi; Du, Yunfei; Yao, Zhi; Lu, Yao; Liu, Xiaolin

2017-08-01

The precise annotation and accurate identification of the topography of fascicles to the end organs are prerequisites for studying human peripheral nerves. In this study, we present a feasible imaging method that acquires 3D high-resolution (HR) topography of peripheral nerve fascicles using an iodine and freeze-drying (IFD) micro-computed tomography (microCT) method to greatly increase the contrast of fascicle images. The enhanced microCT imaging method can facilitate the reconstruction of high-contrast HR fascicle images, fascicle segmentation and extraction, feature analysis, and the tracing of fascicle topography to end organs, which define fascicle functions. The complex intraneural aggregation and distribution of fascicles is typically assessed using histological techniques or MR imaging to acquire coarse axial three-dimensional (3D) maps. However, the disadvantages of histological techniques (static, axial manual registration, and data instability) and MR imaging (low-resolution) limit these applications in reconstructing the topography of nerve fascicles. Thus, enhanced microCT is a new technique for acquiring 3D intraneural topography of the human peripheral nerve fascicles both to improve our understanding of neurobiological principles and to guide accurate repair in the clinic. Additionally, 3D microstructure data can be used as a biofabrication model, which in turn can be used to fabricate scaffolds to repair long nerve gaps. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Human amniotic epithelial cell feeder layers maintain human iPS cell pluripotency via inhibited endogenous microRNA-145 and increased Sox2 expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Te; Cheng, Weiwei; Huang, Yongyi; Huang, Qin; Jiang, Lizhen; Guo, Lihe

2012-01-01

Currently, human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells were generated from patient or disease-specific sources and share the same key properties as embryonic stem cells. This makes them attractive for personalized medicine, drug screens or cellular therapy. Long-term cultivation and maintenance of normal iPS cells in an undifferentiated self-renewing state are a major challenge. Our previous studies have shown that human amniotic epithelial cells (HuAECs) could provide a good source of feeder cells for mouse and human embryonic stem cells, or spermatogonial stem cells, but the mechanism for this is unknown. Here, we examined the effect of endogenous microRNA-145 regulation on Sox2 expression in human iPS cells by HuAECs feeder cells regulation, and in turn on human iPS cells pluripotency. We found that human IPS cells transfected with a microRNA-145 mutant expressed Sox2 at high levels, allowing iPS to maintain a high level of AP activity in long-term culture and form teratomas in SCID mice. Expression of stem cell markers was increased in iPS transfected with the microRNA-145 mutant, compared with iPS was transfected with microRNA-145. Besides, the expression of Drosha proteins of the microRNA-processor complex, required for the generation of precursor pre-miRNA, was significantly increased in human iPS cells cultured on MEF but not on HuAECs. Taken together, these results suggest that endogenous Sox2 expression may be regulated by microRNA-145 in human iPS cells with HuAECs feeder cells, and Sox2 is a crucial component required for maintenance of them in an undifferentiated, proliferative state capable of self-renewal. Highlights: ► microRNA-145 inhibits Sox2 expression in human iPS cells. ► microRNA-145 suppresses the self-renewal and pluripotency of human iPS cells. ► HuAECs regulate expression of microRNA-145 and Sox2 in human iPS cells. ► HuAECs feeder layers maintain human iPS cells pluripotency. ► HuAECs negatively regulates the synthesis of

Human amniotic epithelial cell feeder layers maintain human iPS cell pluripotency via inhibited endogenous microRNA-145 and increased Sox2 expression

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Te, E-mail: liute79@yahoo.com [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Shanghai Geriatric Institute of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200031 (China); Cheng, Weiwei [International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200030 (China); Huang, Yongyi [Laboratoire PROTEE, Batiment R, Universite du Sud Toulon-Var, 83957 LA GARDE Cedex (France); Huang, Qin; Jiang, Lizhen [Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031 (China); Guo, Lihe, E-mail: liute79@yahoo.com [Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031 (China)

2012-02-15

Currently, human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells were generated from patient or disease-specific sources and share the same key properties as embryonic stem cells. This makes them attractive for personalized medicine, drug screens or cellular therapy. Long-term cultivation and maintenance of normal iPS cells in an undifferentiated self-renewing state are a major challenge. Our previous studies have shown that human amniotic epithelial cells (HuAECs) could provide a good source of feeder cells for mouse and human embryonic stem cells, or spermatogonial stem cells, but the mechanism for this is unknown. Here, we examined the effect of endogenous microRNA-145 regulation on Sox2 expression in human iPS cells by HuAECs feeder cells regulation, and in turn on human iPS cells pluripotency. We found that human IPS cells transfected with a microRNA-145 mutant expressed Sox2 at high levels, allowing iPS to maintain a high level of AP activity in long-term culture and form teratomas in SCID mice. Expression of stem cell markers was increased in iPS transfected with the microRNA-145 mutant, compared with iPS was transfected with microRNA-145. Besides, the expression of Drosha proteins of the microRNA-processor complex, required for the generation of precursor pre-miRNA, was significantly increased in human iPS cells cultured on MEF but not on HuAECs. Taken together, these results suggest that endogenous Sox2 expression may be regulated by microRNA-145 in human iPS cells with HuAECs feeder cells, and Sox2 is a crucial component required for maintenance of them in an undifferentiated, proliferative state capable of self-renewal. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer microRNA-145 inhibits Sox2 expression in human iPS cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer microRNA-145 suppresses the self-renewal and pluripotency of human iPS cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer HuAECs regulate expression of microRNA-145 and Sox2 in human iPS cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer HuAECs feeder

MicroRNA in Human Glioma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Mengfeng, E-mail: limf@mail.sysu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Chinese Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510080 (China); Department of Microbiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080 (China); Li, Jun [Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Chinese Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510080 (China); Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080 (China); Liu, Lei; Li, Wei [Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Chinese Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510080 (China); Department of Microbiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080 (China); Yang, Yi [Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Chinese Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510080 (China); Department of Pharmacology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080 (China); Yuan, Jie [Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Chinese Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510080 (China); Key Laboratory of Functional Molecules from Oceanic Microorganisms (Sun Yat-sen University), Department of Education of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 510080 (China)

2013-10-23

Glioma represents a serious health problem worldwide. Despite advances in surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeting therapy, the disease remains one of the most lethal malignancies in humans, and new approaches to improvement of the efficacy of anti-glioma treatments are urgently needed. Thus, new therapeutic targets and tools should be developed based on a better understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of glioma. In this context, microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small, non-coding RNAs, play a pivotal role in the development of the malignant phenotype of glioma cells, including cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, tumor angiogenesis, and stem cell generation. This review will discuss the biological functions of miRNAs in human glioma and their implications in improving clinical diagnosis, prediction of prognosis, and anti-glioma therapy.

MicroRNA in Human Glioma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Mengfeng; Li, Jun; Liu, Lei; Li, Wei; Yang, Yi; Yuan, Jie

2013-01-01

Glioma represents a serious health problem worldwide. Despite advances in surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeting therapy, the disease remains one of the most lethal malignancies in humans, and new approaches to improvement of the efficacy of anti-glioma treatments are urgently needed. Thus, new therapeutic targets and tools should be developed based on a better understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of glioma. In this context, microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small, non-coding RNAs, play a pivotal role in the development of the malignant phenotype of glioma cells, including cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, tumor angiogenesis, and stem cell generation. This review will discuss the biological functions of miRNAs in human glioma and their implications in improving clinical diagnosis, prediction of prognosis, and anti-glioma therapy

Ice Recrystallization Inhibiting Polymers Enable Glycerol-Free Cryopreservation of Micro-organisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasan, Muhammad; Fayter, Alice E R; Gibson, Matthew I

2018-06-22

All modern molecular biology and microbiology is underpinned not only by the tools to handle and manipulate microorganisms, but also those to store, bank and transport them. Glycerol is the current gold-standard cryoprotectant but it is intrinsically toxic to most micro-organisms: only a fraction of cells survive freezing and the presence of glycerol can impact down-stream applications and assays. Extremophile organisms survive repeated freeze/thaw cycles by producing antifreeze proteins which are potent ice recrystallization inhibitors. Here we introduce a new concept for the storage/transport of micro-organisms by using ice recrystallization inhibiting poly(vinyl alcohol) in tandem with poly(ethylene glycol). This cryopreserving formulation is shown to result in a 4-fold increase in E. coli yield post-thaw, compared to glycerol, utilizing lower concentrations, with successful cryopreservation at just 1.1 weight percent of additive. The mechanism of protection is demonstrated to be linked to inhibiting ice recrystallization (by comparison to a recombinant antifreeze protein) but also to the significantly lower toxicity of the polymers compared to glycerol. Optimized formulations are presented and shown to be broadly applicable to the cryopreservation of a panel of Gram negative, Gram positive and Mycobacteria strains. This represents a step-change in how micro-organisms will be stored by the design of new macromolecular ice growth inhibitors; it should enable a transition from traditional solvent-based to macromolecular microbiology storage methods.

Vibrational Micro-Spectroscopy of Human Tissues Analysis: Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bunaciu, Andrei A; Hoang, Vu Dang; Aboul-Enein, Hassan Y

2017-05-04

Vibrational spectroscopy (Infrared (IR) and Raman) and, in particular, micro-spectroscopy and micro-spectroscopic imaging have been used to characterize developmental changes in tissues, to monitor these changes in cell cultures and to detect disease and drug-induced modifications. The conventional methods for biochemical and histophatological tissue characterization necessitate complex and "time-consuming" sample manipulations and the results are rarely quantifiable. The spectroscopy of molecular vibrations using mid-IR or Raman techniques has been applied to samples of human tissue. This article reviews the application of these vibrational spectroscopic techniques for analysis of biological tissue published between 2005 and 2015.

Micro-Hall magnetometry on a Co-organic chain compound

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rolland, L.; Simonet, V.; Wernsdorfer, W.; Bogani, L.; Sessoli, R.

2004-01-01

The static and dynamical properties of Co-organic chains, with strong magnetic anisotropy, are studied by micro-Hall magnetometry. The low-temperature hysteresis cycles are discussed with respect to the helical structure of the chains. Thermally activated relaxation of the magnetization is observed, compatible with the Glauber model for a 1D Ising system

Micro-Hall magnetometry on a Co-organic chain compound

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rolland, L.; Simonet, V. E-mail: simonet@grenoble.cnrs.fr; Wernsdorfer, W.; Bogani, L.; Sessoli, R

2004-05-01

The static and dynamical properties of Co-organic chains, with strong magnetic anisotropy, are studied by micro-Hall magnetometry. The low-temperature hysteresis cycles are discussed with respect to the helical structure of the chains. Thermally activated relaxation of the magnetization is observed, compatible with the Glauber model for a 1D Ising system.

Micro-propulsion and micro-combustion; Micropropulsion microcombustion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ribaud, Y.; Dessornes, O.

2002-10-01

The AAAF (french space and aeronautic association) organized at Paris a presentation on the micro-propulsion. The first part was devoted to the thermal micro-machines for micro drones, the second part to the micro-combustion applied to micro-turbines. (A.L.B.)

PERFORMANCE, CARCASS YIELD AND LITTER QUALITY OF BROILERS RAISED ON LITTERS TREATED WITH MICRO-ORGANISMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dayane Prado da Cruz

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The present paper aimed at evaluating the effect of adding beneficial micro-organisms to the litters on litter quality, performance and carcass yield for broilers. A total of 240 one-day chicks were used, and randomly distributed in blocks with four treatments and four replications. The following treatments were carried out in the housing: Treatment 1 – Control with weekly spraying of water on the litters; Treatment 2 – Litter treated with a mixture of inoculated and fermented meal by micro-organisms and weekly spraying of water; Treatment 3 – Litter treated by weekly spraying of micro-organisms; Treatment 4 – Litter treated with the same mixture of meals from treatment two and weekly spraying of micro-organisms. Performance was evaluated by the feed consumption, weight gain, feed conversion, viability and carcass, breast and leg yield. From litter samples, pH, dry matter, ashes and nitrogen were evaluated. No differences were found among the treatments. In the conditions the animals were raised, it can be concluded that the treatment on the litter does not affect performance, carcass yield and quality of the litter for broilers.

Human body micro-environment: The benefits of controlling airflow interaction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Melikov, Arsen Krikor

2015-01-01

This paper focuses on the micro-environment around a human body, and especially on its interaction with the surrounding environment. Research on the free convection flow generated by a human body (including the convective boundary layer around the body and the thermal plume above the body), its...

Microbiology and atmospheric processes: research challenges concerning the impact of airborne micro-organisms on the atmosphere and climate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. E. Morris

2011-01-01

Full Text Available For the past 200 years, the field of aerobiology has explored the abundance, diversity, survival and transport of micro-organisms in the atmosphere. Micro-organisms have been explored as passive and severely stressed riders of atmospheric transport systems. Recently, an interest in the active roles of these micro-organisms has emerged along with proposals that the atmosphere is a global biome for microbial metabolic activity and perhaps even multiplication. As part of a series of papers on the sources, distribution and roles in atmospheric processes of biological particles in the atmosphere, here we describe the pertinence of questions relating to the potential roles that air-borne micro-organisms might play in meteorological phenomena. For the upcoming era of research on the role of air-borne micro-organisms in meteorological phenomena, one important challenge is to go beyond descriptions of abundance of micro-organisms in the atmosphere toward an understanding of their dynamics in terms of both biological and physico-chemical properties and of the relevant transport processes at different scales. Another challenge is to develop this understanding under contexts pertinent to their potential role in processes related to atmospheric chemistry, the formation of clouds, precipitation and radiative forcing. This will require truly interdisciplinary approaches involving collaborators from the biological and physical sciences, from disciplines as disparate as agronomy, microbial genetics and atmosphere physics, for example.

Microbiology and atmospheric processes: research challenges concerning the impact of airborne micro-organisms on the atmosphere and climate

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, C. E.; Sands, D. C.; Bardin, M.; Jaenicke, R.; Vogel, B.; Leyronas, C.; Ariya, P. A.; Psenner, R.

2011-01-01

For the past 200 years, the field of aerobiology has explored the abundance, diversity, survival and transport of micro-organisms in the atmosphere. Micro-organisms have been explored as passive and severely stressed riders of atmospheric transport systems. Recently, an interest in the active roles of these micro-organisms has emerged along with proposals that the atmosphere is a global biome for microbial metabolic activity and perhaps even multiplication. As part of a series of papers on the sources, distribution and roles in atmospheric processes of biological particles in the atmosphere, here we describe the pertinence of questions relating to the potential roles that air-borne micro-organisms might play in meteorological phenomena. For the upcoming era of research on the role of air-borne micro-organisms in meteorological phenomena, one important challenge is to go beyond descriptions of abundance of micro-organisms in the atmosphere toward an understanding of their dynamics in terms of both biological and physico-chemical properties and of the relevant transport processes at different scales. Another challenge is to develop this understanding under contexts pertinent to their potential role in processes related to atmospheric chemistry, the formation of clouds, precipitation and radiative forcing. This will require truly interdisciplinary approaches involving collaborators from the biological and physical sciences, from disciplines as disparate as agronomy, microbial genetics and atmosphere physics, for example.

Influence of autochthonous micro-organisms on sorption and remobilization of technetium and selenium in different aquifer materials. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rueden, H.; Maue, G.; Stroetmann, I.; Hornemann, C.; Seichter, M.; Pekdeger, A.; Taute, T.; Winkler, A.; Lange, D.; Majerczyk, D.; Meyer, T.

1998-01-01

In this research project the influence of autochthonous micro-organisms on immobilisation and remobilization of Technetium and Selenium was investigated. Both radionuclides are part of the nuclear fuel waste (Tc app. 6%). Former investigations have shown, that immobilisation behaviour of both elements can be influenced by micro-organisms. The autochthonous population of micro-organisms in deep sediments and their influence on immobilisation of Tc and Se was investigated in this study. For this reason recirculation column tests were carried out. Absolutely sterile and anaerobic handling is necessary handling the sediments and waters used for the experiments. Special methods for sampling, storage and handling were developed. More than 30 sediments have been investigated. The number of colony forming units (CFU) has always been relatively low (less than E+06 CFU). The results of recirculation column tests with autochthonous micro-organisms were compared with sterilized (Co-60) parallel tests and were verified with the results of hydrochemical equilibration code PHREEQUE. Instead of the allochthonous micro-orgamisms the autochthonous organisms showed no significant fixation of the radionuclides due to microbial activity. This is true for various temperatures of 10 C (aquifer temperature) and 20 C (normal laboratory temperature). An addition of an inoculum of the autochthonous micro-organisms developed at breeding temperature of 10 and 20 C had no influence on the radionuclide mobility. Performing conventional laboratory experiments you have to consider an overestimated retardation capacity because of an inevitable contamination with allochthonous micro-organisms. (orig.) [de

Immunodiagnosis of Human Fascioliasis by an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and a Micro-ELISA

OpenAIRE

Carnevale, Silvana; Rodríguez, Mónica I.; Santillán, Graciela; Labbé, Jorge H.; Cabrera, Marta G.; Bellegarde, Enrique J.; Velásquez, Jorge N.; Trgovcic, Jorge E.; Guarnera, Eduardo A.

2001-01-01

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and micro-ELISA were evaluated for their ability to detect anti-Fasciola hepatica antibodies in humans by using excretory-secretory antigen. The sensitivity of each method was 100%, but the specificity was 100% for ELISA and 97% for micro-ELISA. The micro-ELISA could be used as a screening assay and ELISA could be used as a confirmatory method for the serodiagnosis of human fascioliasis.

Integration of systems biology with organs-on-chips to humanize therapeutic development

Science.gov (United States)

Edington, Collin D.; Cirit, Murat; Chen, Wen Li Kelly; Clark, Amanda M.; Wells, Alan; Trumper, David L.; Griffith, Linda G.

2017-02-01

"Mice are not little people" - a refrain becoming louder as the gaps between animal models and human disease become more apparent. At the same time, three emerging approaches are headed toward integration: powerful systems biology analysis of cell-cell and intracellular signaling networks in patient-derived samples; 3D tissue engineered models of human organ systems, often made from stem cells; and micro-fluidic and meso-fluidic devices that enable living systems to be sustained, perturbed and analyzed for weeks in culture. Integration of these rapidly moving fields has the potential to revolutionize development of therapeutics for complex, chronic diseases, including those that have weak genetic bases and substantial contributions from gene-environment interactions. Technical challenges in modeling complex diseases with "organs on chips" approaches include the need for relatively large tissue masses and organ-organ cross talk to capture systemic effects, such that current microfluidic formats often fail to capture the required scale and complexity for interconnected systems. These constraints drive development of new strategies for designing in vitro models, including perfusing organ models, as well as "mesofluidic" pumping and circulation in platforms connecting several organ systems, to achieve the appropriate physiological relevance.

Development of fauna, micro flora and aquatic organisms database at the vicinity of Gamma Green House in Malaysian Nuclear Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nur Humaira Lau Abdullah; Mohd Zaidan Kandar; Phua Choo Kwai Hoe

2012-01-01

The biodiversity database of non-human biota which consisted of flora, fauna, aquatic organisms and micro flora at the vicinity of Gamma Greenhouse (GGH) in Malaysian Nuclear Agency is under development. In 2011, a workshop on biodiversity and sampling of flora and fauna by local experts had been conducted in BAB to expose the necessary knowledge to all those involved in this study. Since then, several field surveys had been successfully being carried out covering terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in order to observe species distribution pattern and to collect the non-human biota samples. The surveys had been conducted according to standard survey procedures and the samples collected were preserved and identified using appropriate techniques. In this paper, the work on fauna, micro flora and aquatic organisms was presented. The fauna and micro flora specimens were kept in Biodiversity Laboratory in Block 44. Based on those field surveys several species of terrestrial vertebrate and invertebrate organisms were spotted. A diverse group of mushroom was found to be present at the study site. The presence of several aquatic zooplankton for example Cyclops, Nauplius; phytoplankton and bacteria for example Klebsiella sp, Enterobacter sp and others in the pond nearby proved that the pond ecosystem is in good condition. Through this study, the preliminary biodiversity list of fauna at the vicinity of the nuclear facility, GGH had been developed and the work will continue for complete baseline data development. Besides that, many principles and methodologies used in ecological survey had been learnt and applied but the skills involved still need to be polished through workshops, collaboration and consultation from local experts. Thus far, several agencies had been approached to gain collaboration and consultation such as Institut Perikanan Malaysia, UKM, UPM and UMT. (author)

The effect of antagonistic micro-organisms on the brood of honeybees (Apis mellifera) and bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) 2003

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steen, van der J.J.M.; Dik, A.J.

2002-01-01

Several plant pathogenic fungi enter the plant trough open flowers. Spores of antagonistic micro-organisms present on the flowers can successfully compete with the possible pathogens. Honeybees and bumblebees can be used for transporting these antagonistic micro-organisms from the hive into flowers

Micro-cultural customization of organ donation propagation messages.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunkel, Anke; Nakamoto, Kent; Schulz, Peter J

2018-05-01

Organ transplantation is plagued by limited availability of organs. This study investigated the effect of messages promoting organ donation which were customized according to the language-defined micro-cultures in Switzerland. Community-, informative-, and emotional-oriented messages were carried by conventional flyers. A 3 × 3 between-subjects experiment was conducted with short- and long-term willingness to donate, long-term signing of organ donation card and long-term interpersonal communication on organ donation as outcome variables. The culturally customized interventions appeared to have no immediate effect and consequently no differential effect on willingness to donate organs and on signing a donor card. Among the Swiss Germans, of the three messages, the community-oriented one instigated less interpersonal communication. Findings are consistent with a mechanism in which the message does not have an immediate effect on willingness to donate organs but motivates further thought and related behaviors that lead to higher commitment and later increased willingness to donate. Targeting not only the message but also the objective that drives the messages must be considered. Campaigns should include elements that build on the unfolding commitment process to promote the follow-up actions that lead to greater willingness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The application of orthogonal photolithography to micro-scale organic field effect transistors and complementary inverters on flexible substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Jingon; Song, Younggul; Yoo, Daekyoung; Kim, Dongku; Lee, Hyungwoo; Hong, Seunghun; Lee, Takhee; Oh, Hyuntaek; Lee, Jin-Kyun

2014-01-01

Micro-scale pentacene organic field effect transistors (OFETs) were fabricated on a flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate. By applying a highly fluorinated developing solvents and its compatible photoresist materials, it has become possible to make the micro-scale patterning for organic devices using standard photolithography without damaging the underlying polymer layers. The flexible pentacene OFETs with 3 μm-sized channel length exhibited stable electrical characteristics under bent configurations and under a large number of repetitive bending cycles. Furthermore, we demonstrated micro-scale organic complementary inverters on a flexible PET substrate using p-type pentacene and n-type copper hexadecafluorophthalocyanine materials

The application of orthogonal photolithography to micro-scale organic field effect transistors and complementary inverters on flexible substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jang, Jingon; Song, Younggul; Yoo, Daekyoung; Kim, Dongku; Lee, Hyungwoo; Hong, Seunghun; Lee, Takhee, E-mail: tlee@snu.ac.kr [Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Institute of Applied Physics, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747 (Korea, Republic of); Oh, Hyuntaek; Lee, Jin-Kyun, E-mail: jkl36@inha.ac.kr [Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 402-751 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-02-03

Micro-scale pentacene organic field effect transistors (OFETs) were fabricated on a flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate. By applying a highly fluorinated developing solvents and its compatible photoresist materials, it has become possible to make the micro-scale patterning for organic devices using standard photolithography without damaging the underlying polymer layers. The flexible pentacene OFETs with 3 μm-sized channel length exhibited stable electrical characteristics under bent configurations and under a large number of repetitive bending cycles. Furthermore, we demonstrated micro-scale organic complementary inverters on a flexible PET substrate using p-type pentacene and n-type copper hexadecafluorophthalocyanine materials.

PREFACE: Swimming at low Reynolds numbers—motility of micro-organisms Swimming at low Reynolds numbers—motility of micro-organisms

Science.gov (United States)

Garstecki, Piotr; Cieplak, Marek

2009-05-01

another striking feature of the microbial motility—at low values of the Reynolds number the hydrodynamic interactions are long range on the scale of the swimmer. This leads to conditions that are surprising for a macroswimmer—nobody swimming in a pool expects to be affected by the activity of another swimmer separated by a distance of, say, 30 lengths of a typical body (50 meters for humans). Yet at the microscale this is exactly what happens, and this feature leads to very interesting effects of interaction between swimmers, and between swimmers and solid walls. Felderhof [10] discusses the hydrodynamic interactions of a 'peristaltic sheet' with the proximate walls or with a second sheet, while Hernandez-Ortiz et al elaborate on the physical mechanisms behind one of the most fascinating behaviors of micro-organisms—collective swimming [11]. Recently, new stimuli in the research of motility of micro-organisms came from the experimental realizations of motile microstructures—artificial microswimmers. An important contribution here comes from Dreyfus et al who showed a micro-scale swimmer comprised of elastically linked colloidal particles [12]. In this issue, Alexander et al [13] discuss a similar model of Najafi and Golestanian [14] and analyze the interactions between such swimmers. Coq et al [15] investigate a different mechanism of swimming and report on the most important 'organelle' of structures that propel by rotating a helical element—they discuss the mechanics of a rotated elastic rod. Depending on the type of forcing, the rod, when subject to an increasing torque, either smoothly transforms into an increasingly deformed helical shape providing growing net flow in the direction of rotation, or shows a discontinuous transition of the shape with a sudden change in the efficiency of propulsion. Finally, Garstecki et al [16]demonstrate experimentally elastic artificial microswimmers powered by an external rotating magnetic field. They show that in order to

Understanding alcoholism through microRNA signatures in brains of human alcoholics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Dayne eMayfield

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Advances in the fields of genomics and genetics in the last decade have identified a large number of genes that can potentially influence alcohol-drinking behavior in humans as well as animal models. Consequently, the task of identifying efficient molecular targets that could be used to develop effective therapeutics against the disease has become increasingly daunting. One of the reasons for this is the fact that each of the many alcohol-responsive genes only contributes a small effect to the overall mechanism and disease phenotype, as is characteristic of complex traits. Current research trends are hence shifting towards the analysis of gene networks rather than emphasizing individual genes. The discovery of microRNAs and their mechanisms of action on regulation of transcript level and protein translation have made evident the utility of these small non-coding RNA molecules that act as central coordinators of multiple cross-communicating cellular pathways. Cells exploit the fact that a single microRNA can target hundreds of mRNA transcripts and that a single mRNA transcript can be simultaneously targeted by distinct microRNAs, to ensure fine-tuned and/or redundant control over a large number of cellular functions. By the same token, we can use these properties of microRNAs to develop novel, targeted strategies to combat complex disorders. In this review, we will focus on recent discoveries of microRNA signatures in brain of human alcoholics supporting the hypothesis that changes in gene expression and regulation by microRNAs are responsible for long-term neuroadaptations occurring during development of alcoholism. We also discuss insights into the potential modulation of epigenetic regulators by a subset of microRNAs. Taken together, microRNA activity may be controlling many of the cellular mechanisms already known to be involved in the development of alcoholism, and suggests potential targets for the development of novel therapeutic

Micro-organisms and divers exposure to radioactivity in spent fuel pools at nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muniz de A, D. [Underwater Construction Corporation, Latin America, Fortaleza, Ceara (Brazil); Silva, R. [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Gomes N, C. A., E-mail: dmuniz@uccdive.com [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biologia, Environmental Engineering Program, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

2017-09-15

Many nuclear power plants (NPPs) around the world are in the process of extending their lifespan from 40 to 60 years of operation. The NPP; Angra 1 (Brazil) has performed a thorough evaluation of its Life Extension Engineering project. In this context, the spent fuel pool (SFP) was one of the areas studied in order to demonstrate the plants integrity for a life extension. Micro-organisms growing on the liner of the fuel transfer channel (Ftc) and SFP can form a film of bacteria, which is highly resistant to radiation. This paper aims to compare the micro-organisms found in NPP Angra 1 with those reported to other NPPs and also relates their occurrence with the radiation levels at the sites. It also compares divers exposure to radioactivity during underwater activities in the SFP. Fourteen samples were collected on the surface of the liners of the Ftc, the SFP and the drains within the fuel building (FB) of Angra 1. For the identification of the micro-organisms, a metagenomics analysis was performed by random sequencing (Shotgun) and the use of Ion Torrent PGM Sequence r. Twelve micro-organisms phyla were identified; Acido-bacteria, Actino-bacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chlamydiae, Chlorobi, Chloroflexi, Cyano-bacteria, Deinococcus-Thermus, Firmicutes, Planctomycetes, Proteo-bacteria, and Verrucomicrobia as well as organisms not classified. In the SFP of Angra 1, the bacteria survived the exposure to a radiation of 0.416 Gy/h (high radiation). Deinococcus-thermus, bacteria identified in Angra 1, has resisted an exposure to 30,000 Gy/h in another plant. (Author)

Micro-organisms and divers exposure to radioactivity in spent fuel pools at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muniz de A, D.; Silva, R.; Gomes N, C. A.

2017-09-01

Many nuclear power plants (NPPs) around the world are in the process of extending their lifespan from 40 to 60 years of operation. The NPP; Angra 1 (Brazil) has performed a thorough evaluation of its Life Extension Engineering project. In this context, the spent fuel pool (SFP) was one of the areas studied in order to demonstrate the plants integrity for a life extension. Micro-organisms growing on the liner of the fuel transfer channel (Ftc) and SFP can form a film of bacteria, which is highly resistant to radiation. This paper aims to compare the micro-organisms found in NPP Angra 1 with those reported to other NPPs and also relates their occurrence with the radiation levels at the sites. It also compares divers exposure to radioactivity during underwater activities in the SFP. Fourteen samples were collected on the surface of the liners of the Ftc, the SFP and the drains within the fuel building (FB) of Angra 1. For the identification of the micro-organisms, a metagenomics analysis was performed by random sequencing (Shotgun) and the use of Ion Torrent PGM Sequence r. Twelve micro-organisms phyla were identified; Acido-bacteria, Actino-bacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chlamydiae, Chlorobi, Chloroflexi, Cyano-bacteria, Deinococcus-Thermus, Firmicutes, Planctomycetes, Proteo-bacteria, and Verrucomicrobia as well as organisms not classified. In the SFP of Angra 1, the bacteria survived the exposure to a radiation of 0.416 Gy/h (high radiation). Deinococcus-thermus, bacteria identified in Angra 1, has resisted an exposure to 30,000 Gy/h in another plant. (Author)

MicroRNA-211 Regulates Oxidative Phosphorylation and Energy Metabolism in Human Vitiligo.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahoo, Anupama; Lee, Bongyong; Boniface, Katia; Seneschal, Julien; Sahoo, Sanjaya K; Seki, Tatsuya; Wang, Chunyan; Das, Soumen; Han, Xianlin; Steppie, Michael; Seal, Sudipta; Taieb, Alain; Perera, Ranjan J

2017-09-01

Vitiligo is a common chronic skin disorder characterized by loss of epidermal melanocytes and progressive depigmentation. Vitiligo has complex immune, genetic, environmental, and biochemical causes, but the exact molecular mechanisms of vitiligo development and progression, particularly those related to metabolic control, are poorly understood. In this study we characterized the human vitiligo cell line PIG3V and the normal human melanocyte line HEM-l by RNA sequencing, targeted metabolomics, and shotgun lipidomics. Melanocyte-enriched microRNA-211, a known metabolic switch in nonpigmented melanoma cells, was severely down-regulated in vitiligo cell line PIG3V and skin biopsy samples from vitiligo patients, whereas its predicted targets PPARGC1A, RRM2, and TAOK1 were reciprocally up-regulated. microRNA-211 binds to PGC1-α 3' untranslated region locus and represses it. Although mitochondrial numbers were constant, mitochondrial complexes I, II, and IV and respiratory responses were defective in vitiligo cells. Nanoparticle-coated microRNA-211 partially augmented the oxygen consumption rate in PIG3V cells. The lower oxygen consumption rate, changes in lipid and metabolite profiles, and increased reactive oxygen species production observed in vitiligo cells appear to be partly due to abnormal regulation of microRNA-211 and its target genes. These genes represent potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in human vitiligo. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Let-7 microRNAs are developmentally regulated in circulating human erythroid cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reed Christopher

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background MicroRNAs are ~22nt-long small non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate protein expression through mRNA degradation or translational repression in eukaryotic cells. Based upon their importance in regulating development and terminal differentiation in model systems, erythrocyte microRNA profiles were examined at birth and in adults to determine if changes in their abundance coincide with the developmental phenomenon of hemoglobin switching. Methods Expression profiling of microRNA was performed using total RNA from four adult peripheral blood samples compared to four cord blood samples after depletion of plasma, platelets, and nucleated cells. Labeled RNAs were hybridized to custom spotted arrays containing 474 human microRNA species (miRBase release 9.1. Total RNA from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines provided a hybridization reference for all samples to generate microRNA abundance profile for each sample. Results Among 206 detected miRNAs, 79% of the microRNAs were present at equivalent levels in both cord and adult cells. By comparison, 37 microRNAs were up-regulated and 4 microRNAs were down-regulated in adult erythroid cells (fold change > 2; p let-7 miRNA family consistently demonstrated increased abundance in the adult samples by array-based analyses that were confirmed by quantitative PCR (4.5 to 18.4 fold increases in 6 of 8 let-7 miRNA. Profiling studies of messenger RNA (mRNA in these cells additionally demonstrated down-regulation of ten let-7 target genes in the adult cells. Conclusion These data suggest that a consistent pattern of up-regulation among let-7 miRNA in circulating erythroid cells occurs in association with hemoglobin switching during the fetal-to-adult developmental transition in humans.

Estimation of mouse organ locations through registration of a statistical mouse atlas with micro-CT images.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hongkai; Stout, David B; Chatziioannou, Arion F

2012-01-01

Micro-CT is widely used in preclinical studies of small animals. Due to the low soft-tissue contrast in typical studies, segmentation of soft tissue organs from noncontrast enhanced micro-CT images is a challenging problem. Here, we propose an atlas-based approach for estimating the major organs in mouse micro-CT images. A statistical atlas of major trunk organs was constructed based on 45 training subjects. The statistical shape model technique was used to include inter-subject anatomical variations. The shape correlations between different organs were described using a conditional Gaussian model. For registration, first the high-contrast organs in micro-CT images were registered by fitting the statistical shape model, while the low-contrast organs were subsequently estimated from the high-contrast organs using the conditional Gaussian model. The registration accuracy was validated based on 23 noncontrast-enhanced and 45 contrast-enhanced micro-CT images. Three different accuracy metrics (Dice coefficient, organ volume recovery coefficient, and surface distance) were used for evaluation. The Dice coefficients vary from 0.45 ± 0.18 for the spleen to 0.90 ± 0.02 for the lungs, the volume recovery coefficients vary from 0.96 ± 0.10 for the liver to 1.30 ± 0.75 for the spleen, the surface distances vary from 0.18 ± 0.01 mm for the lungs to 0.72 ± 0.42 mm for the spleen. The registration accuracy of the statistical atlas was compared with two publicly available single-subject mouse atlases, i.e., the MOBY phantom and the DIGIMOUSE atlas, and the results proved that the statistical atlas is more accurate than the single atlases. To evaluate the influence of the training subject size, different numbers of training subjects were used for atlas construction and registration. The results showed an improvement of the registration accuracy when more training subjects were used for the atlas construction. The statistical atlas-based registration was also compared with

Real-Time Capable Micro-Doppler Signature Decomposition of Walking Human Limbs

OpenAIRE

Abdulatif, Sherif; Aziz, Fady; Kleiner, Bernhard; Schneider, Urs

2017-01-01

Unique micro-Doppler signature ($\\boldsymbol{\\mu}$-D) of a human body motion can be analyzed as the superposition of different body parts $\\boldsymbol{\\mu}$-D signatures. Extraction of human limbs $\\boldsymbol{\\mu}$-D signatures in real-time can be used to detect, classify and track human motion especially for safety application. In this paper, two methods are combined to simulate $\\boldsymbol{\\mu}$-D signatures of a walking human. Furthermore, a novel limbs $\\mu$-D signature time independent...

MicroRNA expression profiles in human cancer cells after ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niemoeller, Olivier M; Niyazi, Maximilian; Corradini, Stefanie; Zehentmayr, Franz; Li, Minglun; Lauber, Kirsten; Belka, Claus

2011-01-01

MicroRNAs are regulators of central cellular processes and are implicated in the pathogenesis and prognosis of human cancers. MicroRNAs also modulate responses to anti-cancer therapy. In the context of radiation oncology microRNAs were found to modulate cell death and proliferation after irradiation. However, changes in microRNA expression profiles in response to irradiation have not been comprehensively analyzed so far. The present study's intend is to present a broad screen of changes in microRNA expression following irradiation of different malignant cell lines. 1100 microRNAs (Sanger miRBase release version 14.0) were analyzed in six malignant cell lines following irradiation with clinically relevant doses of 2.0 Gy. MicroRNA levels 6 hours after irradiation were compared to microRNA levels in non-irradiated cells using the 'Geniom Biochip MPEA homo sapiens'. Hierarchical clustering analysis revealed a pattern, which significantly (p = 0.014) discerned irradiated from non-irradiated cells. The expression levels of a number of microRNAs known to be involved in the regulation of cellular processes like apoptosis, proliferation, invasion, local immune response and radioresistance (e. g. miR-1285, miR-24-1, miR-151-5p, let-7i) displayed 2 - 3-fold changes after irradiation. Moreover, several microRNAs previously not known to be radiation-responsive were discovered. Ionizing radiation induced significant changes in microRNA expression profiles in 3 glioma and 3 squamous cell carcinoma cell lines. The functional relevance of these changes is not addressed but should by analyzed by future work especially focusing on clinically relevant endpoints like radiation induced cell death, proliferation, migration and metastasis

Solar thermal organic rankine cycle for micro-generation

Science.gov (United States)

Alkahli, N. A.; Abdullah, H.; Darus, A. N.; Jalaludin, A. F.

2012-06-01

The conceptual design of an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) driven by solar thermal energy is developed for the decentralized production of electricity of up to 50 kW. Conventional Rankine Cycle uses water as the working fluid whereas ORC uses organic compound as the working fluid and it is particularly suitable for low temperature applications. The ORC and the solar collector will be sized according to the solar flux distribution in the Republic of Yemen for the required power output of 50 kW. This will be a micro power generation system that consists of two cycles, the solar thermal cycle that harness solar energy and the power cycle, which is the ORC that generates electricity. As for the solar thermal cycle, heat transfer fluid (HTF) circulates the cycle while absorbing thermal energy from the sun through a parabolic trough collector and then storing it in a thermal storage to increase system efficiency and maintains system operation during low radiation. The heat is then transferred to the organic fluid in the ORC via a heat exchanger. The organic fluids to be used and analyzed in the ORC are hydrocarbons R600a and R290.

Micro-CT characterization of human trabecular bone in osteogenesis imperfecta

Science.gov (United States)

Jameson, John; Albert, Carolyne; Smith, Peter; Molthen, Robert; Harris, Gerald

2011-03-01

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic syndrome affecting collagen synthesis and assembly. Its symptoms vary widely but commonly include bone fragility, reduced stature, and bone deformity. Because of the small size and paucity of human specimens, there is a lack of biomechanical data for OI bone. Most literature has focused on histomorphometric analyses, which rely on assumptions to extrapolate 3-D properties. In this study, a micro-computed tomography (μCT) system was used to directly measure structural and mineral properties in pediatric OI bone collected during routine surgical procedures. Surface renderings suggested a poorly organized, plate-like orientation. Patients with a history of bone-augmenting drugs exhibited increased bone volume fraction (BV/TV), trabecular number (Tb.N), and connectivity density (Eu.Conn.D). The latter two parameters appeared to be related to OI severity. Structural results were consistently higher than those reported in a previous histomorphometric study, but these differences can be attributed to factors such as specimen collection site, drug therapy, and assumptions associated with histomorphometry. Mineral testing revealed strong correlations with several structural parameters, highlighting the importance of a dual approach in trabecular bone testing. This study reports some of the first quantitative μCT data of human OI bone, and it suggests compelling possibilities for the future of OI bone assessment.

Prevalence Of Micro-Organisms In Flies And Meat Cuts In Uyo ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prevalence Of Micro-Organisms In Flies And Meat Cuts In Uyo Abattoir, Akwa Ibom State. ... A total of 100 samples, 50 each of fresh meat cuts and flies were aseptically collected from Iba-Oku Abattoir in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State periodically and ... The public health significance of these findings are discussed in the paper.

Optical macro-tweezers: trapping of highly motile micro-organisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thalhammer, G; Steiger, R; Bernet, S; Ritsch-Marte, M

2011-01-01

Optical micromanipulation stands for contact-free handling of microscopic particles by light. Optical forces can manipulate non-absorbing objects in a large range of sizes, e.g., from biological cells down to cold atoms. Recently much progress has been made going from the micro- down to the nanoscale. Less attention has been paid to going the other way, trapping increasingly large particles. Optical tweezers typically employ a single laser beam tightly focused by a microscope objective of high numerical aperture to stably trap a particle in three dimensions (3D). As the particle size increases, stable 3D trapping in a single-beam trap requires scaling up the optical power, which eventually induces adverse biological effects. Moreover, the restricted field of view of standard optical tweezers, dictated by the use of high NA objectives, is particularly unfavorable for catching actively moving specimens. Both problems can be overcome by traps with counter-propagating beams. Our 'macro-tweezers' are especially designed to trap highly motile organisms, as they enable three-dimensional all-optical trapping and guiding in a volume of 2 × 1 × 2 mm 3 . Here we report for the first time the optical trapping of large actively swimming organisms, such as for instance Euglena protists and dinoflagellates of up to 70 µm length. Adverse bio-effects are kept low since trapping occurs outside high intensity regions, e.g., focal spots. We expect our approach to open various possibilities in the contact-free handling of 50–100 µm sized objects that could hitherto not be envisaged, for instance all-optical holding of individual micro-organisms for taxonomic identification, selective collecting or tagging

Stringy and Membranic Theory of Swimming of Micro-organisms

OpenAIRE

Kawamura, Masako; Nojiri, Shin'ichi; Sugamoto, Akio

1996-01-01

When the swimming of micro-organisms is viewed from the string and membrane theories coupled to the velocity field of the fluid, a number of interesting results are derived; 1) importance of the area (or volume) preserving algebra, 2) usefulness of the $N$-point Reggeon (membranic) amplitudes, and of the gas to liquid transition in case of the red tide issues, 3) close relation between the red tide issue and the generation of Einstein gravity, and 4) possible understanding of the three differ...

Light-focusing human micro-lenses generated from pluripotent stem cells model lens development and drug-induced cataract in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Patricia; Kabir, Md Humayun; Srivastava, Tarini; Mason, Michele E; Dewi, Chitra U; Lim, Seakcheng; Yang, Andrian; Djordjevic, Djordje; Killingsworth, Murray C; Ho, Joshua W K; Harman, David G; O'Connor, Michael D

2018-01-09

Cataracts cause vision loss and blindness by impairing the ability of the ocular lens to focus light onto the retina. Various cataract risk factors have been identified, including drug treatments, age, smoking and diabetes. However, the molecular events responsible for these different forms of cataract are ill-defined, and the advent of modern cataract surgery in the 1960s virtually eliminated access to human lenses for research. Here, we demonstrate large-scale production of light-focusing human micro-lenses from spheroidal masses of human lens epithelial cells purified from differentiating pluripotent stem cells. The purified lens cells and micro-lenses display similar morphology, cellular arrangement, mRNA expression and protein expression to human lens cells and lenses. Exposing the micro-lenses to the emergent cystic fibrosis drug Vx-770 reduces micro-lens transparency and focusing ability. These human micro-lenses provide a powerful and large-scale platform for defining molecular disease mechanisms caused by cataract risk factors, for anti-cataract drug screening and for clinically relevant toxicity assays. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Role of plant MicroRNA in cross-species regulatory networks of humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hao; Li, Yanpu; Liu, Yuanning; Liu, Haiming; Wang, Hongyu; Jin, Wen; Zhang, Yanmei; Zhang, Chao; Xu, Dong

2016-08-08

It has been found that microRNAs (miRNAs) can function as a regulatory factor across species. For example, food-derived plant miRNAs may pass through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, enter into the plasma and serum of mammals, and interact with endogenous RNAs to regulate their expression. Although this new type of regulatory mechanism is not well understood, it provides a fresh look at the relationship between food consumption and physiology. To investigate this new type of mechanism, we conducted a systematic computational study to analyze the potential functions of these dietary miRNAs in the human body. In this paper, we predicted human and plant target genes using RNAhybrid and set some criteria to further filter them. Then we built the cross-species regulatory network according to the filtered targets, extracted central nodes by PageRank algorithm and built core modules. We summarized the functions of these modules to three major categories: ion transport, metabolic process and stress response, and especially some target genes are highly related to ion transport, polysaccharides and the lipid metabolic process. Through functional analysis, we found that human and plants have similar functions such as ion transport and stress response, so our study also indicates the existence of a close link between exogenous plant miRNA targets and digestive/urinary organs. According to our analysis results, we suggest that the ingestion of these plant miRNAs may have a functional impact on consuming organisms in a cross-kingdom way, and the dietary habit may affect the physiological condition at a genetic level. Our findings may be useful for discovering cross-species regulatory mechanism in further study.

Detection of arboviruses and other micro-organisms in experimentally infected mosquitoes using massively parallel sequencing.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonja Hall-Mendelin

Full Text Available Human disease incidence attributed to arbovirus infection is increasing throughout the world, with effective control interventions limited by issues of sustainability, insecticide resistance and the lack of effective vaccines. Several promising control strategies are currently under development, such as the release of mosquitoes trans-infected with virus-blocking Wolbachia bacteria. Implementation of any control program is dependent on effective virus surveillance and a thorough understanding of virus-vector interactions. Massively parallel sequencing has enormous potential for providing comprehensive genomic information that can be used to assess many aspects of arbovirus ecology, as well as to evaluate novel control strategies. To demonstrate proof-of-principle, we analyzed Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus experimentally infected with dengue, yellow fever or chikungunya viruses. Random amplification was used to prepare sufficient template for sequencing on the Personal Genome Machine. Viral sequences were present in all infected mosquitoes. In addition, in most cases, we were also able to identify the mosquito species and mosquito micro-organisms, including the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia. Importantly, naturally occurring Wolbachia strains could be differentiated from strains that had been trans-infected into the mosquito. The method allowed us to assemble near full-length viral genomes and detect other micro-organisms without prior sequence knowledge, in a single reaction. This is a step toward the application of massively parallel sequencing as an arbovirus surveillance tool. It has the potential to provide insight into virus transmission dynamics, and has applicability to the post-release monitoring of Wolbachia in mosquito populations.

Micro/Nano Structural Tantalum Coating for Enhanced Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Ding; Xie, Youtao; Li, Kai; Huang, Liping; Zheng, Xuebin

2018-04-03

Recently, tantalum has been attracting much attention for its anticorrosion resistance and biocompatibility, and it has been widely used in surface modification for implant applications. To improve its osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow stem cells (hBMSCs), a micro/nano structure has been fabricated on the tantalum coating surface through the combination of anodic oxidation and plasma spraying method. The morphology, composition, and microstructure of the modified coating were comprehensively studied by employing scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) as well as transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effects of hierarchical structures as well as micro-porous structure of tantalum coating on the behavior for human bone marrow stem cells (hBMSCs) were evaluated and compared at both cellular and molecular levels in vitro. The experimental results show that a hierarchical micro/nano structure with Ta₂O₅ nanotubes spread onto a micro-scale tantalum coating has been fabricated successfully, which is confirmed to promote cell adhesion and spreading. Besides, the hierarchical micro/nano tantalum coating can provide 1.5~2.1 times improvement in gene expression, compared with the micro-porous tantalum coating. It demonstrates that it can effectively enhance the proliferation and differentiation of hBMSCs in vitro.

Micro/Nano Structural Tantalum Coating for Enhanced Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow Stem Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ding Ding

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Recently, tantalum has been attracting much attention for its anticorrosion resistance and biocompatibility, and it has been widely used in surface modification for implant applications. To improve its osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow stem cells (hBMSCs, a micro/nano structure has been fabricated on the tantalum coating surface through the combination of anodic oxidation and plasma spraying method. The morphology, composition, and microstructure of the modified coating were comprehensively studied by employing scanning electron microscopy (SEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD as well as transmission electron microscopy (TEM. The effects of hierarchical structures as well as micro-porous structure of tantalum coating on the behavior for human bone marrow stem cells (hBMSCs were evaluated and compared at both cellular and molecular levels in vitro. The experimental results show that a hierarchical micro/nano structure with Ta2O5 nanotubes spread onto a micro-scale tantalum coating has been fabricated successfully, which is confirmed to promote cell adhesion and spreading. Besides, the hierarchical micro/nano tantalum coating can provide 1.5~2.1 times improvement in gene expression, compared with the micro-porous tantalum coating. It demonstrates that it can effectively enhance the proliferation and differentiation of hBMSCs in vitro.

Computational study of ‘HUB’ microRNA in human cardiac diseases

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnan, Remya; Nair, Achuthsankar S.; Dhar, Pawan K.

2017-01-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs ~22 nucleotides long that do not encode for proteins but have been reported to influence gene expression in normal and abnormal health conditions. Though a large body of scientific literature on miRNAs exists, their network level profile linking molecules with their corresponding phenotypes, is less explored. Here, we studied a network of 191 human miRNAs reported to play a role in 30 human cardiac diseases. Our aim was to study miRNA network properties like hubness and preferred associations, using data mining, network graph theory and statistical analysis. A total of 16 miRNAs were found to have a disease node connectivity of >5 edges (i.e., they were linked to more than 5 diseases) and were considered hubs in the miRNAcardiac disease network. Alternatively, when diseases were considered as hubs, >10 of miRNAs showed up on each ‘disease hub node’. Of all the miRNAs associated with diseases, 19 miRNAs (19/24= 79.1% of upregulated events) were found to be upregulated in atherosclerosis. The data suggest micro RNAs as early stage biological markers in cardiac conditions with potential towards microRNA based therapeutics. PMID:28479745

Isolation of microRNA targets using biotinylated synthetic microRNAs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ørom, Ulf Andersson; Lund, Anders H

2007-01-01

MicroRNAs are small regulatory RNAs found in multicellular organisms where they post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression. In animals, microRNAs bind mRNAs via incomplete base pairings making the identification of microRNA targets inherently difficult. Here, we present a detailed method...... for experimental identification of microRNA targets based on affinity purification of tagged microRNAs associated with their targets. Udgivelsesdato: 2007-Oct...

Duties to Extraterrestrial Microscopic Organisms

Science.gov (United States)

Cockell, C. S.

Formulating a normative axiology for the treatment of extraterrestrial microscopic organisms, should they ever be found, requires an extension of environmental ethics to beyond the Earth. Using an ethical framework for the treatment of terrestrial micro-organisms, this paper elaborates a similar ethic for the treatment of extraterrestrial microscopic organisms. An ethic of `teloempathy' allows for the moral considerability of any organism that has `interests', based on rudimentary qualities of conativism, and therefore allows for an identical treatment of all life, related or not related to life on Earth. Although, according to this ethic, individual extraterrestrial microscopic organisms have a good of their own and even `rights', at this level the ethic can only be theoretical, allowing for the inevitable destruction of many individual organisms during the course of human exploratory missions, similarly to the daily destruction of microbes by humans on Earth. A holistic teloempathy, an operative ethic, not only provides a framework for human exploration, but it also has important implications for planetary protection and proposals to implement planetary-scale atmospheric alterations on other bodies. Even prior to the discovery of extraterrestrial life, or the discovery of a complete absence of such life, this exercise yields important insights into the moral philosophy that guides our treatment of terrestrial micro-organisms.

Micro-Computed Tomography Evaluation of Human Fat Grafts in Nude Mice

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Michael T.; Hyun, Jeong S.; Lo, David D.; Montoro, Daniel T.; Hasegawa, Masakazu; Levi, Benjamin; Januszyk, Michael; Longaker, Michael T.

2013-01-01

Background Although autologous fat grafting has revolutionized the field of soft tissue reconstruction and augmentation, long-term maintenance of fat grafts is unpredictable. Recent studies have reported survival rates of fat grafts to vary anywhere between 10% and 80% over time. The present study evaluated the long-term viability of human fat grafts in a murine model using a novel imaging technique allowing for in vivo volumetric analysis. Methods Human fat grafts were prepared from lipoaspirate samples using the Coleman technique. Fat was injected subcutaneously into the scalp of 10 adult Crl:NU-Foxn1nu CD-1 male mice. Micro-computed tomography (CT) was performed immediately following injection and then weekly thereafter. Fat volume was rendered by reconstructing a three-dimensional (3D) surface through cubic-spline interpolation. Specimens were also harvested at various time points and sections were prepared and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), for macrophages using CD68 and for the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1). Finally, samples were explanted at 8- and 12-week time points to validate calculated micro-CT volumes. Results Weekly CT scanning demonstrated progressive volume loss over the time course. However, volumetric analysis at the 8- and 12-week time points stabilized, showing an average of 62.2% and 60.9% survival, respectively. Gross analysis showed the fat graft to be healthy and vascularized. H&E analysis and staining for CD68 showed minimal inflammatory reaction with viable adipocytes. Immunohistochemical staining with anti-human CB1 antibodies confirmed human origin of the adipocytes. Conclusions Studies assessing the fate of autologous fat grafts in animals have focused on nonimaging modalities, including histological and biochemical analyses, which require euthanasia of the animals. In this study, we have demonstrated the ability to employ micro-CT for 3D reconstruction and volumetric analysis of human fat grafts in a mouse model. Importantly

A micro-architectural evaluation of osteoporotic human femoral heads to guide implant placement in proximal femoral fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, Paul J; Ramaesh, Rishikesan; Pankaj, Pankaj; Patton, James T; Howie, Colin R; Goffin, Jérôme M; Merwe, Andrew van der; Wallace, Robert J; Porter, Daniel E; Simpson, A Hamish

2013-10-01

The micro-architecture of bone has been increasingly recognized as an important determinant of bone strength. Successful operative stabilization of fractures depends on bone strength. We evaluated the osseous micro-architecture and strength of the osteoporotic human femoral head. 6 femoral heads, obtained during arthroplasty surgery for femoral neck fracture, underwent micro-computed tomography (microCT) scanning at 30 μm, and bone volume ratio (BV/TV), trabecular thickness, structural model index, connection density, and degree of anisotropy for volumes of interest throughout the head were derived. A further 15 femoral heads underwent mechanical testing of compressive failure stress of cubes of trabecular bone from different regions of the head. The greatest density and trabecular thickness was found in the central core that extended from the medial calcar to the physeal scar. This region also correlated with the greatest degree of anisotropy and proportion of plate-like trabeculae. In the epiphyseal region, the trabeculae were organized radially from the physeal scar. The weakest area was found at the apex and peripheral areas of the head. The strongest region was at the center of the head. The center of the femoral head contained the strongest trabecular bone, with the thickest, most dense trabeculae. The apical region was weaker. From an anatomical and mechanical point of view, implants that achieve fixation in or below this central core may achieve the most stable fixation during fracture healing.

MicroRNAs in sensorineural diseases of the ear

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathy eUshakov

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Non-coding microRNAs have a fundamental role in gene regulation and expression in almost every multicellular organism. Only discovered in the last decade, microRNAs are already known to play a leading role in many aspects of disease. In the vertebrate inner ear, microRNAs are essential for controlling development and survival of hair cells. Moreover, dysregulation of microRNAs has been implicated in sensorineural hearing impairment, as well as in other ear diseases such as cholesteatomas, vestibular schwannomas and otitis media. Due to the inaccessibility of the ear in humans, animal models have provided the optimal tools to study microRNA expression and function, in particular mice and zebrafish. A major focus of current research has been to discover the targets of the microRNAs expressed in the inner ear, in order to determine the regulatory pathways of the auditory and vestibular systems. The potential for microRNA manipulation in development of therapeutic tools for hearing impairment is as yet unexplored, paving the way for future work in the field.

A stochastic model simulating the capture of pathogenic micro-organisms by superparamagnetic particles in an isodynamic magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rotariu, O; Strachan, N J C; Badescu, V

2004-01-01

The method of immunomagnetic separation (IMS) has become an established technique to concentrate and separate animal cells, biologically active compounds and pathogenic micro-organisms from clinical, food and environmental matrices. One drawback of this technique is that the analysis is only possible for small sample volumes. We have developed a stochastic model that involves numerical simulations to optimize the process of concentration of pathogenic micro-organisms onto superparamagnetic carrier particles (SCPs) in a gradient magnetic field. Within the range of the system parameters varied in the simulations, optimal conditions favour larger particles with higher magnetite concentrations. The dependence on magnetic field intensity and gradient together with concentration of particles and micro-organisms was found to be less important for larger SCPs but these parameters can influence the values of the collision time for small particles. These results will be useful in aiding the design of apparatus for immunomagnetic separation from large volume samples

Does organ selling violate human dignity?

Science.gov (United States)

Alpinar-Şencan, Zümrüt; Baumann, Holger; Biller-Andorno, Nikola

2017-11-01

Shortages in the number of donated organs after death and the growing number of end-stage organ failure patients on waiting lists call for looking at alternatives to increase the number of organs that could be used for transplantation purposes. One option that has led to a legal and ethical debate is to have regulated markets in human organs. Opponents of a market in human organs offer different arguments that are mostly founded on contingent factors that can be adjusted. However, some authors have asked the question whether we still have a reason to believe that there is something wrong with offering human organs for sale for transplantation purposes, even if the circumstances under which the practice takes place are improved. One prominent argument regarding this appeals to the notion of human dignity. It is argued that organ selling violates human dignity. This paper presents a systematic discussion of dignity-based arguments in the organ selling debate, and then develops a social account of dignity. It is argued that allowing the practice of organ selling inherently runs the risk of promoting the notion that some persons have less worth than others and that persons have a price, which is incompatible with dignity. The approach is defended against possible objections and it is shown that it can capture the notion that autonomy is linked to human dignity in important ways, while dignity at the same time can constrain the autonomous choices of persons with regards to certain practices.

Human health implications of organic food and organic agriculture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mie, Axel; Andersen, Helle Raun; Gunnarsson, Stefan

2017-01-01

. Organic food consumption may reduce the risk of allergic disease and of overweight and obesity, but the evidence is not conclusive due to likely residual confounding, as consumers of organic food tend to have healthier lifestyles overall. However, animal experiments suggest that identically composed feed...... benefits associated with organic food production, and application of such production methods is likely to be beneficial within conventional agriculture, e.g., in integrated pest management.......This review summarises existing evidence on the impact of organic food on human health. It compares organic vs. conventional food production with respect to parameters important to human health and discusses the potential impact of organic management practices with an emphasis on EU conditions...

Proton beam writing on PMMA and SU-8 films as a tool for development of micro-structures for organic electronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarkar, Mihir, E-mail: mihirs@iitk.ac.in [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India); Shukla, Neeraj; Banerji, Nobin [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India); Mohapatra, Y.N. [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India); Materials Science Programme, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India); Samtel Center for Display Technologies, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India)

2012-02-15

Proton beam writing is a maskless lithographic technique for the fabrication of 3D micro and nano structures in polymers. The fabricated structures find application in micro fluidics, optics, biosensors, etc. We use proton beam writing for micro-patterning in polymers which will facilitate fabrication of test structures for micro-components of micro-fluidic devices, organic thin film transistors (OTFT) and organic light emitting diodes (OLED). In this paper we report fabrication of varying width micro channels in PMMA and SU-8 films used as positive and negative resists respectively. The patterns were written using 2 MeV proton beam focused down to around 1 micron. We have achieved clean periodic micro-channels of width varying from few micrometers to wider ones in both the resists. Being a mask less lithography it provides an efficient way of reducing turnaround time for test structures with several channel widths and patterns being conveniently written at the same development cycle. Possible applications of the patterned structures in OLED/TFT are discussed. Additional structures like checkered board are also fabricated. Optimized fluence for both the resist has been determined.

MicroRNA-target binding structures mimic microRNA duplex structures in humans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xi Chen

Full Text Available Traditionally, researchers match a microRNA guide strand to mRNA sequences using sequence comparisons to predict its potential target genes. However, many of the predictions can be false positives due to limitations in sequence comparison alone. In this work, we consider the association of two related RNA structures that share a common guide strand: the microRNA duplex and the microRNA-target binding structure. We have analyzed thousands of such structure pairs and found many of them share high structural similarity. Therefore, we conclude that when predicting microRNA target genes, considering just the microRNA guide strand matches to gene sequences may not be sufficient--the microRNA duplex structure formed by the guide strand and its companion passenger strand must also be considered. We have developed software to translate RNA binding structure into encoded representations, and we have also created novel automatic comparison methods utilizing such encoded representations to determine RNA structure similarity. Our software and methods can be utilized in the other RNA secondary structure comparisons as well.

Performance, carcass yield and litter quality of broilers raised on litters treated with micro-organisms

OpenAIRE

Cruz,Dayane Prado da; Otutumi,Luciana Kazue; Piau Júnior,Ranulfo; Cervantes,Rodrigo Panucci; Mezalira,Taniara Suelen; Gerônimo,Edson

2013-01-01

The present paper aimed at evaluating the effect of adding beneficial micro-organisms to the litters on litter quality, performance and carcass yield for broilers. A total of 240 one-day chicks were used, and randomly distributed in blocks with four treatments and four replications. The following treatments were carried out in the housing: Treatment 1 – Control with weekly spraying of water on the litters; Treatment 2 – Litter treated with a mixture of inoculated and fermented meal by micro-o...

Organic compounds generated after the flow of water through micro-orifices: Were they synthesized?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomiichi Hasegawa

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Micro-fluid mechanics is an important area of research in modern fluid mechanics because of its many potential industrial and biological applications. However, the field is not fully understood yet. In previous work, when passing ultrapure water (UPW in which air was dissolved (UPW* through micro-orifices, we found that the flow velocity decreased and stopped over time, and membranes were frequently formed in the orifice when the flow stopped. The membrane came from the dissolved air in UPW*, and membrane formation was closely related to electric charges generated in orifices by the flow. In the present paper, we clarified the components of the membrane and suggested a mechanism for membrane formation. We examined the effect of contaminants on the membrane formation and confirmed our previous results. We identified the chemical components of the membrane and those present in the UPW* itself by using an electron probe microanalyzer and found that the proportion of each element differed between the membrane and UPW*. Raman and infrared (IR spectroscopy showed that the membrane consisted of organic substances such as carotenoids, amides, esters, and sugars. We irradiated UPW* with ultraviolet light to cut organic chains that may be left in UPW* as contaminants. We found a similar membrane and organic compounds as in nonirradiated UPW*. Furthermore, although the UPW that was kept from contact with air after it was supplied from the UPW maker (UPW0 and bubbled with Ar gas (UPW0 bubbled with Ar formed no membrane, the UPW0 bubbled with CO2 formed thin membranes, and Raman and IR analysis showed that this membrane contained carboxylic acid salts, carotenoids, or a mixture of both. We found that electric grounding of the orifice reduces the probability of membrane formation and that the jets issuing from an aperture bear negative charges, and we assumed that the micro-orifices possess positive charges generated by flows. Consequently, we suggest that

Unsuccessful Detection of Plant MicroRNAs in Beer, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Human Plasma After an Acute Ingestion of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Science.gov (United States)

Micó, Victor; Martín, Roberto; Lasunción, Miguel A; Ordovás, Jose M; Daimiel, Lidia

2016-03-01

The recent description of the presence of exogenous plant microRNAs from rice in human plasma had profound implications for the interpretation of microRNAs function in human health. If validated, these results suggest that food should not be considered only as a macronutrient and micronutrient supplier but it could also be a way of genomic interchange between kingdoms. Subsequently, several studies have tried to replicate these results in rice and other plant foods and most of them have failed to find plant microRNAs in human plasma. In this scenario, we aimed to detect plant microRNAs in beer and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)--two plant-derived liquid products frequently consumed in Spain--as well as in human plasma after an acute ingestion of EVOO. Our hypothesis was that microRNAs present in beer and EVOO raw material could survive manufacturing processes, be part of these liquid products, be absorbed by human gut and circulate in human plasma. To test this hypothesis, we first optimized the microRNA extraction protocol to extract microRNAs from beer and EVOO, and then tried to detect microRNAs in those samples and in plasma samples of healthy volunteers after an acute ingestion of EVOO.

Utilization of Stop-flow Micro-tubing Reactors for the Development of Organic Transformations.

Science.gov (United States)

Toh, Ren Wei; Li, Jie Sheng; Wu, Jie

2018-01-04

A new reaction screening technology for organic synthesis was recently demonstrated by combining elements from both continuous micro-flow and conventional batch reactors, coined stop-flow micro-tubing (SFMT) reactors. In SFMT, chemical reactions that require high pressure can be screened in parallel through a safer and convenient way. Cross-contamination, which is a common problem in reaction screening for continuous flow reactors, is avoided in SFMT. Moreover, the commercially available light-permeable micro-tubing can be incorporated into SFMT, serving as an excellent choice for light-mediated reactions due to a more effective uniform light exposure, compared to batch reactors. Overall, the SFMT reactor system is similar to continuous flow reactors and more superior than batch reactors for reactions that incorporate gas reagents and/or require light-illumination, which enables a simple but highly efficient reaction screening system. Furthermore, any successfully developed reaction in the SFMT reactor system can be conveniently translated to continuous-flow synthesis for large scale production.

Bioprinting of Micro-Organ Tissue Analog for Drug Metabolism Study

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Wei

An evolving application of tissue engineering is to develop in vitro 3D cell/tissue models for drug screening and pharmacological study. In order to test in space, these in vitro models are mostly manufactured through micro-fabrication techniques and incorporate living cells with MEMS or microfluidic devices. These cell-integrated microfluidic devices, or referred as microorgans, are effective in furnishing reliable and inexpensive drug metabolism and toxicity studies [1-3]. This paper will present an on-going research collaborated between Drexel University and NASA JSC Radiation Physics Laboratory for applying a direct cell printing technique to freeform fabrication of 3D liver tissue analog in drug metabolism study. The paper will discuss modeling, design, and solid freeform fabrication of micro-fluidic flow patterns and bioprinting of 3D micro-liver chamber that biomimics liver physiological microenvironment for enhanced drug metabolization. Technical details to address bioprinting of 3D liver tissue analog, integration with a microfluidic device, and basic drug metabolism study for NASA's interests will presented. 1. Holtorf H. Leslie J. Chang R, Nam J, Culbertson C, Sun W, Gonda S, "Development of a Three-Dimensional Tissue-on-a-Chip Micro-Organ Device for Pharmacokinetic Analysis", the 47th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology, Washington, DC, December 1-5, 2007. 2. Chang, R., Nam, J., Culbertson C., Holtorf, H., Jeevarajan, A., Gonda, S. and Sun, W., "Bio-printing and Modeling of Flow Patterns for Cell Encapsulated 3D Liver Chambers For Pharmacokinetic Study", TERMIS North America 2007 Conference and Exposition, Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto, Canada, June 13-16, 2007. 3.Starly, B., Chang, R., Sun, W., Culbertson, C., Holtorf, H. and Gonda, S., "Bioprinted Tissue-on-chip Application for Pharmacokinetic Studies", Proceedings of World Congress on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, April 24-27, 2006.

Pulsed electric field processing of different fruit juices: impact of pH and temperature on inactivation of spoilage and pathogenic micro-organisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Timmermans, R A H; Nierop Groot, M N; Nederhoff, A L; van Boekel, M A J S; Matser, A M; Mastwijk, H C

2014-03-03

Pulsed electrical field (PEF) technology can be used for the inactivation of micro-organisms and therefore for preservation of food products. It is a mild technology compared to thermal pasteurization because a lower temperature is used during processing, leading to a better retention of the quality. In this study, pathogenic and spoilage micro-organisms relevant in refrigerated fruit juices were studied to determine the impact of process parameters and juice composition on the effectiveness of the PEF process to inactivate the micro-organisms. Experiments were performed using a continuous-flow PEF system at an electrical field strength of 20 kV/cm with variable frequencies to evaluate the inactivation of Salmonella Panama, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in apple, orange and watermelon juices. Kinetic data showed that under the same conditions, S. cerevisiae was the most sensitive micro-organism, followed by S. Panama and E. coli, which displayed comparable inactivation kinetics. L. monocytogenes was the most resistant micro-organism towards the treatment conditions tested. A synergistic effect between temperature and electric pulses was observed at inlet temperatures above 35 °C, hence less energy for inactivation was required at higher temperatures. Different juice matrices resulted in a different degree of inactivation, predominantly determined by pH. The survival curves were nonlinear and could satisfactorily be modeled with the Weibull model. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Innate Immunity and Human Milk MicroRNAs Content: A New Perspective for Premature Newborns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erika Cione

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Context The premature newborns are prone to develop both early onset and late onset neonatal sepsis. The major causes of this phenomenon rely on the immaturity of the immune system, which has reduced capability to respond adequately to pathogens. Evidence Acquisition Titles and abstracts of previous papers were scanned before reading the full-text, in order to retrieve appropriate information. The databases used for searching were PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase for articles published before 1st of July, 2016. Secondary search for articles cited in reference lists were identified by the primary search. This review focused on neonatal sepsis incidence and the associated immune response with regards to microRNAs of human milk as a new microelement that enables regulation of innate immunity functions. Results Since human milk is a valuable source of microRNAs, a better understanding of its content will open a new therapeutic avenue for the clinical management of infectious diseases affecting premature newborns. The variation in miRNAs quantity in human milk needs to be considered. Mother’s milk can have different amounts of miRNAs and the identification of a microMilk batch richer of miRNAs can be a nutrition intervention method for modulating innate immunity in clinical management of premature newborns. Conclusions Routine translation of the microMilk concept for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU, in the management of premature newborns could be a way of defending premature newborns and Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW infants from both early and late sepsis.

A general method for selection of riboflavin-overproducing food grade micro-organisms

OpenAIRE

Burgess, Catherine M; Smid, Eddy J; Rutten, Ger; van Sinderen, Douwe

2006-01-01

Abstract Background This study describes a strategy to select and isolate spontaneous riboflavin-overproducing strains of Lactobacillus (Lb.) plantarum, Leuconostoc (Lc.) mesenteroides and Propionibacterium (P.) freudenreichii. Results The toxic riboflavin analogue roseoflavin was used to isolate natural riboflavin-overproducing variants of the food grade micro-organisms Lb. plantarum, Lc. mesenteroides and P. freudenreichii strains. The method was successfully employed for strains of all thr...

Spectroscopic micro-tomography of metallic-organic composites by means of photon-counting detectors

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pichotka, Martin; Jakůbek, Jan; Vavřík, Daniel

2015-01-01

Roč. 10, č. 12 (2015), C12033 ISSN 1748-0221 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1219 Keywords : micro-tomography * photon-counting detectors * metallic-organic composites Subject RIV: BH - Optics, Masers, Lasers Impact factor: 1.310, year: 2015 http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-0221/10/12/C12033/pdf

Facile and green fabrication of organic single-crystal hollow micro/nanostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang Jun; Chen Yingzhi; Ou Xuemei; Zhang Xiaohong [Nano-organic Photoelectronic Laboratory and Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Zhang Xiujuan, E-mail: xjzhang@suda.edu.cn, E-mail: xhzhang@mail.ipc.ac.cn [Functional Nano and Soft Materials Laboratory (FUNSOM) and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China)

2011-07-15

Under high humidity and appropriate temperature, tris (8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) solid micro/nanostructures may be etched into hollow structures and still retain their crystalline structures and surface morphologies. The shapes and sizes of the hollow structures are easily adjusted by varying the experimental parameters. Throughout the entire process, water is introduced into the system instead of organic or corrosive solvents, making this method convenient and environmentally friendly; it can also be extended to application in other materials such as TCNQ.

Cytostretch, an Organ-on-Chip Platform

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gaio, N.; van Meer, B.; Quiros Solano, W.F.; Bergers, L.; van de Stolpe, A; Mummery, CL; Sarro, P.M.; Dekker, R.

2016-01-01

Organ-on-Chips (OOCs) are micro-fabricated devices which are used to culture cells in order to mimic functional units of human organs. The devices are designed to simulate the physiological environment of tissues in vivo. Cells in some types of OOCs can be stimulated in situ by electrical and/or

Micro- and macro-scale self-organization in a dissipative plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skoric, M.M.; Sato, T.; Maluckov, A.; Jovanovic, M.S.

1998-10-01

We study a nonlinear three-wave interaction in an open dissipative model of stimulated Raman backscattering in a plasma. A hybrid kinetic-fluid scheme is proposed to include anomalous kinetic dissipation due to electron trapping and plasma wave breaking. We simulate a finite plasma with open boundaries and vary a transport parameter to examine a route to spatio-temporal complexity. An interplay between self-organization at micro (kinetic) and macro (wave/fluid) scales is revealed through quasi-periodic and intermittent evolution of dynamical variables, dissipative structures and related entropy rates. An evidence that entropy rate extrema correspond to structural transitions is found. (author)

Examining the effectiveness of micro-enterprise development programs in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noor Raihani Zainol

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Previous studies on socioeconomic development have examined the effect of development initiatives (i.e., access to finance and training on several socioeconomic indicators (i.e., income, empowerment, asset, quality of life, employment. These studies have focused mostly on the outcomes of specific types of programs offered by specific development organizations. This study however focuses on informal women micro-entrepreneurs’ participation in various development programs available to them and their influence on entrepreneurial competencies, human capital development, competitive advantages, economic vulnerability, supportive environment, and performance of micro-enterprises. This cross-sectional study adopted the purposive random sampling method and collected data from 384 informal women entrepreneurs from the local markets in different districts of Kelantan, Malaysia. The findings show that the development program participants have relatively higher levels of entrepreneurial competencies, human capital development, and higher levels of enterprise performance compared to non-participants. It is also noted that the level of economic vulnerability is relatively low among participants compared to non-participants. However, these findings contradict most of the earlier studies that show a significant positive impact of micro-credit on socio-economic wellbeing, as the difference in entrepreneurial competencies, human capital development, economic vulnerability, and performance of micro-enterprises among participants and non-participants in this study is not statistically significant. However, findings reported significantly higher levels of competitive advantages, and better supportive environment among the participants compared to the non-participants. Development organizations should therefore focus on expanding their outreach to spread the positive effects of their development programs towards uplifting the economic condition of low and middle

Human motor cortical activity recorded with Micro-ECoG electrodes, during individual finger movements.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, W; Degenhart, A D; Collinger, J L; Vinjamuri, R; Sudre, G P; Adelson, P D; Holder, D L; Leuthardt, E C; Moran, D W; Boninger, M L; Schwartz, A B; Crammond, D J; Tyler-Kabara, E C; Weber, D J

2009-01-01

In this study human motor cortical activity was recorded with a customized micro-ECoG grid during individual finger movements. The quality of the recorded neural signals was characterized in the frequency domain from three different perspectives: (1) coherence between neural signals recorded from different electrodes, (2) modulation of neural signals by finger movement, and (3) accuracy of finger movement decoding. It was found that, for the high frequency band (60-120 Hz), coherence between neighboring micro-ECoG electrodes was 0.3. In addition, the high frequency band showed significant modulation by finger movement both temporally and spatially, and a classification accuracy of 73% (chance level: 20%) was achieved for individual finger movement using neural signals recorded from the micro-ECoG grid. These results suggest that the micro-ECoG grid presented here offers sufficient spatial and temporal resolution for the development of minimally-invasive brain-computer interface applications.

Chapter 8. Ionisation radiation and human organism. Radioactivity of human tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toelgyessy, J.; Harangozo, M.

2000-01-01

This is a chapter of textbook of radioecology for university students. In this chapter authors deal with ionisation radiation and human organism as well as with radioactivity of human tissues. Chapter consists of next parts: (1) Radiation stress of human organism; (2) Radioactivity of human tissues and the factors influencing radioactive contamination; (3) Possibilities of decreasing of radiation stress

Using non-human primates to benefit humans: research and organ transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, David; Dondorp, Wybo; de Wert, Guido

2014-11-01

Emerging biotechnology may soon allow the creation of genetically human organs inside animals, with non-human primates (henceforth simply "primates") and pigs being the best candidate species. This prospect raises the question of whether creating organs in primates in order to then transplant them into humans would be more (or less) acceptable than using them for research. In this paper, we examine the validity of the purported moral distinction between primates and other animals, and analyze the ethical acceptability of using primates to create organs for human use.

Diurnal Variations of Human Circulating Cell-Free Micro-RNA.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niels H H Heegaard

Full Text Available A 24-hour light and dark cycle-dependent rhythmicity pervades physiological processes in virtually all living organisms including humans. These regular oscillations are caused by external cues to endogenous, independent biological time-keeping systems (clocks. The rhythm is reflected by gene expression that varies in a circadian and specific fashion in different organs and tissues and is regulated largely by dynamic epigenetic and post-transcriptional mechanisms. This leads to well-documented oscillations of specific electrolytes, hormones, metabolites, and plasma proteins in blood samples. An emerging, important class of gene regulators is short single-stranded RNA (micro-RNA, miRNA that interferes post-transcriptionally with gene expression and thus may play a role in the circadian variation of gene expression. MiRNAs are promising biomarkers by virtue of their disease-specific tissue expression and because of their presence as stable entities in the circulation. However, no studies have addressed the putative circadian rhythmicity of circulating, cell-free miRNAs. This question is important both for using miRNAs as biological markers and for clues to miRNA function in the regulation of circadian gene expression. Here, we investigate 92 miRNAs in plasma samples from 24 young male, healthy volunteers repeatedly sampled 9 times during a 24-hour stay in a regulated environment. We demonstrate that a third (26/79 of the measurable plasma miRNAs (using RT-qPCR on a microfluidic system exhibit a rhythmic behavior and are distributed in two main phase patterns. Some of these miRNAs weakly target known clock genes and many have strong targets in intracellular MAPK signaling pathways. These novel findings highlight the importance of considering bio-oscillations in miRNA biomarker studies and suggest the further study of a set of specific circulating miRNAs in the regulation and functioning of biological clocks.

New micro waveforms firstly recorded on electrocardiogram in human.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Renguang; Chang, Qinghua; Chen, Juan

2015-10-01

In our study, not only the P-QRS-T waves but also the micro-wavelets before QRS complex (in P wave and PR segment) and after QRS complex (ST segment and upstroke of T wave) were first to be identified on surface electrocardiogram in human by the "new electrocardiogram" machine (model PHS-A10) according to conventional 12-lead electrocardiogram connection methods. By comparison to the conventional electrocardiogram in 100 cases of healthy individuals and several patients with arrhythmias, we have found that the wavelets before P wave theoretically reflected electrical activity of sinus node and the micro-wavelets before QRS complex may be related to atrioventricular conduction system (atrioventricular node, His bundle and bundle branch) potentials. Noninvasive atrioventricular node and His bundle potential tracing will contribute to differentiation of the origin of wide QRS and the location of the atrioventricular block. We also have found that the wavelets after QRS complex may be associated with phase 2 and 3 repolarization of ventricular action potential, which will further reveal ventricular repolarization changes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Secondary biogeneous radiation of human organism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuzin, A.M.; Surkenova, G.N.

1999-01-01

When studying samples of three types of tissues of alive healthy human organism (hands, surface of breast, hair) it is shown that hair permanently emit secondary biogeneous radiation (SBR) which may registered with biological detectors. The hypothesis is suggested that natural background radiation permanently exciting biopolymers (proteins, nuclei acids) being present in alive organism in condensed state induces permanently present electromagnetic field of SBR which is vitally important for human organism. The field partly extends beyond the organism, where it is registered with sensitive biological detectors [ru

Distinct Expression Profiles and Novel Targets of MicroRNAs in Human Spermatogonia, Pachytene Spermatocytes, and Round Spermatids between OA Patients and NOA Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chencheng Yao

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Human spermatogenesis includes three main stages, namely, the mitosis of spermatogonia, meiosis of spermatocytes, and spermiogenesis of spermatids, which are precisely regulated by epigenetic and genetic factors. Abnormality of epigenetic and genetic factors can result in aberrant spermatogenesis and eventual male infertility. However, epigenetic regulators in controlling each stage of normal and abnormal human spermatogenesis remain unknown. Here, we have revealed for the first time the distinct microRNA profiles in human spermatogonia, pachytene spermatocytes, and round spermatids between obstructive azoospermia (OA patients and non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA patients. Human spermatogonia, pachytene spermatocytes, and round spermatids from OA patients and NOA patients were isolated using STA-PUT velocity sedimentation and identified by numerous hallmarks for these cells. RNA deep sequencing showed that 396 microRNAs were differentially expressed in human spermatogonia between OA patients and NOA patients and 395 differentially expressed microRNAs were found in human pachytene spermatocytes between OA patients and NOA patients. Moreover, 378 microRNAs were differentially expressed in human round spermatids between OA patients and NOA patients. The differential expression of numerous microRNAs identified by RNA deep sequencing was verified by real-time PCR. Moreover, a number of novel targeting genes for microRNAs were predicted using various kinds of software and further verified by real-time PCR. This study thus sheds novel insights into epigenetic regulation of human normal spermatogenesis and the etiology of azoospermia, and it could offer new targets for molecular therapy to treat male infertility.

Micro-incubator for bacterial biosensing applications

Science.gov (United States)

Clasen, Estine; Land, Kevin; Joubert, Trudi-Heleen

2016-02-01

The presence of Escherichia coli (E. coli ) is a commonly used indicator micro-organism to determine whether water is safe for human consumption.1 This paper discusses the design of a micro-incubator that can be applied to concentrate bacteria prior to environmental water quality screening tests. High sensitivity and rapid test time is essential and there is a great need for these tests to be implemented on-site without the use of a laboratory infrastructure. In the light of these requirements, a mobile micro-incubator was designed, manufactured and characterised. A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) receptacle has been designed to house the 1-5 ml cell culture sample.2 A nano-silver printed electronics micro-heater has been designed to incubate the bacterial sample, with an array of temperature sensors implemented to accurately measure the sample temperature at various locations in the cell culture well. The micro-incubator limits the incubation temperature range to 37+/-3 °C in order to ensure near optimal growth of the bacteria at all times.3 The incubation time is adjustable between 30 minutes and 9 hours with a maximum rise time of 15 minutes to reach the set-point temperature. The surface area of the printed nano silver heating element is 500 mm2. Electrical and COMSOL Multiphysics simulations are included in order to give insight on micro-incubator temperature control. The design and characterization of this micro-incubator allows for further research in biosensing applications.

MicroRNAs: From Female Fertility, Germ Cells, and Stem Cells to Cancer in Humans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irma Virant-Klun

2016-01-01

Full Text Available MicroRNAs are a family of naturally occurring small noncoding RNA molecules that play an important regulatory role in gene expression. They are suggested to regulate a large proportion of protein encoding genes by mediating the translational suppression and posttranscriptional control of gene expression. Recent findings show that microRNAs are emerging as important regulators of cellular differentiation and dedifferentiation, and are deeply involved in developmental processes including human preimplantation development. They keep a balance between pluripotency and differentiation in the embryo and embryonic stem cells. Moreover, it became evident that dysregulation of microRNA expression may play a fundamental role in progression and dissemination of different cancers including ovarian cancer. The interest is still increased by the discovery of exosomes, that is, cell-derived vesicles, which can carry different proteins but also microRNAs between different cells and are involved in cell-to-cell communication. MicroRNAs, together with exosomes, have a great potential to be used for prognosis, therapy, and biomarkers of different diseases including infertility. The aim of this review paper is to summarize the existent knowledge on microRNAs related to female fertility and cancer: from primordial germ cells and ovarian function, germinal stem cells, oocytes, and embryos to embryonic stem cells.

'Micro-8' micro-computer system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yagi, Hideyuki; Nakahara, Yoshinori; Yamada, Takayuki; Takeuchi, Norio; Koyama, Kinji

1978-08-01

The micro-computer Micro-8 system has been developed to organize a data exchange network between various instruments and a computer group including a large computer system. Used for packet exchangers and terminal controllers, the system consists of ten kinds of standard boards including a CPU board with INTEL-8080 one-chip-processor. CPU architecture, BUS architecture, interrupt control, and standard-boards function are explained in circuit block diagrams. Operations of the basic I/O device, digital I/O board and communication adapter are described with definitions of the interrupt ramp status, I/O command, I/O mask, data register, etc. In the appendixes are circuit drawings, INTEL-8080 micro-processor specifications, BUS connections, I/O address mappings, jumper connections of address selection, and interface connections. (author)

Consequences of Location-Dependent Organ of Corti Micro-Mechanics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanju Liu

Full Text Available The cochlea performs frequency analysis and amplification of sounds. The graded stiffness of the basilar membrane along the cochlear length underlies the frequency-location relationship of the mammalian cochlea. The somatic motility of outer hair cell is central for cochlear amplification. Despite two to three orders of magnitude change in the basilar membrane stiffness, the force capacity of the outer hair cell's somatic motility, is nearly invariant over the cochlear length. It is puzzling how actuators with a constant force capacity can operate under such a wide stiffness range. We hypothesize that the organ of Corti sets the mechanical conditions so that the outer hair cell's somatic motility effectively interacts with the media of traveling waves-the basilar membrane and the tectorial membrane. To test this hypothesis, a computational model of the gerbil cochlea was developed that incorporates organ of Corti structural mechanics, cochlear fluid dynamics, and hair cell electro-physiology. The model simulations showed that the micro-mechanical responses of the organ of Corti are different along the cochlear length. For example, the top surface of the organ of Corti vibrated more than the bottom surface at the basal (high frequency location, but the amplitude ratio was reversed at the apical (low frequency location. Unlike the basilar membrane stiffness varying by a factor of 1700 along the cochlear length, the stiffness of the organ of Corti complex felt by the outer hair cell remained between 1.5 and 0.4 times the outer hair cell stiffness. The Y-shaped structure in the organ of Corti formed by outer hair cell, Deiters cell and its phalange was the primary determinant of the elastic reactance imposed on the outer hair cells. The stiffness and geometry of the Deiters cell and its phalange affected cochlear amplification differently depending on the location.

Dynamics and stratification of functional groups of micro- and mesoarthropods in the organic layer of a Scots pine forest.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berg, M.P.; Kniese, J.P.; Bedaux, J.J.M.; Verhoef, H.A.

1998-01-01

This paper addresses the abundance, biomass and microstratification of functional groups of micro- and mesoarthropods inhabiting the organic layers of a Scots pine forest (Pinus sylvestris L.). An experiment using stratified litterbags, containing organic material of four degradation stages, i.e.,

HUMAN RESOURCES AND HUMAN RESOURCES STRATEGY – STRATEGIC PARTNERS OF AN ORGANIZATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MUNTEANU ANCA-IOANA

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This work is purely theoretical, based on information in the literature, but also on their correlations. The text does not have a generalized, but are personal opinions and conclusions. The objective of this paper is to present particular emphasis to be placed today on the implications of human resources of an organization and human resources strategy have on vital processes within any organization, namely strategic planning, implementing changes and achieve competitive advantage. Organizations should have easily adaptable employees with skills needed to meet customer needs and adapt to permanent changes in the environment in real time. The goal of any organization is to attract more customers to get a favorable market position and competitive advantage against competitors. To achieve these goals, the role and importance of human resources in an organization has evolved into a considerably. Being accepted as a strategic partners of the organizations, human resources begin to be involved in determining strategy, decision-making on the organization as a whole. The emphasis in this paper on presenting the importance of human resources and human resources strategy in an organization, the special role that they have in supporting the overall strategy of the organization through strategic planning, implementation of organizational changes that are so necessary to adapt company's current customer requirements, can be a focal point for business and cause awareness among key stakeholders in a company, the need straightening attention to the foregoing

Marketing human organs: the autonomy paradox.

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, P A; Thomasma, D C; Daar, A S

1996-03-01

The severe shortage of organs for transplantation and the continual reluctance of the public to voluntarily donate has prompted consideration of alternative strategies for organ procurement. This paper explores the development of market approaches for procuring human organs for transplantation and considers the social and moral implications of organ donation as both a "gift of life" and a "commodity exchange." The problematic and paradoxical articulation of individual autonomy in relation to property rights and marketing human body parts is addressed. We argue that beliefs about proprietorship over human body parts and the capacity to provide consent for organ donation are culturally constructed. We contend that the political and economic framework of biomedicine, in western and non-western nations, influences access to transplantation technology and shapes the form and development of specific market approaches. Finally, we suggest that marketing approaches for organ procurement are and will be negotiated within cultural parameters constrained by several factors: beliefs about the physical body and personhood, religious traditions, economic conditions, and the availability of technological resources.

MicroRNA Expression Profiles in Cultured Human Fibroblasts in Space

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Honglu; Lu, Tao; Jeevarajan, John; Rohde, Larry; Zhang, Ye

2014-01-01

Microgravity, or an altered gravity environment from the static 1g, has been shown to influence global gene expression patterns and protein levels in living organisms. However, it is unclear how these changes in gene and protein expressions are related to each other or are related to other factors regulating such changes. A different class of RNA, the small non-coding microRNA (miRNA), can have a broad effect on gene expression networks by mainly inhibiting the translation process. Previously, we investigated changes in the expression of miRNA and related genes under simulated microgravity conditions on the ground using the NASA invented bioreactor. In comparison to static 1 g, simulated microgravity altered a number of miRNAs in human lymphoblastoid cells. Pathway analysis with the altered miRNAs and RNA expressions revealed differential involvement of cell communication and catalytic activity, as well as immune response signaling and NGF activation of NF-kB pathways under simulated microgravity condition. The network analysis also identified several projected networks with c- Rel, ETS1 and Ubiquitin C as key factors. In a flight experiment on the International Space Station (ISS), we will investigate the effects of actual spaceflight on miRNA expressions in nondividing human fibroblast cells in mostly G1 phase of the cell cycle. A fibroblast is a type of cell that synthesizes the extracellular matrix and collagen, the structural framework for tissues, and plays a critical role in wound healing and other functions. In addition to miRNA expressions, we will investigate the effects of spaceflight on the cellular response to DNA damages from bleomycin treatment.

Utilization of organic reagents in the volumetric determination of micro-quantities of iodine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gantchev, N.; Kireva, A.

1975-01-01

A method has been developed for the titrimetric determination of micro-quantities of iodine by means of the organic reagents: Chrompyrazol I and Methylene blue. The recommended method is based on the combination of the extraction and volumetric methods and permits the titration of as little as 1 μg of I-/ml. The determination is not impaired by the ions: Br-, Cl-, NO 3 - and SO 4 2 -. (author)

Leadership in a Humane Organization

Science.gov (United States)

Dimitrov, Danielle

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the way leadership influences an organization to become humane through its features and behaviors; as well as the organizational circumstances in which humane leadership can be nurtured. The first empirical case study, in the fields of Human Resource Development (HRD) and hospitality management, to…

3D Miniaturization of Human Organs for Drug Discovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Joseph; Wetzel, Isaac; Dréau, Didier; Cho, Hansang

2018-01-01

"Engineered human organs" hold promises for predicting the effectiveness and accuracy of drug responses while reducing cost, time, and failure rates in clinical trials. Multiorgan human models utilize many aspects of currently available technologies including self-organized spherical 3D human organoids, microfabricated 3D human organ chips, and 3D bioprinted human organ constructs to mimic key structural and functional properties of human organs. They enable precise control of multicellular activities, extracellular matrix (ECM) compositions, spatial distributions of cells, architectural organizations of ECM, and environmental cues. Thus, engineered human organs can provide the microstructures and biological functions of target organs and advantageously substitute multiscaled drug-testing platforms including the current in vitro molecular assays, cell platforms, and in vivo models. This review provides an overview of advanced innovative designs based on the three main technologies used for organ construction leading to single and multiorgan systems useable for drug development. Current technological challenges and future perspectives are also discussed. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

MicroRNA and cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jansson, Martin D; Lund, Anders H

2012-01-01

biological phenomena and pathologies. The best characterized non-coding RNA family consists in humans of about 1400 microRNAs for which abundant evidence have demonstrated fundamental importance in normal development, differentiation, growth control and in human diseases such as cancer. In this review, we...... summarize the current knowledge and concepts concerning the involvement of microRNAs in cancer, which have emerged from the study of cell culture and animal model systems, including the regulation of key cancer-related pathways, such as cell cycle control and the DNA damage response. Importantly, micro...

Marketing of human organs?

Science.gov (United States)

Bernat, E

1995-01-01

This article discusses the highly controversial question whether human organs should be allowed to be the object of a contract aimed at profit. The author comes to the conclusion that--seen from a consequentialist viewpoint--the legislature is not well-advised to allow organ donations for consideration. However, it is admitted that a more deontological approach could come to quite the opposite conclusion.

Characterization of human kidney stones using micro-PIXE and RBS: A comparative study between two different populations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pineda-Vargas, C.A.; Eisa, M.E.M.; Rodgers, A.L.

2009-01-01

The micro-PIXE and RBS techniques are used to investigate the matrix as well as the trace elemental composition of calcium-rich human tissues on a microscopic scale. This paper deals with the spatial distribution of trace metals in hard human tissues such as kidney stone concretions, undertaken at the nuclear microprobe (NMP) facility. Relevant information about ion beam techniques used for material characterization will be discussed. Mapping correlation between different trace metals to extract information related to micro-regions composition will be illustrated with an application using proton energies of 1.5 and 3.0 MeV and applied to a comparative study for human kidney stone concretions nucleation region analysis from two different population groups (Sudan and South Africa)

Effect of elevated oxygen and carbon dioxide on the surface growth of vegetable-associated micro-organisms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Amanatidou, A.; Smid, E.J.; Gorris, L.G.M.

1999-01-01

The impact of a novel type of Modified Atmosphere (MA), referred to as high O2-MA, on micro-organisms associated with the spoilage of minimally-processed vegetables was studied. Pure cultures of Pseudomonas fluorescens, Enterobacter agglomerans, Aureobacterium strain 27, Candida guilliermondii, C.

Nanotechnological Strategies for Biofabrication of Human Organs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo A. Rezende

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Nanotechnology is a rapidly emerging technology dealing with so-called nanomaterials which at least in one dimension have size smaller than 100 nm. One of the most potentially promising applications of nanotechnology is in the area of tissue engineering, including biofabrication of 3D human tissues and organs. This paper focused on demonstrating how nanomaterials with nanolevel size can contribute to development of 3D human tissues and organs which have macrolevel organization. Specific nanomaterials such as nanofibers and nanoparticles are discussed in the context of their application for biofabricating 3D human tissues and organs. Several examples of novel tissue and organ biofabrication technologies based on using novel nanomaterials are presented and their recent limitations are analyzed. A robotic device for fabrication of compliant composite electrospun vascular graft is described. The concept of self-assembling magnetic tissue spheroids as an intermediate structure between nano- and macrolevel organization and building blocks for biofabrication of complex 3D human tissues and organs is introduced. The design of in vivo robotic bioprinter based on this concept and magnetic levitation of tissue spheroids labeled with magnetic nanoparticles is presented. The challenges and future prospects of applying nanomaterials and nanotechnological strategies in organ biofabrication are outlined.

Assessing the removal of organic micro-pollutants from anaerobic membrane bioreactor effluent by fertilizer-drawn forward osmosis

KAUST Repository

Kim, Youngjin; Li, Sheng; Chekli, Laura; Woo, Yun Chul; Wei, Chunhai; Phuntsho, Sherub; Ghaffour, NorEddine; Leiknes, TorOve; Shon, Ho Kyong

2017-01-01

In this study, the behavior of organic micro-pollutants (OMPs) transport including membrane fouling was assessed in fertilizer-drawn forward osmosis (FDFO) during treatment of the anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) effluent. The flux decline

49 CFR 604.7 - Qualified human service organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Qualified human service organizations. 604.7... organizations. (a) A recipient may provide charter service to a qualified human service organization (QHSO) for... disabilities; or (3) With low income. (b) If an organization serving persons described in paragraph (a) of this...

Modelling and predicting the simultaneous growth of Listeria monocytogenes and spoilage micro-organisms in cold-smoked salmon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gimenez, B.; Dalgaard, Paw

2004-01-01

Aims: To evaluate and model the simultaneous growth of Listeria monocytogenes and spoilage micro-organisms in cold-smoked salmon.Methods and Results: Growth kinetics of L. monocytogenes, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Enterobacteriaceae, enterococci and Photobacterium phosphoreum were determined...

RNAi therapeutics and applications of microRNAs in cancer treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Uchino, Keita; Ochiya, Takahiro; Takeshita, Fumitaka

2013-06-01

RNA interference-based therapies are proving to be powerful tools for combating various diseases, including cancer. Scientists are researching the development of safe and efficient systems for the delivery of small RNA molecules, which are extremely fragile in serum, to target organs and cells in the human body. A dozen pre-clinical and clinical trials have been under way over the past few years involving biodegradable nanoparticles, lipids, chemical modification and conjugation. On the other hand, microRNAs, which control the balance of cellular biological processes, have been studied as attractive therapeutic targets in cancer treatment. In this review, we provide an overview of RNA interference-based therapeutics in clinical trials and discuss the latest technology for the systemic delivery of nucleic acid drugs. Furthermore, we focus on dysregulated microRNAs in human cancer, which have progressed in pre-clinical trials as therapeutic targets, and describe a wide range of strategies to control the expression levels of endogenous microRNAs. Further development of RNA interference technologies and progression of clinical trials will contribute to the achievement of practical applications of nucleic acid drugs.

Micro-indentation fracture behavior of human enamel.

Science.gov (United States)

Padmanabhan, Sanosh Kunjalukkal; Balakrishnan, Avinash; Chu, Min-Cheol; Kim, Taik Nam; Cho, Seong Jai

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the crack resistance behavior (K(R)) of human enamel in relation to its microstructure. Human molar teeth were precision cut, polished and tested using Vickers micro-indentation at different loads ranging from 0.98 to 9.8 N. Five indentation load levels were considered, 20 indentation cracks for each load level were introduced on the surface of the test specimen (10 indentations per tooth) and their variability was evaluated using Weibull statistics and an empirical model. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to analyze the crack morphology and propagation mechanisms involved. The results showed that enamel exhibited increasing cracking resistance (K(R)) with increasing load. It was found that the crack propagation mainly depended on the location and the microstructure it encountered. SEM showed the formation of crack bridges and crack deflection near the indentation crack tip. The crack mode was of Palmqvist type even at larger loads of 9.8 N. This was mainly attributed to the large process zone created by the interwoven lamellar rod like microstructure exhibited by the enamel surface. This study shows that there are still considerable prospects for improving dental ceramics and for mimicking the enamel structure developed by nature.

Diesel fuels with 5 % (v/v) FAME and micro-organisms; Dieselkraftstoffe mit 5 % (V/V) FAME-Anteilen und Mikroorganismen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ludzay, Jan [Deutsche Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft fuer Erdoel, Erdgas und Kohle e.V., Hamburg (Germany); Weyandt, Ralph G. [SGS Institut Fresenius GmbH, Taunusstein (Germany)

2009-10-15

Since FAME has been used as a fuel component in diesel fuels, varying incidents were observed, such as deposit formation in storage tanks and filter clogging at service stations. 150 samples of fuels and materials of the logistic chain were analysed, whether a microbial contamination was the cause for the occurrence of filter plugging at service stations. Bacteria (aerobic and anaerobic) and/or fungi were detected in about 95 % of all cases in the filters/filter elements and non-return valves of the investigated service stations. These were always metabolically active, reproducible micro-organisms, i.e. living biological substance. In particular, partly massive contaminations by fungi were detected. The investigations show that micro-organisms are involved in the filter clogging at service stations to a considerable extent. In subsequent tests of samples of fall 2007 and 2008, numerous different species of bacteria, hyphae fungi and yeast were identified. This shows that a broad multitude of ubiquitously occurring micro-organisms is capable to colonise on the surfaces of filters and valves. The identified fungi and bacteria are classified not higher than risk group 1 according to TRBA 460 and TRBA 466, respectively. According to these technical rules, ''it is unlikely that they cause any infectious disease in mankind''. In vitro tests were carried out, in order to investigate, whether the presence of water or the fuel composition have any effect on the growth of micro-organisms. The test results prove a tendency towards a higher gain of biomass in the presence of a free water phase. It could be demonstrated that the gain of biomass is higher, if the samples contain FAME. Furthermore, the kinetics of the formation of biomass is accelerated. (orig.)

Human health implications of organic food and organic agriculture: a comprehensive review.

Science.gov (United States)

Mie, Axel; Andersen, Helle Raun; Gunnarsson, Stefan; Kahl, Johannes; Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle; Rembiałkowska, Ewa; Quaglio, Gianluca; Grandjean, Philippe

2017-10-27

This review summarises existing evidence on the impact of organic food on human health. It compares organic vs. conventional food production with respect to parameters important to human health and discusses the potential impact of organic management practices with an emphasis on EU conditions. Organic food consumption may reduce the risk of allergic disease and of overweight and obesity, but the evidence is not conclusive due to likely residual confounding, as consumers of organic food tend to have healthier lifestyles overall. However, animal experiments suggest that identically composed feed from organic or conventional production impacts in different ways on growth and development. In organic agriculture, the use of pesticides is restricted, while residues in conventional fruits and vegetables constitute the main source of human pesticide exposures. Epidemiological studies have reported adverse effects of certain pesticides on children's cognitive development at current levels of exposure, but these data have so far not been applied in formal risk assessments of individual pesticides. Differences in the composition between organic and conventional crops are limited, such as a modestly higher content of phenolic compounds in organic fruit and vegetables, and likely also a lower content of cadmium in organic cereal crops. Organic dairy products, and perhaps also meats, have a higher content of omega-3 fatty acids compared to conventional products. However, these differences are likely of marginal nutritional significance. Of greater concern is the prevalent use of antibiotics in conventional animal production as a key driver of antibiotic resistance in society; antibiotic use is less intensive in organic production. Overall, this review emphasises several documented and likely human health benefits associated with organic food production, and application of such production methods is likely to be beneficial within conventional agriculture, e.g., in integrated

Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Semiconductor Micro- And Nanocrystals: From Colloidal Syntheses to (Opto-)Electronic Devices

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Organic pigments such as indigos, quinacridones, and phthalocyanines are widely produced industrially as colorants for everyday products as various as cosmetics and printing inks. Herein we introduce a general procedure to transform commercially available insoluble microcrystalline pigment powders into colloidal solutions of variously sized and shaped semiconductor micro- and nanocrystals. The synthesis is based on the transformation of the pigments into soluble dyes by introducing transient protecting groups on the secondary amine moieties, followed by controlled deprotection in solution. Three deprotection methods are demonstrated: thermal cleavage, acid-catalyzed deprotection, and amine-induced deprotection. During these processes, ligands are introduced to afford colloidal stability and to provide dedicated surface functionality and for size and shape control. The resulting micro- and nanocrystals exhibit a wide range of optical absorption and photoluminescence over spectral regions from the visible to the near-infrared. Due to excellent colloidal solubility offered by the ligands, the achieved organic nanocrystals are suitable for solution processing of (opto)electronic devices. As examples, phthalocyanine nanowire transistors as well as quinacridone nanocrystal photodetectors, with photoresponsivity values by far outperforming those of vacuum deposited reference samples, are demonstrated. The high responsivity is enabled by photoinduced charge transfer between the nanocrystals and the directly attached electron-accepting vitamin B2 ligands. The semiconducting nanocrystals described here offer a cheap, nontoxic, and environmentally friendly alternative to inorganic nanocrystals as well as a new paradigm for obtaining organic semiconductor materials from commercial colorants. PMID:25253644

Development of micro-scale axial and radial turbines for low-temperature heat source driven organic Rankine cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al Jubori, Ayad; Daabo, Ahmed; Al-Dadah, Raya K.; Mahmoud, Saad; Ennil, Ali Bahr

2016-01-01

Highlights: • One and three-dimensional analysis with real gas properties are integrated. • Micro axial and radial-inflow turbines configurations are investigated. • Five organic working fluids are considered. • The maximum total isentropic efficiency of radial-inflow turbine 83.85%. • The maximum ORC thermal efficiency based on radial-inflow turbine is 10.60%. - Abstract: Most studies on the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) focused on parametric studies and selection working fluids to maximize the performance of organic Rankine cycle but without attention for turbine design features which are crucial to achieving them. The rotational speed, expansion ratio, mass flow rate and turbine size have markedly effect on turbine performance. For this purpose organic Rankine cycle modeling, mean-line design and three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics analysis were integrated for both micro axial and radial-inflow turbines with five organic fluids (R141b, R1234yf, R245fa, n-butane and n-pentane) for realistic low-temperature heat source <100 °C like solar and geothermal energy. Three-dimensional simulation is performed using ANSYS"R"1"7-CFX where three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations are solved with k-omega shear stress transport turbulence model. Both configurations of turbines are designed at wide range of mass flow rate (0.1–0.5) kg/s for each working fluid. The results showed that n-pentane has the highest performance at all design conditions where the maximum total-to-total efficiency and power output of radial-inflow turbine are 83.85% and 8.893 kW respectively. The performance of the axial turbine was 83.48% total-to-total efficiency and 8.507 kW power output. The maximum overall size of axial turbine was 64.685 mm compared with 70.97 mm for radial-inflow turbine. R245fa has the lowest overall size for all cases. The organic Rankine cycle thermal efficiency was about 10.60% with radial-inflow turbine and 10.14% with axial turbine

Diagnostic Value of Ex-Vivo Three-Dimensional Micro-Computed Tomography Imaging of Primary Nonhematopoietic Human Bone Tumors: Osteosarcoma versus Chondrosarcoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Langheinrich, A. C.; Stolle, C.; Kampschulte, M.; Lommel, D.; Rau, W. S.; Bassaly, B. (Depts. of Radiology and Pathology, Univ. of Giessen, Giessen (Germany))

2008-10-15

Background: Osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma are the most common nonhematopoietic primary malignancies of bone. However, unusual radiographic appearances can lead to delay in diagnosis and confusion with benign diseases. Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of micro-computed tomography (CT) for the analysis of primary, nonhematopoietic human bone tumors ex vivo. Material and Methods: Samples from 12 human bone specimens (osteosarcoma, n=6; chondrosarcoma, n=6) obtained for diagnostic purposes were scanned using industrial X-ray film without amplifier foil and scanned with micro-CT (7- and 12-mum-cubic voxels). Trabecular bone CT 'density' and tumor matrix CT 'density' were determined, and results were compared with those obtained from a detailed conventional histopathologic analysis of corresponding cross-sections. The significance of differences in grayscale measurements was tested with analysis of variance. Results: Micro-CT provided quantitative information on bone morphology equivalent to histopathological analysis. We established grayscale measurements by which tumor matrices of chondrosarcoma and osteosarcoma could be radiographically categorized following histological classifications (P<0.001). Conclusion: Micro-CT is feasible for the analysis and differentiation of human osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma

Human Resource Management in Virtual Organizations. Research in Human Resource Management Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Heneman, Robert L., Ed.; Greenberger, David B., Ed.

This document contains 14 papers on human resources (HR) and human resource management (HRM) in virtual organizations. The following papers are included: "Series Preface" (Rodger Griffeth); "Volume Preface" (Robert L. Heneman, David B. Greenberger); "The Virtual Organization: Definition, Description, and…

Keratin-18 and microRNA-122 complement alanine aminotransferase as novel safety biomarkers for drug-induced liver injury in two human cohorts.

Science.gov (United States)

Thulin, Petra; Nordahl, Gunnar; Gry, Marcus; Yimer, Getnet; Aklillu, Eleni; Makonnen, Eyasu; Aderaye, Getachew; Lindquist, Lars; Mattsson, C Mikael; Ekblom, Björn; Antoine, Daniel J; Park, B Kevin; Linder, Stig; Harrill, Alison H; Watkins, Paul B; Glinghammar, Björn; Schuppe-Koistinen, Ina

2014-03-01

There is a demand for more sensitive, specific and predictive biomarkers for drug-induced liver injury (DILI) than the gold standard used today, alanine aminotransferase (ALT). The aim of this study was to qualify novel DILI biomarkers (keratin-18 markers M65/M30, microRNA-122, glutamate dehydrogenase and alpha-foetoprotein) in human DILI. Levels of the novel biomarkers were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or real-time quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) in two human DILI cohorts: a human volunteer study with acetaminophen and a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/tuberculosis (TB) study. In the acetaminophen study, serum M65 and microRNA-122 levels were significantly increased at an earlier time point than ALT. Furthermore, the maximal elevation of M65 and microRNA-122 exceeded the increase in ALT. In the HIV/TB study, all the analysed novel biomarkers increased after 1 week of treatment. In contrast to ALT, the novel biomarkers remained stable in a human cohort with exercise-induced muscular injury. M65 and microRNA-122 are potential biomarkers of DILI superior to ALT with respect to sensitivity and specificity. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

MicroRNA-200a suppresses the Wnt/?-catenin signaling pathway by interacting with ?-catenin

OpenAIRE

SU, JUAN; ZHANG, ANLING; SHI, ZHENDONG; MA, FEIFEI; PU, PEIYU; WANG, TAO; ZHANG, JIE; KANG, CHUNSHENG; ZHANG, QINGYU

2011-01-01

The Wnt/?-catenin signaling pathway is crucial for human organ development and is involved in tumor progression of many cancers. Accumulating evidence suggests that the expression of ?-catenin is, in part, regulated by specific microRNAs (miRNAs). The purpose of this study was to determine the expression of a recently identified epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated tumor suppressor microRNA (miR)-200a, in cancer cells. We also aimed to identify specific miR-200a target genes ...

Unsuccessful detection of plant microRNAs in beer, extra virgin olive oil and human plasma after an acute ingestion of extra virgin olive oil

Science.gov (United States)

The recent description of the presence of exogenous plant microRNAs from rice in human plasma had profound implications for the interpretation of microRNAs function in human health. If validated, these results suggest that food should not be considered only as a macronutrient and micronutrient suppl...

Imaging the Aqueous Humor Outflow Pathway in Human Eyes by Three-dimensional Micro-computed Tomography (3D micro-CT)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

C Hann; M Bentley; A Vercnocke; E Ritman; M Fautsch

2011-12-31

The site of outflow resistance leading to elevated intraocular pressure in primary open-angle glaucoma is believed to be located in the region of Schlemm's canal inner wall endothelium, its basement membrane and the adjacent juxtacanalicular tissue. Evidence also suggests collector channels and intrascleral vessels may have a role in intraocular pressure in both normal and glaucoma eyes. Traditional imaging modalities limit the ability to view both proximal and distal portions of the trabecular outflow pathway as a single unit. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of three-dimensional micro-computed tomography (3D micro-CT) as a potential method to view the trabecular outflow pathway. Two normal human eyes were used: one immersion fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and one with anterior chamber perfusion at 10 mmHg followed by perfusion fixation in 4% paraformaldehyde/2% glutaraldehyde. Both eyes were postfixed in 1% osmium tetroxide and scanned with 3D micro-CT at 2 {mu}m or 5 {mu}m voxel resolution. In the immersion fixed eye, 24 collector channels were identified with an average orifice size of 27.5 {+-} 5 {mu}m. In comparison, the perfusion fixed eye had 29 collector channels with a mean orifice size of 40.5 {+-} 13 {mu}m. Collector channels were not evenly dispersed around the circumference of the eye. There was no significant difference in the length of Schlemm's canal in the immersed versus the perfused eye (33.2 versus 35.1 mm). Structures, locations and size measurements identified by 3D micro-CT were confirmed by correlative light microscopy. These findings confirm 3D micro-CT can be used effectively for the non-invasive examination of the trabecular meshwork, Schlemm's canal, collector channels and intrascleral vasculature that comprise the distal outflow pathway. This imaging modality will be useful for non-invasive study of the role of the trabecular outflow pathway as a whole unit.

Hierarchical Micro/Nano Structures by Combined Self-Organized Dewetting and Photopatterning of Photoresist Thin Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Sachan, Priyanka; Kulkarni, Manish; Sharma, Ashutosh

2015-11-17

Photoresists are the materials of choice for micro/nanopatterning and device fabrication but are rarely used as a self-assembly material. We report for the first time a novel interplay of self-assembly and photolithography for fabrication of hierarchical and ordered micro/nano structures. We create self-organized structures by the intensified dewetting of unstable thin (∼10 nm to 1 μm) photoresist films by annealing them in an optimal solvent and nonsolvent liquid mixture that allows spontaneous dewetting to form micro/nano smooth dome-like structures. The density, size (∼100 nm to millimeters), and curvature/contact angle of the dome/droplet structures are controlled by the film thickness, composition of the dewetting liquid, and time of annealing. Ordered dewetted structures are obtained simply by creating spatial variation of viscosity by ultraviolet exposure or by photopatterning before dewetting. Further, the structures thus fabricated are readily photopatterned again on the finer length scales after dewetting. We illustrate the approach by fabricating several three-dimensional structures of varying complexity with secondary and tertiary features.

Human organ trafficking in the cyber space

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vuletić Dejan

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The accelerated growth of the information-communication technology use brought about cyber crime as a new form of crime connected with the misuse of computer network. Human trafficking and human organ trafficking are changing in line with the state-of-art technological achievements i.e. becoming more and more characteristic of cyber space. Passing appropriate regulations at both national and international levels presents an important step in solving the problem of human organ trafficking through Internet.

Biological response to radiation. Studies of model organism, C. elegans, with micro-ion beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higashitani, Atsushi

2006-01-01

Described are mainly author's studies on radiation response and its biological significance in a nematode, C. elegans, particularly focusing its germ cells. The model organism is bisexual and the mature one is suitable to observe the development, differentiation and concomitant chromosome dynamics of male and female germ cells, and accordingly, the responses occurring in those cells at different stages post irradiation of the whole worm. Authors have shown in the organism irradiated by 100 Gy X-ray that pachytene cells in meiosis have high radio-resistance due to their increased expression of enzymes related with homologous recombination. They have also presented the apoptotic cascade in germ cells triggered by radiation by comparison of wild type and ab1-1-gene-deleted worms. Micro-beam of 12 C 5+ ion in Takasaki Ion Accelerators for Advanced Radiation Application (TIARA) has been used to irradiate the body parts of the worm to study the bystander effects, which has revealed that germ cells are shielded from the effect in the worm. It is thought important to use the micro-beam, with which the irradiation area can be precisely controllable, for studying the bystander effect in a body of higher animals like a mouse as well as in worm somatic cells. (T.I.)

Aluminum Nitride Micro-Channels Grown via Metal Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy for MEMs Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodak, L.E.; Kuchibhatla, S.; Famouri, P.; Ting, L.; Korakakis, D.

2008-01-01

Aluminum nitride (AlN) is a promising material for a number of applications due to its temperature and chemical stability. Furthermore, AlN maintains its piezoelectric properties at higher temperatures than more commonly used materials, such as Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) [1, 2], making AlN attractive for high temperature micro and nanoelectromechanical (MEMs and NEMs) applications including, but not limited to, high temperature sensors and actuators, micro-channels for fuel cell applications, and micromechanical resonators. This work presents a novel AlN micro-channel fabrication technique using Metal Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy (MOVPE). AlN easily nucleates on dielectric surfaces due to the large sticking coefficient and short diffusion length of the aluminum species resulting in a high quality polycrystalline growth on typical mask materials, such as silicon dioxide and silicon nitride [3,4]. The fabrication process introduced involves partially masking a substrate with a silicon dioxide striped pattern and then growing AlN via MOVPE simultaneously on the dielectric mask and exposed substrate. A buffered oxide etch is then used to remove the underlying silicon dioxide and leave a free standing AlN micro-channel. The width of the channel has been varied from 5 ìm to 110 ìm and the height of the air gap from 130 nm to 800 nm indicating the stability of the structure. Furthermore, this versatile process has been performed on (111) silicon, c-plane sapphire, and gallium nitride epilayers on sapphire substrates. Reflection High Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and Raman measurements have been taken on channels grown on each substrate and indicate that the substrate is influencing the growth of the AlN micro-channels on the SiO2 sacrificial layer.

Performance comparison of digital microRNA profiling technologies applied on human breast cancer cell lines.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erik Knutsen

Full Text Available MicroRNA profiling represents an important first-step in deducting individual RNA-based regulatory function in a cell, tissue, or at a specific developmental stage. Currently there are several different platforms to choose from in order to make the initial miRNA profiles. In this study we investigate recently developed digital microRNA high-throughput technologies. Four different platforms were compared including next generation SOLiD ligation sequencing and Illumina HiSeq sequencing, hybridization-based NanoString nCounter, and miRCURY locked nucleic acid RT-qPCR. For all four technologies, full microRNA profiles were generated from human cell lines that represent noninvasive and invasive tumorigenic breast cancer. This study reports the correlation between platforms, as well as a more extensive analysis of the accuracy and sensitivity of data generated when using different platforms and important consideration when verifying results by the use of additional technologies. We found all the platforms to be highly capable for microRNA analysis. Furthermore, the two NGS platforms and RT-qPCR all have equally high sensitivity, and the fold change accuracy is independent of individual miRNA concentration for NGS and RT-qPCR. Based on these findings we propose new guidelines and considerations when performing microRNA profiling.

Three-dimensional evaluation of human jaw bone microarchitecture: correlation between the microarchitectural parameters of cone beam computed tomography and micro-computer tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jo-Eun; Yi, Won-Jin; Heo, Min-Suk; Lee, Sam-Sun; Choi, Soon-Chul; Huh, Kyung-Hoe

2015-12-01

To evaluate the potential feasibility of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in the assessment of trabecular bone microarchitecture. Sixty-eight specimens from four pairs of human jaw were scanned using both micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) of 19.37-μm voxel size and CBCT of 100-μm voxel size. The correlation of 3-dimensional parameters between CBCT and micro-CT was evaluated. All parameters, except bone-specific surface and trabecular thickness, showed linear correlations between the 2 imaging modalities (P < .05). Among the parameters, bone volume, percent bone volume, trabecular separation, and degree of anisotropy (DA) of CBCT images showed strong correlations with those of micro-CT images. DA showed the strongest correlation (r = 0.693). Most microarchitectural parameters from CBCT were correlated with those from micro-CT. Some microarchitectural parameters, especially DA, could be used as strong predictors of bone quality in the human jaw. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Application of groundwater residence time tracers and broad screening for micro-organic contaminants in the Indo-Gangetic aquifer system

Science.gov (United States)

Lapworth, Dan; Das, Prerona; Mukherjee, Abhijit; Petersen, Jade; Gooddy, Daren; Krishan, Gopal

2017-04-01

Groundwater abstracted from aquifers underlying urban centres across India provide a vital source of domestic water. Abstraction from municipal and private supplies is considerable and growing rapidly with ever increasing demand for water from expanding urban populations. This trend is set to continue. The vulnerability of deeper aquifers (typically >100 m below ground) used for domestic water to contamination migration from often heavily contaminated shallow aquifer systems has not been studies in detail in India. This paper focusses on the occurrence of micro-organic contaminants within sedimentary aquifers beneath urban centres which are intensively pumped for drinking water and domestic use. New preliminary results from a detailed case study undertaken across Varanasi, a city with an estimated population of ca. 1.5 million in Uttar Pradesh. Micro -organic groundwater quality status and evolution with depth is investigated through selection of paired shallow and deep sites across the city. These results are considered within the context of paired groundwater residence time tracers within the top 150m within the sedimentary aquifer system. Groundwater emerging contaminant results are compared with surface water quality from the Ganges which is also used for drinking water supply. Broad screening for >800 micro-organic compounds was undertaken. Age dating tools were employed to constrain and inform a conceptual model of groundwater recharge and contaminant evolution within the sedimentary aquifer system.

An Image-based Micro-continuum Pore-scale Model for Gas Transport in Organic-rich Shale

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, B.; Tchelepi, H.

2017-12-01

Gas production from unconventional source rocks, such as ultra-tight shales, has increased significantly over the past decade. However, due to the extremely small pores ( 1-100 nm) and the strong material heterogeneity, gas flow in shale is still not well understood and poses challenges for predictive field-scale simulations. In recent years, digital rock analysis has been applied to understand shale gas transport at the pore-scale. An issue with rock images (e.g. FIB-SEM, nano-/micro-CT images) is the so-called "cutoff length", i.e., pores and heterogeneities below the resolution cannot be resolved, which leads to two length scales (resolved features and unresolved sub-resolution features) that are challenging for flow simulations. Here we develop a micro-continuum model, modified from the classic Darcy-Brinkman-Stokes framework, that can naturally couple the resolved pores and the unresolved nano-porous regions. In the resolved pores, gas flow is modeled with Stokes equation. In the unresolved regions where the pore sizes are below the image resolution, we develop an apparent permeability model considering non-Darcy flow at the nanoscale including slip flow, Knudsen diffusion, adsorption/desorption, surface diffusion, and real gas effect. The end result is a micro-continuum pore-scale model that can simulate gas transport in 3D reconstructed shale images. The model has been implemented in the open-source simulation platform OpenFOAM. In this paper, we present case studies to demonstrate the applicability of the model, where we use 3D segmented FIB-SEM and nano-CT shale images that include four material constituents: organic matter, clay, granular mineral, and pore. In addition to the pore structure and the distribution of the material constituents, we populate the model with experimental measurements (e.g. size distribution of the sub-resolution pores from nitrogen adsorption) and parameters from the literature and identify the relative importance of different

MicroRNA-203 Modulates the Radiation Sensitivity of Human Malignant Glioma Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Ji Hyun; Hwang, Yeo Hyun; Lee, David J.; Kim, Dan Hyo; Park, Ji Min; Wu, Hong-Gyun; Kim, In Ah

2016-01-01

Purpose: We investigated whether miR-203 could modulate the radiation sensitivity of glioblastoma (GBM) cells and which target gene(s) could be involved. Methods and Materials: Three human malignant glioma (MG) cell lines and normal human astrocytes were transfected with control microRNA, pre-miR-203, or antisense miR-203. Real-time PCR (RT-PCR), clonogenic assays, immunofluorescence, and invasion/migration assays were performed. To predict the target(s), bioinformatics analyses using microRNA target databases were performed. Results: Overexpression of miR-203 increased the radiation sensitivity of all 3 human MG cell lines and prolonged radiation-induced γ-H2AX foci formation. Bioinformatics analyses suggested that miR-203 could be involved in post-transcriptional control of DNA repair, PI3K/AKT, SRC, and JAK/STAT3 and the vascular signaling pathway. Western blot analysis validated the fact that miR-203 downregulated ATM, RAD51, SRC, PLD2, PI3K-AKT, JAK-STAT3, VEGF, HIF-1α, and MMP2. Overexpression of miR-203 inhibited invasion and migration potentials, downregulated SLUG and Vimentin, and upregulated Claudin-1 and ZO1. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that miR-203 potentially controls DNA damage repair via the PI3K/AKT and JAK/STAT3 pathways and may collectively contribute to the modulation of radiation sensitivity in MG cells by inhibiting DNA damage repair, prosurvival signaling, and epithelium-mesenchyme transition. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that miR-203 could be a target for overcoming the radiation resistance of GBM.

MicroRNA-203 Modulates the Radiation Sensitivity of Human Malignant Glioma Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Ji Hyun [Department of Radiation Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Hwang, Yeo Hyun; Lee, David J.; Kim, Dan Hyo; Park, Ji Min [Medical Science Research Institute, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Kyeonggido (Korea, Republic of); Wu, Hong-Gyun [Department of Radiation Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, In Ah, E-mail: inah228@snu.ac.kr [Department of Radiation Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Medical Science Research Institute, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Kyeonggido (Korea, Republic of); Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-02-01

Purpose: We investigated whether miR-203 could modulate the radiation sensitivity of glioblastoma (GBM) cells and which target gene(s) could be involved. Methods and Materials: Three human malignant glioma (MG) cell lines and normal human astrocytes were transfected with control microRNA, pre-miR-203, or antisense miR-203. Real-time PCR (RT-PCR), clonogenic assays, immunofluorescence, and invasion/migration assays were performed. To predict the target(s), bioinformatics analyses using microRNA target databases were performed. Results: Overexpression of miR-203 increased the radiation sensitivity of all 3 human MG cell lines and prolonged radiation-induced γ-H2AX foci formation. Bioinformatics analyses suggested that miR-203 could be involved in post-transcriptional control of DNA repair, PI3K/AKT, SRC, and JAK/STAT3 and the vascular signaling pathway. Western blot analysis validated the fact that miR-203 downregulated ATM, RAD51, SRC, PLD2, PI3K-AKT, JAK-STAT3, VEGF, HIF-1α, and MMP2. Overexpression of miR-203 inhibited invasion and migration potentials, downregulated SLUG and Vimentin, and upregulated Claudin-1 and ZO1. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that miR-203 potentially controls DNA damage repair via the PI3K/AKT and JAK/STAT3 pathways and may collectively contribute to the modulation of radiation sensitivity in MG cells by inhibiting DNA damage repair, prosurvival signaling, and epithelium-mesenchyme transition. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that miR-203 could be a target for overcoming the radiation resistance of GBM.

Human rights violations in organ procurement practice in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Norbert W; Caplan, Arthur; Shapiro, Michael E; Els, Charl; Allison, Kirk C; Li, Huige

2017-02-08

Over 90% of the organs transplanted in China before 2010 were procured from prisoners. Although Chinese officials announced in December 2014 that the country would completely cease using organs harvested from prisoners, no regulatory adjustments or changes in China's organ donation laws followed. As a result, the use of prisoner organs remains legal in China if consent is obtained. We have collected and analysed available evidence on human rights violations in the organ procurement practice in China. We demonstrate that the practice not only violates international ethics standards, it is also associated with a large scale neglect of fundamental human rights. This includes organ procurement without consent from prisoners or their families as well as procurement of organs from incompletely executed, still-living prisoners. The human rights critique of these practices will also address the specific situatedness of prisoners, often conditioned and traumatized by a cascade of human rights abuses in judicial structures. To end the unethical practice and the abuse associated with it, we suggest to inextricably bind the use of human organs procured in the Chinese transplant system to enacting Chinese legislation prohibiting the use of organs from executed prisoners and making explicit rules for law enforcement. Other than that, the international community must cease to abet the continuation of the present system by demanding an authoritative ban on the use of organs from executed Chinese prisoners.

Similarity or dissimilarity in the relations between human service organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruynooghe, Kevin; Verhaeghe, Mieke; Bracke, Piet

2008-01-01

Exchange theory and homophily theory give rise to counteracting expectations for the interaction between human service organizations. Based on arguments of exchange theory, more interaction is expected between dissimilar organizations having complementary resources. Based on arguments of homophily theory, organizations having similar characteristics are expected to interact more. Interorganizational relations between human service organizations in two regional networks in Flanders are examined in this study. Results indicate that human service organizations tend to cooperate more with similar organizations as several homophily effects but not one effect of dissimilarity were found to be significant. The results of this study contribute to the understanding of interorganizational networks of human service organizations and have implications for the development of integrated care.

Attenuation correction for the large non-human primate brain imaging using microPET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naidoo-Variawa, S; Lehnert, W; Kassiou, M; Banati, R; Meikle, S R

2010-01-01

Assessment of the biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of radiopharmaceuticals in vivo is often performed on animal models of human disease prior to their use in humans. The baboon brain is physiologically and neuro-anatomically similar to the human brain and is therefore a suitable model for evaluating novel CNS radioligands. We previously demonstrated the feasibility of performing baboon brain imaging on a dedicated small animal PET scanner provided that the data are accurately corrected for degrading physical effects such as photon attenuation in the body. In this study, we investigated factors affecting the accuracy and reliability of alternative attenuation correction strategies when imaging the brain of a large non-human primate (papio hamadryas) using the microPET Focus 220 animal scanner. For measured attenuation correction, the best bias versus noise performance was achieved using a 57 Co transmission point source with a 4% energy window. The optimal energy window for a 68 Ge transmission source operating in singles acquisition mode was 20%, independent of the source strength, providing bias-noise performance almost as good as for 57 Co. For both transmission sources, doubling the acquisition time had minimal impact on the bias-noise trade-off for corrected emission images, despite observable improvements in reconstructed attenuation values. In a [ 18 F]FDG brain scan of a female baboon, both measured attenuation correction strategies achieved good results and similar SNR, while segmented attenuation correction (based on uncorrected emission images) resulted in appreciable regional bias in deep grey matter structures and the skull. We conclude that measured attenuation correction using a single pass 57 Co (4% energy window) or 68 Ge (20% window) transmission scan achieves an excellent trade-off between bias and propagation of noise when imaging the large non-human primate brain with a microPET scanner.

Aspects of the use of honeybees and bumblebees as vector of antagonistic micro-organisms in plant diseas control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steen, van der J.J.M.; Langerak, C.J.; Tongeren, van C.A.M.; Dik, A.J.

2003-01-01

Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) and bumblebees (Bombus terrestris L.) are used for pollination in agriculture and horticulture. The morphological and behavioural characteristics of bees make them good pollinators. Thanks to this, bees may also be used as vector of antagonistic micro-organisms for

Specific and Novel microRNAs Are Regulated as Response to Fungal Infection in Human Dendritic Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Dix, Andreas; Czakai, Kristin; Leonhardt, Ines; Schäferhoff, Karin; Bonin, Michael; Guthke, Reinhard; Einsele, Hermann; Kurzai, Oliver; Löffler, Jürgen; Linde, Jörg

2017-01-01

Within the last two decades, the incidence of invasive fungal infections has been significantly increased. They are characterized by high mortality rates and are often caused by Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. The increasing number of infections underlines the necessity for additional anti-fungal therapies, which require extended knowledge of gene regulations during fungal infection. MicroRNAs are regulators of important cellular processes, including the immune response. By analyzing their regulation and impact on target genes, novel therapeutic and diagnostic approaches may be developed. Here, we examine the role of microRNAs in human dendritic cells during fungal infection. Dendritic cells represent the bridge between the innate and the adaptive immune systems. Therefore, analysis of gene regulation of dendritic cells is of particular significance. By applying next-generation sequencing of small RNAs, we quantify microRNA expression in monocyte-derived dendritic cells after 6 and 12 h of infection with C. albicans and A. fumigatus as well as treatment with lipopolysaccharides (LPS). We identified 26 microRNAs that are differentially regulated after infection by the fungi or LPS. Three and five of them are specific for fungal infections after 6 and 12 h, respectively. We further validated interactions of miR-132-5p and miR-212-5p with immunological relevant target genes, such as FKBP1B, KLF4, and SPN, on both RNA and protein level. Our results indicate that these microRNAs fine-tune the expression of immune-related target genes during fungal infection. Beyond that, we identified previously undiscovered microRNAs. We validated three novel microRNAs via qRT-PCR. A comparison with known microRNAs revealed possible relations with the miR-378 family and miR-1260a/b for two of them, while the third one features a unique sequence with no resemblance to known microRNAs. In summary, this study analyzes the effect of known microRNAs in dendritic cells during

Individual and Organizations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Felin, Teppo; Foss, Nicolai Juul

2006-01-01

Making links between micro and macro levels has been problematic in the social sciences, and the literature in strategic management and organization theory is no exception The purpose of this chapter is to raise theoretical issues in developing micro-foundations for strategic management and organ......Making links between micro and macro levels has been problematic in the social sciences, and the literature in strategic management and organization theory is no exception The purpose of this chapter is to raise theoretical issues in developing micro-foundations for strategic management...

Human embryos secrete microRNAs into culture media--a potential biomarker for implantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenbluth, Evan M; Shelton, Dawne N; Wells, Lindsay M; Sparks, Amy E T; Van Voorhis, Bradley J

2014-05-01

To determine whether human blastocysts secrete microRNA (miRNAs) into culture media and whether these reflect embryonic ploidy status and can predict in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. Experimental study of human embryos and IVF culture media. Academic IVF program. 91 donated, cryopreserved embryos that developed into 28 tested blastocysts, from 13 couples who had previously completed IVF cycles. None. Relative miRNA expression in IVF culture media. Blastocysts were assessed by chromosomal comparative genomic hybridization analysis, and the culture media from 55 single-embryo transfer cycles was tested for miRNA expression using an array-based quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. The expression of the identified miRNA was correlated with pregnancy outcomes. Ten miRNA were identified in the culture media; two were specific to spent media (miR-191 and miR-372), and one was only present in media before the embryos had been cultured (miR-645). MicroRNA-191 was more highly concentrated in media from aneuploid embryos, and miR-191, miR-372, and miR-645 were more highly concentrated in media from failed IVF/non-intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles. Additionally, miRNA were found to be more highly concentrated in ICSI and day-5 media samples when compared with regularly inseminated and day-4 samples, respectively. MicroRNA can be detected in IVF culture media. Some of these miRNA are differentially expressed according to the fertilization method, chromosomal status, and pregnancy outcome, which makes them potential biomarkers for predicting IVF success. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MicroRNA expression profiling of the porcine developing brain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Podolska, Agnieszka; Kaczkowski, Bogumil; Busk, Peter Kamp

2011-01-01

MicroRNAs are small, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and play an important role in the control of developmental and physiological processes. In particular, the developing brain contains an impressive diversity of microRNAs. Most micro...... and the growth curve when compared to humans. Considering these similarities, studies examining microRNA expression during porcine brain development could potentially be used to predict the expression profile and role of microRNAs in the human brain....

Characterization of Organic Materials in the Xenolithic Clasts in Sharps (H3.4) Meteorite Using Micro-Raman Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Q. H. S.; Zolensky, M. E.; Bodnar, R. J.; Kebukawa, Y.

2015-01-01

Graphitization of carbon is an irreversible process which alters the structure of graphitic materials in response to the increase in metamorphic grade (temperature and/or pressure). Carbonaceous materials offer a reliable geothermometer as their Raman spectra change systematically with increasing metamorphic grade. In this study, we identified carbonaceous materials in the xenolithic clasts in Sharps and interpreted their metamorphic history by revealing the structural organization (order) of the polyaromatic organic phases using micro-Raman spectroscopy.

Micro-Scale Distribution of CA4+ in Ex Vivo Human Articular Cartilage Detected with Contrast-Enhanced Micro-Computed Tomography Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Karhula, Sakari S.; Finnilä, Mikko A.; Freedman, Jonathan D.; Kauppinen, Sami; Valkealahti, Maarit; Lehenkari, Petri; Pritzker, Kenneth P. H.; Nieminen, Heikki J.; Snyder, Brian D.; Grinstaff, Mark W.; Saarakkala, Simo

2017-08-01

Contrast-enhanced micro-computed tomography (CEµCT) with cationic and anionic contrast agents reveals glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content and distribution in articular cartilage (AC). The advantage of using cationic stains (e.g. CA4+) compared to anionic stains (e.g. Hexabrix®), is that it distributes proportionally with GAGs, while anionic stain distribution in AC is inversely proportional to the GAG content. To date, studies using cationic stains have been conducted with sufficient resolution to study its distributions on the macro-scale, but with insufficient resolution to study its distributions on the micro-scale. Therefore, it is not known whether the cationic contrast agents accumulate in extra/pericellular matrix and if they interact with chondrocytes. The insufficient resolution has also prevented to answer the question whether CA4+ accumulation in chondrons could lead to an erroneous quantification of GAG distribution with low-resolution µCT setups. In this study, we use high-resolution µCT to investigate whether CA4+ accumulates in chondrocytes, and further, to determine whether it affects the low-resolution ex vivo µCT studies of CA4+ stained human AC with varying degree of osteoarthritis. Human osteochondral samples were immersed in three different concentrations of CA4+ (3 mgI/ml, 6mgI/ml, and 24 mgI/ml) and imaged with high-resolution µCT at several timepoints. Different uptake diffusion profiles of CA4+ were observed between the segmented chondrons and the rest of the tissue. While the X-ray -detected CA4+ concentration in chondrons was greater than in the rest of the AC, its contribution to the uptake into the whole tissue was negligible and in line with macro-scale GAG content detected from histology. The efficient uptake of CA4+ into chondrons and surrounding territorial matrix can be explained by the micro-scale distribution of GAG content. CA4+ uptake in chondrons occurred regardless of the progression stage of osteoarthritis in the samples

Micro-Scale Distribution of CA4+ in Ex vivo Human Articular Cartilage Detected with Contrast-Enhanced Micro-Computed Tomography Imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sakari S. Karhula

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Contrast-enhanced micro-computed tomography (CEμCT with cationic and anionic contrast agents reveals glycosaminoglycan (GAG content and distribution in articular cartilage (AC. The advantage of using cationic stains (e.g., CA4+ compared to anionic stains (e.g., Hexabrix®, is that it distributes proportionally with GAGs, while anionic stain distribution in AC is inversely proportional to the GAG content. To date, studies using cationic stains have been conducted with sufficient resolution to study its distributions on the macro-scale, but with insufficient resolution to study its distributions on the micro-scale. Therefore, it is not known whether the cationic contrast agents accumulate in extra/pericellular matrix and if they interact with chondrocytes. The insufficient resolution has also prevented to answer the question whether CA4+ accumulation in chondrons could lead to an erroneous quantification of GAG distribution with low-resolution μCT setups. In this study, we use high-resolution μCT to investigate whether CA4+ accumulates in chondrocytes, and further, to determine whether it affects the low-resolution ex vivo μCT studies of CA4+ stained human AC with varying degree of osteoarthritis. Human osteochondral samples were immersed in three different concentrations of CA4+ (3 mgI/ml, 6 mgI/ml, and 24 mgI/ml and imaged with high-resolution μCT at several timepoints. Different uptake diffusion profiles of CA4+ were observed between the segmented chondrons and the rest of the tissue. While the X-ray -detected CA4+ concentration in chondrons was greater than in the rest of the AC, its contribution to the uptake into the whole tissue was negligible and in line with macro-scale GAG content detected from histology. The efficient uptake of CA4+ into chondrons and surrounding territorial matrix can be explained by the micro-scale distribution of GAG content. CA4+ uptake in chondrons occurred regardless of the progression stage of osteoarthritis

Differential expression analysis of balding and nonbalding dermal papilla microRNAs in male pattern baldness with a microRNA amplification profiling method.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodarzi, H R; Abbasi, A; Saffari, M; Fazelzadeh Haghighi, M; Tabei, M B; Noori Daloii, M R

2012-05-01

  Male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia is a common disorder affecting almost 50% of men throughout their lifetime, with androgens and genetics having significant contributing aetiologies. In contrast to the positive regulatory effect of androgens on body hair growth, they are thought to alter scalp hair follicle behaviour pathophysiologically, leading to male pattern baldness. However, the exact mechanisms of this paradoxical action have not yet been elucidated. The role of microRNAs, a novel group of noncoding RNAs impacting almost every aspect of biology, health and human diseases, has been documented in hair follicle formation. In addition, their deregulation in cancer of the prostate, a target organ of androgens, has also been well established. To investigate the possible contribution of microRNAs in the pathophysiology of male pattern baldness. We initially screened microRNA expression profiles of balding and nonbalding hair follicle papillae with a sensitive microRNA cloning method, microRNA amplification profiling, and statistically analysed significant differentially expressed microRNAs in balding relative to nonbalding dermal papillae, with real-time polymerase chain reaction as a confirmatory method to quantify expression in eight individuals affected with the disorder.   We detected the significant upregulation of miR-221, miR-125b, miR-106a and miR-410 in balding papilla cells.   We found four microRNAs that could participate in the pathogenesis of male pattern baldness. Regarding the strong therapeutic potential of microRNAs and the easy accessibility of hair follicles for gene therapy, microRNAs are possible candidates for a new generation of revolutionary treatments. © 2011 The Authors. BJD © 2011 British Association of Dermatologists.

The functional micro-organization of grid cells revealed by cellular-resolution imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Heys, James G; Rangarajan, Krsna V; Dombeck, Daniel A

2014-12-03

Establishing how grid cells are anatomically arranged, on a microscopic scale, in relation to their firing patterns in the environment would facilitate a greater microcircuit-level understanding of the brain's representation of space. However, all previous grid cell recordings used electrode techniques that provide limited descriptions of fine-scale organization. We therefore developed a technique for cellular-resolution functional imaging of medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) neurons in mice navigating a virtual linear track, enabling a new experimental approach to study MEC. Using these methods, we show that grid cells are physically clustered in MEC compared to nongrid cells. Additionally, we demonstrate that grid cells are functionally micro-organized: the similarity between the environment firing locations of grid cell pairs varies as a function of the distance between them according to a "Mexican hat"-shaped profile. This suggests that, on average, nearby grid cells have more similar spatial firing phases than those further apart. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Organ Vouchers and Barter Markets: Saving Lives, Reducing Suffering, and Trading in Human Organs.

Science.gov (United States)

Cherry, Mark J

2017-10-01

The essays in this issue of The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy explore an innovative voucher program for encouraging kidney donation. Discussions cluster around a number of central moral and political/theoretical themes: (1) What are the direct and indirect health care costs and benefits of such a voucher system in human organs? (2) Do vouchers lead to more effective and efficient organ procurement and allocation or contribute to greater inequalities and inefficiencies in the transplantation system? (3) Do vouchers contribute to the inappropriate commodification of human body parts? (4) Is there a significant moral difference between such a voucher system and a market in human organs for transplantation? This paper argues that while kidney vouchers constitute a step in the right direction, fuller utilization of market-based incentives, including, but not limited to, barter exchanges (e.g., organ exchanges, organ chains, and organ vouchers), would save more lives and further reduce human suffering. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Micro-arrayed human embryonic stem cells-derived cardiomyocytes for in vitro functional assay.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Serena

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: The heart is one of the least regenerative organs in the body and any major insult can result in a significant loss of heart cells. The development of an in vitro-based cardiac tissue could be of paramount importance for many aspects of the cardiology research. In this context, we developed an in vitro assay based on human cardiomyocytes (hCMs and ad hoc micro-technologies, suitable for several applications: from pharmacological analysis to physio-phatological studies on transplantable hCMs. We focused on the development of an assay able to analyze not only hCMs viability, but also their functionality. METHODS: hCMs were cultured onto a poly-acrylamide hydrogel with tunable tissue-like mechanical properties and organized through micropatterning in a 20×20 array. Arrayed hCMs were characterized by immunofluorescence, GAP-FRAP analyses and live and dead assay. Their functionality was evaluated monitoring the excitation-contraction coupling. RESULTS: Micropatterned hCMs maintained the expression of the major cardiac markers (cTnT, cTnI, Cx43, Nkx2.5, α-actinin and functional properties. The spontaneous contraction frequency was (0.83±0.2 Hz, while exogenous electrical stimulation lead to an increase up to 2 Hz. As proof of concept that our device can be used for screening the effects of pathological conditions, hCMs were exposed to increasing levels of H(2O(2. Remarkably, hCMs viability was not compromised with exposure to 0.1 mM H(2O(2, but hCMs contractility was dramatically suppressed. As proof of concept, we also developed a microfluidic platform to selectively treat areas of the cell array, in the perspective of performing multi-parametric assay. CONCLUSIONS: Such system could be a useful tool for testing the effects of multiple conditions on an in vitro cell model representative of human heart physiology, thus potentially helping the processes of therapy and drug development.

Modeling cooperating micro-organisms in antibiotic environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Book, Gilad; Ingham, Colin; Ariel, Gil

2017-01-01

Recent experiments with the bacteria Paenibacillus vortex reveal a remarkable strategy enabling it to cope with antibiotics by cooperating with a different bacterium-Escherichia coli. While P. vortex is a highly effective swarmer, it is sensitive to the antibiotic ampicillin. On the other hand, E. coli can degrade ampicillin but is non-motile when grown on high agar percentages. The two bacterial species form a shared colony in which E. coli is transported by P. vortex and E. coli detoxifies the ampicillin. The paper presents a simplified model, consisting of coupled reaction-diffusion equations, describing the development of ring patterns in the shared colony. Our results demonstrate some of the possible cooperative movement strategies bacteria utilize in order to survive harsh conditions. In addition, we explore the behavior of mixed colonies under new conditions such as antibiotic gradients, synchronization between colonies and possible dynamics of a 3-species system including P. vortex, E. coli and a carbon producing algae that provides nutrients under illuminated, nutrient poor conditions. The derived model was able to simulate an asymmetric relationship between two or three micro-organisms where cooperation is required for survival. Computationally, in order to avoid numerical artifacts due to symmetries within the discretizing grid, the model was solved using a second order Vectorizable Random Lattices method, which is developed as a finite volume scheme on a random grid.

Modeling cooperating micro-organisms in antibiotic environment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gilad Book

Full Text Available Recent experiments with the bacteria Paenibacillus vortex reveal a remarkable strategy enabling it to cope with antibiotics by cooperating with a different bacterium-Escherichia coli. While P. vortex is a highly effective swarmer, it is sensitive to the antibiotic ampicillin. On the other hand, E. coli can degrade ampicillin but is non-motile when grown on high agar percentages. The two bacterial species form a shared colony in which E. coli is transported by P. vortex and E. coli detoxifies the ampicillin. The paper presents a simplified model, consisting of coupled reaction-diffusion equations, describing the development of ring patterns in the shared colony. Our results demonstrate some of the possible cooperative movement strategies bacteria utilize in order to survive harsh conditions. In addition, we explore the behavior of mixed colonies under new conditions such as antibiotic gradients, synchronization between colonies and possible dynamics of a 3-species system including P. vortex, E. coli and a carbon producing algae that provides nutrients under illuminated, nutrient poor conditions. The derived model was able to simulate an asymmetric relationship between two or three micro-organisms where cooperation is required for survival. Computationally, in order to avoid numerical artifacts due to symmetries within the discretizing grid, the model was solved using a second order Vectorizable Random Lattices method, which is developed as a finite volume scheme on a random grid.

Liaison between micro-organisms and oral cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivasprasad, Vijayan; Dineshshankar, Janardhanam; Sathiyajeeva, J.; Karthikeyan, M.; Sunitha, J.; Ragunathan, Ramachandran

2015-01-01

Oral cancer which is a subtype of head and neck, cancer is any neoplastic tissue growth in the oral cavity. It comprises an abnormal mass of cells that foists genetic mutation and impedes the normal cell cycle, resulting in its unrestrained growth. Various studies on the plausible link between oral microbial flora and cancer notwithstanding, our understanding of their link remains obscure and inadequate. The multitude of mechanisms by which the microflora initiate or spur Carcinogenesis are still under study and scrutiny. As is widely known, the oral cavity is an abode to a wide assortment of microbes, each present in contrasting amounts. It is observed that increased growth of the microflora is concomitant with known clinical risk factors for oral cancer. Manifold bacterial species have been found to interfere directly with eukaryotic cellular signaling, adopting a style typical of tumor promoters. Bacteria are also known to impede apoptosis thereby potentially promoting carcinogenesis. The viral role in carcinogenesis (by annulling of p53 tumor suppressor gene and other cellular proteins with subsequent alteration in host genome function) is well documented. Furthermore, the changes occurring in the commensal microflora in accompaniment with cancer development could possibly be used as a diagnostic indicator for early cancer detection. The intention of this review is to obtain a better understanding of the “role” that micro-organisms play in oral cancer etiology. PMID:26538877

Employee competence in a learning organization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Dziadkiewicz-Ilkowska

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The study shows the model of a learning organization as exemplified by a small business. In this kind of organization human resources are the key success factors and the "driving force" for intellectual and developmental potential that makes companies more creative and open to new ways of thinking about running and managing a business. This report shows that even micro and small enterprises can operate successfully successful on the market when they invest in knowledge development.

MicroRNAs as tumour suppressors in canine and human melanoma cells and as a prognostic factor in canine melanomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Noguchi, S; Mori, T; Hoshino, Y; Yamada, N; Maruo, K; Akao, Y

2013-06-01

Malignant melanoma (MM) is one of the most aggressive cancers in dogs and in humans. However, the molecular mechanisms of its development and progression remain unclear. Presently, we examined the expression profile of microRNAs (miRs) in canine oral MM tissues and paired normal oral mucosa tissues by using the microRNA-microarray assay and quantitative RT-PCR. Importantly, a decreased expression of miR-203 was significantly associated with a shorter survival time. Also, miR-203 and -205 were markedly down-regulated in canine and human MM cell lines tested. Furthermore, the ectopic expression of miR-205 had a significant inhibitory effect on the cell growth of canine and human melanoma cells tested by targeting erbb3. Our data suggest that miR-203 is a new prognostic factor in canine oral MMs and that miR-205 functions as a tumour suppressor by targeting erbb3 in both canine and human MM cells. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Modulation of microRNA activity by semi-microRNAs (smiRNAs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isabelle ePlante

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The ribonuclease Dicer plays a central role in the microRNA pathway by catalyzing the formation of 19 to 24-nucleotide (nt long microRNAs. Subsequently incorporated into Ago2 effector complexes, microRNAs are known to regulate messenger RNA (mRNA translation. Whether shorter RNA species derived from microRNAs exist and play a role in mRNA regulation remains unknown. Here, we report the serendipitous discovery of a 12-nt long RNA species corresponding to the 5’ region of the microRNA let-7, and tentatively termed semi-microRNA, or smiRNA. Using a smiRNA derived from the precursor of miR-223 as a model, we show that 12-nt long smiRNA species are devoid of any direct mRNA regulatory activity, as assessed in a reporter gene activity assay in transfected cultured human cells. However, smiR-223 was found to modulate the ability of the microRNA from which it derives to mediate translational repression or cleavage of reporter mRNAs. Our findings suggest that smiRNAs may be generated along the microRNA pathway and participate to the control of gene expression by regulating the activity of the related full-length mature microRNA in vivo.

Targeting of human glioma xenografts in vivo utilizing radiolabeled antibodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, J.A.; Wessels, B.W.; Wharam, M.D.; Order, S.E.; Wanek, P.M.; Poggenburg, J.K.; Klein, J.L.

1990-01-01

Radiolabeled antibodies provide a potential basis for selective radiotherapy of human gliomas. We have measured tumor targeting by radiolabeled monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies directed against neuroectodermal and tumor-associated antigens in nude mice bearing human glioma xenografts. Monoclonal P96.5, a mouse IgG2a immunoglobulin, defines an epitope of a human melanoma cell surface protein, and specifically binds the U-251 human glioma as measured by immunoperoxidase histochemistry. 111In-radiolabeled P96.5 specifically targets the U-251 human glioma xenograft and yields 87.0 microCuries (microCi) of tumor activity per gram per 100 microCi injected activity compared to 4.5 microCi following administration of radiolabeled irrelevant monoclonal antibody. Calculations of targeting ratios demonstrate deposited dose to be 11.6 times greater with radiolabeled P96.5 administration compared to irrelevant monoclonal antibody. The proportion of tumor dose found in normal organs is less than 10%, further supporting specific targeting of the human glioma xenograft by this antibody. Monoclonal antibody ZME018, which defines a second melanoma-associated antigen, and polyclonal rabbit antiferritin, which defines a tumor-associated antigen, demonstrate positive immunoperoxidase staining of the tumor, but comparatively decreased targeting. When compared to the 111In-radiolabeled antibody, 90Y-radiolabeled P96.5 demonstrates comparable tumor targeting and percentages of tumor dose found in normal organs. To test the therapeutic potential of 90Y-radiolabeled P96.5, tumors and normal sites were implanted with miniature thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD). Seven days following administration of 100 microCi 90Y-radiolabeled P96.5, average absorbed doses of 3770, 980, 353, and 274 cGy were observed in tumor, liver, contralateral control site, and total body, respectively

Assembly of live micro-organisms on microstructured PDMS stamps by convective/capillary deposition for AFM bio-experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dague, E; Jauvert, E; Laplatine, L; Thibault, C; Viallet, B; Ressier, L

2011-01-01

Immobilization of live micro-organisms on solid substrates is an important prerequisite for atomic force microscopy (AFM) bio-experiments. The method employed must immobilize the cells firmly enough to enable them to withstand the lateral friction forces exerted by the tip during scanning but without denaturing the cell interface. In this work, a generic method for the assembly of living cells on specific areas of substrates is proposed. It consists in assembling the living cells within the patterns of microstructured, functionalized poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamps using convective/capillary deposition. This versatile approach is validated by applying it to two systems of foremost importance in biotechnology and medicine: Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts and Aspergillus fumigatus fungal spores. We show that this method allows multiplexing AFM nanomechanical measurements by force spectroscopy on S. cerevisiae yeasts and high-resolution AFM imaging of germinated Aspergillus conidia in buffer medium. These two examples clearly demonstrate the immense potential of micro-organism assembly on functionalized, microstructured PDMS stamps by convective/capillary deposition for performing rigorous AFM bio-experiments on living cells.

Reproducible pattern of microRNA in normal human skin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holst, Line; Kaczkowski, Bogumil; Gniadecki, Robert

2010-01-01

RNA expression pattern in normal human skin. Here we investigated miRNA expression profiles from skin biopsies of 8 healthy volunteers taken from sun protected and mildly photo damaged skin using the modified protocol for miRNA extraction. We were able to show a constant pattern of miRNA expression between......MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis via specific targeting of messenger RNA (mRNA). Aberrant mRNA expression contributes to pathological processes such as carcinogenesis. To take advantage of miRNA profiling in skin disease it is essential to investigate mi...... different individuals. We did not find any significant differences in miRNA expression between sun protected and mildly photodamaged skin. These results may be valuable for future design of studies on miRNA expression in skin disease....

Reproducible pattern of microRNA in normal human skin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holst, Line; Kaczkowski, Bogumil; Gniadecki, Robert

2010-01-01

RNA expression pattern in normal human skin. Here we investigated miRNA expression profiles from skin biopsies of 8 healthy volunteers taken from sun protected and mildly photo damaged skin using the modified protocol for miRNA extraction. We were able to show a constant pattern of miRNA expression between...... different individuals. We did not find any significant differences in miRNA expression between sun protected and mildly photodamaged skin. These results may be valuable for future design of studies on miRNA expression in skin disease.......MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis via specific targeting of messenger RNA (mRNA). Aberrant mRNA expression contributes to pathological processes such as carcinogenesis. To take advantage of miRNA profiling in skin disease it is essential to investigate mi...

Ecological significance of compatible solute accumulation by micro-organisms: from single cells to global climate.

Science.gov (United States)

Welsh, D T

2000-07-01

The osmoadaptation of most micro-organisms involves the accumulation of K(+) ions and one or more of a restricted range of low molecular mass organic solutes, collectively termed 'compatible solutes'. These solutes are accumulated to high intracellular concentrations, in order to balance the osmotic pressure of the growth medium and maintain cell turgor pressure, which provides the driving force for cell extension growth. In this review, I discuss the alternative roles which compatible solutes may also play as intracellular reserves of carbon, energy and nitrogen, and as more general stress metabolites involved in protection of cells against other environmental stresses including heat, desiccation and freezing. Thus, the evolutionary selection for the accumulation of a specific compatible solute may not depend solely upon its function during osmoadaptation, but also upon the secondary benefits its accumulation provides, such as increased tolerance of other environmental stresses prevalent in the organism's niche or even anti-herbivory or dispersal functions in the case of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). In the second part of the review, I discuss the ecological consequences of the release of compatible solutes to the environment, where they can provide sources of compatible solutes, carbon, nitrogen and energy for other members of the micro-flora. Finally, at the global scale the metabolism of specific compatible solutes (betaines and DMSP) in brackish water, marine and hypersaline environments may influence global climate, due to the production of the trace gases, methane and dimethylsulfide (DMS) and in the case of DMS, also couple the marine and terrestrial sulfur cycles.

MicroRNA Expression Profiling by Bead Array Technology in Human Tumor Cell Lines Treated with Interferon-Alpha-2a

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siegrist Fredy

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract MicroRNAs are positive and negative regulators of eukaryotic gene expression that modulate transcript abundance by specific binding to sequence motifs located prevalently in the 3' untranslated regions of target messenger RNAs (mRNA. Interferon-alpha-2a (IFNα induces a large set of protein coding genes mediating antiproliferative and antiviral responses. Here we use a global microarray-based microRNA detection platform to identify genes that are induced by IFNα in hepatoma- or melanoma-derived human tumor cell lines. Despite the enormous differences in expression levels between these models, we were able to identify microRNAs that are upregulated by IFNα in both lines suggesting the possibility that interferon-regulated microRNAs are involved in the transcriptional repression of mRNA relevant to cytokine responses.

Validation of the Ultra Micro Elisa for certification of human placenta as a source of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trujillo Alfonso, Maydelin; Rodriguez Garcia, Sisley; Perez Guevara, Maria Teresa

2014-01-01

The Viral Control Laboratory of the Placenta Derivatives Production Plant certifies the human placenta as pharmaceutical and cosmetic raw material by means of the microultra analytic system. To validate the Ultra Micro System for determination of hepatitis B surface antigen, antibodies to Hepatitis C Virus, and Immunodeficiency Human Virus Type 1 and 2 in umbilical cord serum samples

Imaging study of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas in Syrian hamsters using X-ray micro-computed tomography (CT)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitahashi, Tsukasa; Mutoh, Michihiro; Tsurusaki, Masakatsu

2010-01-01

X-ray computed tomography (CT) has been used for diagnoses of human pancreatic cancer. Although micro-CT is a useful approach to evaluate macromorphology of organs/tissue also in animal models, reports on pancreatic tumors are limited. In this study, the utility of micro-CT was assessed in characterizing chemically induced pancreatic tumors in Syrian hamsters. Hamsters treated with or without N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP) were injected with the antispasmodic agent, scopolamine butylbromide, and contrast agents, 5 or 10 mL/kg body weight of iopamidol or Fenestra VC at 18-38 weeks, then examined by micro-CT scanning with a respiratory gating system. Both peristaltic and respiratory movements were substantially suppressed by the combination of scopolamine butylbromide treatment and the respiratory gating system, resulting in improvements of image qualities. Iopamidol clearly visualized the pancreatic parenchyma and contrasted the margins among the pancreas and other abdominal organs/tissue. Meanwhile Fenestra VC predominantly contrasted abdominal vascular systems, but the margins among pancreas and other organs/tissue remained obscure. Six pancreatic tumors of 4-13 mm in diameter were detected in four of 15 animals, but not the five tumors of 1-4 mm in diameter. The inner tumor images were heterogeneously or uniformly visualized by iopamidol and Fenestra VC. Overall, iopamidol could clearly contrast between pancreatic parenchyma and the tumors as compared with Fenestra VC. All tumors confirmed were histopathologically diagnosed as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. Thus, micro-CT could be useful to evaluate the carcinogenic processes and preventive methods of pancreatic cancer in hamsters and to assess the novel contrast agents for detection of small pancreatic cancer in humans. (author)

QUALITY OF WORK LIFE: PROPOSED ASSESSMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL MICRO AND SMALL ENTERPRISES LOGISTICS SECTOR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Orlando Roque da Silva

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The concept of Management of Quality of Work Life (MQWL search to develop mechanisms for the individual has balance between their professional and human life. The great challenge for organizations is to match the organizational need, dictated by the market with its rapid businesses changes and individual needs. Understanding the individual as an entire person with numerous and diverse interests and knowledge that can be directed to the activities performed in the organization is one of the conditions for having this compliance. This work, following the proposals made by Richard Walton, is an indication for evaluation especially for micro and small enterprises. The purpose of this article is observe the concepts and establish variants understood as fundamental in the production environment of micro and small enterprises sector logistics.

Micro Elector Mechanical Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, Jun Bo; Jo, Il Ju; Choi, Yoon Seok

1996-09-01

This book consists of seven chapters, which are the flow of the age from macro world to micro world, what is MEMS, semiconductor, micro machining and MEMS, where do MEMS goes to?, How to make MEMS, MEMS in the future and knowing about MEMS more than. This book is written to explain in ease and fun. It deals with MEMS in IT, BT, NT, ST, micro robot technology, basic process for making MEMS such as Bulk micromachining, surface micromachining LGA technology, DARPA and organization in domestic and overseas and academy and journal related MEMS.

Chronological changes in microRNA expression in the developing human brain.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael P Moreau

Full Text Available MicroRNAs (miRNAs are endogenously expressed noncoding RNA molecules that are believed to regulate multiple neurobiological processes. Expression studies have revealed distinct temporal expression patterns in the developing rodent and porcine brain, but comprehensive profiling in the developing human brain has not been previously reported.We performed microarray and TaqMan-based expression analysis of all annotated mature miRNAs (miRBase 10.0 as well as 373 novel, predicted miRNAs. Expression levels were measured in 48 post-mortem brain tissue samples, representing gestational ages 14-24 weeks, as well as early postnatal and adult time points.Expression levels of 312 miRNAs changed significantly between at least two of the broad age categories, defined as fetal, young, and adult.We have constructed a miRNA expression atlas of the developing human brain, and we propose a classification scheme to guide future studies of neurobiological function.

Reuse of spent granular activated carbon for organic micro-pollutant removal from treated wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jingyi; Shang, Ran; Heijman, Bas; Rietveld, Luuk

2015-09-01

Spent granular activated carbons (sGACs) for drinking water treatments were reused via pulverizing as low-cost adsorbents for micro-pollutant adsorption from a secondary treated wastewater effluent. The changes of physicochemical characteristics of the spent carbons in relation to the fresh carbons were determined and were correlated to the molecular properties of the respective GAC influents (i.e. a surface water and a groundwater). Pore size distribution analysis showed that the carbon pore volume decreased over a wider size range due to preloading by surface water, which contains a broader molecular weight distribution of organic matter in contrast to the groundwater. However, there was still considerable capacity available on the pulverized sGACs for atrazine adsorption in demineralized water and secondary effluent, and this was particularly the case for the groundwater spent GAC. However, as compared to the fresh counterparts, the decreased surface area and the induced surface acidic groups on the pulverized sGACs contributed both to the lower uptake and the more impeded adsorption kinetic of atrazine in the demineralized water. Nonetheless, the pulverized sGACs, especially the one preloaded by surface water, was less susceptible to adsorption competition in the secondary effluent, due to its negatively charged surface which can repulse the accessibility of the co-present organic matter. This suggests the reusability of the drinking water spent GACs for micro-pollutant adsorption in the treated wastewater. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Morphological Characterisation of Unstained and Intact Tissue Micro-architecture by X-ray Computed Micro- and Nano-Tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Walton, Lucy A.; Bradley, Robert S.; Withers, Philip J.; Newton, Victoria L.; Watson, Rachel E. B.; Austin, Clare; Sherratt, Michael J.

2015-05-01

Characterisation and quantification of tissue structures is limited by sectioning-induced artefacts and by the difficulties of visualising and segmenting 3D volumes. Here we demonstrate that, even in the absence of X-ray contrast agents, X-ray computed microtomography (microCT) and nanotomography (nanoCT) can circumvent these problems by rapidly resolving compositionally discrete 3D tissue regions (such as the collagen-rich adventitia and elastin-rich lamellae in intact rat arteries) which in turn can be segmented due to their different X-ray opacities and morphologies. We then establish, using X-ray tomograms of both unpressurised and pressurised arteries that intra-luminal pressure not only increases lumen cross-sectional area and straightens medial elastic lamellae but also induces profound remodelling of the adventitial layer. Finally we apply microCT to another human organ (skin) to visualise the cell-rich epidermis and extracellular matrix-rich dermis and to show that conventional histological and immunohistochemical staining protocols are compatible with prior X-ray exposure. As a consequence we suggest that microCT could be combined with optical microscopy to characterise the 3D structure and composition of archival paraffin embedded biological materials and of mechanically stressed dynamic tissues such as the heart, lungs and tendons.

Introducing change in organization: implication for human resource ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Introducing change in organization: implication for human resource ... that one of the most obvious and urgent problems at management level in organizations is ... to change their attitude and behavior as rapidly as their organization requires.

Rejection of organic micro-pollutants from water by a tubular, hydrophilic pervaporative membrane designed for irrigation applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Sule, May N; Templeton, Michael R; Bond, Tom

2016-01-01

The links between chemical properties, including those relating to molecular size, solubility, hydrophobicity and vapour pressure, and rejection of model aromatic micro-pollutants by a tubular, hydrophilic polymer pervaporation membrane designed for irrigation applications were investigated. Open air experiments were conducted at room temperature for individual solutions of fluorene, naphthalene, phenol, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, 1,2-diethylbenzene and 2-phenoxyethanol. Percentage rejection generally increased with increased molecular size for the model micro-pollutants (47-86%). Molecular weight and log Kow had the strongest positive relationships with rejection, as demonstrated by respective correlation coefficients of r = 0.898 and 0.824. Rejection was also strongly negatively correlated with aqueous solubility and H-bond δ. However, properties which relate to vapour phase concentrations of the micro-pollutants were not well correlated with rejection. Thus, physicochemical separation processes, rather than vapour pressure, drive removal of aromatic contaminants by the investigated pervaporation tube. This expanded knowledge could be utilized in considering practical applications of pervaporative irrigation systems for treating organic-contaminated waters such as oilfield-produced waters.

Organic micro-pollutants’ removal via anaerobic membrane bioreactor with ultrafiltration and nanofiltration

KAUST Repository

Wei, Chunhai

2015-12-15

The removal of 15 organic micro-pollutants (OMPs) in synthetic municipal wastewater was investigated in a laboratory-scale mesophilic anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) using ultrafiltration and AnMBR followed by nanofiltration (NF), where powdered activated carbon (PAC) was added to enhance OMPs removal. No significant effects of OMPs spiking and NF connection on bulk organics removal and biogas production were observed. Amitriptyline, diphenhydramine, fluoxetine, sulfamethoxazole, TDCPP and trimethoprim showed readily biodegradable characteristics with consistent biological removal over 80%. Atrazine, carbamazepine, DEET, Dilantin, primidone and TCEP showed refractory characteristics with biological removal below 40%. Acetaminophen, atenolol and caffeine showed a prolonged adaption time of around 45 d, with initial biological removal below 40% and up to 50-80% after this period. Most readily biodegradable OMPs contained a strong electron donating group. Most refractory OMPs contained a strong electron withdrawing group or a halogen substitute. NF showed consistent high rejection of 80-92% with an average of 87% for all OMPs, which resulted in higher OMPs removal in AnMBR-NF than in AnMBR alone, especially for refractory OMPs. Limited sorption performance of PAC for OMPs removal was mainly due to low and batch dosage (100 mg/L) as well as the competitive sorption caused by bulk organics.

Organized crime-trafficking with human being

OpenAIRE

Jelenová, Jana

2011-01-01

Organized crime - Trafficking in human beings This thesis deals with the criminal offence of trafficking in human beings under Sec. 168 of the Czech Criminal Code. A trafficking in human being is not a frequent criminal offence but with its consequences belongs to the most dangerous crimes. After the Velvet revolution the relevance of this crime has raised subsequently and therefore the regulation of this crime requires particular attention. It is important to find new ways and improve curren...

Sterols of Pneumocystis carinii hominis organisms isolated from human lungs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaneshiro, E S; Amit, Z; Chandra, Jan Suresh

1999-01-01

in conjunction with analyses of chemically synthesized authentic standards. The sterol composition of isolated P. carinii hominis organisms has yet to be reported. If P. carinii from animal models is to be used for identifying potential drug targets and for developing chemotherapeutic approaches to clear human...... infections, it is important to determine whether the 24-alkylsterols of organisms found in rats are also present in organisms in humans. In the present study, sterol analyses of P. carinii hominis organisms isolated from cryopreserved human P. carinii-infected lungs and from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were...

Diurnal Variations of Human Circulating Cell-Free Micro-RNA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heegaard, Niels H H; Carlsen, Anting Liu; Lilje, Berit

2016-01-01

A 24-hour light and dark cycle-dependent rhythmicity pervades physiological processes in virtually all living organisms including humans. These regular oscillations are caused by external cues to endogenous, independent biological time-keeping systems (clocks). The rhythm is reflected by gene...... expression that varies in a circadian and specific fashion in different organs and tissues and is regulated largely by dynamic epigenetic and post-transcriptional mechanisms. This leads to well-documented oscillations of specific electrolytes, hormones, metabolites, and plasma proteins in blood samples...

Laser microprobe mass spectrometry: Potential and limitations for inorganic and organic micro-analysis. Pt. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaeck, I. van; Gijbels, R.

1990-01-01

Laser microprobe mass spectrometry (LMMS) employs a highly focused UV laser beam to ionise a microvolume in the order of 1 μm 3 . The ions produced are then mass-separated in a time-of-flight (TOF) or a Fourier Transform (FT) mass spectrometer. TOF LMMS allows element localisation, detailed speciation of inorganic substances and structural information of organic molecules. Quantitation is difficult. This paper focuses on instrumental aspects and inorganic analysis. Organic applications are treated in part II of this series. Selected examples illustrate that TOF LMMS is a valuable tool for the qualitative characterisation of micro-samples. Also, the applicability to the analysis with high spatial resolution is shown. The current technology and the prospects from the recent FTMS development are discussed. (orig.)

An activated sludge model for xenobiotic organic micro-pollutants (ASM-X)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Plósz, Benedek; Lehnberg, K.; Dott, W.

2010-01-01

In this paper, we present an evaluation of the process model developed by Plósz et al. (2010a) to predict the fate of antibiotics xenobiotic organic micro-pollutants (XOMs) in activated sludge systems. Instead of spiking the batch reactors with reference substances, observations were made using...... the XOMs content of pre-clarified municipal sewage. Evaluation of the model structure is carried out in dynamic simulations using data obtained in samples taken in a measuring campaign in a full-scale activated sludge wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Our results suggest that the sorption...... deteriorate; thereby hindering the effluent quality of secondary treatment step, and thereby increasing the XOM mass load on the tertiary treatment step. Besides the impact of different redox conditions, divalent iron-salt dosing used for enhanced phosphorus removal and pH have been identified as potential...

Orthologous microRNA genes are located in cancer-associated genomic regions in human and mouse.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Igor V Makunin

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs are short non-coding RNAs that regulate differentiation and development in many organisms and play an important role in cancer. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using a public database of mapped retroviral insertion sites from various mouse models of cancer we demonstrate that MLV-derived retroviral inserts are enriched in close proximity to mouse miRNA loci. Clustered inserts from cancer-associated regions (Common Integration Sites, CIS have a higher association with miRNAs than non-clustered inserts. Ten CIS-associated miRNA loci containing 22 miRNAs are located within 10 kb of known CIS insertions. Only one CIS-associated miRNA locus overlaps a RefSeq protein-coding gene and six loci are located more than 10 kb from any RefSeq gene. CIS-associated miRNAs on average are more conserved in vertebrates than miRNAs associated with non-CIS inserts and their human homologs are also located in regions perturbed in cancer. In addition we show that miRNA genes are enriched around promoter and/or terminator regions of RefSeq genes in both mouse and human. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We provide a list of ten miRNA loci potentially involved in the development of blood cancer or brain tumors. There is independent experimental support from other studies for the involvement of miRNAs from at least three CIS-associated miRNA loci in cancer development.

Antimicrobial activity of beta-lactams against multiresistant micro-organisms from the family Enterobacteriaceae, and genus Pseudomonas.

Science.gov (United States)

Niebla, A; González, I; Vallín, C

1994-01-01

The antimicrobial activity of twenty beta-lactams was determined against multiresistant micro-organisms from the Enterobacteriaceae family (450) and the genus Pseudomonas (90). The antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed by the disk diffusion method. The most effective antibiotics were cephalosporins of the second and third generation, and non-classical beta-lactams (imipenem and moxalactam). A pronounced resistance was found to carbenicillin, ampicillin, cephalotin and cefazolin. These resistance patterns corresponded to a high consumption of these antibiotics.

The CONNECT project: Combining macro- and micro-structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Assaf, Yaniv; Alexander, Daniel C; Jones, Derek K; Bizzi, Albero; Behrens, Tim E J; Clark, Chris A; Cohen, Yoram; Dyrby, Tim B; Huppi, Petra S; Knoesche, Thomas R; Lebihan, Denis; Parker, Geoff J M; Poupon, Cyril; Anaby, Debbie; Anwander, Alfred; Bar, Leah; Barazany, Daniel; Blumenfeld-Katzir, Tamar; De-Santis, Silvia; Duclap, Delphine; Figini, Matteo; Fischi, Elda; Guevara, Pamela; Hubbard, Penny; Hofstetter, Shir; Jbabdi, Saad; Kunz, Nicolas; Lazeyras, Francois; Lebois, Alice; Liptrot, Matthew G; Lundell, Henrik; Mangin, Jean-François; Dominguez, David Moreno; Morozov, Darya; Schreiber, Jan; Seunarine, Kiran; Nava, Simone; Poupon, Cyril; Riffert, Till; Sasson, Efrat; Schmitt, Benoit; Shemesh, Noam; Sotiropoulos, Stam N; Tavor, Ido; Zhang, Hui Gary; Zhou, Feng-Lei

2013-10-15

In recent years, diffusion MRI has become an extremely important tool for studying the morphology of living brain tissue, as it provides unique insights into both its macrostructure and microstructure. Recent applications of diffusion MRI aimed to characterize the structural connectome using tractography to infer connectivity between brain regions. In parallel to the development of tractography, additional diffusion MRI based frameworks (CHARMED, AxCaliber, ActiveAx) were developed enabling the extraction of a multitude of micro-structural parameters (axon diameter distribution, mean axonal diameter and axonal density). This unique insight into both tissue microstructure and connectivity has enormous potential value in understanding the structure and organization of the brain as well as providing unique insights to abnormalities that underpin disease states. The CONNECT (Consortium Of Neuroimagers for the Non-invasive Exploration of brain Connectivity and Tracts) project aimed to combine tractography and micro-structural measures of the living human brain in order to obtain a better estimate of the connectome, while also striving to extend validation of these measurements. This paper summarizes the project and describes the perspective of using micro-structural measures to study the connectome. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MicroCT evaluation of bone mineral density loss in human bones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nogueira, Liebert P.; Braz, Delson; Lopes, Ricardo T.; Barroso, Regina C.; Oliveira, Luis F.

2007-01-01

Bone is a connective tissue largely composed of an organic protein, collagen and the inorganic mineral hydroxyapatite [Ca 10 (PO 4 ) 6 OH 2 ], which combine to provide a mechanical and supportive role in the body. Depending on the orientation of collagen fibers, two types of bone can be distinguished: trabecular and cortical bone. Degree of mineralization is considered an important feature of bone quality. Changes in the degree of mineralization is generally due to osteoporosis, but many recent studies have already shown that alterations in degree of mineralization can occur due to a large variety of factors. The transmission X-ray microtomography is one of the most popular methods, which provides the spatial distribution of the total absorption coefficient inside the sample. The aim of this study was to investigate the suitability of using microCT as a supplementary tool for the diagnosis of the health status of human bones. Eleven samples were constructed simulating the physiological range of bone mineral density (BMD) found in cortical human bone. The samples represent healthy mixtures of swine compact bone dried at room temperature, powdered and mixed with fat (0 - 100 % by mass). The samples were imaged by a microfocus tube (Fein-Focus) with focal size of about 60 μm (±5%), and a CCD camera (0.143 mm pixel size) coupled with an intensifier tube with fluoroscope screen at the Nuclear Instrumentation Laboratory (COPPE/UFRJ), Brazil. The images were reconstructed and treated with suitable software developed at the Nuclear Instrumentation Laboratory. The mineral content in cortical bone is defined by the volume of dry, fat-free bone per unit bulk volume of the bone. The volumes were calculated from the bone density using the relationship between volume and density. The densities of fat and bone were taken to be 0.95 g.cm -3 and 1.92 g.cm -3 respectively. The correlation of the measured absorption coefficient with the mineral content in the samples was then

MicroCT evaluation of bone mineral density loss in human bones

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nogueira, Liebert P.; Braz, Delson; Lopes, Ricardo T. [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-graduacao de Engenharia (COPPE). Lab. de Instrumentacao Nuclear]. E-mails: lnogueira@con.ufrj.br; Barroso, Regina C.; Oliveira, Luis F. [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Inst. de Fisica]. E-mail: cely@uerj.br

2007-07-01

Bone is a connective tissue largely composed of an organic protein, collagen and the inorganic mineral hydroxyapatite [Ca{sub 10}(PO{sub 4}){sub 6}OH{sub 2}], which combine to provide a mechanical and supportive role in the body. Depending on the orientation of collagen fibers, two types of bone can be distinguished: trabecular and cortical bone. Degree of mineralization is considered an important feature of bone quality. Changes in the degree of mineralization is generally due to osteoporosis, but many recent studies have already shown that alterations in degree of mineralization can occur due to a large variety of factors. The transmission X-ray microtomography is one of the most popular methods, which provides the spatial distribution of the total absorption coefficient inside the sample. The aim of this study was to investigate the suitability of using microCT as a supplementary tool for the diagnosis of the health status of human bones. Eleven samples were constructed simulating the physiological range of bone mineral density (BMD) found in cortical human bone. The samples represent healthy mixtures of swine compact bone dried at room temperature, powdered and mixed with fat (0 - 100 % by mass). The samples were imaged by a microfocus tube (Fein-Focus) with focal size of about 60 {mu}m ({+-}5%), and a CCD camera (0.143 mm pixel size) coupled with an intensifier tube with fluoroscope screen at the Nuclear Instrumentation Laboratory (COPPE/UFRJ), Brazil. The images were reconstructed and treated with suitable software developed at the Nuclear Instrumentation Laboratory. The mineral content in cortical bone is defined by the volume of dry, fat-free bone per unit bulk volume of the bone. The volumes were calculated from the bone density using the relationship between volume and density. The densities of fat and bone were taken to be 0.95 g.cm{sup -3} and 1.92 g.cm{sup -3} respectively. The correlation of the measured absorption coefficient with the mineral content

MicroRNA Regulation of Human Genes Essential for Influenza A (H7N9 Replication.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Wolf

Full Text Available Influenza A viruses are important pathogens of humans and animals. While seasonal influenza viruses infect humans every year, occasionally animal-origin viruses emerge to cause pandemics with significantly higher morbidity and mortality rates. In March 2013, the public health authorities of China reported three cases of laboratory confirmed human infection with avian influenza A (H7N9 virus, and subsequently there have been many cases reported across South East Asia and recently in North America. Most patients experience severe respiratory illness, and morbidity with mortality rates near 40%. No vaccine is currently available and the use of antivirals is complicated due the frequent emergence of drug resistant strains. Thus, there is an imminent need to identify new drug targets for therapeutic intervention. In the current study, a high-throughput screening (HTS assay was performed using microRNA (miRNA inhibitors to identify new host miRNA targets that reduce influenza H7N9 replication in human respiratory (A549 cells. Validation studies lead to a top hit, hsa-miR-664a-3p, that had potent antiviral effects in reducing H7N9 replication (TCID50 titers by two logs. In silico pathway analysis revealed that this microRNA targeted the LIF and NEK7 genes with effects on pro-inflammatory factors. In follow up studies using siRNAs, anti-viral properties were shown for LIF. Furthermore, inhibition of hsa-miR-664a-3p also reduced virus replication of pandemic influenza A strains H1N1 and H3N2.

Cross-correlative 3D micro-structural investigation of human bone processed into bone allografts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Atul Kumar; Gajiwala, Astrid Lobo; Rai, Ratan Kumar; Khan, Mohd Parvez; Singh, Chandan; Barbhuyan, Tarun; Vijayalakshmi, S.; Chattopadhyay, Naibedya; Sinha, Neeraj; Kumar, Ashutosh; Bellare, Jayesh R.

2016-01-01

Bone allografts (BA) are a cost-effective and sustainable alternative in orthopedic practice as they provide a permanent solution for preserving skeletal architecture and function. Such BA however, must be processed to be disease free and immunologically safe as well as biologically and clinically useful. Here, we have demonstrated a processing protocol for bone allografts and investigated the micro-structural properties of bone collected from osteoporotic and normal human donor samples. In order to characterize BA at different microscopic levels, a combination of techniques such as Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (ssNMR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), micro-computed tomography (μCT) and Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) were used for delineating the ultra-structural property of bone. ssNMR revealed the extent of water, collagen fine structure and crystalline order in the bone. These were greatly perturbed in the bone taken from osteoporotic bone donor. Among the processing methods analyzed, pasteurization at 60 °C and radiation treatment appeared to substantially alter the bone integrity. SEM study showed a reduction in Ca/P ratio and non-uniform distribution of elements in osteoporotic bones. μ-CT and MIMICS® (Materialize Interactive Medical Image Control System) demonstrated that pasteurization and radiation treatment affects the BA morphology and cause a shift in the HU unit. However, the combination of all these processes restored all-important parameters that are critical for BA integrity and sustainability. Cross-correlation between the various probes we used quantitatively demonstrated differences in morphological and micro-structural properties between BA taken from normal and osteoporotic human donor. Such details could also be instrumental in designing an appropriate bone scaffold. For the best restoration of bone microstructure and to be used as a biomaterial allograft, a step-wise processing method is recommended that preserves all

Cross-correlative 3D micro-structural investigation of human bone processed into bone allografts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Atul Kumar [Centre for Research in Nanotechnology & Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076 (India); Gajiwala, Astrid Lobo [Tissue Bank, Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel, Mumbai 400012 (India); Rai, Ratan Kumar [Centre of Biomedical Research, SGPGIMS Campus, Lucknow 226014 (India); Khan, Mohd Parvez [Division of Endocrinology, Center for Research in Anabolic Skeletal Targets in Health and Illness (ASTHI) CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031 (India); Singh, Chandan [Centre of Biomedical Research, SGPGIMS Campus, Lucknow 226014 (India); Barbhuyan, Tarun [Division of Endocrinology, Center for Research in Anabolic Skeletal Targets in Health and Illness (ASTHI) CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031 (India); Vijayalakshmi, S. [Centre for Research in Nanotechnology & Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076 (India); Chattopadhyay, Naibedya [Division of Endocrinology, Center for Research in Anabolic Skeletal Targets in Health and Illness (ASTHI) CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031 (India); Sinha, Neeraj, E-mail: neerajcbmr@gmail.com [Centre of Biomedical Research, SGPGIMS Campus, Lucknow 226014 (India); Kumar, Ashutosh, E-mail: ashutoshk@iitb.ac.in [Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076 (India); Bellare, Jayesh R., E-mail: jb@iitb.ac.in [Centre for Research in Nanotechnology & Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076 (India); Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076 (India)

2016-05-01

Bone allografts (BA) are a cost-effective and sustainable alternative in orthopedic practice as they provide a permanent solution for preserving skeletal architecture and function. Such BA however, must be processed to be disease free and immunologically safe as well as biologically and clinically useful. Here, we have demonstrated a processing protocol for bone allografts and investigated the micro-structural properties of bone collected from osteoporotic and normal human donor samples. In order to characterize BA at different microscopic levels, a combination of techniques such as Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (ssNMR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), micro-computed tomography (μCT) and Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) were used for delineating the ultra-structural property of bone. ssNMR revealed the extent of water, collagen fine structure and crystalline order in the bone. These were greatly perturbed in the bone taken from osteoporotic bone donor. Among the processing methods analyzed, pasteurization at 60 °C and radiation treatment appeared to substantially alter the bone integrity. SEM study showed a reduction in Ca/P ratio and non-uniform distribution of elements in osteoporotic bones. μ-CT and MIMICS® (Materialize Interactive Medical Image Control System) demonstrated that pasteurization and radiation treatment affects the BA morphology and cause a shift in the HU unit. However, the combination of all these processes restored all-important parameters that are critical for BA integrity and sustainability. Cross-correlation between the various probes we used quantitatively demonstrated differences in morphological and micro-structural properties between BA taken from normal and osteoporotic human donor. Such details could also be instrumental in designing an appropriate bone scaffold. For the best restoration of bone microstructure and to be used as a biomaterial allograft, a step-wise processing method is recommended that preserves all

Human dynamic model co-driven by interest and social identity in the MicroBlog community

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Qiang; Yi, Lanli; Wu, Lianren

2012-02-01

This paper analyzes the behavior of releasing messages in the MicroBlog community and presents a human dynamic model co-driven by interest and social identity. According to the empirical analysis and simulation results, the messaging interval distribution follows a power law, which is mainly influenced by the degree of users' interests. Meanwhile, social identity plays a significant role regarding the change of interests and may slow down the decline of the latter. A positive correlation between social identity and numbers of comments or forwarding of messages is illustrated. Besides, the analysis of data for each 24 h reveals obvious differences between micro-blogging and website visits, email, instant communication, and the use of mobile phones, reflecting how people use small amounts of time via mobile Internet technology.

Role of MicroRNA-1 in Human Cancer and Its Therapeutic Potentials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao Han

2014-01-01

Full Text Available While the mechanisms of human cancer development are not fully understood, evidence of microRNA (miRNA, miR dysregulation has been reported in many human diseases, including cancer. miRs are small noncoding RNA molecules that regulate posttranscriptional gene expression by binding to complementary sequences in the specific region of gene mRNAs, resulting in downregulation of gene expression. Not only are certain miRs consistently dysregulated across many cancers, but they also play critical roles in many aspects of cell growth, proliferation, metastasis, apoptosis, and drug resistance. Recent studies from our group and others revealed that miR-1 is frequently downregulated in various types of cancer. Through targeting multiple oncogenes and oncogenic pathways, miR-1 has been demonstrated to be a tumor suppressor gene that represses cancer cell proliferation and metastasis and promotes apoptosis by ectopic expression. In this review, we highlight recent findings on the aberrant expression and functional significance of miR-1 in human cancers and emphasize its significant values for therapeutic potentials.

Breaking down the plastic age: Road to MICRO 2018

Science.gov (United States)

Baztan, J.; Carrasco, A.; Chouinard, O.; Cordier, M.; Jorgensen, B.; Miguelez, A.; Vanderlinden, J. P.

2016-12-01

In May, members of the microplastic research community met in the Biosphere Reserve of Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain for the first international conference on microplastics, MICRO 2016: "Fate and Impact of Microplastics in Marine Ecosystems: From the Coastline to the Open Sea." During the conference, members of the scientific committee and organizing board launched a collaborative process culminating in the creation of the Lanzarote Declaration, released June 21st (see the link for full text: micro2016.sciencesconf.org). With growing evidence of the environmental consequences and potential threats to human health posed by microplastics, the statement is clear: as long as we continue increasing plastic production and consumption, we will continue increasing its environmental impacts and as the environmental impacts increase and intensify, it will not be surprising to see the consequences for humans reflect similar trends. This leaves us with a major question: How should we move from here, from knowledge to action? Clearly, as microplastics continue accumulating in the environment, the scientific community must join forces to expand our knowledge horizons. Doing so requires collaboration and cooperation, at all scales, from local to global, spanning sectors and disciplines, to improve knowledge, education and outreach efforts. This should not delay actions. With the Lanzarote Declaration, we recognize our responsibility as individuals to change our behaviors related to plastic production and consumption, and to inform others of the social, cultural, economic and environmental implications. The MICRO community is engaging the challenge to work collaboratively. This abstract is one of the milestones from the road to MICRO 2018, a forum to share available knowledge, fill in gaps, and establish new commitments for implementing solutions.

How cells jump: Ultrafast motions in the single-celled micro-organism Halteria grandinella

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnamurthy, Deepak; Cockenpot, Fabien; Prakash, Manu

Here we describe a novel behavior of ''jumping'' in micro-organisms, observed in the common freshwater ciliate Halteria grandinella. This organism's swimming motion is characterized by periods of forward swimming at around 10 body lengths/s punctuated by extremely rapid backward ''jumps'' where the organism reaches speeds of more than 150 body lengths/s. We show, using detailed measurements of the swimming motion through high-speed video microscopy, that the extreme swimming speeds are achieved by the motile cilia transitioning to a beating mode characterized by a significantly larger beat amplitude and an associated reversal in the direction of thrust production. We further show that H.grandinella cells can sense a fluid shear stress signal and ''jump'' in response: a possible predator avoidance mechanism. We investigate this mechanism of shear sensing and study the role of the long, slender structures known as ''cirri'' as microscale sensors of shear stress. The jumping of H.grandinella is at the limits of the metabolic rate of the organism and thus offers insights into the limiting factors governing energy storage and mechanical power release at the microscale. Concurrently their sensing apparatus allows an understanding of the physical limits of microscale mechanical sensing. This material is based on work supported by, or in part by, the US Army Research Laboratory and the US Army Research Office under contract/Grant Number W911NF-15-1-0358.

Biofabrication of a three-dimensional liver micro-organ as an in vitro drug metabolism model.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Robert; Emami, Kamal; Wu, Honglu; Sun, Wei

2010-12-01

In their normal in vivo matrix milieu, tissues assume complex well-organized three-dimensional architectures. Therefore, the primary aim in the tissue engineering design process is to fabricate an optimal analog of the in vivo scenario. This challenge can be addressed by applying emerging layered biofabrication approaches in which the precise configuration and composition of cells and bioactive matrix components can recapitulate the well-defined three-dimensional biomimetic microenvironments that promote cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Furthermore, the advent of and refinements in microfabricated systems can present physical and chemical cues to cells in a controllable and reproducible fashion unmatched with conventional cultures, resulting in the precise construction of engineered biomimetic microenvironments on the cellular length scale in geometries that are readily parallelized for high throughput in vitro models. As such, the convergence of layered solid freeform fabrication (SFF) technologies along with microfabrication techniques enables the creation of a three-dimensional micro-organ device to serve as an in vitro platform for cell culture, drug screening or to elicit further biological insights, particularly for NASA's interest in a flight-suitable high-fidelity microscale platform to study drug metabolism in space and planetary environments. The proposed model in this paper involves the combinatorial setup of an automated syringe-based, layered direct cell writing bioprinting process with micro-patterning techniques to fabricate a microscale in vitro device housing a chamber of bioprinted three-dimensional liver cell-encapsulated hydrogel-based tissue constructs in defined design patterns that biomimic the cell's natural microenvironment for enhanced biological functionality. In order to assess the structural formability and biological feasibility of such a micro-organ, reproducibly fabricated tissue constructs were biologically characterized for

Biofabrication of a three-dimensional liver micro-organ as an in vitro drug metabolism model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Robert; Sun Wei; Emami, Kamal; Wu Honglu

2010-01-01

In their normal in vivo matrix milieu, tissues assume complex well-organized three-dimensional architectures. Therefore, the primary aim in the tissue engineering design process is to fabricate an optimal analog of the in vivo scenario. This challenge can be addressed by applying emerging layered biofabrication approaches in which the precise configuration and composition of cells and bioactive matrix components can recapitulate the well-defined three-dimensional biomimetic microenvironments that promote cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Furthermore, the advent of and refinements in microfabricated systems can present physical and chemical cues to cells in a controllable and reproducible fashion unmatched with conventional cultures, resulting in the precise construction of engineered biomimetic microenvironments on the cellular length scale in geometries that are readily parallelized for high throughput in vitro models. As such, the convergence of layered solid freeform fabrication (SFF) technologies along with microfabrication techniques enables the creation of a three-dimensional micro-organ device to serve as an in vitro platform for cell culture, drug screening or to elicit further biological insights, particularly for NASA's interest in a flight-suitable high-fidelity microscale platform to study drug metabolism in space and planetary environments. The proposed model in this paper involves the combinatorial setup of an automated syringe-based, layered direct cell writing bioprinting process with micro-patterning techniques to fabricate a microscale in vitro device housing a chamber of bioprinted three-dimensional liver cell-encapsulated hydrogel-based tissue constructs in defined design patterns that biomimic the cell's natural microenvironment for enhanced biological functionality. In order to assess the structural formability and biological feasibility of such a micro-organ, reproducibly fabricated tissue constructs were biologically characterized for

Biofabrication of a three-dimensional liver micro-organ as an in vitro drug metabolism model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Robert; Sun Wei [Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Emami, Kamal; Wu Honglu, E-mail: rcc34@drexel.ed, E-mail: sunwei@drexel.ed, E-mail: kamal.emami-1@nasa.go, E-mail: honglu.wu-1@nasa.go [Radiation Biophysics Laboratory, Human Adaptation and Countermeasures Office, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX (United States)

2010-12-15

In their normal in vivo matrix milieu, tissues assume complex well-organized three-dimensional architectures. Therefore, the primary aim in the tissue engineering design process is to fabricate an optimal analog of the in vivo scenario. This challenge can be addressed by applying emerging layered biofabrication approaches in which the precise configuration and composition of cells and bioactive matrix components can recapitulate the well-defined three-dimensional biomimetic microenvironments that promote cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Furthermore, the advent of and refinements in microfabricated systems can present physical and chemical cues to cells in a controllable and reproducible fashion unmatched with conventional cultures, resulting in the precise construction of engineered biomimetic microenvironments on the cellular length scale in geometries that are readily parallelized for high throughput in vitro models. As such, the convergence of layered solid freeform fabrication (SFF) technologies along with microfabrication techniques enables the creation of a three-dimensional micro-organ device to serve as an in vitro platform for cell culture, drug screening or to elicit further biological insights, particularly for NASA's interest in a flight-suitable high-fidelity microscale platform to study drug metabolism in space and planetary environments. The proposed model in this paper involves the combinatorial setup of an automated syringe-based, layered direct cell writing bioprinting process with micro-patterning techniques to fabricate a microscale in vitro device housing a chamber of bioprinted three-dimensional liver cell-encapsulated hydrogel-based tissue constructs in defined design patterns that biomimic the cell's natural microenvironment for enhanced biological functionality. In order to assess the structural formability and biological feasibility of such a micro-organ, reproducibly fabricated tissue constructs were biologically

Normative framework for combating trafficking in human organs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Banović Božidar

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Trafficking in human organs is a specific and complex criminal phenomenon that takes place in several phases, with the participation of a large number of actors, often covering several jurisdictions. To effectively countering are necessary conceptual and terminological demarcation of organ trafficking from other similar phenomena, fundamental scientifically research of its shape and dynamics, and the construction of an adequate legislative framework, both at the national and international level. This paper first analyses the conceptual - terminological framework in which research of organ trafficking is range, and then presents a review and analysis of the development of ethical and normative international standards aimed at prevention and suppression this phenomenon. In the end, we analysed the current solutions in the domestic legislation. Nowadays, there are two parallel legislative regime that regulate the matter of organ trafficking. The first legislative regime that organ trafficking treated exclusively as a modality of transnational crime of human trafficking, and a second, recent, that organ trafficking treats as forbidden (incriminating activity that violates a regulatory system of organ (tissue cells transplantation.

Colonyzer: automated quantification of micro-organism growth characteristics on solid agar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young Alexander

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background High-throughput screens comparing growth rates of arrays of distinct micro-organism cultures on solid agar are useful, rapid methods of quantifying genetic interactions. Growth rate is an informative phenotype which can be estimated by measuring cell densities at one or more times after inoculation. Precise estimates can be made by inoculating cultures onto agar and capturing cell density frequently by plate-scanning or photography, especially throughout the exponential growth phase, and summarising growth with a simple dynamic model (e.g. the logistic growth model. In order to parametrize such a model, a robust image analysis tool capable of capturing a wide range of cell densities from plate photographs is required. Results Colonyzer is a collection of image analysis algorithms for automatic quantification of the size, granularity, colour and location of micro-organism cultures grown on solid agar. Colonyzer is uniquely sensitive to extremely low cell densities photographed after dilute liquid culture inoculation (spotting due to image segmentation using a mixed Gaussian model for plate-wide thresholding based on pixel intensity. Colonyzer is robust to slight experimental imperfections and corrects for lighting gradients which would otherwise introduce spatial bias to cell density estimates without the need for imaging dummy plates. Colonyzer is general enough to quantify cultures growing in any rectangular array format, either growing after pinning with a dense inoculum or growing with the irregular morphology characteristic of spotted cultures. Colonyzer was developed using the open source packages: Python, RPy and the Python Imaging Library and its source code and documentation are available on SourceForge under GNU General Public License. Colonyzer is adaptable to suit specific requirements: e.g. automatic detection of cultures at irregular locations on streaked plates for robotic picking, or decreasing analysis time by

Cytostretch, an Organ-on-Chip Platform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikolas Gaio

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Organ-on-Chips (OOCs are micro-fabricated devices which are used to culture cells in order to mimic functional units of human organs. The devices are designed to simulate the physiological environment of tissues in vivo. Cells in some types of OOCs can be stimulated in situ by electrical and/or mechanical actuators. These actuations can mimic physiological conditions in real tissue and may include fluid or air flow, or cyclic stretch and strain as they occur in the lung and heart. These conditions similarly affect cultured cells and may influence their ability to respond appropriately to physiological or pathological stimuli. To date, most focus has been on devices specifically designed to culture just one functional unit of a specific organ: lung alveoli, kidney nephrons or blood vessels, for example. In contrast, the modular Cytostretch membrane platform described here allows OOCs to be customized to different OOC applications. The platform utilizes silicon-based micro-fabrication techniques that allow low-cost, high-volume manufacturing. We describe the platform concept and its modules developed to date. Membrane variants include membranes with (i through-membrane pores that allow biological signaling molecules to pass between two different tissue compartments; (ii a stretchable micro-electrode array for electrical monitoring and stimulation; (iii micro-patterning to promote cell alignment; and (iv strain gauges to measure changes in substrate stress. This paper presents the fabrication and the proof of functionality for each module of the Cytostretch membrane. The assessment of each additional module demonstrate that a wide range of OOCs can be achieved.

MicroRNA regulation of human protease genes essential for influenza virus replication.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria A Meliopoulos

Full Text Available Influenza A virus causes seasonal epidemics and periodic pandemics threatening the health of millions of people each year. Vaccination is an effective strategy for reducing morbidity and mortality, and in the absence of drug resistance, the efficacy of chemoprophylaxis is comparable to that of vaccines. However, the rapid emergence of drug resistance has emphasized the need for new drug targets. Knowledge of the host cell components required for influenza replication has been an area targeted for disease intervention. In this study, the human protease genes required for influenza virus replication were determined and validated using RNA interference approaches. The genes validated as critical for influenza virus replication were ADAMTS7, CPE, DPP3, MST1, and PRSS12, and pathway analysis showed these genes were in global host cell pathways governing inflammation (NF-κB, cAMP/calcium signaling (CRE/CREB, and apoptosis. Analyses of host microRNAs predicted to govern expression of these genes showed that eight miRNAs regulated gene expression during virus replication. These findings identify unique host genes and microRNAs important for influenza replication providing potential new targets for disease intervention strategies.

MicroRNA regulation of human protease genes essential for influenza virus replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Meliopoulos, Victoria A; Andersen, Lauren E; Brooks, Paula; Yan, Xiuzhen; Bakre, Abhijeet; Coleman, J Keegan; Tompkins, S Mark; Tripp, Ralph A

2012-01-01

Influenza A virus causes seasonal epidemics and periodic pandemics threatening the health of millions of people each year. Vaccination is an effective strategy for reducing morbidity and mortality, and in the absence of drug resistance, the efficacy of chemoprophylaxis is comparable to that of vaccines. However, the rapid emergence of drug resistance has emphasized the need for new drug targets. Knowledge of the host cell components required for influenza replication has been an area targeted for disease intervention. In this study, the human protease genes required for influenza virus replication were determined and validated using RNA interference approaches. The genes validated as critical for influenza virus replication were ADAMTS7, CPE, DPP3, MST1, and PRSS12, and pathway analysis showed these genes were in global host cell pathways governing inflammation (NF-κB), cAMP/calcium signaling (CRE/CREB), and apoptosis. Analyses of host microRNAs predicted to govern expression of these genes showed that eight miRNAs regulated gene expression during virus replication. These findings identify unique host genes and microRNAs important for influenza replication providing potential new targets for disease intervention strategies.

A Competitive Market in Human Organs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danny Frederick

2010-11-01

Full Text Available I offer consequentialist and deontological arguments for a competitive market in human organs, from live as well as dead donors. I consider the objections that a market in organs will frustrate altruism, coerce the desperate, expose under-informed agents to unacceptable risks, exacerbate inequality, degrade those who participate in it, involve a kind of slavery, impose invidious costs, and impair third-party choice sets. I show that each of these objections is without merit and that, in consequence, the opposition to markets in organs is an untenable endorsement of death, suffering and the suppression of freedom.

A new species of Temnocephala (Platyhelminthes, Temnocephalida commensal of Pomella megastoma (Mollusca, Ampullariidae from Misiones, Argentina Una especie nueva de Temnocephala (Platyhelminthes, Temnocephalida comensal de Pomella megastoma (Mollusca, Ampullariidae de Misiones, Argentina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Damborenea

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Temnocephala lamothei n. sp., a commensal of Pomella megastoma (Sowerby, 1825, is described herein from specimens collected at Arroyo Yabotí-Miní (Misiones province, Argentina. Juveniles and adults were removed from the mantle cavity by host relaxation. Distinctive characters of the new species are: non-partitioned intestine; conical cirrus with 1 face flat and another concave; distal area with spines, as evidenced by a strong, oblique sclerotized ring, and 2 rows of long spines, an internal one with long spines arising from base of introvert and an external one arising from distal end of the introvert. The closest species are T. iheringi, T. rochensis and T. haswelli, which are also commensals of mollusc species. The presence of this new species of Temnocephala, and its similarity to the other species that are commensals of molluscan species, suggest the existence of a morphologically homogeneous group.Temnocephala lamothei n. sp., comensal de Pomella megastoma (Sowerby, 1825, se describe para el arroyo Yabotí-Miní, provincia de Misiones, Argentina. Se extrajeron ejemplares juveniles y adultos de la cavidad paleal, por relajación de los hospederos. Las características distintivas de la nueva especie son: intestino no septado, cirro de forma cónica, con una cara plana y otra cóncava, zona distal con espinas evidente por un fuerte anillo oblicuo esclerosado. Dos hileras de espinas se reconocen en el extremo distal, 1 interna de espinas largas, que surge desde la base del introverso, y 1 externa, que surge del extremo distal del mismo. Las especies más semejantes son T. iheringi, T. rochensis y T. haswelli, especies comensales de moluscos con las que es comparada. El hallazgo de esta nueva especie de Temnocephala y sus características semejantes a las restantes especies del género comensales de moluscos, sugieren que las especies conocidas hasta la fecha formen un grupo morfológicamente homogéneo.

UVA and UVB Irradiation Differentially Regulate microRNA Expression in Human Primary Keratinocytes

Science.gov (United States)

Kraemer, Anne; Chen, I-Peng; Henning, Stefan; Faust, Alexandra; Volkmer, Beate; Atkinson, Michael J.; Moertl, Simone; Greinert, Ruediger

2013-01-01

MicroRNA (miRNA)-mediated regulation of the cellular transcriptome is an important epigenetic mechanism for fine-tuning regulatory pathways. These include processes related to skin cancer development, progression and metastasis. However, little is known about the role of microRNA as an intermediary in the carcinogenic processes following exposure to UV-radiation. We now show that UV irradiation of human primary keratinocytes modulates the expression of several cellular miRNAs. A common set of miRNAs was influenced by exposure to both UVA and UVB. However, each wavelength band also activated a distinct subset of miRNAs. Common sets of UVA- and UVB-regulated miRNAs harbor the regulatory elements GLYCA-nTRE, GATA-1-undefined-site-13 or Hox-2.3-undefined-site-2 in their promoters. In silico analysis indicates that the differentially expressed miRNAs responding to UV have potential functions in the cellular pathways of cell growth and proliferation. Interestingly, the expression of miR-23b, which is a differentiation marker of human keratinocytes, is remarkably up-regulated after UVA irradiation. Studying the interaction between miR-23b and its putative skin-relevant targets using a Luciferase reporter assay revealed that RRAS2 (related RAS viral oncogene homolog 2), which is strongly expressed in highly aggressive malignant skin cancer, to be a direct target of miR-23b. This study demonstrates for the first time a differential miRNA response to UVA and UVB in human primary keratinocytes. This suggests that selective regulation of signaling pathways occurs in response to different UV energies. This may shed new light on miRNA-regulated carcinogenic processes involved in UV-induced skin carcinogenesis. PMID:24391759

UVA and UVB irradiation differentially regulate microRNA expression in human primary keratinocytes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne Kraemer

Full Text Available MicroRNA (miRNA-mediated regulation of the cellular transcriptome is an important epigenetic mechanism for fine-tuning regulatory pathways. These include processes related to skin cancer development, progression and metastasis. However, little is known about the role of microRNA as an intermediary in the carcinogenic processes following exposure to UV-radiation. We now show that UV irradiation of human primary keratinocytes modulates the expression of several cellular miRNAs. A common set of miRNAs was influenced by exposure to both UVA and UVB. However, each wavelength band also activated a distinct subset of miRNAs. Common sets of UVA- and UVB-regulated miRNAs harbor the regulatory elements GLYCA-nTRE, GATA-1-undefined-site-13 or Hox-2.3-undefined-site-2 in their promoters. In silico analysis indicates that the differentially expressed miRNAs responding to UV have potential functions in the cellular pathways of cell growth and proliferation. Interestingly, the expression of miR-23b, which is a differentiation marker of human keratinocytes, is remarkably up-regulated after UVA irradiation. Studying the interaction between miR-23b and its putative skin-relevant targets using a Luciferase reporter assay revealed that RRAS2 (related RAS viral oncogene homolog 2, which is strongly expressed in highly aggressive malignant skin cancer, to be a direct target of miR-23b. This study demonstrates for the first time a differential miRNA response to UVA and UVB in human primary keratinocytes. This suggests that selective regulation of signaling pathways occurs in response to different UV energies. This may shed new light on miRNA-regulated carcinogenic processes involved in UV-induced skin carcinogenesis.

Self-organization of spatial patterning in human embryonic stem cells

Science.gov (United States)

Deglincerti, Alessia; Etoc, Fred; Ozair, M. Zeeshan; Brivanlou, Ali H.

2017-01-01

The developing embryo is a remarkable example of self-organization, where functional units are created in a complex spatio-temporal choreography. Recently, human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have been used to recapitulate in vitro the self-organization programs that are executed in the embryo in vivo. This represents a unique opportunity to address self-organization in humans that is otherwise not addressable with current technologies. In this essay, we review the recent literature on self-organization of human ESCs, with a particular focus on two examples: formation of embryonic germ layers and neural rosettes. Intriguingly, both activation and elimination of TGFβ signaling can initiate self-organization, albeit with different molecular underpinnings. We discuss the mechanisms underlying the formation of these structures in vitro and explore future challenges in the field. PMID:26970615

[The method for studying of the "magnetic vacuum" effect on color memory in humans].

Science.gov (United States)

Bingi, V N; Zarutskiĭ, A A; Kapranov, S V; Kotel'nikov, S N; Miliaev, V A; Sarimov, R M

2005-01-01

The method for studying the effects of weak magnetic fields and "magnetic vacuum" on the psychophysiological state of a human organism is proposed. This method includes the system of the exposure of a human organism to uniform constant and alternating magnetic fields and the system of computerized psychological tests. The influence of the weakening of constant magnetic field on the psychophysiological state of human organisms was studied. The short-term color memory and reaction rates of 30 subjects have been examined in the local geomagnetic field and in a magnetic field which was reduced in 10 and more times. Statistically significant differences in the color memory test was found in the magnetic field 4 +/- 1 microT in comparison with the results in the geomagnetic field. In the magnetic field 0 +/- 1 microT, slight impairment of color memory was found. Preliminary results in the test of reaction rates showed the tendency to slowing down the reaction rates in the weakened magnetic fields.

Micro/Nano Structural Tantalum Coating for Enhanced Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow Stem Cells

OpenAIRE

Ding Ding; Youtao Xie; Kai Li; Liping Huang; Xuebin Zheng

2018-01-01

Recently, tantalum has been attracting much attention for its anticorrosion resistance and biocompatibility, and it has been widely used in surface modification for implant applications. To improve its osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow stem cells (hBMSCs), a micro/nano structure has been fabricated on the tantalum coating surface through the combination of anodic oxidation and plasma spraying method. The morphology, composition, and microstructure of the modified coating were co...

Removal of organic micro-pollutants (phenol, aniline and nitrobenzene) via forward osmosis (FO) process: Evaluation of FO as an alternative method to reverse osmosis (RO)

KAUST Repository

Cui, Yue

2016-01-05

In this study, we have explored and compared the effectiveness of using (1) lab-fabricated forward osmosis (FO) membranes under both FO and reverse osmosis (RO) modes and (2) commercially available RO membranes under the RO mode for the removal of organic micro-pollutants. The lab-fabricated FO membranes are thin film composite (TFC) membranes consisting of a polyamide layer and a porous substrate cast from three different materials; namely, Matrimid, polyethersulfone (PESU) and sulfonated polyphenylene sulfone (sPPSU). The results show that the FO mode is superior to the RO mode in the removal of phenol, aniline and nitrobenzene from wastewater. The rejections of all three TFC membranes to all the three organic micro-pollutants under the FO processes are higher than 72% and can be even higher than 90% for aniline when a 1000 ppm aromatic aqueous solution and 1 M NaCl are employed as feeds. These performances outperform the results obtained from themselves and commercially available RO membranes under the RO mode. In addition, the rejection can be maintained even when treating a more concentrated feed solution (2000 ppm). The removal performance can be further enhanced by using a more concentrated draw solution (2 M). The water flux is almost doubled, and the rejection increment can reach up to 17%. Moreover, it was observed that annealing as a post-treatment would help compact the membrane selective layer and further enhance the separating efficiency. The obtained organic micro-pollutant rejections and water fluxes under various feasible operating conditions indicate that the FO process has potential to be a viable treatment for wastewater containing organic micro-pollutants.

Institutionalising Human Governance Determinant: Steering Organizations towards Sustainability

Science.gov (United States)

Muhamad Hanapiyah, Zulkefli; Daud, Salina; Abdullah, Wan Mohammad Taufik Wan

2016-03-01

This paper discusses past researches on human governance elements. Eight elements of human governance are proposed in this paper: leadership, integrity, religiosity, spirituality, culture, recruitment, training and internal control policy. Empirical study shall be conducted in the future study to confirm the eight elements of human governance proposed in this paper. It is expected that these elements may enhance the human governance practice in the organizations.

Investigations on the populations of introduced and resident micro-organisms in deep repositories and their effects on containment of radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

West, J.M.; Arme, S.C.; Christofi, N.; Philp, J.C.

1986-01-01

The present study has sought to establish basic facts concerning the importance of microbial presence in a radioactive waste repository. These are: (1) establishing the presence of microbes in relevant geological formations; (2) defining the importance of isolated groups to radioactive waste containment; (3) establishing the ability of sampled microbes to tolerate repository environmental conditions; (4) conducting preliminary work on microbial ability to influence radionuclide migration characteristics; (5) attempting basic modelling of the effects of micro-organisms on containment and radionuclide migration. Results have shown that micro-organisms of significance (e.g. sulphur cycle bacteria) are present in relevant formations. These groups can tolerate repository conditions and influence migration studies. Their growth, however, would seem to be limited by the nutrient availability. Simple modelling has concentrated on conservative calculations on the constraints of maximum effects of microbial contamination of a high-level waste repository

The Complex Exogenous RNA Spectra in Human Plasma: An Interface with Human Gut Biota?

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kai; Li, Hong; Yuan, Yue; Etheridge, Alton; Zhou, Yong; Huang, David; Wilmes, Paul; Galas, David

2012-01-01

Human plasma has long been a rich source for biomarker discovery. It has recently become clear that plasma RNA molecules, such as microRNA, in addition to proteins are common and can serve as biomarkers. Surveying human plasma for microRNA biomarkers using next generation sequencing technology, we observed that a significant fraction of the circulating RNA appear to originate from exogenous species. With careful analysis of sequence error statistics and other controls, we demonstrated that there is a wide range of RNA from many different organisms, including bacteria and fungi as well as from other species. These RNAs may be associated with protein, lipid or other molecules protecting them from RNase activity in plasma. Some of these RNAs are detected in intracellular complexes and may be able to influence cellular activities under in vitro conditions. These findings raise the possibility that plasma RNAs of exogenous origin may serve as signaling molecules mediating for example the human-microbiome interaction and may affect and/or indicate the state of human health. PMID:23251414

More accurate picture of human body organs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolar, J.

1985-01-01

Computerized tomography and nucler magnetic resonance tomography (NMRT) are revolutionary contributions to radiodiagnosis because they allow to obtain a more accurate image of human body organs. The principles are described of both methods. Attention is mainly devoted to NMRT which has clinically only been used for three years. It does not burden the organism with ionizing radiation. (Ha)

Self-Organization of Spatial Patterning in Human Embryonic Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Deglincerti, Alessia; Etoc, Fred; Ozair, M Zeeshan; Brivanlou, Ali H

2016-01-01

The developing embryo is a remarkable example of self-organization, where functional units are created in a complex spatiotemporal choreography. Recently, human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have been used to recapitulate in vitro the self-organization programs that are executed in the embryo in vivo. This represents an unique opportunity to address self-organization in humans that is otherwise not addressable with current technologies. In this chapter, we review the recent literature on self-organization of human ESCs, with a particular focus on two examples: formation of embryonic germ layers and neural rosettes. Intriguingly, both activation and elimination of TGFβ signaling can initiate self-organization, albeit with different molecular underpinnings. We discuss the mechanisms underlying the formation of these structures in vitro and explore future challenges in the field. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Expression profiling of microRNAs in human bone tissue from postmenopausal women.

Science.gov (United States)

De-Ugarte, Laura; Serra-Vinardell, Jenny; Nonell, Lara; Balcells, Susana; Arnal, Magdalena; Nogues, Xavier; Mellibovsky, Leonardo; Grinberg, Daniel; Diez-Perez, Adolfo; Garcia-Giralt, Natalia

2018-01-01

Bone tissue is composed of several cell types, which express their own microRNAs (miRNAs) that will play a role in cell function. The set of total miRNAs expressed in all cell types configures the specific signature of the bone tissue in one physiological condition. The aim of this study was to explore the miRNA expression profile of bone tissue from postmenopausal women. Tissue was obtained from trabecular bone and was analyzed in fresh conditions (n = 6). Primary osteoblasts were also obtained from trabecular bone (n = 4) and human osteoclasts were obtained from monocyte precursors after in vitro differentiation (n = 5). MicroRNA expression profiling was obtained for each sample by microarray and a global miRNA analysis was performed combining the data acquired in all the microarray experiments. From the 641 miRNAs detected in bone tissue samples, 346 (54%) were present in osteoblasts and/or osteoclasts. The other 46% were not identified in any of the bone cells analyzed. Intersection of osteoblast and osteoclast arrays identified 101 miRNAs shared by both cell types, which accounts for 30-40% of miRNAs detected in these cells. In osteoblasts, 266 miRNAs were detected, of which 243 (91%) were also present in the total bone array, representing 38% of all bone miRNAs. In osteoclasts, 340 miRNAs were detected, of which 196 (58%) were also present in the bone tissue array, representing 31% of all miRNAs detected in total bone. These analyses provide an overview of miRNAs expressed in bone tissue, broadening our knowledge in the microRNA field.

Command and Control Architectures for Autonomous Micro-Robotic Forces - FY-2000 Project Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dudenhoeffer, Donald Dean

2001-04-01

Advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and micro-technologies will soon give rise to production of large-scale forces of autonomous micro-robots with systems of innate behaviors and with capabilities of self-organization and real world tasking. Such organizations have been compared to schools of fish, flocks of birds, herds of animals, swarms of insects, and military squadrons. While these systems are envisioned as maintaining a high degree of autonomy, it is important to understand the relationship of man with such machines. In moving from research studies to the practical deployment of large-scale numbers of robots, one of critical pieces that must be explored is the command and control architecture for humans to re-task and also inject global knowledge, experience, and intuition into the force. Tele-operation should not be the goal, but rather a level of adjustable autonomy and high-level control. If a herd of sheep is comparable to the collective of robots, then the human element is comparable to the shepherd pulling in strays and guiding the herd in the direction of greener pastures. This report addresses the issues and development of command and control for largescale numbers of autonomous robots deployed as a collective force.

Differential MicroRNA Expression in Human Macrophages with Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection of Beijing/W and Non-Beijing/W Strain Types.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin Zheng

Full Text Available The role of microRNAs in association with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB infection and the immunology regulated by microRNAs upon MTB infection have not been fully unravelled. We examined the microRNA profiles of THP-1 macrophages upon the MTB infection of Beijing/W and non-Beijing/W clinical strains. We also studied the microRNA profiles of the host macrophages by microarray in a small cohort with active MTB disease, latent infection (LTBI, and from healthy controls.The results revealed that 14 microRNAs differentiated infections of Beijing/W from non-Beijing/W strains (P<0.05. A unique signature of 11 microRNAs in human macrophages was identified to differentiate active MTB disease from LTBI and healthy controls. Pathway analyses of these differentially expressed miRNAs suggest that the immune-regulatory interactions involving TGF-β signalling pathway take part in the dysregulation of critical TB processes in the macrophages, resulting in active expression of both cell communication and signalling transduction systems.We showed for the first time that the Beijing/W TB strains repressed a number of miRNAs expressions which may reflect their virulence characteristics in altering the host response. The unique signatures of 11 microRNAs may deserve further evaluation as candidates for biomarkers in the diagnosis of MTB and Beijing/W infections.

Geometric Shape Regulation and Noncovalent Synthesis of One-Dimensional Organic Luminescent Nano-/Micro-Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Xiaoxian; Zhang, Zuolun; Zhang, Shoufeng; Wei, Jinbei; Ye, Kaiqi; Liu, Yu; Marder, Todd B; Wang, Yue

2017-08-03

Noncovalent synthesis of one-dimensional (1D) organic nano-/micro-materials with controllable geometric shapes or morphologies and special luminescent and electronic properties is one of the greatest challenges in modern chemistry and material science. Control of noncovalent interactions is fundamental for realizing desired 1D structures and crucial for understanding the functions of these interactions. Here, a series of thiophene-fused phenazines composed of a halogen-substituted π-conjugated plate and a pair of flexible side chains is presented, which displays halogen-dependent 1D self-assemblies. Luminescent 1D twisted wires, straight rods, and zigzag wires, respectively, can be generated in sequence when the halogen atoms are varied from the lightest F to the heaviest I. It was demonstrated that halogen-dependent anisotropic noncovalent interactions and mirror-symmetrical crystallization dominated the 1D-assembly behaviors of this class of molecules. The methodology developed in this study provides a potential strategy for constructing 1D organic materials with unique optoelectronic functions.

ELFN1-AS1: A Novel Primate Gene with Possible MicroRNA Function Expressed Predominantly in Human Tumors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dmitrii E. Polev

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Human gene LOC100505644 uncharacterized LOC100505644 [Homo sapiens] (Entrez Gene ID 100505644 is abundantly expressed in tumors but weakly expressed in few normal tissues. Till now the function of this gene remains unknown. Here we identified the chromosomal borders of the transcribed region and the major splice form of the LOC100505644-specific transcript. We characterised the major regulatory motifs of the gene and its splice sites. Analysis of the secondary structure of the major transcript variant revealed a hairpin-like structure characteristic for precursor microRNAs. Comparative genomic analysis of the locus showed that it originated in primates de novo. Taken together, our data indicate that human gene LOC100505644 encodes some non-protein coding RNA, likely a microRNA. It was assigned a gene symbol ELFN1-AS1 (ELFN1 antisense RNA 1 (non-protein coding. This gene combines features of evolutionary novelty and predominant expression in tumors.

Identification of microRNAs and mRNAs associated with multidrug resistance of human laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yin, Wanzhong; Wang, Ping; Wang, Xin [Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The First Clinical Hospital, Norman Bethune College of Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun (China); Song, Wenzhi [Department of Stomatology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun (China); Cui, Xiangyan; Yu, Hong; Zhu, Wei [Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The First Clinical Hospital, Norman Bethune College of Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun (China)

2013-06-12

Multidrug resistance (MDR) poses a serious impediment to the success of chemotherapy for laryngeal cancer. To identify microRNAs and mRNAs associated with MDR of human laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cells, we developed a multidrug-resistant human laryngeal cancer subline, designated Hep-2/v, by exposing Hep-2 cells to stepwise increasing concentrations of vincristine (0.02-0.96'µM). Microarray assays were performed to compare the microRNA and mRNA expression profiles of Hep-2 and Hep-2/v cells. Compared to Hep-2 cells, Hep-2/v cells were more resistant to chemotherapy drugs (∼45-fold more resistant to vincristine, 5.1-fold more resistant to cisplatin, and 5.6-fold more resistant to 5-fluorouracil) and had a longer doubling time (42.33±1.76 vs 28.75±1.12'h, P<0.05), higher percentage of cells in G0/G1 phase (80.98±0.52 vs 69.14±0.89, P<0.05), increased efflux of rhodamine 123 (95.97±0.56 vs 12.40±0.44%, P<0.01), and up-regulated MDR1 expression. A total of 7 microRNAs and 605 mRNAs were differentially expressed between the two cell types. Of the differentially expressed mRNAs identified, regulator of G-protein signaling 10, high-temperature requirement protein A1, and nuclear protein 1 were found to be the putative targets of the differentially expressed microRNAs identified. These findings may open a new avenue for clarifying the mechanisms responsible for MDR in laryngeal cancer.

Identification of microRNAs and mRNAs associated with multidrug resistance of human laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin, Wanzhong; Wang, Ping; Wang, Xin; Song, Wenzhi; Cui, Xiangyan; Yu, Hong; Zhu, Wei

2013-01-01

Multidrug resistance (MDR) poses a serious impediment to the success of chemotherapy for laryngeal cancer. To identify microRNAs and mRNAs associated with MDR of human laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cells, we developed a multidrug-resistant human laryngeal cancer subline, designated Hep-2/v, by exposing Hep-2 cells to stepwise increasing concentrations of vincristine (0.02-0.96'µM). Microarray assays were performed to compare the microRNA and mRNA expression profiles of Hep-2 and Hep-2/v cells. Compared to Hep-2 cells, Hep-2/v cells were more resistant to chemotherapy drugs (∼45-fold more resistant to vincristine, 5.1-fold more resistant to cisplatin, and 5.6-fold more resistant to 5-fluorouracil) and had a longer doubling time (42.33±1.76 vs 28.75±1.12'h, P<0.05), higher percentage of cells in G0/G1 phase (80.98±0.52 vs 69.14±0.89, P<0.05), increased efflux of rhodamine 123 (95.97±0.56 vs 12.40±0.44%, P<0.01), and up-regulated MDR1 expression. A total of 7 microRNAs and 605 mRNAs were differentially expressed between the two cell types. Of the differentially expressed mRNAs identified, regulator of G-protein signaling 10, high-temperature requirement protein A1, and nuclear protein 1 were found to be the putative targets of the differentially expressed microRNAs identified. These findings may open a new avenue for clarifying the mechanisms responsible for MDR in laryngeal cancer

3D printing of nano- and micro-structures

Science.gov (United States)

Ramasamy, Mouli; Varadan, Vijay K.

2016-04-01

Additive manufacturing or 3D printing techniques are being vigorously investigated as a replacement to the traditional and conventional methods in fabrication to bring forth cost and time effective approaches. Introduction of 3D printing has led to printing micro and nanoscale structures including tissues and organelles, bioelectric sensors and devices, artificial bones and transplants, microfluidic devices, batteries and various other biomaterials. Various microfabrication processes have been developed to fabricate micro components and assemblies at lab scale. 3D Fabrication processes that can accommodate the functional and geometrical requirements to realize complicated structures are becoming feasible through advances in additive manufacturing. This advancement could lead to simpler development mechanisms of novel components and devices exhibiting complex features. For instance, development of microstructure electrodes that can penetrate the epidermis of the skin to collect the bio potential signal may prove very effective than the electrodes that measure signal from the skin's surface. The micro and nanostructures will have to possess extraordinary material and mechanical properties for its dexterity in the applications. A substantial amount of research being pursued on stretchable and flexible devices based on PDMA, textiles, and organic electronics. Despite the numerous advantages these substrates and techniques could solely offer, 3D printing enables a multi-dimensional approach towards finer and complex applications. This review emphasizes the use of 3D printing to fabricate micro and nanostructures for that can be applied for human healthcare.

Differential MicroRNA Expression in Human Macrophages with Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection of Beijing/W and Non-Beijing/W Strain Types.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Lin; Leung, Eric; Lee, Nelson; Lui, Grace; To, Ka-Fai; Chan, Raphael C Y; Ip, Margaret

2015-01-01

The role of microRNAs in association with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection and the immunology regulated by microRNAs upon MTB infection have not been fully unravelled. We examined the microRNA profiles of THP-1 macrophages upon the MTB infection of Beijing/W and non-Beijing/W clinical strains. We also studied the microRNA profiles of the host macrophages by microarray in a small cohort with active MTB disease, latent infection (LTBI), and from healthy controls. The results revealed that 14 microRNAs differentiated infections of Beijing/W from non-Beijing/W strains (PmicroRNAs in human macrophages was identified to differentiate active MTB disease from LTBI and healthy controls. Pathway analyses of these differentially expressed miRNAs suggest that the immune-regulatory interactions involving TGF-β signalling pathway take part in the dysregulation of critical TB processes in the macrophages, resulting in active expression of both cell communication and signalling transduction systems. We showed for the first time that the Beijing/W TB strains repressed a number of miRNAs expressions which may reflect their virulence characteristics in altering the host response. The unique signatures of 11 microRNAs may deserve further evaluation as candidates for biomarkers in the diagnosis of MTB and Beijing/W infections.

Micro-Foundations of Product Interfaces and Their Implications on Product and Organization Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Donmez, Mehmet; Hsuan, Juliana

2016-01-01

by interfaces in addition to structural interdependencies. Our theoretical reasoning illustrates that the differentiation and integration role of interfaces and the functional and structural interdependencies managed by product interfaces inform three interface properties: structural thickness, functional......Despite the importance of product interfaces for product development organizations, little is known about how product interfaces manage component interdependencies. In order to answer this question, we make one of the initial attempts to define micro-foundational interface properties by building...... on and extending the seminal works of Simon (1962) and Parnas (1972) on which the literature on modularity and product architecture is built. Rather than being simple linkages, we show that interfaces exhibit a core-periphery structure by underlining the importance of functional interdependencies managed...

Monitoring dynamic reactions of red blood cells to UHF electromagnetic waves radiation using a novel micro-imaging technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruan, Ping; Yong, Junguang; Shen, Hongtao; Zheng, Xianrong

2012-12-01

Multiple state-of-the-art techniques, such as multi-dimensional micro-imaging, fast multi-channel micro-spetrophotometry, and dynamic micro-imaging analysis, were used to dynamically investigate various effects of cell under the 900 MHz electromagnetic radiation. Cell changes in shape, size, and parameters of Hb absorption spectrum under different power density electromagnetic waves radiation were presented in this article. Experimental results indicated that the isolated human red blood cells (RBCs) do not have obviously real-time responses to the ultra-low density (15 μW/cm(2), 31 μW/cm(2)) electromagnetic wave radiation when the radiation time is not more than 30 min; however, the cells do have significant reactions in shape, size, and the like, to the electromagnetic waves radiation with power densities of 1 mW/cm(2) and 5 mW/cm(2). The data also reveal the possible influences and statistical relationships among living human cell functions, radiation amount, and exposure time with high-frequency electromagnetic waves. The results of this study may be significant on protection of human being and other living organisms against possible radiation affections of the high-frequency electromagnetic waves.

Anthropogenic organic micro-pollutants and pathogens in the urban water cycle: assessment, barriers and risk communication (ASKURIS)

OpenAIRE

Jekel, Martin; Ruhl, Aki Sebastian; Meinel, Felix; Zietzschmann, Frederik; Pflugmacher Lima, Stephan; Baur, Nina; Wenzel, Melanie; Gnierß, Regina; Sperlich, Alexander; Dünnbier, Uwe; Böckelmann, Uta; Hummelt, Daniel; van Baar, Patricia; Wode, Florian; Petersohn, Dietmar

2013-01-01

First published by Springer: Jekel, Martin et al.: Anthropogenic organic micro-pollutants and pathogens in the urban water cycle: assessment, barriers and risk communication (ASKURIS). - In: Environmental Sciences Europe. - ISSN 2190-4715 (online). - 25 (2013), art. 20. - doi:10.1186/2190-4715-25-20. In urban areas, water often flows along a partially closed water cycle in which treated municipal wastewater is discharged into surface waters which are one source of raw waters used for dr...

Removal of organic micro-pollutants (phenol, aniline and nitrobenzene) via forward osmosis (FO) process: Evaluation of FO as an alternative method to reverse osmosis (RO).

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Yue; Liu, Xiang-Yang; Chung, Tai-Shung; Weber, Martin; Staudt, Claudia; Maletzko, Christian

2016-03-15

In this study, we have explored and compared the effectiveness of using (1) lab-fabricated forward osmosis (FO) membranes under both FO and reverse osmosis (RO) modes and (2) commercially available RO membranes under the RO mode for the removal of organic micro-pollutants. The lab-fabricated FO membranes are thin film composite (TFC) membranes consisting of a polyamide layer and a porous substrate cast from three different materials; namely, Matrimid, polyethersulfone (PESU) and sulfonated polyphenylene sulfone (sPPSU). The results show that the FO mode is superior to the RO mode in the removal of phenol, aniline and nitrobenzene from wastewater. The rejections of all three TFC membranes to all the three organic micro-pollutants under the FO processes are higher than 72% and can be even higher than 90% for aniline when a 1000 ppm aromatic aqueous solution and 1 M NaCl are employed as feeds. These performances outperform the results obtained from themselves and commercially available RO membranes under the RO mode. In addition, the rejection can be maintained even when treating a more concentrated feed solution (2000 ppm). The removal performance can be further enhanced by using a more concentrated draw solution (2 M). The water flux is almost doubled, and the rejection increment can reach up to 17%. Moreover, it was observed that annealing as a post-treatment would help compact the membrane selective layer and further enhance the separating efficiency. The obtained organic micro-pollutant rejections and water fluxes under various feasible operating conditions indicate that the FO process has potential to be a viable treatment for wastewater containing organic micro-pollutants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MicroRNA-138 regulates osteogenic differentiation of human stromal (mesenchymal) stem cells in vivo

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eskildsen, Tilde; Taipaleenmäki, Hanna; Stenvang, Jan

2011-01-01

Elucidating the molecular mechanisms that regulate human stromal (mesenchymal) stem cell (hMSC) differentiation into osteogenic lineage is important for the development of anabolic therapies for treatment of osteoporosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, noncoding RNAs that act as key regulators......-regulated during osteoblast differentiation of hMSCs. Overexpression of miR-138 inhibited osteoblast differentiation of hMSCs in vitro, whereas inhibition of miR-138 function by antimiR-138 promoted expression of osteoblast-specific genes, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and matrix mineralization. Furthermore...

MR diffusion histology and micro-tractography reveal mesoscale features of the human cerebellum.

Science.gov (United States)

Dell'Acqua, Flavio; Bodi, Istvan; Slater, David; Catani, Marco; Modo, Michel

2013-12-01

After 140 years from the discovery of Golgi's black reaction, the study of connectivity of the cerebellum remains a fascinating yet challenging task. Current histological techniques provide powerful methods for unravelling local axonal architecture, but the relatively low volume of data that can be acquired in a reasonable amount of time limits their application to small samples. State-of-the-art in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods, such as diffusion tractography techniques, can reveal trajectories of the major white matter pathways, but their correspondence with underlying anatomy is yet to be established. Hence, a significant gap exists between these two approaches as neither of them can adequately describe the three-dimensional complexity of fibre architecture at the level of the mesoscale (from a few millimetres to micrometres). In this study, we report the application of MR diffusion histology and micro-tractography methods to reveal the combined cytoarchitectural organisation and connectivity of the human cerebellum at a resolution of 100-μm (2 nl/voxel volume). Results show that the diffusion characteristics for each layer of the cerebellar cortex correctly reflect the known cellular composition and its architectural pattern. Micro-tractography also reveals details of the axonal connectivity of individual cerebellar folia and the intra-cortical organisation of the different cerebellar layers. The direct correspondence between MR diffusion histology and micro-tractography with immunohistochemistry indicates that these approaches have the potential to complement traditional histology techniques by providing a non-destructive, quantitative and three-dimensional description of the microstructural organisation of the healthy and pathological tissue.

Search for microRNAs expressed by intracellular bacterial pathogens in infected mammalian cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Furuse, Yuki; Finethy, Ryan; Saka, Hector A; Xet-Mull, Ana M; Sisk, Dana M; Smith, Kristen L Jurcic; Lee, Sunhee; Coers, Jörn; Valdivia, Raphael H; Tobin, David M; Cullen, Bryan R

2014-01-01

MicroRNAs are expressed by all multicellular organisms and play a critical role as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Moreover, different microRNA species are known to influence the progression of a range of different diseases, including cancer and microbial infections. A number of different human viruses also encode microRNAs that can attenuate cellular innate immune responses and promote viral replication, and a fungal pathogen that infects plants has recently been shown to express microRNAs in infected cells that repress host cell immune responses and promote fungal pathogenesis. Here, we have used deep sequencing of total expressed small RNAs, as well as small RNAs associated with the cellular RNA-induced silencing complex RISC, to search for microRNAs that are potentially expressed by intracellular bacterial pathogens and translocated into infected animal cells. In the case of Legionella and Chlamydia and the two mycobacterial species M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis, we failed to detect any bacterial small RNAs that had the characteristics expected for authentic microRNAs, although large numbers of small RNAs of bacterial origin could be recovered. However, a third mycobacterial species, M. marinum, did express an ∼ 23-nt small RNA that was bound by RISC and derived from an RNA stem-loop with the characteristics expected for a pre-microRNA. While intracellular expression of this candidate bacterial microRNA was too low to effectively repress target mRNA species in infected cultured cells in vitro, artificial overexpression of this potential bacterial pre-microRNA did result in the efficient repression of a target mRNA. This bacterial small RNA therefore represents the first candidate microRNA of bacterial origin.

Search for microRNAs expressed by intracellular bacterial pathogens in infected mammalian cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuki Furuse

Full Text Available MicroRNAs are expressed by all multicellular organisms and play a critical role as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Moreover, different microRNA species are known to influence the progression of a range of different diseases, including cancer and microbial infections. A number of different human viruses also encode microRNAs that can attenuate cellular innate immune responses and promote viral replication, and a fungal pathogen that infects plants has recently been shown to express microRNAs in infected cells that repress host cell immune responses and promote fungal pathogenesis. Here, we have used deep sequencing of total expressed small RNAs, as well as small RNAs associated with the cellular RNA-induced silencing complex RISC, to search for microRNAs that are potentially expressed by intracellular bacterial pathogens and translocated into infected animal cells. In the case of Legionella and Chlamydia and the two mycobacterial species M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis, we failed to detect any bacterial small RNAs that had the characteristics expected for authentic microRNAs, although large numbers of small RNAs of bacterial origin could be recovered. However, a third mycobacterial species, M. marinum, did express an ∼ 23-nt small RNA that was bound by RISC and derived from an RNA stem-loop with the characteristics expected for a pre-microRNA. While intracellular expression of this candidate bacterial microRNA was too low to effectively repress target mRNA species in infected cultured cells in vitro, artificial overexpression of this potential bacterial pre-microRNA did result in the efficient repression of a target mRNA. This bacterial small RNA therefore represents the first candidate microRNA of bacterial origin.

Human Memory Organization for Computer Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Norcio, A. F.; Kerst, Stephen M.

1983-01-01

Results of study investigating human memory organization in processing of computer programming languages indicate that algorithmic logic segments form a cognitive organizational structure in memory for programs. Statement indentation and internal program documentation did not enhance organizational process of recall of statements in five Fortran…

A national-scale assessment of micro-organic contaminants in groundwater of England and Wales.

Science.gov (United States)

Manamsa, Katya; Crane, Emily; Stuart, Marianne; Talbot, John; Lapworth, Dan; Hart, Alwyn

2016-10-15

A large variety of micro-organic (MO) compounds is used in huge quantities for a range of purposes (e.g. manufacturing, food production, healthcare) and is now being frequently detected in the aquatic environment. Interest in the occurrence of MO contaminants in the terrestrial and aquatic environments continues to grow, as well as in their environmental fate and potential toxicity. However, the contamination of groundwater resources by MOs has a limited evidence base compared to other freshwater resources. Of particular concern are newly 'emerging contaminants' such as pharmaceuticals and lifestyle compounds, particularly those with potential endocrine disrupting properties. While groundwater often has a high degree of protection from pollution due to physical, chemical and biological attenuation processes in the subsurface compared to surface aquatic environments, trace concentrations of a large range of compounds are still detected in groundwater and in some cases may persist for decades due to the long residence times of groundwater systems. This study provides the first national-scale assessment of micro-organic compounds in groundwater in England and Wales. A large set of monitoring data was analysed to determine the relative occurrence and detected concentrations of different groups of compounds and to determine relationships with land-use, aquifer type and groundwater vulnerability. MOs detected including emerging compounds such as caffeine, DEET, bisphenol A, anti-microbial agents and pharmaceuticals as well as a range of legacy contaminants including chlorinated solvents and THMs, petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides and other industrial compounds. There are clear differences in MOs between land-use types, particularly for urban-industrial and natural land-use. Temporal trends of MO occurrence are assessed but establishing long-term trends is not yet possible. Copyright © 2016 British Geological Survey, NERC. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Functional organization of the transcriptome in human brain

Science.gov (United States)

Oldham, Michael C; Konopka, Genevieve; Iwamoto, Kazuya; Langfelder, Peter; Kato, Tadafumi; Horvath, Steve; Geschwind, Daniel H

2009-01-01

The enormous complexity of the human brain ultimately derives from a finite set of molecular instructions encoded in the human genome. These instructions can be directly studied by exploring the organization of the brain’s transcriptome through systematic analysis of gene coexpression relationships. We analyzed gene coexpression relationships in microarray data generated from specific human brain regions and identified modules of coexpressed genes that correspond to neurons, oligodendrocytes, astrocytes and microglia. These modules provide an initial description of the transcriptional programs that distinguish the major cell classes of the human brain and indicate that cell type–specific information can be obtained from whole brain tissue without isolating homogeneous populations of cells. Other modules corresponded to additional cell types, organelles, synaptic function, gender differences and the subventricular neurogenic niche. We found that subventricular zone astrocytes, which are thought to function as neural stem cells in adults, have a distinct gene expression pattern relative to protoplasmic astrocytes. Our findings provide a new foundation for neurogenetic inquiries by revealing a robust and previously unrecognized organization to the human brain transcriptome. PMID:18849986

Regulation of neutrophil senescence by microRNAs.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jon R Ward

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Neutrophils are rapidly recruited to sites of tissue injury or infection, where they protect against invading pathogens. Neutrophil functions are limited by a process of neutrophil senescence, which renders the cells unable to respond to chemoattractants, carry out respiratory burst, or degranulate. In parallel, aged neutrophils also undergo spontaneous apoptosis, which can be delayed by factors such as GMCSF. This is then followed by their subsequent removal by phagocytic cells such as macrophages, thereby preventing unwanted inflammation and tissue damage. Neutrophils translate mRNA to make new proteins that are important in maintaining functional longevity. We therefore hypothesised that neutrophil functions and lifespan might be regulated by microRNAs expressed within human neutrophils. Total RNA from highly purified neutrophils was prepared and subjected to microarray analysis using the Agilent human miRNA microarray V3. We found human neutrophils expressed a selected repertoire of 148 microRNAs and that 6 of these were significantly upregulated after a period of 4 hours in culture, at a time when the contribution of apoptosis is negligible. A list of predicted targets for these 6 microRNAs was generated from http://mirecords.biolead.org and compared to mRNA species downregulated over time, revealing 83 genes targeted by at least 2 out of the 6 regulated microRNAs. Pathway analysis of genes containing binding sites for these microRNAs identified the following pathways: chemokine and cytokine signalling, Ras pathway, and regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. Our data suggest that microRNAs may play a role in the regulation of neutrophil senescence and further suggest that manipulation of microRNAs might represent an area of future therapeutic interest for the treatment of inflammatory disease.

Organizing smart networks and humans into augmented teams

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Neef, R.M.; Rijn, M. van; Keus, D.; Marck, J.W.

2009-01-01

This paper discusses the challenge of turning networks of sensors, computers, agents and humans into hybrid teams that are capable, effective and adaptive. We propose a functional model and illustrate how such a model can be put into practice, and augment the capabilities of the human organization.

Leveraging Innovation Capabilities of Asian Micro, Small and ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Leveraging Innovation Capabilities of Asian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises through Intermediary Organizations. Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are a source of livelihood for billions of poor people worldwide. The current global economic downturn has hit these enterprises particularly hard, putting ...

Pulsed electric field processing of different fruit juices: impac of pH and temperature on inactivation of spoilage and pathogenic micro-organisms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Timmermans, R.A.H.; Nierop Groot, M.N.; Nederhoff, A.L.; Boekel, van M.A.J.S.; Matser, A.M.; Mastwijk, H.C.

2014-01-01

Pulsed electrical field (PEF) technology can be used for the inactivation of micro-organisms and therefore for preservation of food products. It is a mild technology compared to thermal pasteurization because a lower temperature is used during processing, leading to a better retention of the

Low-level lasers on microRNA and uncoupling protein 2 mRNA levels in human breast cancer cells

Science.gov (United States)

Canuto, K. S.; Teixeira, A. F.; Rodrigues, J. A.; Paoli, F.; Nogueira, E. M.; Mencalha, A. L.; Fonseca, A. S.

2017-06-01

MicroRNA is short non-coding RNA and is a mediator of post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. In addition, uncoupling proteins (UCPs) regulate thermogenesis, metabolic and energy balance, and decrease reactive oxygen species production. Both microRNA and UCP2 expression can be altered in cancer cells. At low power, laser wavelength, frequency, fluence and emission mode deternube photobiological responses, which are the basis of low-level laser therapy. There are few studies on miRNA and UCP mRNA levels after low-level laser exposure on cancer cells. In this work, we evaluate the micrRNA (mir-106b and mir-15a) and UCP2 mRNA levels in human breast cancer cells exposed to low-level lasers. MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells were exposed to low-level red and infrared lasers, total RNA was extracted for cDNA synthesis and mRNA levels by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction were evaluated. Data show that mir-106b and mir-15a relative levels are not altered, but UCP2 mRNA relative levels are increased in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells exposed to low-level red and infrared lasers at fluences used in therapeutic protocols.

The human subject in the organization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcela Pérez Pazmiño

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This article puts the human subject into the center of the discussion, by finding common factors of representative authors in the field, revealing what was their predominant concern. From the Weberian bureaucratic tradition, organizational theory has witnessed that economic target was in the very center of organizations. For current assumptions, legitimate forms of domination would be substantiated by the inability to resolve most everyday affairs, those that handle to the rentability. It starts to show that organizations, far from being a rational set of actions, are places of unsound decisions, most often used for personal than community goals. The conclusion brings a new topic of discussion for organizational theory: the concept of a free agent within the organization.

Effects of different digestible carbohydrates on bile acid metabolism and SCFA production by human gut micro-flora grown in an in vitro semi-continuous culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Zampa, Andrea; Silvi, Stefania; Fabiani, Roberto; Morozzi, Guido; Orpianesi, Carla; Cresci, Alberto

2004-02-01

The main source of carbon in the human large intestine comes from carbohydrates like starches and oligosaccharides which remain unchanged by gastric digestion. These polysaccharides are metabolised in the colon by saccharolytic bacteria whose composition is dependent upon the substrate availability. Among the metabolites produced, the short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are important for colon function and to prevent diseases. In particular, butyrate affects several cellular functions (proliferation, membrane synthesis, sodium absorption), and it has been shown to be protective against colorectal cancer. In addition, faecal bacteria are responsible for the conversion of primary bile acids (BA) to secondary BA, which are considered tumor promoters. In this study we investigated the in vitro effect of different substrates (CrystaLean starch, xylo-oligosaccharides, corn starch) supplied to human faecal micro-flora, on the SCFA production, on the bowel micro-flora composition and on the primary BA conversion rate. In addition, with corn starch as substrate, we considered the effect of enriching normal human faecal micro-flora with lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, on the above reported parameters.

The Use of Longitudinal 18F-FET MicroPET Imaging to Evaluate Response to Irinotecan in Orthotopic Human Glioblastoma Multiforme Xenografts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nedergaard, Mette K; Kristoffersen, Karina; Michaelsen, Signe R

2014-01-01

was compared. METHODS: Human GBM cells were injected orthotopically in nude mice and 18F-FET uptake was followed by weekly MicroPET/CT. When tumor take was observed, mice were treated with CPT-11 or saline weekly. After two weeks of treatment the brain tumors were isolated and quantitative polymerase chain......OBJECTIVES: Brain tumor imaging is challenging. Although 18F-FET PET is widely used in the clinic, the value of 18F-FET MicroPET to evaluate brain tumors in xenograft has not been assessed to date. The aim of this study therefore was to evaluate the performance of in vivo 18F-FET Micro......, a 1.6 fold higher expression of LAT1 and a 23 fold higher expression of LAT2 were observed in patient specimens compared to xenografts. CONCLUSIONS: 18F-FET MicroPET can be used to detect a treatment response to CPT-11 in GBM xenografts. The strong negative correlation between SUV max T/B ratio...

Three-Dimensional Organization of Chromosome Territories and the Human Cell Nucleus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

T.A. Knoch (Tobias)

1999-01-01

textabstractTo study the three-dimensional organization of chromosome territories and the human interphase cell nucleus we developed models, which could be compared to experiments. Despite the successful linear sequencing of the human genome its 3D-organization is widely unknown. Using Monte

MicroRNAs, epigenetics and disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Silahtaroglu, Asli; Stenvang, Jan

2010-01-01

Epigenetics is defined as the heritable chances that affect gene expression without changing the DNA sequence. Epigenetic regulation of gene expression can be through different mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and nucleosome positioning. MicroRNAs are short RNA molecules...... which do not code for a protein but have a role in post-transcriptional silencing of multiple target genes by binding to their 3' UTRs (untranslated regions). Both epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, and the microRNAs are crucial for normal differentiation...... diseases. In the present chapter we will mainly focus on microRNAs and methylation and their implications in human disease, mainly in cancer....

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans lipopolysaccharide affects human gingival fibroblast cytoskeletal organization.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutiérrez-Venegas, Gloria; Contreras-Marmolejo, Luis Arturo; Román-Alvárez, Patricia; Barajas-Torres, Carolina

2008-04-01

The cytoskeleton is a dynamic structure that plays a key role in maintaining cell morphology and function. This study investigates the effect of bacterial wall lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a strong inflammatory agent, on the dynamics and organization of actin, tubulin, vimentin, and vinculin proteins in human gingival fibroblasts (HGF). A time-dependent study showed a noticeable change in actin architecture after 1.5 h of incubation with LPS (1 microg/ml) with the formation of orthogonal fibers and further accumulation of actin filament at the cell periphery by 24 h. When 0.01-10 microg/ml of LPS was added to human gingival fibroblast cultures, cells acquired a round, flat shape and gradually developed cytoplasmic ruffling. Lipopolysaccharides extracted from Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans periodontopathogenic bacteria promoted alterations in F-actin stress fibres of human gingival cells. Normally, human gingival cells have F-actin fibres that are organized in linear distribution throughout the cells, extending along the cell's length. LPS-treated cells exhibited changes in cytoskeletal protein organization, and F-actin was reorganized by the formation of bundles underneath and parallel to the cell membrane. We also found the reorganization of the vimentin network into vimentin bundling after 1.5 h of treatment. HGF cells exhibited diffuse and granular gamma-tubulin stain. There was no change in LPS-treated HGF. However, vinculin plaques distributed in the cell body diminished after LPS treatment. We conclude that the dynamic and structured organization of cytoskeletal filaments and actin assembly in human gingival fibroblasts is altered by LPS treatment and is accompanied by a decrease in F-actin pools.

Transcriptomics resources of human tissues and organs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Uhlén, Mathias; Hallström, Björn M.; Lindskog, Cecilia

2016-01-01

a framework for defining the molecular constituents of the human body as well as for generating comprehensive lists of proteins expressed across tissues or in a tissue-restricted manner. Here, we review publicly available human transcriptome resources and discuss body-wide data from independent genome......Quantifying the differential expression of genes in various human organs, tissues, and cell types is vital to understand human physiology and disease. Recently, several large-scale transcriptomics studies have analyzed the expression of protein-coding genes across tissues. These datasets provide...

Multi-Organ toxicity demonstration in a functional human in vitro system composed of four organs.

Science.gov (United States)

Oleaga, Carlota; Bernabini, Catia; Smith, Alec S T; Srinivasan, Balaji; Jackson, Max; McLamb, William; Platt, Vivien; Bridges, Richard; Cai, Yunqing; Santhanam, Navaneetha; Berry, Bonnie; Najjar, Sarah; Akanda, Nesar; Guo, Xiufang; Martin, Candace; Ekman, Gail; Esch, Mandy B; Langer, Jessica; Ouedraogo, Gladys; Cotovio, Jose; Breton, Lionel; Shuler, Michael L; Hickman, James J

2016-02-03

We report on a functional human model to evaluate multi-organ toxicity in a 4-organ system under continuous flow conditions in a serum-free defined medium utilizing a pumpless platform for 14 days. Computer simulations of the platform established flow rates and resultant shear stress within accepted ranges. Viability of the system was demonstrated for 14 days as well as functional activity of cardiac, muscle, neuronal and liver modules. The pharmacological relevance of the integrated modules were evaluated for their response at 7 days to 5 drugs with known side effects after a 48 hour drug treatment regime. The results of all drug treatments were in general agreement with published toxicity results from human and animal data. The presented phenotypic culture model exhibits a multi-organ toxicity response, representing the next generation of in vitro systems, and constitutes a step towards an in vitro "human-on-a-chip" assay for systemic toxicity screening.

MicroRNA-223 Expression Is Upregulated in Insulin Resistant Human Adipose Tissue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tung-Yueh Chuang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available MicroRNAs (miRNAs are short noncoding RNAs involved in posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression and influence many cellular functions including glucose and lipid metabolism. We previously reported that adipose tissue (AT from women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS or controls with insulin resistance (IR revealed a differentially expressed microRNA (miRNA profile, including upregulated miR-93 in PCOS patients and in non-PCOS women with IR. Overexpressed miR-93 directly inhibited glucose transporter isoform 4 (GLUT4 expression, thereby influencing glucose metabolism. We have now studied the role of miR-223, which is also abnormally expressed in the AT of IR subjects. Our data indicates that miR-223 is significantly overexpressed in the AT of IR women, regardless of whether they had PCOS or not. miR-223 expression in AT was positively correlated with HOMA-IR. Unlike what is reported in cardiomyocytes, overexpression of miR-223 in human differentiated adipocytes was associated with a reduction in GLUT4 protein content and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. In addition, our data suggests miR-223 regulates GLUT4 expression by direct binding to its 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR. In conclusion, in AT miR-223 is an IR-related miRNA that may serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of IR-related disorders.

The Role of microRNAs in the Pathogenesis of Herpesvirus Infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Piedade, Diogo; Azevedo-Pereira, José Miguel

2016-06-02

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs important in gene regulation. They are able to regulate mRNA translation through base-pair complementarity. Cellular miRNAs have been involved in the regulation of nearly all cellular pathways, and their deregulation has been associated with several diseases such as cancer. Given the importance of microRNAs to cell homeostasis, it is no surprise that viruses have evolved to take advantage of this cellular pathway. Viruses have been reported to be able to encode and express functional viral microRNAs that target both viral and cellular transcripts. Moreover, viral inhibition of key proteins from the microRNA pathway and important changes in cellular microRNA pool have been reported upon viral infection. In addition, viruses have developed multiple mechanisms to avoid being targeted by cellular microRNAs. This complex interaction between host and viruses to control the microRNA pathway usually favors viral infection and persistence by either reducing immune detection, avoiding apoptosis, promoting cell growth, or promoting lytic or latent infection. One of the best examples of this virus-host-microRNA interplay emanates from members of the Herperviridae family, namely the herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), and the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). In this review, we will focus on the general functions of microRNAs and the interactions between herpesviruses, human hosts, and microRNAs and will delve into the related mechanisms that contribute to infection and pathogenesis.

High-resolution imaging of the large non-human primate brain using microPET: a feasibility study

Science.gov (United States)

Naidoo-Variawa, S.; Hey-Cunningham, A. J.; Lehnert, W.; Kench, P. L.; Kassiou, M.; Banati, R.; Meikle, S. R.

2007-11-01

The neuroanatomy and physiology of the baboon brain closely resembles that of the human brain and is well suited for evaluating promising new radioligands in non-human primates by PET and SPECT prior to their use in humans. These studies are commonly performed on clinical scanners with 5 mm spatial resolution at best, resulting in sub-optimal images for quantitative analysis. This study assessed the feasibility of using a microPET animal scanner to image the brains of large non-human primates, i.e. papio hamadryas (baboon) at high resolution. Factors affecting image accuracy, including scatter, attenuation and spatial resolution, were measured under conditions approximating a baboon brain and using different reconstruction strategies. Scatter fraction measured 32% at the centre of a 10 cm diameter phantom. Scatter correction increased image contrast by up to 21% but reduced the signal-to-noise ratio. Volume resolution was superior and more uniform using maximum a posteriori (MAP) reconstructed images (3.2-3.6 mm3 FWHM from centre to 4 cm offset) compared to both 3D ordered subsets expectation maximization (OSEM) (5.6-8.3 mm3) and 3D reprojection (3DRP) (5.9-9.1 mm3). A pilot 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose ([18F]FDG) scan was performed on a healthy female adult baboon. The pilot study demonstrated the ability to adequately resolve cortical and sub-cortical grey matter structures in the baboon brain and improved contrast when images were corrected for attenuation and scatter and reconstructed by MAP. We conclude that high resolution imaging of the baboon brain with microPET is feasible with appropriate choices of reconstruction strategy and corrections for degrading physical effects. Further work to develop suitable correction algorithms for high-resolution large primate imaging is warranted.

High-resolution imaging of the large non-human primate brain using microPET: a feasibility study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naidoo-Variawa, S [Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, NSW 1825, Sydney (Australia); Hey-Cunningham, A J [Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, NSW 1825, Sydney (Australia); Lehnert, W [Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, NSW 1825, Sydney (Australia); Kench, P L [Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, NSW 1825, Sydney (Australia); Kassiou, M [Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, NSW 1825, Sydney (Australia); Banati, R [Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, NSW 1825, Sydney (Australia); Meikle, S R [Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, NSW 1825, Sydney (Australia)

2007-11-21

The neuroanatomy and physiology of the baboon brain closely resembles that of the human brain and is well suited for evaluating promising new radioligands in non-human primates by PET and SPECT prior to their use in humans. These studies are commonly performed on clinical scanners with 5 mm spatial resolution at best, resulting in sub-optimal images for quantitative analysis. This study assessed the feasibility of using a microPET animal scanner to image the brains of large non-human primates, i.e. papio hamadryas (baboon) at high resolution. Factors affecting image accuracy, including scatter, attenuation and spatial resolution, were measured under conditions approximating a baboon brain and using different reconstruction strategies. Scatter fraction measured 32% at the centre of a 10 cm diameter phantom. Scatter correction increased image contrast by up to 21% but reduced the signal-to-noise ratio. Volume resolution was superior and more uniform using maximum a posteriori (MAP) reconstructed images (3.2-3.6 mm{sup 3} FWHM from centre to 4 cm offset) compared to both 3D ordered subsets expectation maximization (OSEM) (5.6-8.3 mm{sup 3}) and 3D reprojection (3DRP) (5.9-9.1 mm{sup 3}). A pilot {sup 18}F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose ([{sup 18}F]FDG) scan was performed on a healthy female adult baboon. The pilot study demonstrated the ability to adequately resolve cortical and sub-cortical grey matter structures in the baboon brain and improved contrast when images were corrected for attenuation and scatter and reconstructed by MAP. We conclude that high resolution imaging of the baboon brain with microPET is feasible with appropriate choices of reconstruction strategy and corrections for degrading physical effects. Further work to develop suitable correction algorithms for high-resolution large primate imaging is warranted.

The influence of micro-topography and external bioerosion on coral-reef-building organisms: recruitment, community composition and carbonate production over time

Science.gov (United States)

Mallela, Jennie

2018-03-01

The continued health and function of tropical coral reefs is highly dependent on the ability of reef-building organisms to build large, complex, three-dimensional structures that continue to accrete and evolve over time. The recent deterioration of reef health globally, including loss of coral cover, has resulted in significant declines in architectural complexity at a large, reef-scape scale. Interestingly, the fine-scale role of micro-structure in initiating and facilitating future reef development and calcium carbonate production has largely been overlooked. In this study, experimental substrates with and without micro-ridges were deployed in the lagoon at One Tree Island for 34 months. This study assessed how the presence or absence of micro-ridges promoted recruitment by key reef-building sclerobionts (corals and encrusters) and their subsequent development at micro (mm) and macro (cm) scales. Experimental plates were examined after 11 and 34 months to assess whether long-term successional and calcification processes on different micro-topographies led to convergent or divergent communities over time. Sclerobionts were most prevalent in micro-grooves when they were available. Interestingly, in shallow lagoon reef sites characterised by shoals of small parrotfish and low urchin abundance, flat substrates were also successfully recruited to. Mean rates of carbonate production were 374 ± 154 (SD) g CaCO3 m-2 yr-1 within the lagoon. Substrates with micro-ridges were characterised by significantly greater rates of carbonate production than smooth substrates. The orientation of the substrate and period of immersion also significantly impacted rates of carbonate production, with CaCO3 on cryptic tiles increasing by 28% between 11 and 34 months. In contrast, rates on exposed tiles declined by 35% over the same time. In conclusion, even at sites characterised by small-sized parrotfish and low urchin density, micro-topography is an important settlement niche clearly

A general method for selection of riboflavin-overproducing food grade micro-organisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rutten Ger

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study describes a strategy to select and isolate spontaneous riboflavin-overproducing strains of Lactobacillus (Lb. plantarum, Leuconostoc (Lc. mesenteroides and Propionibacterium (P. freudenreichii. Results The toxic riboflavin analogue roseoflavin was used to isolate natural riboflavin-overproducing variants of the food grade micro-organisms Lb. plantarum, Lc. mesenteroides and P. freudenreichii strains. The method was successfully employed for strains of all three species. The mutation(s responsible for the observed overproduction of riboflavin were identified for isolates of two species. Conclusion Selection for spontaneous roseoflavin-resistant mutants was found to be a reliable method to obtain natural riboflavin-overproducing strains of a number of species commonly used in the food industry. This study presents a convenient method for deriving riboflavin-overproducing strains of bacterial starter cultures, which are currently used in the food industry, by a non-recombinant methodology. Use of such starter strains can be exploited to increase the vitamin content in certain food products.

Relationship between land use pattern and the structure and diversity of soil meso-micro arthropod community.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Limin; Zhang, Xueping; Cui, Wei

2014-05-01

Soil arthropod communities can provide valuable information regarding the impacts of human disturbances on ecosystem structure. Our study evaluated the structure, composition and diversity of soil meso-micro arthropod communities, in six different vegetation types and assessed the impacts of human activity. A completely randomized design, including 3 replicates from 6 sites (mowing steppe, natural grassland, severe degradation grassland, farmland, artificial shelter forest, and wetland) was used. Soil samples from the depth of 0 to 20 cm were collected during May, July, and September 2007. Soil meso-micro arthropod were separated using the Tullgren funnels method, and were identified and counted. Soil pH value, organic matter, and total nitrogen were measured in topsoil (0-20 cm) from each site. A total of 5,602 soil meso-micro arthropod individuals were collected, representing 4 classes, 14 orders, and 57 families. Most soil arthropods were widely distributed; however, some species appeared to be influenced by environment variables, and might serve as bioindicators of adverse human impacts. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated the soil arthropod distribution in the severely degraded grassland, mowing steppe, farmland, and shelter forest differed from the natural grassland. Arthropod density and diversity were greatest in May, and the forestland community was the most stable. Because of the vital role soil arthropods have in maintaining a healthy ecosystem, mechanisms to maintain their abundance and diversity should be further evaluated.

An integrated miRNA functional screening and target validation method for organ morphogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rebustini, Ivan T; Vlahos, Maryann; Packer, Trevor; Kukuruzinska, Maria A; Maas, Richard L

2016-03-16

The relative ease of identifying microRNAs and their increasing recognition as important regulators of organogenesis motivate the development of methods to efficiently assess microRNA function during organ morphogenesis. In this context, embryonic organ explants provide a reliable and reproducible system that recapitulates some of the important early morphogenetic processes during organ development. Here we present a method to target microRNA function in explanted mouse embryonic organs. Our method combines the use of peptide-based nanoparticles to transfect specific microRNA inhibitors or activators into embryonic organ explants, with a microRNA pulldown assay that allows direct identification of microRNA targets. This method provides effective assessment of microRNA function during organ morphogenesis, allows prioritization of multiple microRNAs in parallel for subsequent genetic approaches, and can be applied to a variety of embryonic organs.

Micro-Inspector Spacecraft for Space Exploration Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Mueller, Juergen; Alkalai, Leon; Lewis, Carol

2005-01-01

NASA is seeking to embark on a new set of human and robotic exploration missions back to the Moon, to Mars, and destinations beyond. Key strategic technical challenges will need to be addressed to realize this new vision for space exploration, including improvements in safety and reliability to improve robustness of space operations. Under sponsorship by NASA's Exploration Systems Mission, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), together with its partners in government (NASA Johnson Space Center) and industry (Boeing, Vacco Industries, Ashwin-Ushas Inc.) is developing an ultra-low mass (missions. The micro-inspector will provide remote vehicle inspections to ensure safety and reliability, or to provide monitoring of in-space assembly. The micro-inspector spacecraft represents an inherently modular system addition that can improve safety and support multiple host vehicles in multiple applications. On human missions, it may help extend the reach of human explorers, decreasing human EVA time to reduce mission cost and risk. The micro-inspector development is the continuation of an effort begun under NASA's Office of Aerospace Technology Enabling Concepts and Technology (ECT) program. The micro-inspector uses miniaturized celestial sensors; relies on a combination of solar power and batteries (allowing for unlimited operation in the sun and up to 4 hours in the shade); utilizes a low-pressure, low-leakage liquid butane propellant system for added safety; and includes multi-functional structure for high system-level integration and miniaturization. Versions of this system to be designed and developed under the H&RT program will include additional capabilities for on-board, vision-based navigation, spacecraft inspection, and collision avoidance, and will be demonstrated in a ground-based, space-related environment. These features make the micro-inspector design unique in its ability to serve crewed as well as robotic spacecraft, well beyond Earth-orbit and into arenas such

Classification of micro-CT images using 3D characterization of bone canal patterns in human osteogenesis imperfecta

Science.gov (United States)

Abidin, Anas Z.; Jameson, John; Molthen, Robert; Wismüller, Axel

2017-03-01

Few studies have analyzed the microstructural properties of bone in cases of Osteogenenis Imperfecta (OI), or `brittle bone disease'. Current approaches mainly focus on bone mineral density measurements as an indirect indicator of bone strength and quality. It has been shown that bone strength would depend not only on composition but also structural organization. This study aims to characterize 3D structure of the cortical bone in high-resolution micro CT images. A total of 40 bone fragments from 28 subjects (13 with OI and 15 healthy controls) were imaged using micro tomography using a synchrotron light source (SRµCT). Minkowski functionals - volume, surface, curvature, and Euler characteristics - describing the topological organization of the bone were computed from the images. The features were used in a machine learning task to classify between healthy and OI bone. The best classification performance (mean AUC - 0.96) was achieved with a combined 4-dimensional feature of all Minkowski functionals. Individually, the best feature performance was seen using curvature (mean AUC - 0.85), which characterizes the edges within a binary object. These results show that quantitative analysis of cortical bone microstructure, in a computer-aided diagnostics framework, can be used to distinguish between healthy and OI bone with high accuracy.

Micro Learning: A Modernized Education System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Omer Jomah

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Learning is an understanding of how the human brain is wired to learning rather than to an approach or a system. It is one of the best and most frequent approaches for the 21st century learners. Micro learning is more interesting due to its way of teaching and learning the content in a small, very specific burst. Here the learners decide what and when to learn. Content, time, curriculum, form, process, mediality, and learning type are the dimensions of micro learning. Our paper will discuss about micro learning and about the micro-content management system. The study will reflect the views of different users, and will analyze the collected data. Finally, it will be concluded with its pros and cons. 

Microfluidic Organ-on-a-Chip Models of Human IntestineSummary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amir Bein

Full Text Available Microfluidic organ-on-a-chip models of human intestine have been developed and used to study intestinal physiology and pathophysiology. In this article, we review this field and describe how microfluidic Intestine Chips offer new capabilities not possible with conventional culture systems or organoid cultures, including the ability to analyze contributions of individual cellular, chemical, and physical control parameters one-at-a-time; to coculture human intestinal cells with commensal microbiome for extended times; and to create human-relevant disease models. We also discuss potential future applications of human Intestine Chips, including how they might be used for drug development and personalized medicine. Keywords: Organs-on-Chips, Gut-on-a-Chip, Intestine-on-a-Chip, Microfluidic

Protection of Human Beings Trafficked for the Purpose of Organ Removal: Recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Pascalev, Assya; Van Assche, Kristof; Sándor, Judit; Codreanu, Natalia; Naqvi, Anwar; Gunnarson, Martin; Frunza, Mihaela; Yankov, Jordan

2016-02-01

This report presents a comprehensive set of recommendations for protection of human beings who are trafficked for the purpose of organ removal or are targeted for such trafficking. Developed by an interdisciplinary group of international experts under the auspices of the project Trafficking in Human Beings for the Purpose of Organ Removal (also known as the HOTT project), these recommendations are grounded in the view that an individual who parts with an organ for money within an illegal scheme is ipso facto a victim and that the crime of trafficking in human beings for the purpose of organ removal (THBOR) intersects with the crime of trafficking in organs. Consequently, the protection of victims should be a priority for all actors involved in antitrafficking activities: those combating organ-related crimes, such as health organizations and survivor support services, and those combating trafficking in human beings, such as the criminal justice sectors. Taking into account the special characteristics of THBOR, the authors identify 5 key stakeholders in the protection of human beings trafficked for organ removal or targeted for such trafficking: states, law enforcement agencies and judiciary, nongovernmental organizations working in the areas of human rights and antitrafficking, transplant centers and health professionals involved in transplant medicine, and oversight bodies. For each stakeholder, the authors identify key areas of concern and concrete measures to identify and protect the victims of THBOR. The aim of the recommendations is to contribute to the development of a nonlegislative response to THBOR, to promote the exchange of knowledge and best practices in the area of victim protection, and to facilitate the development of a policy-driven action plan for the protection of THBOR victims in the European Union and worldwide.

MARRVEL: Integration of Human and Model Organism Genetic Resources to Facilitate Functional Annotation of the Human Genome.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Julia; Al-Ouran, Rami; Hu, Yanhui; Kim, Seon-Young; Wan, Ying-Wooi; Wangler, Michael F; Yamamoto, Shinya; Chao, Hsiao-Tuan; Comjean, Aram; Mohr, Stephanie E; Perrimon, Norbert; Liu, Zhandong; Bellen, Hugo J

2017-06-01

One major challenge encountered with interpreting human genetic variants is the limited understanding of the functional impact of genetic alterations on biological processes. Furthermore, there remains an unmet demand for an efficient survey of the wealth of information on human homologs in model organisms across numerous databases. To efficiently assess the large volume of publically available information, it is important to provide a concise summary of the most relevant information in a rapid user-friendly format. To this end, we created MARRVEL (model organism aggregated resources for rare variant exploration). MARRVEL is a publicly available website that integrates information from six human genetic databases and seven model organism databases. For any given variant or gene, MARRVEL displays information from OMIM, ExAC, ClinVar, Geno2MP, DGV, and DECIPHER. Importantly, it curates model organism-specific databases to concurrently display a concise summary regarding the human gene homologs in budding and fission yeast, worm, fly, fish, mouse, and rat on a single webpage. Experiment-based information on tissue expression, protein subcellular localization, biological process, and molecular function for the human gene and homologs in the seven model organisms are arranged into a concise output. Hence, rather than visiting multiple separate databases for variant and gene analysis, users can obtain important information by searching once through MARRVEL. Altogether, MARRVEL dramatically improves efficiency and accessibility to data collection and facilitates analysis of human genes and variants by cross-disciplinary integration of 18 million records available in public databases to facilitate clinical diagnosis and basic research. Copyright © 2017 American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Micro-bead injection spectroscopy for label-free automated determination of immunoglobulin G in human serum.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Inês I; Magalhães, Luís M; Barreiros, Luisa; Reis, Salette; Lima, José L F C; Segundo, Marcela A

2018-01-01

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) represents the major fraction of antibodies in healthy adult human serum, and deviations from physiological levels are a generic marker of disease corresponding to different pathologies. Therefore, screening methods for IgG evaluation are a valuable aid to diagnostics. The present work proposes a rapid, automatic, and miniaturized method based on UV-vis micro-bead injection spectroscopy (μ-BIS) for the real-time determination of human serum IgG with label-free detection. Relying on attachment of IgG in rec-protein G immobilized in Sepharose 4B, a bioaffinity column is automatically assembled, where IgG is selectively retained and determined by on-column optical density measurement. A "dilution-and-shoot" approach (50 to 200 times) was implemented without further sample treatment because interferences were flushed out of the column upon sample loading, with minimization of carryover and cross-contamination by automatically discarding the sorbent (0.2 mg) after each determination. No interference from human serum albumin at 60 mg mL -1 in undiluted sample was found. The method allowed IgG determination in the range 100-300 μg mL -1 (corresponding to 5.0-60 mg mL -1 in undiluted samples), with a detection limit of 33 μg mL -1 (1.7 mg mL -1 for samples, dilution factor of 50). RSD values were time-to-result decreased from several hours to times, showing the potential of the proposed approach as a point-of-care method. Graphical abstract Micro-Bead Injection Spectroscopy method for real time, automated and label-free determination of total serum human Immunoglobulin G (IgG). The method was designed for Lab-on-Valve (LOV) platforms using a miniaturised protein G bioaffinity separative approach. IgG are separated from serum matrix components upon quantification with low non-specific binding in less than 5 min.

Differentially expressed wound healing-related microRNAs in the human diabetic cornea.

Science.gov (United States)

Funari, Vincent A; Winkler, Michael; Brown, Jordan; Dimitrijevich, Slobodan D; Ljubimov, Alexander V; Saghizadeh, Mehrnoosh

2013-01-01

MicroRNAs are powerful gene expression regulators, but their corneal repertoire and potential changes in corneal diseases remain unknown. Our purpose was to identify miRNAs altered in the human diabetic cornea by microarray analysis, and to examine their effects on wound healing in cultured telomerase-immortalized human corneal epithelial cells (HCEC) in vitro. Total RNA was extracted from age-matched human autopsy normal (n=6) and diabetic (n=6) central corneas, Flash Tag end-labeled, and hybridized to Affymetrix® GeneChip® miRNA Arrays. Select miRNAs associated with diabetic cornea were validated by quantitative RT-PCR (Q-PCR) and by in situ hybridization (ISH) in independent samples. HCEC were transfected with human pre-miR™miRNA precursors (h-miR) or their inhibitors (antagomirs) using Lipofectamine 2000. Confluent transfected cultures were scratch-wounded with P200 pipette tip. Wound closure was monitored by digital photography. Expression of signaling proteins was detected by immunostaining and Western blot. Using microarrays, 29 miRNAs were identified as differentially expressed in diabetic samples. Two miRNA candidates showing the highest fold increased in expression in the diabetic cornea were confirmed by Q-PCR and further characterized. HCEC transfection with h-miR-146a or h-miR-424 significantly retarded wound closure, but their respective antagomirs significantly enhanced wound healing vs. controls. Cells treated with h-miR-146a or h-miR-424 had decreased p-p38 and p-EGFR staining, but these increased over control levels close to the wound edge upon antagomir treatment. In conclusion, several miRNAs with increased expression in human diabetic central corneas were found. Two such miRNAs inhibited cultured corneal epithelial cell wound healing. Dysregulation of miRNA expression in human diabetic cornea may be an important mediator of abnormal wound healing.

Differentially expressed wound healing-related microRNAs in the human diabetic cornea.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent A Funari

Full Text Available MicroRNAs are powerful gene expression regulators, but their corneal repertoire and potential changes in corneal diseases remain unknown. Our purpose was to identify miRNAs altered in the human diabetic cornea by microarray analysis, and to examine their effects on wound healing in cultured telomerase-immortalized human corneal epithelial cells (HCEC in vitro. Total RNA was extracted from age-matched human autopsy normal (n=6 and diabetic (n=6 central corneas, Flash Tag end-labeled, and hybridized to Affymetrix® GeneChip® miRNA Arrays. Select miRNAs associated with diabetic cornea were validated by quantitative RT-PCR (Q-PCR and by in situ hybridization (ISH in independent samples. HCEC were transfected with human pre-miR™miRNA precursors (h-miR or their inhibitors (antagomirs using Lipofectamine 2000. Confluent transfected cultures were scratch-wounded with P200 pipette tip. Wound closure was monitored by digital photography. Expression of signaling proteins was detected by immunostaining and Western blot. Using microarrays, 29 miRNAs were identified as differentially expressed in diabetic samples. Two miRNA candidates showing the highest fold increased in expression in the diabetic cornea were confirmed by Q-PCR and further characterized. HCEC transfection with h-miR-146a or h-miR-424 significantly retarded wound closure, but their respective antagomirs significantly enhanced wound healing vs. controls. Cells treated with h-miR-146a or h-miR-424 had decreased p-p38 and p-EGFR staining, but these increased over control levels close to the wound edge upon antagomir treatment. In conclusion, several miRNAs with increased expression in human diabetic central corneas were found. Two such miRNAs inhibited cultured corneal epithelial cell wound healing. Dysregulation of miRNA expression in human diabetic cornea may be an important mediator of abnormal wound healing.

49 CFR 604.15 - Registration of qualified human service organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... low income, advanced age, or with disabilities), shall register on FTA's charter registration Web site... service organization and whether the qualified human service organization is exempt from taxation under...

Novel Micro-Capillary Electrochromatography for Mars Organic Detector, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Los Gatos Research proposes to develop a powerful new technology - next generation Micro-Capillary Electrochromatography - a high performance and low power...

Novel Micro-Capillary Electrochromatography for Mars Organic Detector, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Los Gatos Research proposes to develop a powerful new technology - next generation Micro-Capillary Electrochromatography -- a high performance and low power...

Chinese reference human voxel phantoms for radiation protection: development, application and recent progress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan Yuxi; Qiu Rui; Ren Li; Zhu Huanjun; Li Junli; Liu Liye

2014-01-01

This paper presents the work of constructing Chinese reference human voxel phantoms, taking Chinese reference adult female voxel model for example. In this study, a site-specific skeleton structure was built, some radiation sensitive organs were supplemented. Organ sub-segmentation was taken into account. The constructed phantoms include almost all radiation sensitive organs required by ICRP new recommendation. Masses of the organs are almost consistent with the Chinese reference data within 5%. The Chinese reference human phantoms have been applied both in internal dosimetry and external dosimetry. The results provide fundamental data for Chinese radiation dosimetry. In addition, the newly established detailed breast model and micro-bone model were introduced. (authors)

Determination of sources and analysis of micro-pollutants in drinking water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Md Pauzi Abdullah; Soh Shiau Chian

2005-01-01

The objectives of the study are to develop and validate selected analytical methods for the analysis of micro organics and metals in water; to identify, monitor and assess the levels of micro organics and metals in drinking water supplies; to evaluate the relevancy of the guidelines set in the National Standard of Drinking Water Quality 2001; and to identify the sources of pollution and to carryout risk assessment of exposure to drinking water. The presentation discussed the progress of the work include determination of VOCs (Volatile organic compounds) in drinking water using SPME (Solid phase micro-extraction) extraction techniques, analysis of heavy metals in drinking water, determination of Cr(VI) with ICPES (Inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry) and the presence of halogenated volatile organic compounds (HVOCs), which is heavily used by agricultural sector, in trace concentrations in waters

MicroRNA-15a and -16-1 act via MYB to elevate fetal hemoglobin expression in human trisomy 13

OpenAIRE

Sankaran, Vijay G.; Menne, Tobias F.; Šćepanović, Danilo; Vergilio, Jo-Anne; Ji, Peng; Kim, Jinkuk; Thiru, Prathapan; Orkin, Stuart H.; Lander, Eric S.; Lodish, Harvey F.

2011-01-01

Many human aneuploidy syndromes have unique phenotypic consequences, but in most instances it is unclear whether these phenotypes are attributable to alterations in the dosage of specific genes. In human trisomy 13, there is delayed switching and persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) and elevation of embryonic hemoglobin in newborns. Using partial trisomy cases, we mapped this trait to chromosomal band 13q14; by examining the genes in this region, two microRNAs, miR-15a and -16-1, appear as t...

Proanthocyanidins modulate microRNA expression in human HepG2 cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Arola-Arnal

Full Text Available Mi(croRNAs are small non-coding RNAs of 18-25 nucleotides in length that modulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. These RNAs have been shown to be involved in a several biological processes, human diseases and metabolic disorders. Proanthocyanidins, which are the most abundant polyphenol class in the human diet, have positive health effects on a variety of metabolic disorders such as inflammation, obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance. The present study aimed to evaluate whether proanthocyanidin-rich natural extracts modulate miRNA expression. Using microarray analysis and Q-PCR, we investigated miRNA expression in HepG2 cells treated with proanthocyanidins. Our results showed that when HepG2 cells were treated with grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE, cocoa proanthocyanidin extract (CPE or pure epigallocatechin gallate isolated from green tea (EGCG, fifteen, six and five differentially expressed miRNAs, respectively, were identified out of 904 mRNAs. Specifically, miR-30b* was downregulated by the three treatments, and treatment with GSPE or CPE upregulated miR-1224-3p, miR-197 and miR-532-3p. Therefore, these results provide evidence of the capacity of dietary proanthocyanidins to influence microRNA expression, suggesting a new mechanism of action of proanthocyanidins.

The nature of expertise and human resource functions supporting expertise in nuclear industry organizations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rintala, N.; Katri, S.; Eila, J.; Pahkin, K.; Anneli, L.

2007-01-01

. Altogether approximately 25 interviews for experts will be conducted. The aim of these interviews is to disclose e.g. how the experts themselves describe their expertise and their expert role, what kind of support they need in maintaining and developing their expertise as well as what skills and skill sets they consider to be critical in the future. Approximately 5 interviews are carried out for managers. These interviews set out to explore the managers' role in allocating and designing human resources and their insights on the current HR practices supporting the development and preservation of expertise. About 3 HR representatives will be interviewed to uncover how HR functions, such as recruiting and training, operate currently. The HR functions that are used in the nuclear power organizations are then compared to HR process models and designs from the human resources management (HRM) literature. The study contributes to the HRM body of knowledge from a functional, micro level perspective, exploring the impacts of HR practices on individuals rather than on corporations or business units (a strategic, macro level perspective). Furthermore, rather than studying one individual HR practice, we treat multiple HR practices as a system in order to uncover how individual practices complement, substitute for, or even conflict with other practices. As a result, we expect to produce new understanding about the nature of expertise in the nuclear industry and discover new innovative ways to support the development, preservation and sharing of expertise. (author)

Effects of organic food consumption on human health; the jury is still out!

Science.gov (United States)

Barański, Marcin; Rempelos, Leonidas; Iversen, Per Ole; Leifert, Carlo

2017-01-01

The most recent systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses have indicated significant and nutritionally-relevant composition differences between organic and conventional foods. This included higher antioxidant, but lower cadmium and pesticide levels in organic crops, and higher omega-3 fatty acids concentrations in organic meat and dairy products. Also, results from a small number of human cohort studies indicate that there are positive associations between organic food consumption and reduced risk/incidence of certain acute diseases (e.g. pre-eclampsia, hypospadias) and obesity. Concerns about potential negative health impacts of organic food consumption (e.g. risks linked to lower iodine levels in organic milk) have also been raised, but are not currently supported by evidence from human cohort studies. However, there is virtually no published data from (1) long-term cohort studies focusing on chronic diseases (e.g. cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative conditions) and (2) controlled human dietary intervention studies comparing effects of organic and conventional diets. It is therefore currently not possible to quantify to what extent organic food consumption may affect human health.

microRNA-320/RUNX2 axis regulates adipocytic differentiation of human mesenchymal (skeletal) stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hamam, D; Ali, D; Vishnubalaji, R

2014-01-01

The molecular mechanisms promoting lineage-specific commitment of human mesenchymal (skeletal or stromal) stem cells (hMSCs) into adipocytes (ADs) are not fully understood. Thus, we performed global microRNA (miRNA) and gene expression profiling during adipocytic differentiation of h...... differentiation and accelerated formation of mature ADs in ex vivo cultures. Integrated analysis of bioinformatics and global gene expression profiling in miR-320c overexpressing cells and during adipocytic differentiation of hMSC identified several biologically relevant gene targets for miR-320c including RUNX2...

New insights for identification of doping with recombinant human erythropoietin micro-doses after high hydration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martin, L.; Ashenden, M; Bejder, Jacob

2016-01-01

To minimize the chances of being caught after doping with recombinant human erythropoietins (rhEPO), athletes have turned to new practices using micro-doses and excess fluid ingestion to accelerate elimination and decrease the probability of detection. Our objective was to test the sensitivity...... subjects. After an injection in the evening, urine and plasma samples were collected the following morning. Half of the subjects then drank a bolus of water and new samples were collected 80 min later. Interestingly, rhEPO was detected in 100% of the samples even after water ingestion. A second similar...

Tissue strands as "bioink" for scale-up organ printing.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yin; Ozbolat, Ibrahim T

2014-01-01

Organ printing, takes tissue spheroids as building blocks together with additive manufacturing technique to engineer tissue or organ replacement parts. Although a wide array of cell aggregation techniques has been investigated, and gained noticeable success, the application of tissue spheroids for scale-up tissue fabrication is still worth investigation. In this paper, we introduce a new micro-fabrication technique to create tissue strands at the scale of 500-700μm as a "bioink" for future robotic tissue printing. Printable alginate micro-conduits are used as semi-permeable capsules for tissue strand fabrication. Mouse insulinoma beta TC3 cell tissue strands were formed upon 4 days post fabrication with reasonable mechanical strength, high cell viability close to 90%, and tissue specific markers expression. Fusion was readily observed between strands when placing them together as early as 24h. Also, tissue strands were deposited with human umbilical vein smooth muscle cells (HUVSMCs) vascular conduits together to fabricated miniature pancreatic tissue analog. Our study provided a novel technique using tissue strands as "bioink" for scale-up bioprinting of tissues or organs.

EcoDesign and LCA approach toward sustainable micro products development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

De Grave, Arnaud; Olsen, Stig Irving; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

2009-01-01

importance in the design of micro/nano products and of downscaled production pathways. In addition, the topic of EcoDesign, which has been used for a long time now in so-called “macro size”, is explained and the panel of tools used for designing products taking care of the environment will be investigated...... in the context of micro technology. Ecodesign and LCA take into account environmental impact of production of micro and nano products, but another important issue to include is the impact of such applications on human health. A particular focus has been put on the human health risks of nanoparticles....

Nanoparticles and nanoimaging for organic solar cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Emil Bøje Lind

Solar energy is one of the few energy sources with the potential to power humanity in a future scenario where fossil fuels are not attractive due to their effect on the global climate or fossil fuels have been depleted all together. Organic photovoltaics is a promising technology for solar...... is devoted to studying organic photovolatics on the micro to nanometer scale, in particular photoactive Landfester particles. The ultimate goal is to increase the performance of Landfester particle layers so they can become a viable alternative to photoactive layers cast from organic solvent. Transition...... to a water based ink would provide a production environment without toxic fumes from organic solvents and the nanoparticle structure would provide additional morphological control. The first part of the dissertation maps photodegradation in active layers cast from organic solvents. Reduction in degradation...

Organ markets and human dignity: on selling your body and soul.

Science.gov (United States)

Stempsey, W E

2000-08-01

This article addresses the ethics of selling transplantable organs. I examine and refute the claim that Catholic teaching would permit and even encourage an organ market. The acceptance of organ transplantation by the Church and even its praise of organ donors should not distract us from the quite explicit Church teaching that condemns an organ market. I offer some reasons why the Church should continue to disapprove of an organ market. The recent commercial turn in medicine can blind us to the problem of an organ market. In addition, the reliance on the gift image in organ transplantation raises difficulties of its own. What is needed is a fuller appreciation of the fact that the human person is essentially embodied with all its parts, and not merely an autonomous being that possesses organs as properties to sell. I support this vision of the embodied human person by appealing to the writings of Immanuel Kant.

Use of microcredit to finance micro energetic enterprises; Uso do microcredito para financiamento de micros empreendimentos energeticos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tiago Filho, Geraldo Lucio; Duarte, Elaine Regina Bortone de Carvalho [Centro Nacional de Referencia em Pequenas Centrais Hidreletricas (CERPCH), Itajuba, MG (Brazil)], Emails: tiago@unifei.edu.br, elaine@unifei.edu.br

2006-07-01

The micro credit was idealized with the purpose of helping formal and informal entrepreneurs to get easy access to financial backing without bureaucracy of a traditional bank resulting an unexpected human and social development. Being the energy an essential factor for the development of the social life, this paper presents the implementation of the use of micro credit to financing products that will be used to electrification of unassisted communities. (author)

Genome-wide identification of microRNA targets in human ES cells reveals a role for miR-302 in modulating BMP response

Science.gov (United States)

Lipchina, Inna; Elkabetz, Yechiel; Hafner, Markus; Sheridan, Robert; Mihailovic, Aleksandra; Tuschl, Thomas; Sander, Chris; Studer, Lorenz; Betel, Doron

2011-01-01

MicroRNAs are important regulators in many cellular processes, including stem cell self-renewal. Recent studies demonstrated their function as pluripotency factors with the capacity for somatic cell reprogramming. However, their role in human embryonic stem (ES) cells (hESCs) remains poorly understood, partially due to the lack of genome-wide strategies to identify their targets. Here, we performed comprehensive microRNA profiling in hESCs and in purified neural and mesenchymal derivatives. Using a combination of AGO cross-linking and microRNA perturbation experiments, together with computational prediction, we identified the targets of the miR-302/367 cluster, the most abundant microRNAs in hESCs. Functional studies identified novel roles of miR-302/367 in maintaining pluripotency and regulating hESC differentiation. We show that in addition to its role in TGF-β signaling, miR-302/367 promotes bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling by targeting BMP inhibitors TOB2, DAZAP2, and SLAIN1. This study broadens our understanding of microRNA function in hESCs and is a valuable resource for future studies in this area. PMID:22012620

Systematic identification of edited microRNAs in the human brain

Science.gov (United States)

Alon, Shahar; Mor, Eyal; Vigneault, Francois; Church, George M.; Locatelli, Franco; Galeano, Federica; Gallo, Angela; Shomron, Noam; Eisenberg, Eli

2012-01-01

Adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) editing modifies RNA transcripts from their genomic blueprint. A prerequisite for this process is a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) structure. Such dsRNAs are formed as part of the microRNA (miRNA) maturation process, and it is therefore expected that miRNAs are affected by A-to-I editing. Editing of miRNAs has the potential to add another layer of complexity to gene regulation pathways, especially if editing occurs within the miRNA–mRNA recognition site. Thus, it is of interest to study the extent of this phenomenon. Current reports in the literature disagree on its extent; while some reports claim that it may be widespread, others deem the reported events as rare. Utilizing a next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach supplemented by an extensive bioinformatic analysis, we were able to systematically identify A-to-I editing events in mature miRNAs derived from human brain tissues. Our algorithm successfully identified many of the known editing sites in mature miRNAs and revealed 17 novel human sites, 12 of which are in the recognition sites of the miRNAs. We confirmed most of the editing events using in vitro ADAR overexpression assays. The editing efficiency of most sites identified is very low. Similar results are obtained for publicly available data sets of mouse brain-regions tissues. Thus, we find that A-to-I editing does alter several miRNAs, but it is not widespread. PMID:22499667

microRNAs in mycobacterial disease: friend or foe?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manali D Mehta

2014-07-01

Full Text Available As the role of microRNA in all aspects of biology continues to be unraveled, the interplay between microRNAs and human disease is becoming clearer. It should come of no surprise that microRNAs play a major part in the outcome of infectious diseases, since early work has implicated microRNAs as regulators of the immune response. Here, we provide a review on how microRNAs influence the course of mycobacterial infections, which cause two of humanity’s most ancient infectious diseases: tuberculosis and leprosy. Evidence derived from profiling and functional experiments suggests that regulation of specific microRNAs during infection can either enhance the immune response or facilitate pathogen immune evasion. Now, it remains to be seen if the manipulation of host cell microRNA profiles can be an opportunity for therapeutic intervention for these difficult-to-treat diseases.

Three-Dimensional Organization of Chromosome Territories and the Human Interphase Cell Nucleus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

T.A. Knoch (Tobias); C. Münkel (Christian); J. Langowski (Jörg)

1998-01-01

textabstractTo study the three-dimensional organization of chromosome territories and the human interphase cell nucleus we developed models which could be compared to experiments. Despite the successful linear sequencing of the human genome its 3D-organization is widely unknown. Using Monte

Plastic microfibre ingestion by deep-sea organisms

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, M. L.; Gwinnett, C.; Robinson, L. F.; Woodall, L. C.

2016-09-01

Plastic waste is a distinctive indicator of the world-wide impact of anthropogenic activities. Both macro- and micro-plastics are found in the ocean, but as yet little is known about their ultimate fate and their impact on marine ecosystems. In this study we present the first evidence that microplastics are already becoming integrated into deep-water organisms. By examining organisms that live on the deep-sea floor we show that plastic microfibres are ingested and internalised by members of at least three major phyla with different feeding mechanisms. These results demonstrate that, despite its remote location, the deep sea and its fragile habitats are already being exposed to human waste to the extent that diverse organisms are ingesting microplastics.

NAViGaTing the micronome--using multiple microRNA prediction databases to identify signalling pathway-associated microRNAs.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elize A Shirdel

2011-02-01

Full Text Available MicroRNAs are a class of small RNAs known to regulate gene expression at the transcript level, the protein level, or both. Since microRNA binding is sequence-based but possibly structure-specific, work in this area has resulted in multiple databases storing predicted microRNA:target relationships computed using diverse algorithms. We integrate prediction databases, compare predictions to in vitro data, and use cross-database predictions to model the microRNA:transcript interactome--referred to as the micronome--to study microRNA involvement in well-known signalling pathways as well as associations with disease. We make this data freely available with a flexible user interface as our microRNA Data Integration Portal--mirDIP (http://ophid.utoronto.ca/mirDIP.mirDIP integrates prediction databases to elucidate accurate microRNA:target relationships. Using NAViGaTOR to produce interaction networks implicating microRNAs in literature-based, KEGG-based and Reactome-based pathways, we find these signalling pathway networks have significantly more microRNA involvement compared to chance (p<0.05, suggesting microRNAs co-target many genes in a given pathway. Further examination of the micronome shows two distinct classes of microRNAs; universe microRNAs, which are involved in many signalling pathways; and intra-pathway microRNAs, which target multiple genes within one signalling pathway. We find universe microRNAs to have more targets (p<0.0001, to be more studied (p<0.0002, and to have higher degree in the KEGG cancer pathway (p<0.0001, compared to intra-pathway microRNAs.Our pathway-based analysis of mirDIP data suggests microRNAs are involved in intra-pathway signalling. We identify two distinct classes of microRNAs, suggesting a hierarchical organization of microRNAs co-targeting genes both within and between pathways, and implying differential involvement of universe and intra-pathway microRNAs at the disease level.

Blood-mimicking delivery in polygonal structure of inner quadrupletip microneedle with valveless micro-pump

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, M. D.; Yunos, Y. S.; Rigit, A. R. H.; Mohtadzar, N. A. A.; Watanabe, N.; Sunami, Y.; Rahman, M. R. A.; Wong, L. K.; Mohtar, M. Z.

2017-04-01

This paper presents a titanium quadrupletip micro-needle integrated with a micro-pump with different inner designs, length and diameter of the micro-channels to measure and maximize the velocity flow in the micro-needle as blood delivered into human body. Titanium is used as the material of the micro-needle which are also the common material in manufacturing of micro-needle. The advancement of micro-needle technologies is improved in penetrating human outermost skin, stratum corneum and further to human blood vessels. The micro-needles with channel inner design of circular, square, hexagon, and dodecagon with quadruple tip designs are drawn with inner diameter parameter of 150μm and 100μm with two different channel length which are 10mm and 25mm. The characteristics of blood delivery in geometrically changed inner designs affect the output velocity in microneedle when the micropump is operating. The results showed that, when it is pumped at 0.04m/s, the blood velocity improved by 5.6% than when the pump is increased by 30% of its capacity. This is due to the backflow generated in the micropump.

Milk and serum standard reference materials for monitoring organic contaminants in human samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Schantz, Michele M; Eppe, Gauthier; Focant, Jean-François; Hamilton, Coreen; Heckert, N Alan; Heltsley, Rebecca M; Hoover, Dale; Keller, Jennifer M; Leigh, Stefan D; Patterson, Donald G; Pintar, Adam L; Sharpless, Katherine E; Sjödin, Andreas; Turner, Wayman E; Vander Pol, Stacy S; Wise, Stephen A

2013-02-01

Four new Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) have been developed to assist in the quality assurance of chemical contaminant measurements required for human biomonitoring studies, SRM 1953 Organic Contaminants in Non-Fortified Human Milk, SRM 1954 Organic Contaminants in Fortified Human Milk, SRM 1957 Organic Contaminants in Non-Fortified Human Serum, and SRM 1958 Organic Contaminants in Fortified Human Serum. These materials were developed as part of a collaboration between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with both agencies contributing data used in the certification of mass fraction values for a wide range of organic contaminants including polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, chlorinated pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners, and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) and dibenzofuran (PCDF) congeners. The certified mass fractions of the organic contaminants in unfortified samples, SRM 1953 and SRM 1957, ranged from 12 ng/kg to 2200 ng/kg with the exception of 4,4'-DDE in SRM 1953 at 7400 ng/kg with expanded uncertainties generally <14 %. This agreement suggests that there were no significant biases existing among the multiple methods used for analysis.

Axis-switching of a micro-jet

Science.gov (United States)

Cabaleiro, Juan Martin; Aider, Jean-Luc

2014-03-01

In this study, it is shown that free microjets can undergo complex transitions similar to large-scale free jets despite relatively low Reynolds numbers. Using an original experimental method allowing for the 3D reconstruction of the instantaneous spatial organization of the microjet, the axis-switching of a micro-jet is observed for the first time. This is the first experimental evidence of such complex phenomena for free micro-jets. Combining these experimental results with Direct Numerical Simulations it is shown that the mechanism responsible for the axis-switching is the deformation of a micro-vortex ring due to induction by the corner vortices, as it occurs in large scale non-circular jets.

A Potential Dubin-Johnson Syndrome Imaging Agent: Synthesis, Biodistribution, and MicroPET Imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeongsoo Yoo

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Dubin-Johnson syndrome (DJS is caused by a deficiency of the human canalicular multispecific organic anion transporter (cMOAT. A new lipophilic copper-64 complex of 1,4,7-tris(carboxymethyl-10-(tetradecyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazadodecane (5 was prepared and evaluated for potential as a diagnostic tool for DJS. The prepared ligand was labeled with 64Cu citrate in high radiochemical purity. In vivo uptake and clearance of the complex was determined through biodistribution studies using normal Sprague-Dawley rats and mutant cMOAT-deficient (TR− rats. In normal rats, the radioactive copper complex was cleared quickly from the body exclusively through the hepatic pathway. The 64Cu complex was taken up rapidly by the liver and quickly excreted into the small intestine and then the upper large intestine, whereas < 1% ID/organ was found in the kidney at all time points post injection. Whereas activity was accumulated continuously in the liver of TR− rats, it was not excreted into the small intestine. MicroPET studies of normal and TR rats were consistent with biodistribution data and showed dramatically different images. This study strongly suggests that cMOAT is involved in excretion of 64Cu-5. The significant difference between the biodistribution data and microPET images of the normal and TR− rats demonstrates that this new 64Cu complex may allow noninvasive diagnosis of DJS in humans.

Relationship between human resource ability and market access capacity on business performance. (case study of wood craft micro- and small-scale industries in Gianyar Regency, Bali)

Science.gov (United States)

Sukartini, N. W.; Sudarmini, N. M.; Lasmini, N. K.

2018-01-01

The aims of this research are to: (1) analyze the influence of Human Resource Ability on market access capacity in Wood Craft Micro and Small Industry; (2) to analyze the effect of market access capacity on business performance; (3) analyze the influence of Human Resources ability on business performance. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, observations, and literature studies. The resulting data were analyzed using Struture Equation Modeling (SEM). The results of the analysis show that (1) there is a positive and significant influence of the ability of Human Resources on market access capacity in Wood Craft Micro-and Small-Scale Industries in Gianyar; (2) there is a positive and significant influence of market access capacity on business performance; and (3) there is a positive and significant influence of Human Resource ability on business performance. To improve the ability to access the market and business performance, it is recommended that human resource ability need to be improved through training; government and higher education institutions are expected to play a role in improving the ability of human resources (craftsmen) through provision of training programs

Human nucleolus organizers on nonhomologous chromosomes can share the same ribosomal gene variants.

Science.gov (United States)

Krystal, M; D'Eustachio, P; Ruddle, F H; Arnheim, N

1981-01-01

The distributions of three human ribosomal gene polymorphisms among individual chromosomes containing nucleolus organizers were analyzed by using mouse--human hybrid cells. Different nucleolus organizers can contain the same variant, suggesting the occurrence of genetic exchanges among ribosomal gene clusters on nonhomologous chromosomes. Such exchanges appear to occur less frequently in mice. This difference is discussed in terms of the nucleolar organization and chromosomal location of ribosomal gene clusters in humans and mice. Images PMID:6272316

Ethical issues of transplanting organs from transgenic animals into human beings.

Science.gov (United States)

Behnam Manesh, Shima; Omani Samani, Reza; Behnam Manesh, Shayan

2014-01-01

One of the most important applications of transgenic animals for medical purposes is to transplant their organs into human's body, an issue which has caused a lot of ethical and scientific discussions. we can divide the ethical arguments to two comprehensive groups; the first group which is known as deontological critiques (related to the action itself regardless of any results pointing the human or animal) and the second group, called the consequentialist critiques (which are directly pointing the consequences of the action). The latter arguments also can be divided to two subgroups. In the first one which named anthropocentrism, just humankind has inherent value in the moral society, and it studies the problem just from a human-based point of view while in second named, biocentrism all the living organism have this value and it deals specially with the problem from the animal-based viewpoint. In this descriptive-analytic study, ethical issues were retrieved from books, papers, international guidelines, thesis, declarations and instructions, and even some weekly journals using keywords related to transgenic animals, organ, and transplantation. According to the precautionary principle with the strong legal and ethical background, due to lack of accepted scientific certainties about the safety of the procedure, in this phase, transplanting animal's organs into human beings have the potential harm and danger for both human and animals, and application of this procedure is unethical until the safety to human will be proven.

The role of microRNA-200 in progression of human colorectal and breast cancer.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linda Bojmar

Full Text Available The role of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT in cancer has been studied extensively in vitro, but involvement of the EMT in tumorigenesis in vivo is largely unknown. We investigated the potential of microRNAs as clinical markers and analyzed participation of the EMT-associated microRNA-200-ZEB-E-cadherin pathway in cancer progression. Expression of the microRNA-200 family was quantified by real-time RT-PCR analysis of fresh-frozen and microdissected formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded primary colorectal tumors, normal colon mucosa, and matched liver metastases. MicroRNA expression was validated by in situ hybridization and after in vitro culture of the malignant cells. To assess EMT as a predictive marker, factors considered relevant in colorectal cancer were investigated in 98 primary breast tumors from a treatment-randomized study. Associations between the studied EMT-markers were found in primary breast tumors and in colorectal liver metastases. MicroRNA-200 expression in epithelial cells was lower in malignant mucosa than in normal mucosa, and was also decreased in metastatic compared to non-metastatic colorectal cancer. Low microRNA-200 expression in colorectal liver metastases was associated with bad prognosis. In breast cancer, low levels of microRNA-200 were related to reduced survival and high expression of microRNA-200 was predictive of benefit from radiotheraphy. MicroRNA-200 was associated with ER positive status, and inversely correlated to HER2 and overactivation of the PI3K/AKT pathway, that was associated with high ZEB1 mRNA expression. Our findings suggest that the stability of microRNAs makes them suitable as clinical markers and that the EMT-related microRNA-200-ZEB-E-cadherin signaling pathway is connected to established clinical characteristics and can give useful prognostic and treatment-predictive information in progressive breast and colorectal cancers.

The organic anion transport polypeptide 1d1 (Oatp1d1) mediates hepatocellular uptake of phalloidin and microcystin into skate liver.

Science.gov (United States)

Meier-Abt, F; Hammann-Hänni, A; Stieger, B; Ballatori, N; Boyer, J L

2007-02-01

Organic anion transporting polypeptides (rodent Oatp; human OATP) mediate cellular uptake of numerous organic compounds including xenobiotic toxins into mammalian hepatocytes. In the little skate Leucoraja erinacea a liver-specific Oatp (Oatp1d1, also called sOatp) has been identified and suggested to represent an evolutionarily ancient precursor of the mammalian liver OATP1B1 (human), Oatp1b2 (rat), and OATP1B3 (human). The present study tested whether Oatp1d1 shares functional transport activity of the xenobiotic oligopeptide toxins phalloidin and microcystin with the mammalian liver Oatps/OATPs. The phalloidin analogue [(3)H]-demethylphalloin was taken up into skate hepatocytes with high affinity (Km approximately 0.4 microM), and uptake could be inhibited by phalloidin and a variety of typical Oatp/OATP substrates such as bromosulfophthalein, bile salts, estrone-3-sulfate, cyclosporine A and high concentrations of microcystin-LR (Ki approximately 150 microM). When expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes Oatp1d1 increased uptake of demethylphalloin (Km approximately 2.2 microM) and microcystin-LR (Km approximately 27 microM) 2- to 3-fold over water-injected oocytes, whereas the alternative skate liver organic anion transporter, the dimeric Ostalpha/beta, exhibited no phalloidin and only minor microcystin-LR transport. Also, the closest mammalian Oatp1d1 orthologue, the human brain and testis OATP1C1, did not show any phalloidin transport activity. These results demonstrate that the evolutionarily ancient Oatp1d1 is able to mediate uptake of cyclic oligopeptide toxins into skate liver. The findings support the notion that Oatp1d1 is a precursor of the liver-specific mammalian Oatps/OATPs and that its transport properties are closely associated with certain forms of toxic liver injury such as for example protein phosphatase inhibition by the water-borne toxin microcystin.

Characterization of micro-organisms isolated from dairy industry after cleaning and fogging disinfection with alkyl amine and peracetic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Bore, E; Langsrud, S

2005-01-01

To characterize micro-organisms isolated from Norwegian dairy production plants after cleaning and fogging disinfection with alkyl amine/peracetic acid and to indicate reasons for survival. Microbial samples were collected from five dairy plants after cleaning and fogging disinfection. Isolates from two of these production plants, which used fogging with alkylamino acetate (plant A), and peracetic acid (plant B), were chosen for further characterization. The sequence of the 16S ribosomal DNA, fatty acid analysis and biochemical characteristics were used to identify isolates. Three isolates identified as Rhodococcus erythropolis, Methylobacterium rhodesianum and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa were isolated from plant A and one Sphingomonas sp. and two M. extorquens from plant B. Different patterns of resistance to seven disinfectants in a bactericidal suspension test and variable degree of attachment to stainless steel were found. The strains with higher disinfectant resistance showed lower degree of attachment than susceptible strains. The study identifies and characterizes micro-organisms present after cleaning and fogging disinfection. Both surface attachment and resistance were shown as possible reasons for the presence of the isolates after cleaning and disinfection. These results contribute to the awareness of disinfectant resistance as well as attachment as mechanisms of survival in dairy industry. It also strengthens the argument of frequent alternation of disinfectants in the food processing industry to avoid the establishment of resistant house strains.

Feasibility of small animal cranial irradiation with the microRT system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiehl, Erich L.; Stojadinovic, Strahinja; Malinowski, Kathleen T.; Limbrick, David; Jost, Sarah C.; Garbow, Joel R.; Rubin, Joshua B.; Deasy, Joseph O.; Khullar, Divya; Izaguirre, Enrique W.; Parikh, Parag J.; Low, Daniel A.; Hope, Andrew J.

2008-01-01

immobilizer added ±0.1 mm to microRT spatial uncertainty along each axis. Overall, the total spatial uncertainty for the prescribed treatments was ±0.3 mm in all three axes, a 0.2 mm functional improvement over the original version of microRT. Subject tolerance was good, with minimal observed side effects and a low procedure-induced mortality rate. Throughput was high, with average treatment times of 7.72 and 3.13 min/animal for the whole-brain and hemispheric plans, respectively (dependent on source strength). Conclusions: The method described exhibits conformality more in line with the size differential between human and animal patients than provided by previous prevalent approaches. Using pretreatment imaging and microRT-specific treatment planning, our method can deliver an accurate, conformal dose distribution to the targeted murine brain (or a subregion of the brain) while minimizing excess dose to the surrounding tissue. Thus, preclinical animal studies assessing the radiotherapeutic response of both normal and malignant CNS tissue to complex dose distributions, which closer resemble human-type radiotherapy, are better enabled. The procedural and mechanistic framework for this method logically provides for future adaptation into other murine target organs or regions.

Effect of an insecticide on growth and metabolism of some non-target soil micro-organisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balasubramanian, A.; Nilakantan, Gita

1975-01-01

Aldicarb, a systemic insecticide, enhanced the growth of Rhizobium japonicum in vitro at 1 ppm concentration but inhibited it at 5 ppm level. The cell yields of Azotobacter chroococcum and Pseudomonas solanacearum were reduced by both the concentrations of the chemical. 1 and 5 ppm levels of the insecticide the incorporation of 14 C-glucose by R. japonicum, but it was stimulated in the case of R. chroococcum. In the case of P. solanacearum, however, 1 ppm level of the insecticide enhanced the incorporation of the label. Uptake of 32 P-di-potassium hydrogen phosphate by the cells was also significantly reduced indicating that the metabolic activities of these non-target soil micro-organisms are altered by the insecticide treatment. (author)

Integrated sensor array for on-line monitoring micro bioreactors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krommenhoek, E.E.

2007-01-01

The “Fed��?batch on a chip��?��?project, which was carried out in close cooperation with the Technical University of Delft, aims to miniaturize and parallelize micro bioreactors suitable for on-line screening of micro-organisms. This thesis describes an electrochemical sensor array which has been

Removal of micro-organisms in a small-scale hydroponics wastewater treatment system.

Science.gov (United States)

Ottoson, J; Norström, A; Dalhammar, G

2005-01-01

To measure the microbial removal capacity of a small-scale hydroponics wastewater treatment plant. Paired samples were taken from untreated, partly-treated and treated wastewater and analysed for faecal microbial indicators, i.e. coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci, Clostridium perfringens spores and somatic coliphages, by culture based methods. Escherichia coli was never detected in effluent water after >5.8-log removal. Enterococci, coliforms, spores and coliphages were removed by 4.5, 4.1, 2.3 and 2.5 log respectively. Most of the removal (60-87%) took place in the latter part of the system because of settling, normal inactivation (retention time 12.7 d) and sand filtration. Time-dependent log-linear removal was shown for spores (k = -0.17 log d(-1), r(2) = 0.99). Hydroponics wastewater treatment removed micro-organisms satisfactorily. Investigations on the microbial removal capacity of hydroponics have only been performed for bacterial indicators. In this study it has been shown that virus and (oo)cyst process indicators were removed and that hydroponics can be an alternative to conventional wastewater treatment.

A nephron-based model of the kidneys for macro-to-micro α-particle dosimetry

Science.gov (United States)

Hobbs, Robert F.; Song, Hong; Huso, David L.; Sundel, Margaret H.; Sgouros, George

2012-07-01

Targeted α-particle therapy is a promising treatment modality for cancer. Due to the short path-length of α-particles, the potential efficacy and toxicity of these agents is best evaluated by microscale dosimetry calculations instead of whole-organ, absorbed fraction-based dosimetry. Yet time-integrated activity (TIA), the necessary input for dosimetry, can still only be quantified reliably at the organ or macroscopic level. We describe a nephron- and cellular-based kidney dosimetry model for α-particle radiopharmaceutical therapy, more suited to the short range and high linear energy transfer of α-particle emitters, which takes as input kidney or cortex TIA and through a macro to micro model-based methodology assigns TIA to micro-level kidney substructures. We apply a geometrical model to provide nephron-level S-values for a range of isotopes allowing for pre-clinical and clinical applications according to the medical internal radiation dosimetry (MIRD) schema. We assume that the relationship between whole-organ TIA and TIA apportioned to microscale substructures as measured in an appropriate pre-clinical mammalian model also applies to the human. In both, the pre-clinical and the human model, microscale substructures are described as a collection of simple geometrical shapes akin to those used in the Cristy-Eckerman phantoms for normal organs. Anatomical parameters are taken from the literature for a human model, while murine parameters are measured ex vivo. The murine histological slides also provide the data for volume of occupancy of the different compartments of the nephron in the kidney: glomerulus versus proximal tubule versus distal tubule. Monte Carlo simulations are run with activity placed in the different nephron compartments for several α-particle emitters currently under investigation in radiopharmaceutical therapy. The S-values were calculated for the α-emitters and their descendants between the different nephron compartments for both the

A nephron-based model of the kidneys for macro-to-micro α-particle dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hobbs, Robert F; Song Hong; H Sundel, Margaret; Sgouros, George; Huso, David L

2012-01-01

Targeted α-particle therapy is a promising treatment modality for cancer. Due to the short path-length of α-particles, the potential efficacy and toxicity of these agents is best evaluated by microscale dosimetry calculations instead of whole-organ, absorbed fraction-based dosimetry. Yet time-integrated activity (TIA), the necessary input for dosimetry, can still only be quantified reliably at the organ or macroscopic level. We describe a nephron- and cellular-based kidney dosimetry model for α-particle radiopharmaceutical therapy, more suited to the short range and high linear energy transfer of α-particle emitters, which takes as input kidney or cortex TIA and through a macro to micro model-based methodology assigns TIA to micro-level kidney substructures. We apply a geometrical model to provide nephron-level S-values for a range of isotopes allowing for pre-clinical and clinical applications according to the medical internal radiation dosimetry (MIRD) schema. We assume that the relationship between whole-organ TIA and TIA apportioned to microscale substructures as measured in an appropriate pre-clinical mammalian model also applies to the human. In both, the pre-clinical and the human model, microscale substructures are described as a collection of simple geometrical shapes akin to those used in the Cristy–Eckerman phantoms for normal organs. Anatomical parameters are taken from the literature for a human model, while murine parameters are measured ex vivo. The murine histological slides also provide the data for volume of occupancy of the different compartments of the nephron in the kidney: glomerulus versus proximal tubule versus distal tubule. Monte Carlo simulations are run with activity placed in the different nephron compartments for several α-particle emitters currently under investigation in radiopharmaceutical therapy. The S-values were calculated for the α-emitters and their descendants between the different nephron compartments for both the

Motivation and policies of human resources management in the organization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jovanović Goca

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Organizations today operate in an uncertain environment, accompanied by constant change and technological innovation. The greatest impact on performance as the key feature of human resources business. Motivation and employee satisfaction becoming the basis of a modern organization. Motivated employees today represent a strategic resource which confer a competitive advantage of the organization.

Headspace Solid Phase Micro Extraction Gas Chromatographic Determination of Fenthion in Human Serum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyriaki Machera

2008-05-01

Full Text Available A simple and effective analytical procedure was developed for the determination of fenthion residues in human serum samples. The sample treatment was performed using the headspace solid-phase micro extraction with polyacrylate fiber, which has the advantage to require low amount of serum (1 mL without tedious pre-treatment. The quantification of fenthion was carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and the recoveries ranged from 79 to 104% at two spiking levels for 6 replicates. Detection and quantification limits were calculated as 1.51 and 4.54 ng/mL of serum respectively. Two fenthion metabolites − fenoxon and fenthion–sulfoxide − were also identified.

Macro- and Micro-Political Vernaculizations of Rights: Human Rights and Abortion Discourses in Northern Ireland.

Science.gov (United States)

Pierson, Claire; Bloomer, Fiona

2017-06-01

How abortion is dealt with in law and policy is shaped through the multiple political and societal discourses on the issue within a particular society. Debate on abortion is constantly in flux, with progressive and regressive movements witnessed globally. This paper examines the translation of human rights norms into discourses on abortion in Northern Ireland, a region where abortion is highly restricted, with extensive contemporary public debate into potential liberalization of abortion law. This paper emanates from research examining political debates on abortion in Northern Ireland and contrasts findings with recent civil society developments, identifying competing narratives of human rights with regard to abortion at the macro- and micro-political level. The paper identifies the complexities of using human rights as a lobbying tool, and questions the utility of rights-based arguments in furthering abortion law reform. The paper concludes that a legalistic rights-based approach may have limited efficacy in creating a more nuanced debate and perspective on abortion in Northern Ireland but that it has particular resonance in arguing for limited reform in extreme cases.

Barbed micro-spikes for micro-scale biopsy

Science.gov (United States)

Byun, Sangwon; Lim, Jung-Min; Paik, Seung-Joon; Lee, Ahra; Koo, Kyo-in; Park, Sunkil; Park, Jaehong; Choi, Byoung-Doo; Seo, Jong Mo; Kim, Kyung-ah; Chung, Hum; Song, Si Young; Jeon, Doyoung; Cho, Dongil

2005-06-01

Single-crystal silicon planar micro-spikes with protruding barbs are developed for micro-scale biopsy and the feasibility of using the micro-spike as a micro-scale biopsy tool is evaluated for the first time. The fabrication process utilizes a deep silicon etch to define the micro-spike outline, resulting in protruding barbs of various shapes. Shanks of the fabricated micro-spikes are 3 mm long, 100 µm thick and 250 µm wide. Barbs protruding from micro-spike shanks facilitate the biopsy procedure by tearing off and retaining samples from target tissues. Micro-spikes with barbs successfully extracted tissue samples from the small intestines of the anesthetized pig, whereas micro-spikes without barbs failed to obtain a biopsy sample. Parylene coating can be applied to improve the biocompatibility of the micro-spike without deteriorating the biopsy function of the micro-spike. In addition, to show that the biopsy with the micro-spike can be applied to tissue analysis, samples obtained by micro-spikes were examined using immunofluorescent staining. Nuclei and F-actin of cells which are extracted by the micro-spike from a transwell were clearly visualized by immunofluorescent staining.

Program of organization and human factors in the Juzbado factory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drukaroff, M. C.

2015-01-01

The human reliability is taking more and more importance and relevance in organizations with high safety requirements. The reason is very simple: as technological aspects are evolving and their failures are lower, the organizational aspects (leader hip, resources, training, organization chart, communications, identification and external resolution of problems, influences, etc.) and human (knowledge, skills, attitudes, motivation, performances, etc.) are taking more relevance. Two are the causes: the management are complex and the impact with the technological aspects as well as in the operative results. (Author)

MicroRNAs, Innate Immunity and Ventricular Rupture in Human Myocardial Infarction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nina Zidar

2011-01-01

Full Text Available MicroRNAs are non-coding RNAs, functionioning as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Some microRNAs have been demonstrated to play a role in regulation of innate immunity. After myocardial infarction (MI, innate immunity is activated leading to an acute inflammatory reaction. There is evidence that an intense inflammatory reaction might contribute to the development of ventricular rupture (VR after MI.

The metal-organic framework HKUST-1 as efficient sorbent in a vortex-assisted dispersive micro solid-phase extraction of parabens from environmental waters, cosmetic creams, and human urine.

Science.gov (United States)

Rocío-Bautista, Priscilla; Martínez-Benito, Carla; Pino, Verónica; Pasán, Jorge; Ayala, Juan H; Ruiz-Pérez, Catalina; Afonso, Ana M

2015-07-01

Three metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), specifically HKUST-1, MOF-5, and MIL-53(Al), have been synthetized, characterized, studied and compared in a vortex-assisted dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction (VA-D-µ-SPE) procedure in combination with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode-array detection (DAD) for determining seven parabens in environmental waters (tap water, swimming pool water, and water coming from a spa pool), human urine (from two volunteers), and cosmetic creams (two commercial brands). Experimental parameters, such as nature and amount of MOF, sample volume, nature of elution solvent and its amount, vortex and centrifugation time, among others, were properly optimized. HKUST-1 was the most adequate MOF to work with. Detection limits for the overall method down to 0.1 μgL(-1) for butylparaben (BPB) and benzylparaben (BzPB) were obtained, with determination coefficients (R(2)) higher than 0.9966 for a range of 0.5-147 μgL(-1) (depending on the paraben), average relative recoveries (RR, in %) of 80.3% at the low spiked level (7 μgL(-1)), and relative standard deviation (RSD) values below 10% also at the low spiked level. The strength of the affinity between HKUST-1 and parabens was evaluated, and it ranged from 33.5% for isopropylparaben (iPPB) to 77.0% for isobutylparaben (iBPB). When analyzing complex environmental waters, RR values of 78%, inter-day precision values (as RSD) lower than 15%, and intra-day precision values lower than 7.8% were obtained, despite the observed matrix effect. When analyzing cosmetic creams, parabens were detected, with contents ranging from 0.14 ± 0.01 μgg(-1) for EPB in the healing cream analyzed to 1.12 ± 0.07 mgg(-1) for MPB in the mask cream analyzed, with precision values (RSD) lower than 12% and RR values from 63.7% for propylparaben (PPB) to 121% for iPPB. When analyzing human urine, no parabens were detected but the method could be performed with RSD values lower than 19%. These

Historical landscape elements in preserving steppic species - vegetation responses on micro-topography and human disturbances

Science.gov (United States)

Deák, Balázs; Valkó, Orsolya; Török, Péter; Tóthmérész, Béla

2017-04-01

Land use changes of past centuries resulted in a considerable loss and isolation of grassland habitats worldwide which also led to a serious loss in ecosystem functions. In intensively used agricultural landscapes remnants of natural flora persisted only in small habitat islands embedded in a hostile matrix, which are inadequate for arable farming or construction. In the steppe zone of Eurasia burial mounds, so-called kurgans, have a great potential to preserve the natural flora and habitats and act as local biodiversity hotspots. Their special micro-topography and historical origin makes kurgans characteristic landscape elements of the steppe region. These features also result in a specific soil development and micro-climate, which makes kurgans especially adequate habitats for several steppe specialist plant species. Furthermore, they are proper objects for studying the effects of present and past human disturbances on the vegetation of semi-natural habitats. Exploration of the main factors driving biodiversity in isolated habitat fragments is crucial for understanding the ecological processes shaping their vegetation and for designing effective strategies for their protection. We surveyed the vegetation of 44 isolated kurgans in East-Hungary and studied the effects of habitat area, slope, recent disturbance, past destruction and the level of woody encroachment on the species richness and cover of grassland specialist and weedy species. We used model selection techniques and linear models for testing relevant factors affecting specialist species in grassland fragments. We found that the biodiversity conservation potential of kurgans is supported by their steep slopes, which provide adequate habitat conditions and micro-climate for steppic specialist plant species. By harbouring several grassland specialist species, kurgans have a great potential for preserving the natural species pool of even considerably altered agricultural landscapes, and can mitigate the

MicroRNA-138 is a potential regulator of memory performance in humans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia eSchröder

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Genetic factors underlie a substantial proportion of individual differences in cognitive functions in humans, including processes related to episodic and working memory. While genetic association studies have proposed several candidate memory genes, these currently explain only a minor fraction of the phenotypic variance. Here, we performed genome-wide screening on 13 episodic and working memory phenotypes in 1,318 participants of the Berlin Aging Study II aged 60 years or older. The analyses highlight a number of novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs associated with memory performance, including one located in a putative regulatory region of microRNA (miRNA hsa-mir-138-5p (rs9882688, P-value = 7.8x10-9. Expression quantitative trait locus analyses on next-generation RNA-sequencing data revealed that rs9882688 genotypes show a significant correlation with the expression levels of this miRNA in 309 human lymphoblastoid cell lines (P-value = 5x10-4. In silico modeling of other top-ranking GWAS signals identified an additional memory-associated SNP in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR of DCP1B, a gene encoding a core component of the mRNA decapping complex in humans, predicted to interfere with hsa-mir-138-5p binding. This prediction was confirmed in vitro by luciferase assays showing differential binding of hsa-mir-138-5p to 3'UTR reporter constructs in two human cell lines (HEK293: P-value = 0.0470; SH-SY5Y: P-value = 0.0866. Finally, expression profiling of hsa-mir-138-5p and DCP1B mRNA in human post-mortem brain tissue revealed that both molecules are expressed simultaneously in frontal cortex and hippocampus, suggesting that the proposed interaction between hsa-mir-138-5p and DCP1B may also take place in vivo. In summary, by combining unbiased genome-wide screening with extensive in silico modeling, in vitro functional assays, and gene expression profiling, our study identified miRNA-138 as a potential molecular regulator of human memory

Knowledge management: implications for human service organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Austin, Michael J; Claassen, Jennette; Vu, Catherine M; Mizrahi, Paola

2008-01-01

Knowledge management has recently taken a more prominent role in the management of organizations as worker knowledge and intellectual capital are recognized as critical to organizational success. This analysis explores the literature of knowledge management including the individual level of tacit and explicit knowledge, the networks and social interactions utilized by workers to create and share new knowledge, and the multiple organizational and managerial factors associated with effective knowledge management systems. Based on the role of organizational culture, structure, leadership, and reward systems, six strategies are identified to assist human service organizations with implementing new knowledge management systems.

MicroRNA Signature of Human Microvascular Endothelium Infected with Rickettsia rickettsii

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abha Sahni

2017-07-01

Full Text Available MicroRNAs (miRNAs mediate gene silencing by destabilization and/or translational repression of target mRNA. Infection of human microvascular endothelial cells as primary targets of Rickettsia rickettsii, the etiologic agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, triggers host responses appertaining to alterations in cellular gene expression. Microarray-based profiling of endothelial cells infected with R. rickettsii for 3 or 24 h revealed differential expression of 33 miRNAs, of which miRNAs129-5p, 200a-3p, 297, 200b-3p, and 595 were identified as the top five up-regulated miRNAs (5 to 20-fold, p ≤ 0.01 and miRNAs 301b-3p, 548a-3p, and 377-3p were down-regulated (2 to 3-fold, p ≤ 0.01. Changes in the expression of selected miRNAs were confirmed by q-RT-PCR in both in vitro and in vivo models of infection. As potential targets, expression of genes encoding NOTCH1, SMAD2, SMAD3, RIN2, SOD1, and SOD2 was either positively or negatively regulated. Using a miRNA-specific mimic or inhibitor, NOTCH1 was determined to be a target of miRNA 200a-3p in R. rickettsii-infected human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs. Predictive interactome mapping suggested the potential for miRNA-mediated modulation of regulatory gene networks underlying important host cell signaling pathways. This first demonstration of altered endothelial miRNA expression provides new insights into regulatory elements governing mechanisms of host responses and pathogenesis during human rickettsial infections.

Protection of Human Beings Trafficked for the Purpose of Organ Removal: Recommendations

OpenAIRE

Pascalev, Assya; Van Assche, Kristof; S?ndor, Judit; Codreanu, Natalia; Naqvi, Anwar; Gunnarson, Martin; Frunza, Mihaela; Yankov, Jordan

2016-01-01

Abstract This report presents a comprehensive set of recommendations for protection of human beings who are trafficked for the purpose of organ removal or are targeted for such trafficking. Developed by an interdisciplinary group of international experts under the auspices of the project Trafficking in Human Beings for the Purpose of Organ Removal (also known as the HOTT project), these recommendations are grounded in the view that an individual who parts with an organ for money within an ill...

A mediated modelling approach to promote collaborative learning in Andean rural micro-catchments in Colombia

Science.gov (United States)

Gowing, John; Dominguez, Isabel

2013-04-01

In rural catchments of developing countries water-related diseases, due to land use patterns (agriculture and livestock), microbial pollution, inadequate sanitation systems, access to water of poor quality, and lack of institutional support are common problems which disproportionally affect poor and vulnerable people. This research aims at developing a system dynamic model to improve the understanding of the macro and micro factors that influence human health and environmental health in rural micro-catchments in Valle del Cauca, Colombia. In this catchment livelihoods for most people depend on agriculture, particularly coffee. The research uses a mediated modeling approach, in which different stakeholders in modeling sessions, develop a STELLA model that allows them to identify relations between the economic, social and environmental factors and driving forces over the performance of their system. Stakeholders jointly develop the model structure in sessions facilitated by the researcher and the data required is gathered using secondary information from the different relevant institutions and primary information from field surveys that cover socioeconomic and environmental aspects that has not been previously collected by any institution or organization (i.e. household survey, stream water survey, and drinking water survey). Representation and understanding of their system will allow the stakeholders to test the effect of different management strategies in the micro-catchment and their associated socioeconomic, environmental and human health outcomes.

Cross disease analysis of co-functional microRNA pairs on a reconstructed network of disease-gene-microRNA tripartite.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Hui; Lan, Chaowang; Zheng, Yi; Hutvagner, Gyorgy; Tao, Dacheng; Li, Jinyan

2017-03-24

MicroRNAs always function cooperatively in their regulation of gene expression. Dysfunctions of these co-functional microRNAs can play significant roles in disease development. We are interested in those multi-disease associated co-functional microRNAs that regulate their common dysfunctional target genes cooperatively in the development of multiple diseases. The research is potentially useful for human disease studies at the transcriptional level and for the study of multi-purpose microRNA therapeutics. We designed a computational method to detect multi-disease associated co-functional microRNA pairs and conducted cross disease analysis on a reconstructed disease-gene-microRNA (DGR) tripartite network. The construction of the DGR tripartite network is by the integration of newly predicted disease-microRNA associations with those relationships of diseases, microRNAs and genes maintained by existing databases. The prediction method uses a set of reliable negative samples of disease-microRNA association and a pre-computed kernel matrix instead of kernel functions. From this reconstructed DGR tripartite network, multi-disease associated co-functional microRNA pairs are detected together with their common dysfunctional target genes and ranked by a novel scoring method. We also conducted proof-of-concept case studies on cancer-related co-functional microRNA pairs as well as on non-cancer disease-related microRNA pairs. With the prioritization of the co-functional microRNAs that relate to a series of diseases, we found that the co-function phenomenon is not unusual. We also confirmed that the regulation of the microRNAs for the development of cancers is more complex and have more unique properties than those of non-cancer diseases.

Search for Bs0 --> micro+ micro- and B0 --> micro+ micro- decays with 2 fb-1 of pp collisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Aaltonen, T; Adelman, J; Akimoto, T; Albrow, M G; Alvarez González, B; Amerio, S; Amidei, D; Anastassov, A; Annovi, A; Antos, J; Aoki, M; Apollinari, G; Apresyan, A; Arisawa, T; Artikov, A; Ashmanskas, W; Attal, A; Aurisano, A; Azfar, F; Azzi-Bacchetta, P; Azzurri, P; Bacchetta, N; Badgett, W; Barbaro-Galtieri, A; Barnes, V E; Barnett, B A; Baroiant, S; Bartsch, V; Bauer, G; Beauchemin, P-H; Bedeschi, F; Bednar, P; Behari, S; Bellettini, G; Bellinger, J; Belloni, A; Benjamin, D; Beretvas, A; Beringer, J; Berry, T; Bhatti, A; Binkley, M; Bisello, D; Bizjak, I; Blair, R E; Blocker, C; Blumenfeld, B; Bocci, A; Bodek, A; Boisvert, V; Bolla, G; Bolshov, A; Bortoletto, D; Boudreau, J; Boveia, A; Brau, B; Bridgeman, A; Brigliadori, L; Bromberg, C; Brubaker, E; Budagov, J; Budd, H S; Budd, S; Burkett, K; Busetto, G; Bussey, P; Buzatu, A; Byrum, K L; Cabrera, S; Campanelli, M; Campbell, M; Canelli, F; Canepa, A; Carlsmith, D; Carosi, R; Carrillo, S; Carron, S; Casal, B; Casarsa, M; Castro, A; Catastini, P; Cauz, D; Cavalli-Sforza, M; Cerri, A; Cerrito, L; Chang, S H; Chen, Y C; Chertok, M; Chiarelli, G; Chlachidze, G; Chlebana, F; Cho, K; Chokheli, D; Chou, J P; Choudalakis, G; Chuang, S H; Chung, K; Chung, W H; Chung, Y S; Ciobanu, C I; Ciocci, M A; Clark, A; Clark, D; Compostella, G; Convery, M E; Conway, J; Cooper, B; Copic, K; Cordelli, M; Cortiana, G; Crescioli, F; Cuenca Almenar, C; Cuevas, J; Culbertson, R; Cully, J C; Dagenhart, D; Datta, M; Davies, T; de Barbaro, P; De Cecco, S; Deisher, A; De Lentdecker, G; De Lorenzo, G; Dell'orso, M; Demortier, L; Deng, J; Deninno, M; De Pedis, D; Derwent, P F; Di Giovanni, G P; Dionisi, C; Di Ruzza, B; Dittmann, J R; D'Onofrio, M; Donati, S; Dong, P; Donini, J; Dorigo, T; Dube, S; Efron, J; Erbacher, R; Errede, D; Errede, S; Eusebi, R; Fang, H C; Farrington, S; Fedorko, W T; Feild, R G; Feindt, M; Fernandez, J P; Ferrazza, C; Field, R; Flanagan, G; Forrest, R; Forrester, S; Franklin, M; Freeman, J C; Furic, I; Gallinaro, M; Galyardt, J; Garberson, F; Garcia, J E; Garfinkel, A F; Genser, K; Gerberich, H; Gerdes, D; Giagu, S; Giakoumopolou, V; Giannetti, P; Gibson, K; Gimmell, J L; Ginsburg, C M; Giokaris, N; Giordani, M; Giromini, P; Giunta, M; Glagolev, V; Glenzinski, D; Gold, M; Goldschmidt, N; Golossanov, A; Gomez, G; Gomez-Ceballos, G; Goncharov, M; González, O; Gorelov, I; Goshaw, A T; Goulianos, K; Gresele, A; Grinstein, S; Grosso-Pilcher, C; Grundler, U; Guimaraes da Costa, J; Gunay-Unalan, Z; Haber, C; Hahn, K; Hahn, S R; Halkiadakis, E; Hamilton, A; Han, B-Y; Han, J Y; Handler, R; Happacher, F; Hara, K; Hare, D; Hare, M; Harper, S; Harr, R F; Harris, R M; Hartz, M; Hatakeyama, K; Hauser, J; Hays, C; Heck, M; Heijboer, A; Heinemann, B; Heinrich, J; Henderson, C; Herndon, M; Heuser, J; Hewamanage, S; Hidas, D; Hill, C S; Hirschbuehl, D; Hocker, A; Hou, S; Houlden, M; Hsu, S-C; Huffman, B T; Hughes, R E; Husemann, U; Huston, J; Incandela, J; Introzzi, G; Iori, M; Ivanov, A; Iyutin, B; James, E; Jayatilaka, B; Jeans, D; Jeon, E J; Jindariani, S; Johnson, W; Jones, M; Joo, K K; Jun, S Y; Jung, J E; Junk, T R; Kamon, T; Kar, D; Karchin, P E; Kato, Y; Kephart, R; Kerzel, U; Khotilovich, V; Kilminster, B; Kim, D H; Kim, H S; Kim, J E; Kim, M J; Kim, S B; Kim, S H; Kim, Y K; Kimura, N; Kirsch, L; Klimenko, S; Klute, M; Knuteson, B; Ko, B R; Koay, S A; Kondo, K; Kong, D J; Konigsberg, J; Korytov, A; Kotwal, A V; Kraus, J; Kreps, M; Kroll, J; Krumnack, N; Kruse, M; Krutelyov, V; Kubo, T; Kuhlmann, S E; Kuhr, T; Kulkarni, N P; Kusakabe, Y; Kwang, S; Laasanen, A T; Lai, S; Lami, S; Lammel, S; Lancaster, M; Lander, R L; Lannon, K; Lath, A; Latino, G; Lazzizzera, I; Lecompte, T; Lee, J; Lee, J; Lee, Y J; Lee, S W; Lefèvre, R; Leonardo, N; Leone, S; Levy, S; Lewis, J D; Lin, C; Lin, C S; Linacre, J; Lindgren, M; Lipeles, E; Lister, A; Litvintsev, D O; Liu, T; Lockyer, N S; Loginov, A; Loreti, M; Lovas, L; Lu, R-S; Lucchesi, D; Lueck, J; Luci, C; Lujan, P; Lukens, P; Lungu, G; Lyons, L; Lys, J; Lysak, R; Lytken, E; Mack, P; Macqueen, D; Madrak, R; Maeshima, K; Makhoul, K; Maki, T; Maksimovic, P; Malde, S; Malik, S; Manca, G; Manousakis, A; Margaroli, F; Marino, C; Marino, C P; Martin, A; Martin, M; Martin, V; Martínez, M; Martínez-Ballarín, R; Maruyama, T; Mastrandrea, P; Masubuchi, T; Mattson, M E; Mazzanti, P; McFarland, K S; McIntyre, P; McNulty, R; Mehta, A; Mehtala, P; Menzemer, S; Menzione, A; Merkel, P; Mesropian, C; Messina, A; Miao, T; Miladinovic, N; Miles, J; Miller, R; Mills, C; Milnik, M; Mitra, A; Mitselmakher, G; Miyake, H; Moed, S; Moggi, N; Moon, C S; Moore, R; Morello, M; Movilla Fernandez, P; Mülmenstädt, J; Mukherjee, A; Muller, Th; Mumford, R; Murat, P; Mussini, M; Nachtman, J; Nagai, Y; Nagano, A; Naganoma, J; Nakamura, K; Nakano, I; Napier, A; Necula, V; Neu, C; Neubauer, M S; Nielsen, J; Nodulman, L; Norman, M; Norniella, O; Nurse, E; Oh, S H; Oh, Y D; Oksuzian, I; Okusawa, T; Oldeman, R; Orava, R; Osterberg, K; Pagan Griso, S; Pagliarone, C; Palencia, E; Papadimitriou, V; Papaikonomou, A; Paramonov, A A; Parks, B; Pashapour, S; Patrick, J; Pauletta, G; Paulini, M; Paus, C; Pellett, D E; Penzo, A; Phillips, T J; Piacentino, G; Piedra, J; Pinera, L; Pitts, K; Plager, C; Pondrom, L; Portell, X; Poukhov, O; Pounder, N; Prakoshyn, F; Pronko, A; Proudfoot, J; Ptohos, F; Punzi, G; Pursley, J; Rademacker, J; Rahaman, A; Ramakrishnan, V; Ranjan, N; Redondo, I; Reisert, B; Rekovic, V; Renton, P; Rescigno, M; Richter, S; Rimondi, F; Ristori, L; Robson, A; Rodrigo, T; Rogers, E; Rolli, S; Roser, R; Rossi, M; Rossin, R; Roy, P; Ruiz, A; Russ, J; Rusu, V; Saarikko, H; Safonov, A; Sakumoto, W K; Salamanna, G; Saltó, O; Santi, L; Sarkar, S; Sartori, L; Sato, K; Savoy-Navarro, A; Scheidle, T; Schlabach, P; Schmidt, E E; Schmidt, M A; Schmidt, M P; Schmitt, M; Schwarz, T; Scodellaro, L; Scott, A L; Scribano, A; Scuri, F; Sedov, A; Seidel, S; Seiya, Y; Semenov, A; Sexton-Kennedy, L; Sfyria, A; Shalhout, S Z; Shapiro, M D; Shears, T; Shepard, P F; Sherman, D; Shimojima, M; Shochet, M; Shon, Y; Shreyber, I; Sidoti, A; Sinervo, P; Sisakyan, A; Slaughter, A J; Slaunwhite, J; Sliwa, K; Smith, J R; Snider, F D; Snihur, R; Soderberg, M; Soha, A; Somalwar, S; Sorin, V; Spalding, J; Spinella, F; Spreitzer, T; Squillacioti, P; Stanitzki, M; St Denis, R; Stelzer, B; Stelzer-Chilton, O; Stentz, D; Strologas, J; Stuart, D; Suh, J S; Sukhanov, A; Sun, H; Suslov, I; Suzuki, T; Taffard, A; Takashima, R; Takeuchi, Y; Tanaka, R; Tecchio, M; Teng, P K; Terashi, K; Thom, J; Thompson, A S; Thompson, G A; Thomson, E; Tipton, P; Tiwari, V; Tkaczyk, S; Toback, D; Tokar, S; Tollefson, K; Tomura, T; Tonelli, D; Torre, S; Torretta, D; Tourneur, S; Trischuk, W; Tu, Y; Turini, N; Ukegawa, F; Uozumi, S; Vallecorsa, S; van Remortel, N; Varganov, A; Vataga, E; Vázquez, F; Velev, G; Vellidis, C; Veszpremi, V; Vidal, M; Vidal, R; Vila, I; Vilar, R; Vine, T; Vogel, M; Volobouev, I; Volpi, G; Würthwein, F; Wagner, P; Wagner, R G; Wagner, R L; Wagner-Kuhr, J; Wagner, W; Wakisaka, T; Wallny, R; Wang, S M; Warburton, A; Waters, D; Weinberger, M; Wester, W C; Whitehouse, B; Whiteson, D; Wicklund, A B; Wicklund, E; Williams, G; Williams, H H; Wilson, P; Winer, B L; Wittich, P; Wolbers, S; Wolfe, C; Wright, T; Wu, X; Wynne, S M; Yagil, A; Yamamoto, K; Yamaoka, J; Yamashita, T; Yang, C; Yang, U K; Yang, Y C; Yao, W M; Yeh, G P; Yoh, J; Yorita, K; Yoshida, T; Yu, G B; Yu, I; Yu, S S; Yun, J C; Zanello, L; Zanetti, A; Zaw, I; Zhang, X; Zheng, Y; Zucchelli, S

2008-03-14

We have performed a search for B(s)(0) --> micro(+) micro(-) and B(0) --> micro(+) micro(-) decays in pp collisions at square root s = 1.96 TeV using 2 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity collected by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. The observed number of B(s)(0) and B0 candidates is consistent with background expectations. The resulting upper limits on the branching fractions are B(B(s)0) --> micro(+) micro(-)) micro(+) micro(-))<1.8 x 10(-8) at 95% C.L.

In vitro ceramic scaffold mineralization: comparison between histological and micro-computed topographical analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thimm, B.W.; Wechsler, O.; Bohner, M.; Müller, R.; Hofmann, S.

2013-01-01

The porous structure of beta-tricalcium phosphate (b-TCP) scaffolds was assessed by conventional histomor- phometry and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) to evaluate the substitutability of time-consuming histomor- phometry by rapid micro-CT. Extracellular matrix mineral- ization on human

Concentration and distribution of dioxins and related compounds in various human organs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iida, T.; Hirakawa, H.; Hori, T.; Tobiishi, K.; Matsueda, T. [Fukuoka Inst. of Health and Environmental Sciences, Dazaifu, Fukuoka (Japan); Todaka, T. [Japan Food Hygiene Association, Tokyo (Japan); Watanabe, S. [Tokyo Univ. of Agriculture, Tokyo (Japan); Yamada, T. [Keio Univ. School of Medicine, Tokyo (Japan)

2004-09-15

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and non-ortho coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (Non-Co-PCBs) and mono-ortho coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (Mono-Co-PCBs) accumulate in the human body due to their highly lipophilic properties. In recent years, there has been some concern about the potential health effects of dioxins and related chemicals for the general population of humans. Although there exists an enormous amount of data on this subject, most of it is from breast milk and blood, due to ease of collection; information concerning concentrations and distribution in various human organs hardly exists. Therefore, new data concerning various human tissues is required to evaluate the pathophysiological significance of dioxins and related compounds in humans. The aim of this study was to investigate the concentration levels and distribution of dioxins and related compounds in various human organ tissues. We previously reported on the concentration levels in the human liver and adipose tissues from 28 donors. In this paper, we determined the concentrations of dioxin-like isomers in 8 organs, including blood, lungs, liver, bile, spleen, pancreas, kidney and mesentery fat from 20 donors.

Deregulated Cardiac Specific MicroRNAs in Postnatal Heart Growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pujiao Yu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The heart is recognized as an organ that is terminally differentiated by adulthood. However, during the process of human development, the heart is the first organ with function in the embryo and grows rapidly during the postnatal period. MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs, as regulators of gene expression, play important roles during the development of multiple systems. However, the role of miRNAs in postnatal heart growth is still unclear. In this study, by using qRT-PCR, we compared the expression of seven cardiac- or muscle-specific miRNAs that may be related to heart development in heart tissue from mice at postnatal days 0, 3, 8, and 14. Four miRNAs—miR-1a-3p, miR-133b-3p, miR-208b-3p, and miR-206-3p—were significantly decreased while miR-208a-3p was upregulated during the postnatal heart growth period. Based on these results, GeneSpring GX was used to predict potential downstream targets by performing a 3-way comparison of predictions from the miRWalk, PITA, and microRNAorg databases. Gene Ontology (GO and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG analysis were used to identify potential functional annotations and signaling pathways related to postnatal heart growth. This study describes expression changes of cardiac- and muscle-specific miRNAs during postnatal heart growth and may provide new therapeutic targets for cardiovascular diseases.

PERFORMANCE PREMISES FOR HUMAN RESOURCES FROM PUBLIC HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS IN ROMANIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amalia-Luisa PUPĂZĂ

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Improving the performance of health sector human resources is a goal pursued by all developed or developing countries. However, the lack of human resources planning and lack of clear and transparent human resources policies may lead to a crisis in this area. Human resource planning should be a priority in terms of health policies. In Romania, the lack of a planning concept and the lack of a policy on human resources has led to the actual context, with a human resources crisis of public health organizations. The role that human resources play in the health care system is indisputable. Essential to achieve quality performance in health care is human resources management. To overcome the human resources crisis that public health organizations in Romania is facing , specialists in the field have made several key recommendations: development of a coherent policy formation, development and allocation of human resources in health, increasing the number of medical staff and opportunities of professional career development in the medical field. Health system reform involves changing some aspects of employment, working conditions, degree of decentralization of management, skills, salary system and staff motivation.

Victimization and vilification of Romani children in media and human rights organizations discourses

OpenAIRE

Christianakis, Mary

2015-01-01

Through an analysis of European newspapers, human rights organization reportage, and United Nations documents and websites, this article examines how public discourse regarding education, human rights, poverty, child rearing, and child labour manufactures a dangerous, implausible childhood for Romani children. These discourses, perpetrated by human rights organizations and news media, leverage the languages of intervention, cultural difference, nationalism, and social justice to simultaneousl...

The market of human organs: a window into a poorly understood global business.

Science.gov (United States)

Surman, O S; Saidi, R; Purtilo, R; Simmerling, M; Ko, D; Burke, T F

2008-03-01

The global demand for human organs has set the stage for an exploding and poorly understood global business in human organs. Whenever there is demand for a product, the opportunity for business arises. The form that a business takes is dependent on a complex network of inputs and outputs, each affecting the others. Historically, the details of any specific market are drastically underestimated. Nowhere is this truer than in the market of human organs. The drivers, which propel the "goods" of human organs, form a flourishing business. Critical analysis is essential to understanding of the supply and demand sides and to determine the role of government in regulating the industry. Governmental groups have dismissed formation of a regulated market for organ sales. The concept is nonetheless a topic of active discussion, motivated by the suffering of patients in need of organs and exploitation of the victims of human trafficking. Ethical principles have been invoked on each side of the ensuing debate. Theory in the absence of sufficient data is shaky ground for enactment of new policy. The Aristotelian concept of "practical wisdom" and the pragmatism of William James illuminate the importance of scientific investigation as guide to policy formation. How will stakeholders benefit or lose? What impact might be anticipated in regard to organized medicine's social contract? What can we learn about cross-cultural differences and their effect on the global landscape?

MicroED data collection and processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hattne, Johan; Reyes, Francis E.; Nannenga, Brent L.; Shi, Dan; Cruz, M. Jason de la [Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147 (United States); Leslie, Andrew G. W. [Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Gonen, Tamir, E-mail: gonent@janelia.hhmi.org [Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147 (United States)

2015-07-01

The collection and processing of MicroED data are presented. MicroED, a method at the intersection of X-ray crystallography and electron cryo-microscopy, has rapidly progressed by exploiting advances in both fields and has already been successfully employed to determine the atomic structures of several proteins from sub-micron-sized, three-dimensional crystals. A major limiting factor in X-ray crystallography is the requirement for large and well ordered crystals. By permitting electron diffraction patterns to be collected from much smaller crystals, or even single well ordered domains of large crystals composed of several small mosaic blocks, MicroED has the potential to overcome the limiting size requirement and enable structural studies on difficult-to-crystallize samples. This communication details the steps for sample preparation, data collection and reduction necessary to obtain refined, high-resolution, three-dimensional models by MicroED, and presents some of its unique challenges.

The effects of environmental chemical carcinogens on the microRNA machinery.

Science.gov (United States)

Izzotti, A; Pulliero, A

2014-07-01

The first evidence that microRNA expression is early altered by exposure to environmental chemical carcinogens in still healthy organisms was obtained for cigarette smoke. To date, the cumulative experimental data indicate that similar effects are caused by a variety of environmental carcinogens, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitropyrenes, endocrine disruptors, airborne mixtures, carcinogens in food and water, and carcinogenic drugs. Accordingly, the alteration of miRNA expression is a general mechanism that plays an important pathogenic role in linking exposure to environmental toxic agents with their pathological consequences, mainly including cancer development. This review summarizes the existing experimental evidence concerning the effects of chemical carcinogens on the microRNA machinery. For each carcinogen, the specific microRNA alteration signature, as detected in experimental studies, is reported. These data are useful for applying microRNA alterations as early biomarkers of biological effects in healthy organisms exposed to environmental carcinogens. However, microRNA alteration results in carcinogenesis only if accompanied by other molecular damages. As an example, microRNAs altered by chemical carcinogens often inhibits the expression of mutated oncogenes. The long-term exposure to chemical carcinogens causes irreversible suppression of microRNA expression thus allowing the transduction into proteins of mutated oncogenes. This review also analyzes the existing knowledge regarding the mechanisms by which environmental carcinogens alter microRNA expression. The underlying molecular mechanism involves p53-microRNA interconnection, microRNA adduct formation, and alterations of Dicer function. On the whole, reported findings provide evidence that microRNA analysis is a molecular toxicology tool that can elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms activated by environmental carcinogens. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Ethical Issues of Transplanting Organs from Transgenic Animals into Human Beings

Science.gov (United States)

Behnam Manesh, Shima; Omani Samani, Reza; Behnam Manesh, Shayan

2014-01-01

One of the most important applications of transgenic animals for medical purposes is to transplant their organs into human’s body, an issue which has caused a lot of ethical and scientific discussions. we can divide the ethical arguments to two comprehensive groups; the first group which is known as deontological critiques (related to the action itself regardless of any results pointing the human or animal) and the second group, called the consequentialist critiques (which are directly pointing the consequences of the action). The latter arguments also can be divided to two subgroups. In the first one which named anthropocentrism, just humankind has inherent value in the moral society, and it studies the problem just from a human-based point of view while in second named, biocentrism all the living organism have this value and it deals specially with the problem from the animal-based viewpoint. In this descriptive-analytic study, ethical issues were retrieved from books, papers, international guidelines, thesis, declarations and instructions, and even some weekly journals using keywords related to transgenic animals, organ, and transplantation. According to the precautionary principle with the strong legal and ethical background, due to lack of accepted scientific certainties about the safety of the procedure, in this phase, transplanting animal’s organs into human beings have the potential harm and danger for both human and animals, and application of this procedure is unethical until the safety to human will be proven. PMID:25383334

From bioseparation to artificial micro-organs: microfluidic chip based particle manipulation techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Stelzle, Martin

2010-02-01

Microfluidic device technology provides unique physical phenomena which are not available in the macroscopic world. These may be exploited towards a diverse array of applications in biotechnology and biomedicine ranging from bioseparation of particulate samples to the assembly of cells into structures that resemble the smallest functional unit of an organ. In this paper a general overview of chip-based particle manipulation and separation is given. In the state of the art electric, magnetic, optical and gravitational field effects are utilized. Also, mechanical obstacles often in combination with force fields and laminar flow are employed to achieve separation of particles or molecules. In addition, three applications based on dielectrophoretic forces for particle manipulation in microfluidic systems are discussed in more detail. Firstly, a virus assay is demonstrated. There, antibody-loaded microbeads are used to bind virus particles from a sample and subsequently are accumulated to form a pico-liter sized aggregate located at a predefined position in the chip thus enabling highly sensitive fluorescence detection. Secondly, subcellular fractionation of mitochondria from cell homogenate yields pure samples as was demonstrated by Western Blot and 2D PAGE analysis. Robust long-term operation with complex cell homogenate samples while avoiding electrode fouling is achieved by a set of dedicated technical means. Finally, a chip intended for the dielectrophoretic assembly of hepatocytes and endothelial cells into a structure resembling a liver sinusoid is presented. Such "artificial micro organs" are envisioned as substance screening test systems providing significantly higher predictability with respect to the in vivo response towards a substance under test.

Microscopic validation of whole mouse micro-metastatic tumor imaging agents using cryo-imaging and sliding organ image registration

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yiqiao; Zhou, Bo; Qutaish, Mohammed; Wilson, David L.

2016-03-01

We created a metastasis imaging, analysis platform consisting of software and multi-spectral cryo-imaging system suitable for evaluating emerging imaging agents targeting micro-metastatic tumor. We analyzed CREKA-Gd in MRI, followed by cryo-imaging which repeatedly sectioned and tiled microscope images of the tissue block face, providing anatomical bright field and molecular fluorescence, enabling 3D microscopic imaging of the entire mouse with single metastatic cell sensitivity. To register MRI volumes to the cryo bright field reference, we used our standard mutual information, non-rigid registration which proceeded: preprocess --> affine --> B-spline non-rigid 3D registration. In this report, we created two modified approaches: mask where we registered locally over a smaller rectangular solid, and sliding organ. Briefly, in sliding organ, we segmented the organ, registered the organ and body volumes separately and combined results. Though sliding organ required manual annotation, it provided the best result as a standard to measure other registration methods. Regularization parameters for standard and mask methods were optimized in a grid search. Evaluations consisted of DICE, and visual scoring of a checkerboard display. Standard had accuracy of 2 voxels in all regions except near the kidney, where there were 5 voxels sliding. After mask and sliding organ correction, kidneys sliding were within 2 voxels, and Dice overlap increased 4%-10% in mask compared to standard. Mask generated comparable results with sliding organ and allowed a semi-automatic process.

Primary structure of the human follistatin precursor and its genomic organization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimasaki, Shunichi; Koga, Makoto; Esch, F.

1988-01-01

Follistatin is a single-chain gonadal protein that specifically inhibits follicle-stimulating hormone release. By use of the recently characterized porcine follistatin cDNA as a probe to screen a human testis cDNA library and a genomic library, the structure of the complete human follistatin precursor as well as its genomic organization have been determined. Three of eight cDNA clones that were sequenced predicted a precursor with 344 amino acids, whereas the remaining five cDNA clones encoded a 317 amino acid precursor, resulting from alternative splicing of the precursor mRNA. Mature follistatins contain four contiguous domains that are encoded by precisely separated exons; three of the domains are highly similar to each other, as well as to human epidermal growth factor and human pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor. The genomic organization of the human follistatin is similar to that of the human epidermal growth factor gene and thus supports the notion of exon shuffling during evolution

High throughput generated micro-aggregates of chondrocytes stimulate cartilage formation in vitro and in vivo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LS Moreira Teixeira

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Cell-based cartilage repair strategies such as matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI could be improved by enhancing cell performance. We hypothesised that micro-aggregates of chondrocytes generated in high-throughput prior to implantation in a defect could stimulate cartilaginous matrix deposition and remodelling. To address this issue, we designed a micro-mould to enable controlled high-throughput formation of micro-aggregates. Morphology, stability, gene expression profiles and chondrogenic potential of micro-aggregates of human and bovine chondrocytes were evaluated and compared to single-cells cultured in micro-wells and in 3D after encapsulation in Dextran-Tyramine (Dex-TA hydrogels in vitro and in vivo. We successfully formed micro-aggregates of human and bovine chondrocytes with highly controlled size, stability and viability within 24 hours. Micro-aggregates of 100 cells presented a superior balance in Collagen type I and Collagen type II gene expression over single cells and micro-aggregates of 50 and 200 cells. Matrix metalloproteinases 1, 9 and 13 mRNA levels were decreased in micro-aggregates compared to single-cells. Histological and biochemical analysis demonstrated enhanced matrix deposition in constructs seeded with micro-aggregates cultured in vitro and in vivo, compared to single-cell seeded constructs. Whole genome microarray analysis and single gene expression profiles using human chondrocytes confirmed increased expression of cartilage-related genes when chondrocytes were cultured in micro-aggregates. In conclusion, we succeeded in controlled high-throughput formation of micro-aggregates of chondrocytes. Compared to single cell-seeded constructs, seeding of constructs with micro-aggregates greatly improved neo-cartilage formation. Therefore, micro-aggregation prior to chondrocyte implantation in current MACI procedures, may effectively accelerate hyaline cartilage formation.

High throughput generated micro-aggregates of chondrocytes stimulate cartilage formation in vitro and in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira Teixeira, L S; Leijten, J C H; Sobral, J; Jin, R; van Apeldoorn, A A; Feijen, J; van Blitterswijk, C; Dijkstra, P J; Karperien, M

2012-06-05

Cell-based cartilage repair strategies such as matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI) could be improved by enhancing cell performance. We hypothesised that micro-aggregates of chondrocytes generated in high-throughput prior to implantation in a defect could stimulate cartilaginous matrix deposition and remodelling. To address this issue, we designed a micro-mould to enable controlled high-throughput formation of micro-aggregates. Morphology, stability, gene expression profiles and chondrogenic potential of micro-aggregates of human and bovine chondrocytes were evaluated and compared to single-cells cultured in micro-wells and in 3D after encapsulation in Dextran-Tyramine (Dex-TA) hydrogels in vitro and in vivo. We successfully formed micro-aggregates of human and bovine chondrocytes with highly controlled size, stability and viability within 24 hours. Micro-aggregates of 100 cells presented a superior balance in Collagen type I and Collagen type II gene expression over single cells and micro-aggregates of 50 and 200 cells. Matrix metalloproteinases 1, 9 and 13 mRNA levels were decreased in micro-aggregates compared to single-cells. Histological and biochemical analysis demonstrated enhanced matrix deposition in constructs seeded with micro-aggregates cultured in vitro and in vivo, compared to single-cell seeded constructs. Whole genome microarray analysis and single gene expression profiles using human chondrocytes confirmed increased expression of cartilage-related genes when chondrocytes were cultured in micro-aggregates. In conclusion, we succeeded in controlled high-throughput formation of micro-aggregates of chondrocytes. Compared to single cell-seeded constructs, seeding of constructs with micro-aggregates greatly improved neo-cartilage formation. Therefore, micro-aggregation prior to chondrocyte implantation in current MACI procedures, may effectively accelerate hyaline cartilage formation.

Rapid small-scale column testing of granular activated carbon for organic micro-pollutant removal in treated domestic wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Zietzschmann, F; Müller, J; Sperlich, A; Ruhl, A S; Meinel, F; Altmann, J; Jekel, M

2014-01-01

This study investigates the applicability of the rapid small-scale column test (RSSCT) concept for testing of granular activated carbon (GAC) for organic micro-pollutants (OMPs) removal from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent. The chosen experimental setup was checked using pure water, WWTP effluent, different GAC products, and variable hydrodynamic conditions with different flow velocities and differently sized GAC, as well as different empty bed contact times (EBCTs). The setup results in satisfying reproducibility and robustness. RSSCTs in combination with WWTP effluent are effective when comparing the OMP removal potentials of different GAC products and are a useful tool for the estimation of larger filters. Due to the potentially high competition between OMPs and bulk organics, breakthrough curves are likely to have unfavorable shapes when treating WWTP effluent. This effect can be counteracted by extending the EBCT. With respect to the strong competition observed in GAC treatment of WWTP effluent, the small organic acid and neutral substances are retained longer in the RSSCT filters and are likely to cause the majority of the observed adsorption competition with OMPs.

An interlaboratory comparison of the performance of ethanol-producing micro-organisms in a xylose-rich acid hydrolysate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hahn-Haegerdal, B. (Dept. of Applied Microbiology, Lund Inst. of Technology/Univ. of Lund (Sweden)); Jeppsson, H. (Dept. of Applied Microbiology, Lund Inst. of Technology/Univ. of Lund (Sweden)); Olsson, L. (Dept. of Applied Microbiology, Lund Inst. of Technology/Univ. of Lund (Sweden)); Mohagheghi, A. (Bioprocess and Fuels Engineering Research Branch, National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States))

1994-03-01

A xylose-rich, dilute-acid-pretreated corn-cob hydrolysate was fermented by Escherichia coli ATCC 11303, recombinant (rec) E. coli B (pLOI 297 and KO11), Pichia stipitis (CBS 5773, 6054 and R), Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolate 3 in combination with xylose isomerase, rec S. cerevisiae (TJ1, H550 and H477) and Fusarium oxysporum VTT-D-80134 in an interlaboratory comparison. The micro-organisms were studied according to three different options: (A) fermentation under consistent conditions. (B) fermentation under optimal conditions for the organism, and (C) fermentation under optimal conditions for the organism with detoxification of the hydrolysate. The highest yields of ethanol, 0.24 g/g (A), 0.36 g/g (B) and 0.54 g/g (C), were obtained from rec E. coli B, KO11. P. stipitis and F. oxysporum were sensitive to the inhibitors present in the hydrolysate and produced a maximum yield of 0.34 g/g (C) and 0.04 g/g (B), respectively. The analysis of the corn-cob hydrolysate and aspects of process economy of the different fermentation options (pH, sterilization, nutrient supplementation, adaptation, detoxification) are discussed. (orig.)

Skin vaccination against cervical cancer associated human papillomavirus with a novel micro-projection array in a mouse model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Holly J Corbett

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Better delivery systems are needed for routinely used vaccines, to improve vaccine uptake. Many vaccines contain alum or alum based adjuvants. Here we investigate a novel dry-coated densely-packed micro-projection array skin patch (Nanopatch™ as an alternate delivery system to intramuscular injection for delivering an alum adjuvanted human papillomavirus (HPV vaccine (Gardasil® commonly used as a prophylactic vaccine against cervical cancer. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Micro-projection arrays dry-coated with vaccine material (Gardasil® delivered to C57BL/6 mouse ear skin released vaccine within 5 minutes. To assess vaccine immunogenicity, doses of corresponding to HPV-16 component of the vaccine between 0.43 ± 0.084 ng and 300 ± 120 ng (mean ± SD were administered to mice at day 0 and day 14. A dose of 55 ± 6.0 ng delivered intracutaneously by micro-projection array was sufficient to produce a maximal virus neutralizing serum antibody response at day 28 post vaccination. Neutralizing antibody titres were sustained out to 16 weeks post vaccination, and, for comparable doses of vaccine, somewhat higher titres were observed with intracutaneous patch delivery than with intramuscular delivery with the needle and syringe at this time point. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Use of dry micro-projection arrays (Nanopatch™ has the potential to overcome the need for a vaccine cold chain for common vaccines currently delivered by needle and syringe, and to reduce risk of needle-stick injury and vaccine avoidance due to the fear of the needle especially among children.

An Adaptive S-Method to Analyze Micro-Doppler Signals for Human Activity Classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Fangmin; Yang, Chao; Xia, Yuqing; Ma, Xiaolin; Zhang, Tao; Zhou, Zhou

2017-11-29

In this paper, we propose the multiwindow Adaptive S-method (AS-method) distribution approach used in the time-frequency analysis for radar signals. Based on the results of orthogonal Hermite functions that have good time-frequency resolution, we vary the length of window to suppress the oscillating component caused by cross-terms. This method can bring a better compromise in the auto-terms concentration and cross-terms suppressing, which contributes to the multi-component signal separation. Finally, the effective micro signal is extracted by threshold segmentation and envelope extraction. To verify the proposed method, six states of motion are separated by a classifier of a support vector machine (SVM) trained to the extracted features. The trained SVM can detect a human subject with an accuracy of 95.4% for two cases without interference.

The MicroSafari: A Journey into Microbiology, an Expedition into Engagement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine Eva Vrentas

2011-03-01

Full Text Available In the area of hands-on science with the public, microbiology poses particular challenges in offering activities that are safe and cheap, as well as intriguing and engaging. We developed MicroSafari as part of our work with the UW–Madison Biology Outreach Club (BOC, an all-volunteer organization of biology graduate students. During the period 2005–2009, we led over a dozen MicroSafaris at venues on campus and in communities, for groups of families and youth, with group size ranging from 30 to 100. The MicroSafari is a hands-on version of Dyer’s Field Guide, using theater-based elements to share examples of these macroscopic characteristics of microscopic organisms.

MicroRNA and gene signature of severe cutaneous drug ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

greater than 30 % of the same patients [5]. Nevertheless, the mechanisms of SJS and TEN are not fully elucidated. MicroRNAs or miRs are single stranded RNAs that are capable of posttranscriptional gene regulation via targeting their Mrna [6]. MicroRNAs are very important regulators in many human diseases, for instance,.

[Research Progress in Technology of Using Soil Micro-organisms to Generate Electricity and Its Potential Applications].

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Huan; Xue, Hong-jing; Jiang, Yun-bin; Zhong, Wen-hui

2015-10-01

Microbial fuel cells ( microbial fuel cells, MFCs) are devices in which micro-organisms convert chemical energy into electrical power. Soil has electrogenic bacteria and organic substrates, thus can generate electrical current in MFCs. Soil MFCs can be operated and applied to real-time and continuously monitor soil pollution, remove soil pollutants and to reduce methane emitted from flooded rice paddy, without energy consumption and the application of chemical reagents to the soil. Instead, the operation of soil MFCs generates small amount of electrical power. Therefore, soil MFCs are useful in the development of environment-friendly technology for monitoring and remediating soil pollution, which have potential value for applications in the domain of environmental science and engineering. However, much of advanced technology hasn't been applied into soil MFCs since the studies on soil MFCs was not started until recently. This paper summarized the research progress in related to soil MFCs combining with the frontier of MFCs technology, and brought forward the possible direction in studies on soil MFCs.

On-chip micro-power: three-dimensional structures for micro-batteries and micro-supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Beidaghi, Majid; Wang, Chunlei

2010-04-01

With the miniaturization of portable electronic devices, there is a demand for micro-power source which can be integrated on the semiconductor chips. Various micro-batteries have been developed in recent years to generate or store the energy that is needed by microsystems. Micro-supercapacitors are also developed recently to couple with microbatteries and energy harvesting microsystems and provide the peak power. Increasing the capacity per footprint area of micro-batteries and micro-supercapacitors is a great challenge. One promising route is the manufacturing of three dimensional (3D) structures for these micro-devices. In this paper, the recent advances in fabrication of 3D structure for micro-batteries and micro-supercapacitors are briefly reviewed.

Symbiotic intelligence: Self-organizing knowledge on distributed networks, driven by human interaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, N.; Joslyn, C.; Rocha, L.; Smith, S.; Kantor, M. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Rasmussen, S. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)]|[Santa Fe Inst., NM (United States)

1998-07-01

This work addresses how human societies, and other diverse and distributed systems, solve collective challenges that are not approachable from the level of the individual, and how the Internet will change the way societies and organizations view problem solving. The authors apply the ideas developed in self-organizing systems to understand self-organization in informational systems. The simplest explanation as to why animals (for example, ants, wolves, and humans) are organized into societies is that these societies enhance the survival of the individuals which make up the populations. Individuals contribute to, as well as adapt to, these societies because they make life easier in one way or another, even though they may not always understand the process, either individually or collectively. Despite the lack of understanding of the how of the process, society during its existence as a species has changed significantly, from separate, small hunting tribes to a highly technological, globally integrated society. The authors combine this understanding of societal dynamics with self-organization on the Internet (the Net). The unique capability of the Net is that it combines, in a common medium, the entire human-technological system in both breadth and depth: breadth in the integration of heterogeneous systems of machines, information and people; and depth in the detailed capturing of the entire complexity of human use and creation of information. When the full diversity of societal dynamics is combined with the accuracy of communication on the Net, a phase transition is argued to occur in problem solving capability. Through conceptual examples, an experiment of collective decision making on the Net and a simulation showing the effect of noise and loss on collective decision making, the authors argue that the resulting symbiotic structure of humans and the Net will evolve as an alternative problem solving approach for groups, organizations and society. Self-organizing

WHO ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT HUMAN RESOURCES STRATEGY IN AN ORGANIZATION?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MUNTEANU ANCA-IOANA

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The need for effective human resources strategies, which have a strong role in achieving goals has been a subject extensively treated in the literature. Thus, those interested in this field could learn about the stages of development of human resources strategy, the criteria necessary to be considered, features that should have a human resource strategy properly adopted and the modalities for its implementation. However, it has neglected an important aspect essential, namely, who should formulate strategy and human resources of an organization who is responsible for its implementation. In this paper we focused attention on identifying new aspects of the human resources strategy: people involved in adopting and implementing human resources strategy. The present study is one of the fundamental theoretical literature. The facts are not merely generalizing, but is analysis, opinion and personal conclusions. However, they can represent a focal point for business, prompting an awareness among the lead actors in a company, the need straightening attention to the foregoing. The overall conclusion is that it is not enough for an organization to have a human resources strategy. To be fair one, to adopt and implement them have involved those individuals who have the necessary capacity and not the responsibility of everyone. Pawns should be the main human resources manager and senior manager, followed by operational.

Sequence comparison of six human microRNAs genes between tuberculosis patients and healthy individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Amila, A; Acosta, A; Sarmiento, M E; Suraiya, Siti; Zafarina, Z; Panneerchelvam, S; Norazmi, M N

2015-12-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in diseases development. Therefore, human miRNAs may be able to inhibit the survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in the human host by targeting critical genes of the pathogen. Mutations within miRNAs can alter their target selection, thereby preventing them from inhibiting Mtb genes, thus increasing host susceptibility to the disease. This study was undertaken to investigate the genetic association of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) with six human miRNAs genes, namely, hsa-miR-370, hsa-miR-520d, hsa-miR-154, hsa-miR-497, hsa-miR-758, and hsa-miR-593, which have been predicted to interact with Mtb genes. The objective of the study was to determine the possible sequence variation of selected miRNA genes that are potentially associated with the inhibition of critical Mtb genes in TB patients. The study did not show differences in the sequences compared with healthy individuals without antecedents of TB. This result could have been influenced by the sample size and the selection of miRNA genes, which need to be addressed in future studies. Copyright © 2015 Asian African Society for Mycobacteriology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

LNA-FISH for detection of microRNAs in frozen sections

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Silahtaroglu, Asli N

2010-01-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small ( approximately 22 nt) noncoding RNA molecules that regulate the expression of protein coding genes either by cleavage or translational repression. miRNAs comprise one of the most abundant classes of gene regulatory molecules in multicellular organisms. Yet, the funct......MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small ( approximately 22 nt) noncoding RNA molecules that regulate the expression of protein coding genes either by cleavage or translational repression. miRNAs comprise one of the most abundant classes of gene regulatory molecules in multicellular organisms. Yet...

MicroRNA sequence motifs reveal asymmetry between the stem arms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gorodkin, Jan; Havgaard, Jakob Hull; Ensterö, M.

2006-01-01

The processing of micro RNAs (miRNAs) from their stemloop precursor have revealed asymmetry in the processing of the mature and its star sequence. Furthermore, the miRNA processing system between organism differ. To assess this at the sequence level we have investigated mature miRNAs in their gen......The processing of micro RNAs (miRNAs) from their stemloop precursor have revealed asymmetry in the processing of the mature and its star sequence. Furthermore, the miRNA processing system between organism differ. To assess this at the sequence level we have investigated mature mi...

High-Throughput Sequencing of MicroRNAs in Adenovirus Type 3 Infected Human Laryngeal Epithelial Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuhua Qi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Adenovirus infection can cause various illnesses depending on the infecting serotype, such as gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis, cystitis, and rash illness, but the infection mechanism is still unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNA have been reported to play essential roles in cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and pathogenesis of human diseases including viral infections. We analyzed the miRNA expression profiles from adenovirus type 3 (AD3 infected Human laryngeal epithelial (Hep2 cells using a SOLiD deep sequencing. 492 precursor miRNAs were identified in the AD3 infected Hep2 cells, and 540 precursor miRNAs were identified in the control. A total of 44 miRNAs demonstrated high expression and 36 miRNAs showed lower expression in the AD3 infected cells than control. The biogenesis of miRNAs has been analyzed, and some of the SOLiD results were confirmed by Quantitative PCR analysis. The present studies may provide a useful clue for the biological function research into AD3 infection.

Metabolic Activation of the Organic Fraction Coated Onto Air Pollution PM2.5 and its Genotoxicity in a Co Culture Model of Human Lung Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbas, I; Garcon, G; Billet, S.; Verdin, A.; Escande, F.; Saint-Georges, F.; Mulliez, Ph.; Gosset, P.; Shirali, P.

2011-01-01

Air pollution Particulate Matter (PM 2 .5) is described as one of the major risk factors affecting human health. Hence, the objective of our research project was to evaluate the lung toxicity of PM 2 .5 collected in Dunkerque (France), through the study of the metabolic activation of its organic fraction (e.g. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, PAHs; Volatile Organic Compounds, VOCs) and its genotoxicity in two human cell models: embryonic lung epithelial L132 cells and Alveolar Macrophages (AM) isolated from bronchiolo-alveolar lavages of healthy outpatients, in mono- and/or coculture. The coculture system we used allowed the direct exposure of AM to PM 2 .5, and the interaction between the two cell types only through soluble factor diffusion. Exposure to Dunkerque City's PM 2 .5 induced the gene expression of phase I and phase II enzymes (e.g. CYP1A1, CYP2E1, CYP2F1, NQO1, GSTπ1, GSTμ3) involved in the metabolic activation of PAHS and/or VOCS, in AM, in mono- and coculture, and in L132 cells, only in monoculture. Taken together, these results reinforced the key role of AM in lung defenses, and indicated that particles, as physical vector of the penetration and retention of coated-PAHS and/or VOCS within cells, enabled them to exert a durable toxicity. DNA bulky adduct formation was also reported not only in Dunkerque City's PM 2 .5-exposed AM, in mono- and coculture, but also in L132 cells from PAH-exposed coculture. Loss of Heterozygosity (LOH) and/or MicroSatellite Instability (MSI) of some MicroSatellites (MS) located in multiple critical regions of chromosome 3 were reported in L132 cells from Dunkerque City's PM 2 .5-exposed mono- or cocultures. (author)

Organ Visualization by Photoscanning Using Micro- and Macro-Aggregates of Radioalbumin; Examen d'Organes par Photoscintigraphie (avec des Micro-Agglomerats et des Macroagglomerats de Radioalbumine); Vizualizatsiya organov putem fotoskennirovaniya; Visualizacion de Organos por Fotoexploracion (Empleo de Micro y Macroagregados de Radioalbumina)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taplin, G. V.; Johnson, D. E.; Dore, E. K.; Kaplan, H. S. [School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (United States); Los Alamos County Harbor General Hospital, Torrance, CA (United States)

1964-10-15

Micro aggregates (10 - 20 nm) of human serum albumin I{sup 131} are shown to be superior to other agents for liver-spleen photoscanning. Radiation exposure to these organs is minimized and the test agent can be prepared with relative ease and simplicity. Also, the heart, stomach and salivary glands may be clearly visualized with the same material. The techniques and physiological basis for performing and interpreting scans of these organs are described. Their diagnostic value is illustrated. The physiological basis for using macro albumin aggregates (1 - 10 {mu}m) for visualization of the lungs is presented, along with typical scans in dogs. Toxicity studies and related pathophysiological investigations in animals demonstrate a wide margin of safety for using the large-particle test agents in man. Preliminary experiments in dogs indicate the feasibility of performing lung scans following the inhalation of an aerosol of the same material. This technique is simple, painless and entirely safe. Photoscans are presented from patients with a wide variety of pulmonary disorders. (author) [French] On a constate que les micro-agglomerats (10 a 20 nm) d'albumine de serum humain marquee avec {sup 131}I sont superieurs a toutes les autres substances pour la photoscintigraphie de la rate et du foie. Ils permettent de reduire au minimum la radioexposition de ces organes; en outre, leur preparation est relativement facile et simple. La m e m e substance permet d'explorer aussi bien le coeur, l'estomac et les glandes salivaires. Les auteurs exposent les methodes et les bases physiologiques d'execution et d'interpretation des scintigrammes de ces organes. Ils donnent des exemples de leur valeur pour le diagnostic. Les auteurs indiquent ensuite les arguments d'ordre physiologique qui militent en faveur de l'utilisation de macro-agglomerats (1 a 10 {mu}) de radioalbumine pour explorer les poumons et presentent des scintigrammes typiques faits sur des chiens. Les etudes de toxicite et

Role of passive body dynamics in micro-organism swimming in complex fluids

Science.gov (United States)

Thomases, Becca; Guy, Robert

2016-11-01

We investigate the role of passive body dynamics in the kinematics of swimming micro-organisms in complex fluids. Asymptotic analysis and linear theory are used to predict shape changes that result as body elasticity and fluid elasticity are varied. The analysis is compared with a computational model of a finite length swimmer in a Stokes-Oldroyd-B fluid. Simulations and theory agree quantitatively for small amplitude motions with low fluid elasticity (Deborah number). This may not be surprising as the theory is expected hold in these two regimes. What is more remarkable is that the predicted shape changes match the computational shape changes quantitatively for large amplitudes, even for large Deborah numbers. Shape changes only tell part of the story. Swimming speed depends on other effects as well. We see that shape changes can predict swimming speed well when either the amplitude is small (including large Deborah number) or when the Deborah number is small (including large amplitudes). It is only in the large De AND large amplitude regime where the theory breaks down and swimming speed can no longer be inferred from shape changes alone.

MicroRNAs control transcription factor NF-kB (p65) expression in human ovarian cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Sirotkin, Alexander V; Alexa, Richard; Kišová, Gabriela; Harrath, Abdel Halim; Alwasel, Saleh; Ovcharenko, Dmitriy; Mlynček, Miloš

2015-05-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known to influence ovarian cell proliferation, apoptosis and hormone release, but it remains unknown whether miRNAs affect ovarian functions via transcription factors. We examined the effect of miRNAs on nuclear factor-κappaB (NF-kB) (p65) expression in human ovarian luteinized granulosa cells. We transfected cultured primary human ovarian luteinized granulosa cells with 80 different constructs encoding human pre-miRNAs and then evaluated NF-kB (p65) expression (percentage of cells containing p65) by immunocytochemistry. We found that 21 of the constructs stimulated NF-kB (p65) expression and 18 of the constructs inhibited NF-kB (p65) expression. This is the first direct demonstration that miRNAs affect NF-kB (p65) expression and the first genome-scale miRNA screen to identify upregulation and downregulation of NF-kB accumulation by miRNAs in the ovary. Novel miRNAs that affect the NF-kB signalling pathway could be useful for the control of NF-kB-dependent reproductive processes and the treatment of NF-kB-dependent reproductive disorders.

Micro/Nanostructured Films and Adhesives for Biomedical Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jungkyu K; Kang, Sung Min; Yang, Sung Ho; Cho, Woo Kyung

2015-12-01

The advanced technologies available for micro/nanofabrication have opened new avenues for interdisciplinary approaches to solve the unmet medical needs of regenerative medicine and biomedical devices. This review highlights the recent developments in micro/nanostructured adhesives and films for biomedical applications, including waterproof seals for wounds or surgery sites, drug delivery, sensing human body signals, and optical imaging of human tissues. We describe in detail the fabrication processes required to prepare the adhesives and films, such as tape-based adhesives, nanofilms, and flexible and stretchable film-based electronic devices. We also discuss their biomedical functions, performance in vitro and in vivo, and the future research needed to improve the current systems.

Evapotranspiration Power Law in Self-Organized and Human-Managed Ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, R.; Cai, X.

2017-12-01

Natural systems display a profound degree of self-organization, often apparent even to the untrained eye. However, in this age of increased coupling among human and natural systems, it is unclear to what degree natural organization principles continue to govern human-managed landscapes. Here we present an emerging characteristic of terrestrial evapotranspiration (ET), one of the key components of the water cycle and energy budget, adhered to by both naturally organized and intensively managed landscapes. We find that ET variance and ET mean for ecosystems throughout the world with diverse climate conditions, vegetation structures, and land covers and land uses organize themselves according to a specific power law curve. From multi-source observations, the ET power law curve stands true through varying spatial scales, from field to region. Moreover, a phenomenon of similar ecosystems gravitating toward particular segments of the power law curve, suggests that the feature of self-optimization of ecosystems establishes the ET power law together with climatic conditions. Perhaps surprisingly, we find that landscapes persistently follow the power law curve even upon human-induced transition from rain-fed to irrigated agriculture in the American High Plains and from wetland to agricultural land in American Midwest. As such, the ET power law can be an informative tool for predicting consequences of anthropogenic disturbances to the hydrologic cycle and understanding constraints to sustainable land use.

Sustainable Micro-Manufacturing of Micro-Components via Micro Electrical Discharge Machining

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valeria Marrocco

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Micro-manufacturing emerged in the last years as a new engineering area with the potential of increasing peoples’ quality of life through the production of innovative micro-devices to be used, for example, in the biomedical, micro-electronics or telecommunication sectors. The possibility to decrease the energy consumption makes the micro-manufacturing extremely appealing in terms of environmental protection. However, despite this common belief that the micro-scale implies a higher sustainability compared to traditional manufacturing processes, recent research shows that some factors can make micro-manufacturing processes not as sustainable as expected. In particular, the use of rare raw materials and the need of higher purity of processes, to preserve product quality and manufacturing equipment, can be a source for additional environmental burden and process costs. Consequently, research is needed to optimize micro-manufacturing processes in order to guarantee the minimum consumption of raw materials, consumables and energy. In this paper, the experimental results obtained by the micro-electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM of micro-channels made on Ni–Cr–Mo steel is reported. The aim of such investigation is to shed a light on the relation and dependence between the material removal process, identified in the evaluation of material removal rate (MRR and tool wear ratio (TWR, and some of the most important technological parameters (i.e., open voltage, discharge current, pulse width and frequency, in order to experimentally quantify the material waste produced and optimize the technological process in order to decrease it.

Granular activated carbon adsorption of organic micro-pollutants in drinking water and treated wastewater--Aligning breakthrough curves and capacities.

Science.gov (United States)

Zietzschmann, Frederik; Stützer, Christian; Jekel, Martin

2016-04-01

Small-scale granular activated carbon (GAC) tests for the adsorption of organic micro-pollutants (OMP) were conducted with drinking water and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent. In both waters, three influent OMP concentration levels were tested. As long as the influent OMP concentrations are below certain thresholds, the relative breakthrough behavior is not impacted in the respective water. Accordingly, the GAC capacity for OMP is directly proportional to the influent OMP concentration in the corresponding water. The differences between the OMP breakthrough curves in drinking water and WWTP effluent can be attributed to the concentrations of the low molecular weight acid and neutral (LMW) organics of the waters. Presenting the relative OMP concentrations (c/c0) over the specific throughput of the LMW organics (mg LMW organics/g GAC), the OMP breakthrough curves in drinking water and WWTP effluent superimpose each other. This superimposition can be further increased if the UV absorbance at 254 nm (UV254) of the LMW organics is considered. In contrast, using the specific throughput of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) did not suffice to obtain superimposed breakthrough curves. Thus, the LMW organics are the major water constituent impacting OMP adsorption onto GAC. The results demonstrate that knowing the influent OMP and LMW organics concentrations (and UV254) of different waters, the OMP breakthroughs and GAC capacities corresponding to any water can be applied to all other waters. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Viability of human corneal keratocytes during organ culture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller-Pedersen, T; Møller, H J

1996-01-01

The viability of human corneal keratocytes was assessed during four weeks of 'closed system' organ culture at 31 degrees C. After 28 days of culturing, the entire keratocyte population was still alive and viable because all cells incorporated uridine; a parameter for RNA-synthesis. During the first...... of keratan sulphate proteoglycan suggested that approximately 1% of the total content was lost during the period. In conclusion, our current organ culture technique can maintain a viable keratocyte population for four weeks; a viable stroma can be grafted within this period....

Micro-encapsulation of ozonated red pepper seed oil with antimicrobial activity and application to nonwoven fabric.

Science.gov (United States)

Özyildiz, F; Karagönlü, S; Basal, G; Uzel, A; Bayraktar, O

2013-03-01

In recent years, functional fabrics possessing antimicrobial activity have drawn significant interest because antibiotic resistance is becoming widespread among pathogenic micro-organisms. The aim of this study was to produce microcapsules incorporating ozonated red pepper seed oil (ORPSO) with antimicrobial properties and apply them to nonwoven fabrics to prepare functional textiles. Red pepper seed oil (RPSO) was ozonated and micro-encapsulated via a complex coacervation method using gelatin (GE) and gum arabic (GA) as wall materials. While micro-encapsulation yield and oil loading decreased with increases in the amount of surfactant, the mean particle size increased. The antimicrobial activity of the oil was tested via the disc diffusion method. The microcapsules were also tested using the agar well method. While RPSO had no effect on the test micro-organisms, the ORPSO and microcapsules containing ORPSO were found to be active against the test micro-organisms. The microcapsules were then applied to nonwoven fabric using the padding method to produce a disposable functional textile. The microcapsule-impregnated functional fabrics provided a 5 log decrease in 1 h. It is therefore possible to functionalize nonwoven fabrics to have antimicrobial activity against antibiotic-resistant micro-organisms, using microcapsules containing ORPSO. This is the first report on the antimicrobial action of RPSO after ozonation process. These findings suggest that ozonated red pepper seed oil (ORPSO) may be a useful and effective antimicrobial agent against the micro-organisms with antibiotic resistance. Therefore, as a natural product, RPSO represents a sustainable alternative to the use of synthetic antimicrobial agents. To our knowledge, this is also the first time that ORPSO has been micro-encapsulated for the preparation of functional textile material with significant antimicrobial activity. © 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Applying a foil queue micro-electrode in micro-EDM to fabricate a 3D micro-structure

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Bin; Guo, Kang; Wu, Xiao-yu; Lei, Jian-guo; Liang, Xiong; Guo, Deng-ji; Ma, Jiang; Cheng, Rong

2018-05-01

Applying a 3D micro-electrode in a micro electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM) can fabricate a 3D micro-structure with an up and down reciprocating method. However, this processing method has some shortcomings, such as a low success rate and a complex process for fabrication of 3D micro-electrodes. By focusing on these shortcomings, this paper proposed a novel 3D micro-EDM process based on the foil queue micro-electrode. Firstly, a 3D micro-electrode was discretized into several foil micro-electrodes and these foil micro-electrodes constituted a foil queue micro-electrode. Then, based on the planned process path, foil micro-electrodes were applied in micro-EDM sequentially and the micro-EDM results of each foil micro-electrode were able to superimpose the 3D micro-structure. However, the step effect will occur on the 3D micro-structure surface, which has an adverse effect on the 3D micro-structure. To tackle this problem, this paper proposes to reduce this adverse effect by rounded corner wear at the end of the foil micro-electrode and studies the impact of machining parameters on rounded corner wear and the step effect on the micro-structure surface. Finally, using a wire cutting voltage of 80 V, a current of 0.5 A and a pulse width modulation ratio of 1:4, the foil queue micro-electrode was fabricated by wire electrical discharge machining. Also, using a pulse width of 100 ns, a pulse interval of 200 ns, a voltage of 100 V and workpiece material of 304# stainless steel, the foil queue micro-electrode was applied in micro-EDM for processing of a 3D micro-structure with hemispherical features, which verified the feasibility of this process.

Evaluation of cat brain infarction model using microPET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jong Jin; Lee, Dong Soo; Kim, Yun Hui; Hwang, Do Won; Kim, Jin Su; Chung, June Key; Lee, Myung Chul [College of Medicine, Seoul National Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lim, Sang Moo [Korea Institite of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2004-12-01

PET has some disadvantage in the imaging of small animal due to poor resolution. With the advent of microPET scanner, it is possible to image small animals. However, the image quality was not good enough as human image. Due to larger brain, cat brain imaging was superior to mouse or rat. In this study, we established the cat brain infarction model and evaluate it and its temporal change using microPET scanner. Two adult male cats were used. Anesthesia was done with xylazine and ketamine HCI. A burr hole was made at 1 cm right lateral to the bregma. Collagenase type IV 10 {mu}l was injected using 30 G needle for 5 minutes to establish the infarction model. {sup 18}F-FDG microPET (Concorde Microsystems Inc., Knoxville, TN) scans were performed 1, 11 and 32 days after the infarction. In addition, {sup 18}F-FDG PET scans were performed using human PET scanner (Gemini, Philips medical systems, CA, USA) 13 and 47 days after the infarction. Two cat brain infarction models were established. The glucose metabolism of an infarction lesion improved with time. An infarction lesion was also distinguishable in the human PET scan. We successfully established the cat brain infarction model and evaluated the infarcted lesion and its temporal change using {sup 18}F-FDG microPET scanner.

Evaluation of cat brain infarction model using microPET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jong Jin; Lee, Dong Soo; Kim, Yun Hui; Hwang, Do Won; Kim, Jin Su; Chung, June Key; Lee, Myung Chul; Lim, Sang Moo

2004-01-01

PET has some disadvantage in the imaging of small animal due to poor resolution. With the advent of microPET scanner, it is possible to image small animals. However, the image quality was not good enough as human image. Due to larger brain, cat brain imaging was superior to mouse or rat. In this study, we established the cat brain infarction model and evaluate it and its temporal change using microPET scanner. Two adult male cats were used. Anesthesia was done with xylazine and ketamine HCI. A burr hole was made at 1 cm right lateral to the bregma. Collagenase type IV 10 μl was injected using 30 G needle for 5 minutes to establish the infarction model. 18 F-FDG microPET (Concorde Microsystems Inc., Knoxville, TN) scans were performed 1, 11 and 32 days after the infarction. In addition, 18 F-FDG PET scans were performed using human PET scanner (Gemini, Philips medical systems, CA, USA) 13 and 47 days after the infarction. Two cat brain infarction models were established. The glucose metabolism of an infarction lesion improved with time. An infarction lesion was also distinguishable in the human PET scan. We successfully established the cat brain infarction model and evaluated the infarcted lesion and its temporal change using 18 F-FDG microPET scanner

Effects of Hydroxyl Radicals on Introduced Organisms of Ship's Ballast Water Based Micro-Gap Discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai Mindong; Zhang Zhitao; Bai Mindi; Yang Bo; Bai Xiyao

2007-01-01

With the physical method of micro-gap gas discharge, OH· radicals were produced by the ionization of O 2 in air and H 2 O in the gaseous state, in order to explore more effective method to treat the ship's ballast water. The surface morphology of Al 2 O 3 dielectric layer was analysed using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), where the size of Al 2 O 3 particles was in the range of 2 μm to 5 μm. At the same time, the biochemical effect of hydroxyl radicals on the introduced organisms and the quality of ship's ballast water were studied. The results indicate that the main reasons of cell death are lipid peroxide and damage of the antioxidant enzyme system in Catalase (CAT), Peroxidase (POD) and Superoxide dismutase (SOD). In addition, the quality of the ballast water was greatly improved

MicroRNA expression profile in head and neck cancer: HOX-cluster embedded microRNA-196a and microRNA-10b dysregulation implicated in cell proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Severino, Patricia; Mathor, Monica Beatriz; Nunes, Fabio Daumas; Ragoussis, Jiannis; Tajara, Eloiza Helena; Brüggemann, Holger; Andreghetto, Flavia Maziero; Camps, Carme; Klingbeil, Maria de Fatima Garrido; Pereira, Welbert Oliveira de; Soares, Renata Machado; Moyses, Raquel; Wünsch-Filho, Victor

2013-01-01

Current evidence implicates aberrant microRNA expression patterns in human malignancies; measurement of microRNA expression may have diagnostic and prognostic applications. Roles for microRNAs in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are largely unknown. HNSCC, a smoking-related cancer, is one of the most common malignancies worldwide but reliable diagnostic and prognostic markers have not been discovered so far. Some studies have evaluated the potential use of microRNA as biomarkers with clinical application in HNSCC. MicroRNA expression profile of oral squamous cell carcinoma samples was determined by means of DNA microarrays. We also performed gain-of-function assays for two differentially expressed microRNA using two squamous cell carcinoma cell lines and normal oral keratinocytes. The effect of the over-expression of these molecules was evaluated by means of global gene expression profiling and cell proliferation assessment. Altered microRNA expression was detected for a total of 72 microRNAs. Among these we found well studied molecules, such as the miR-17-92 cluster, comprising potent oncogenic microRNA, and miR-34, recently found to interact with p53. HOX-cluster embedded miR-196a/b and miR-10b were up- and down-regulated, respectively, in tumor samples. Since validated HOX gene targets for these microRNAs are not consistently deregulated in HNSCC, we performed gain-of-function experiments, in an attempt to outline their possible role. Our results suggest that both molecules interfere in cell proliferation through distinct processes, possibly targeting a small set of genes involved in cell cycle progression. Functional data on miRNAs in HNSCC is still scarce. Our data corroborate current literature and brings new insights into the role of microRNAs in HNSCC. We also show that miR-196a and miR-10b, not previously associated with HNSCC, may play an oncogenic role in this disease through the deregulation of cell proliferation. The study of micro

Transgenic rabbits as a model organism for production of human clotting factor VIII

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasicek, D.; Chrenek, P.; Makarevich, A.; Bauer, M.; Jurcik, R.; Suvegova, K.; Rafay, J.; Bulla, J.; Hetenyi, L.; Erickson, J.; Paleyanda, R.K.

2005-01-01

Human clotting factor VIII (hFVIII) is a very complex and large protein whose expression is difficult, as hFVIII requires extensive post-translational modification to be biologically active. This paper reports the generation of transgenic rabbits as a model species for testing the expression of hFVIII in the mammary gland. For micro-injection, a fusion gene construct was used, consisting of 2.5 kb murine whey acidic protein (mWAP) promoter, 7.2 kb cDNA of hFVIII, and 4.6 kb of 3' flanking sequences of the mWAP gene. from 130 micro-injected zygotes transferred into recipients, 30 offspring were delivered. The pups were screened for the transgene by PCR, using DNA isolated from the ear, and results were confirmed by Southern blot analysis. The transgene was identified in one female founder animal, and it was transmitted to the offspring in a Mendelian fashion, thus demonstrating stable integration of the gene construct into the germline of the transgenic rabbits. (author)

Differential RISC association of endogenous human microRNAs predicts their inhibitory potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Flores, Omar; Kennedy, Edward M; Skalsky, Rebecca L; Cullen, Bryan R

2014-04-01

It has previously been assumed that the generally high stability of microRNAs (miRNAs) reflects their tight association with Argonaute (Ago) proteins, essential components of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). However, recent data have suggested that the majority of mature miRNAs are not, in fact, Ago associated. Here, we demonstrate that endogenous human miRNAs vary widely, by >100-fold, in their level of RISC association and show that the level of Ago binding is a better indicator of inhibitory potential than is the total level of miRNA expression. While miRNAs of closely similar sequence showed comparable levels of RISC association in the same cell line, these varied between different cell types. Moreover, the level of RISC association could be modulated by overexpression of complementary target mRNAs. Together, these data indicate that the level of RISC association of a given endogenous miRNA is regulated by the available RNA targetome and predicts miRNA function.

Self-organization of human embryonic stem cells on micropatterns

Science.gov (United States)

Deglincerti, Alessia; Etoc, Fred; Guerra, M. Cecilia; Martyn, Iain; Metzger, Jakob; Ruzo, Albert; Simunovic, Mijo; Yoney, Anna; Brivanlou, Ali H.; Siggia, Eric; Warmflash, Aryeh

2018-01-01

Fate allocation in the gastrulating embryo is spatially organized as cells differentiate to specialized cell types depending on their positions with respect to the body axes. There is a need for in vitro protocols that allow the study of spatial organization associated with this developmental transition. While embryoid bodies and organoids can exhibit some spatial organization of differentiated cells, these methods do not yield consistent and fully reproducible results. Here, we describe a micropatterning approach where human embryonic stem cells are confined to disk-shaped, sub-millimeter colonies. After 42 hours of BMP4 stimulation, cells form self-organized differentiation patterns in concentric radial domains, which express specific markers associated with the embryonic germ layers, reminiscent of gastrulating embryos. Our protocol takes 3 days; it uses commercial microfabricated slides (CYTOO), human laminin-521 (LN-521) as extra-cellular matrix coating, and either conditioned or chemically-defined medium (mTeSR). Differentiation patterns within individual colonies can be determined by immunofluorescence and analyzed with cellular resolution. Both the size of the micropattern and the type of medium affect the patterning outcome. The protocol is appropriate for personnel with basic stem cell culture training. This protocol describes a robust platform for quantitative analysis of the mechanisms associated with pattern formation at the onset of gastrulation. PMID:27735934

An Adaptive S-Method to Analyze Micro-Doppler Signals for Human Activity Classification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fangmin Li

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we propose the multiwindow Adaptive S-method (AS-method distribution approach used in the time-frequency analysis for radar signals. Based on the results of orthogonal Hermite functions that have good time-frequency resolution, we vary the length of window to suppress the oscillating component caused by cross-terms. This method can bring a better compromise in the auto-terms concentration and cross-terms suppressing, which contributes to the multi-component signal separation. Finally, the effective micro signal is extracted by threshold segmentation and envelope extraction. To verify the proposed method, six states of motion are separated by a classifier of a support vector machine (SVM trained to the extracted features. The trained SVM can detect a human subject with an accuracy of 95.4% for two cases without interference.

MicroRNA-146a modulates human bronchial epithelial cell survival in response to the cytokine-induced apoptosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xiangde; Nelson, Amy; Wang Xingqi; Kanaji, Nobuhiro; Kim, Miok; Sato, Tadashi; Nakanishi, Masanori; Li Yingji; Sun Jianhong; Michalski, Joel; Patil, Amol; Basma, Hesham; Rennard, Stephen I.

2009-01-01

MicroRNA plays an important role in cell differentiation, proliferation and cell death. The current study found that miRNA-146a was up-regulated in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) in response to stimulation by TGF-ss1 plus cytomix (a mixture of IL-1ss, IFN-γ and TNF-α). TGF-ss1 plus cytomix (TCM) induced apoptosis in HBECs (3.4 ± 0.6% of control vs 83.1 ± 4.0% of TCM treated cells, p < 0.01), and this was significantly blocked by the miRNA-146a mimic (8.8 ± 1.5%, p < 0.01). In contrast, a miRNA-146a inhibitor had only a modest effect on cell survival but appeared to augment the induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in response to the cytokines. The MicroRNA-146a mimic appears to modulate HBEC survival through a mechanism of up-regulating Bcl-XL and STAT3 phosphorylation, and by this mechanism it could contribute to tissue repair and remodeling.

Structure of catalase determined by MicroED

Science.gov (United States)

Nannenga, Brent L; Shi, Dan; Hattne, Johan; Reyes, Francis E; Gonen, Tamir

2014-01-01

MicroED is a recently developed method that uses electron diffraction for structure determination from very small three-dimensional crystals of biological material. Previously we used a series of still diffraction patterns to determine the structure of lysozyme at 2.9 Å resolution with MicroED (Shi et al., 2013). Here we present the structure of bovine liver catalase determined from a single crystal at 3.2 Å resolution by MicroED. The data were collected by continuous rotation of the sample under constant exposure and were processed and refined using standard programs for X-ray crystallography. The ability of MicroED to determine the structure of bovine liver catalase, a protein that has long resisted atomic analysis by traditional electron crystallography, demonstrates the potential of this method for structure determination. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03600.001 PMID:25303172

Defined MicroRNAs Induce Aspects of Maturation in Mouse and Human Embryonic-Stem-Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Desy S. Lee

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Pluripotent-cell-derived cardiomyocytes have great potential for use in research and medicine, but limitations in their maturity currently constrain their usefulness. Here, we report a method for improving features of maturation in murine and human embryonic-stem-cell-derived cardiomyocytes (m/hESC-CMs. We found that coculturing m/hESC-CMs with endothelial cells improves their maturity and upregulates several microRNAs. Delivering four of these microRNAs, miR-125b-5p, miR-199a-5p, miR-221, and miR-222 (miR-combo, to m/hESC-CMs resulted in improved sarcomere alignment and calcium handling, a more negative resting membrane potential, and increased expression of cardiomyocyte maturation markers. Although this could not fully phenocopy all adult cardiomyocyte characteristics, these effects persisted for two months following delivery of miR-combo. A luciferase assay demonstrated that all four miRNAs target ErbB4, and siRNA knockdown of ErbB4 partially recapitulated the effects of miR-combo. In summary, a combination of miRNAs induced via endothelial coculture improved ESC-CM maturity, in part through suppression of ErbB4 signaling.

Influence of autochthonous micro-organisms on sorption and remobilization of technetium and selenium. Final report; Einfluss der autochthonen Mikroflora auf die Sorption und Remobilisierung des Technetiums und des Selens. Abschlussbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maue, G.; Stroetmann, I.; Dott, W. [Technische Univ. Berlin (Germany). Fachgebiet Umwelthygiene; Taute, T.; Winkler, A.; Pekdeger, A. [Freie Univ. Berlin (Germany). Fachrichtung Rohstoff- und Umweltgeologie

1996-10-31

Within this research project the influence of autochthonous mirco-organisms on immobilization and remobilization of Technetium and Selenium was investigated. Both redoxsensitive radionuclides are part of the waste of nuclear fuel (Tc app. 6%). Former investigations have shown, that immobilization behaviour of both elements could be influenced by micro-organisms. It has not been known, if the autochthonous (or in situ) organisms from greater depth do also have an influence on radionuclide mobility. The autochthonous populations of micro-organisms in deep sediments and their influence on the migration of Tc and Se were investigated in this study. For this reason recirculation column experiments were carried out. Absolutely sterile and anaerobic handling was necessary for the sampling and the further treatment of the sediments and waters used in the experiments. Therefor special methods for sampling, storage and handling had been developed. The results of recirculation column test with autochthonous micro-organisms were compared with sterile parallel tests and were verified with the results of an elaborated version of the hydrogeochemical equilibration code PHREEQE. It was shown that the autochthonous micro-organisms had only very little influence on the migration behaviour. The reason is the very low population (less than 10 E+6 CFU). Nevertheless it has to be taken into consideration, that conventional laboratory experiments for the estimation of the retention capacities of sediments for hazardous waste lead to an overestimation, if the sediments are contaminated with allochthonous micro-organisms (CFU=colony forming units). (orig.) [Deutsch] In dem Forschungsvorhaben wurde der Einfluss der autochthonen Mikroorgansimen auf die Mobilitaet von Technetium und Selen untersucht. Beide redoxsensitiven Radionuklide sind im Abfall von Kernbrennelementen enthalten (Tc ca. 6%). Aus vorangegangenen Forschungsarbeiten ist bekannt, dass die Mobilitaet der beiden Elemente durch

Burnout in Human Service Organizations: Prevention and Remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

McFadden, Hope; Moracco, John

1980-01-01

Burnout in human service organizations can be caused by funding problems, overwork, the nature of clients, and ineffective management. A social-professional support group should be a formal part of the organizational structure to provide opportunities for evaluation and feedback, as well as individual help to professionals. (JAC)

Separation of lanthanides using micro solvent extraction system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishihama, S.; Tajiri, Y.; Yoshizuka, K.

2006-01-01

A micro solvent extraction system for the separation of lanthanides has been investigated. The micro flow channel is fabricated on a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) plate, and solvent extraction progresses by feeding aqueous and organic solutions into the channel simultaneously. The extraction equilibrium is quickly achieved, without any mechanical mixing, when a narrow channel (100 μm width and 100 μm depth) is used. The results of solvent extraction from the Pr/Nd and Pr/Sm binary solutions revealed that both lanthanides are firstly extracted together, and then, the lighter lanthanide extracted in the organic solution alternatively exchanges to the heavier one in the aqueous solution to achieve the extraction equilibrium. The phase separation of the aqueous and organic phases after extraction can also be successively achieved by contriving the cross section of the flow channel, and the extractive separation of Pr/Sm is demonstrated. (authors)

Human iPSC-Derived Endothelial Cells and Microengineered Organ-Chip Enhance Neuronal Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samuel Sances

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Summary: Human stem cell-derived models of development and neurodegenerative diseases are challenged by cellular immaturity in vitro. Microengineered organ-on-chip (or Organ-Chip systems are designed to emulate microvolume cytoarchitecture and enable co-culture of distinct cell types. Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs share common signaling pathways with neurons early in development, but their contribution to human neuronal maturation is largely unknown. To study this interaction and influence of microculture, we derived both spinal motor neurons and BMECs from human induced pluripotent stem cells and observed increased calcium transient function and Chip-specific gene expression in Organ-Chips compared with 96-well plates. Seeding BMECs in the Organ-Chip led to vascular-neural interaction and specific gene activation that further enhanced neuronal function and in vivo-like signatures. The results show that the vascular system has specific maturation effects on spinal cord neural tissue, and the use of Organ-Chips can move stem cell models closer to an in vivo condition. : Sances et al. combine Organ-Chip technology with human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived spinal motor neurons to study the maturation effects of Organ-Chip culture. By including microvascular cells also derived from the same patient line, the authors show enhancement of neuronal function, reproduction of vascular-neuron pathways, and specific gene activation that resembles in vivo spinal cord development. Keywords: organ-on-chip, spinal cord, iPSC, disease modeling, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, microphysiological system, brain microvascular endothelial cells, spinal motor neurons, vasculature, microfluidic device

The natural radioactivity of plants, animals and humans. 3. enl. ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schewtschenko, I.N.; Danilenko, A.I.

2007-01-01

The natural radioactivity of plants, animals and humans are of important scientific relevance for radiobiology and medicine. The possible effects of micro doses during life span are still controversially discussed. Part I of the book (the natural radioactivity of plants, animals and humans for the normal case and in case of pathological changes) covers the following topics: the natural radioisotopes in living organisms (plants, animals, humans) and their environment; methodologies of qualitative and quantitative determination of beta-activity in biological objects; the radioactivity of atmospheric precipitations; the beta-activity of plants; the beta-activity of animals; beta-activity of human organs and tissues. Part II (dynamics of radionuclides in the biological chains in the period 1960 to 2007): the modern conceptions on the biological role of natural radioactive elements, biological indications during early stages of low-dose ionizing irradiation; the radioactivity of the human blood; radiation and carcerogenesis

The Paradigm Shift in Strategic Human Resources. Research in the case of Romanian Organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen NOVAC

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the conditions and factors influencing the development of a strategic human capital plan, offering a framework for obtaining competitive advantage and for developing a business plan in which the Human Resources function can actually make a contribution. The authors also present the key elements of a Human Resources paradigm which will change the DNA of its function. The research was first implemented in 2009 with the purpose of identifying specific processes within Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM. Aiming to obtain further information on HR processes currently applied within Romanian organizations, the authors applied a semi-structured interview on Human Resources specialists working in domains such as supporting services, human resources outsourcing services, telecommunications, automotive and taxi services, call center services and trade marketing. The results indicated that within organizations following the development of human resources processes, the gain of new knowledge in the business area of the company can be observed. The effects are also evident within organizations` development plans.

El debate micro-macro: dilemas y contextos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vania Salles

2001-06-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the general terms of the sociological debate on the micro macro question. Not only the main trends organizing the debate are examined, but also some ways to solve the dichotomies present in some proposals. It is held that contemporary theoretical practice produces —after the classics and with different focuses— a reflexivecorpus and research practices rooted in the blurring of the micro macro as polar questions, by the way of offering integrating proposals and overcoming reducing positions.

The Emerging Role of MicroRNA-155 in Cardiovascular Diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Y. Cao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available MicroRNAs have been demonstrated to be involved in human diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. Growing evidences suggest that microRNA-155, a typical multifunctional microRNA, plays a crucial role in hematopoietic lineage differentiation, immunity, inflammation, viral infections, and vascular remodeling, which is linked to cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm, heart failure, and diabetic heart disease. The effects of microRNA-155 in different cell types through different target genes result in different mechanisms in diseases. MicroRNA-155 has been intensively studied in atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. Contradictory results of microRNA-155 either promoting or preventing the pathophysiological process of atherosclerosis illustrate the complexity of this pleiotropic molecule. Therefore, more comprehensive studies of the underlying mechanisms of microRNA-155 involvement in cardiovascular diseases are required. Furthermore, a recent clinical trial of Miravirsen targeting microRNA-122 sheds light on exploiting microRNA-155 as a novel target to develop effective therapeutic strategies for cardiovascular diseases in the near future.

Human performance improvement in organizations: Potential application for the nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-11-01

This publication is primarily intended for managers and specialists in nuclear facility operating organizations working in the area of human performance improvement. It is intended to provide them with practical information they can use to improve human performance in their organizations. While some of the information provided in this publication is based upon the experience of nuclear facility operating organizations, most of it comes from human performance improvement initiatives in non-nuclear organizations and industries. The nuclear industry has a long tradition of sharing good management practices in order to foster continuous improvement. However, it is not always realized that many of the practices that are now well established initially came from non-nuclear industries and were subsequently adapted for application to nuclear power plant operating organizations. There is, therefore, good reason to periodically review non-nuclear industry practices for ideas that might have direct or indirect application to the nuclear industry in order to potentially gain benefits such as the following: new approaches to certain problem areas, insights into new or impending challenges, improvements in existing practices, benchmarking of opportunities, development of learning organizations and avoidance of collective blind spots. The preparation of this report was an activity of the project on Effective Training to Achieve Excellence in the Performance of NPP Personnel. The objective of this project is to enhance the capability of Member States to utilize proven practices developed and transferred by the IAEA for improving personnel performance. The expected outcome from this project is the increased use by organizations in Members States of proven engineering and management practices and methodologies developed and transferred by the IAEA to improve personnel performance

Hypoxia regulates microRNA expression in the human carotid body

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mkrtchian, Souren; Lee, Kian Leong; Kåhlin, Jessica; Ebberyd, Anette; Poellinger, Lorenz; Fagerlund, Malin Jonsson; Eriksson, Lars I.

2017-01-01

The carotid body (CB) is the key sensing organ for physiological oxygen levels in the body. Under conditions of low oxygen (hypoxia), the CB plays crucial roles in signaling to the cardiorespiratory center in the medulla oblongata for the restoration of oxygen homeostasis. How hypoxia regulates gene expression in the human CB remains poorly understood. While limited information on transcriptional regulation in animal CBs is available, the identity and impact of important post-transcriptional regulators such as non-coding RNAs, and in particular miRNAs are not known. Here we show using ex vivo experiments that indeed a number of miRNAs are differentially regulated in surgically removed human CB slices when acute hypoxic conditions were applied. Analysis of the hypoxia-regulated miRNAs shows that they target biological pathways with upregulation of functions related to cell proliferation and immune response and downregulation of cell differentiation and cell death functions. Comparative analysis of the human CB miRNAome with the global miRNA expression patterns of a large number of different human tissues showed that the CB miRNAome had a unique profile which reflects its highly specialized functional status. Nevertheless, the human CB miRNAome is most closely related to the miRNA expression pattern of brain tissues indicating that they may have the most similar developmental origins. - Highlights: • Hypoxia triggers differential expression of many miRNAs in the human carotid body. • This can lead to the upregulation of proliferation and immune response functions. • CB expression profile in the carotid body resembles the miRNA expression pattern in the brain. • miRNAs are involved in the regulation of carotid body functions including oxygen sensing.

Hypoxia regulates microRNA expression in the human carotid body

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mkrtchian, Souren, E-mail: souren.mkrtchian@ki.se [Section for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, SE-171 77 Stockholm (Sweden); Lee, Kian Leong, E-mail: csilkl@nus.edu.sg [Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599 Singapore (Singapore); Kåhlin, Jessica [Section for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, SE-171 77 Stockholm (Sweden); Function Perioperative Medicine and Intensive Care, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm (Sweden); Ebberyd, Anette [Section for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, SE-171 77 Stockholm (Sweden); Poellinger, Lorenz [Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599 Singapore (Singapore); Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute, SE-171 77 Stockholm (Sweden); Fagerlund, Malin Jonsson; Eriksson, Lars I. [Section for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, SE-171 77 Stockholm (Sweden); Function Perioperative Medicine and Intensive Care, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm (Sweden)

2017-03-15

The carotid body (CB) is the key sensing organ for physiological oxygen levels in the body. Under conditions of low oxygen (hypoxia), the CB plays crucial roles in signaling to the cardiorespiratory center in the medulla oblongata for the restoration of oxygen homeostasis. How hypoxia regulates gene expression in the human CB remains poorly understood. While limited information on transcriptional regulation in animal CBs is available, the identity and impact of important post-transcriptional regulators such as non-coding RNAs, and in particular miRNAs are not known. Here we show using ex vivo experiments that indeed a number of miRNAs are differentially regulated in surgically removed human CB slices when acute hypoxic conditions were applied. Analysis of the hypoxia-regulated miRNAs shows that they target biological pathways with upregulation of functions related to cell proliferation and immune response and downregulation of cell differentiation and cell death functions. Comparative analysis of the human CB miRNAome with the global miRNA expression patterns of a large number of different human tissues showed that the CB miRNAome had a unique profile which reflects its highly specialized functional status. Nevertheless, the human CB miRNAome is most closely related to the miRNA expression pattern of brain tissues indicating that they may have the most similar developmental origins. - Highlights: • Hypoxia triggers differential expression of many miRNAs in the human carotid body. • This can lead to the upregulation of proliferation and immune response functions. • CB expression profile in the carotid body resembles the miRNA expression pattern in the brain. • miRNAs are involved in the regulation of carotid body functions including oxygen sensing.

Human Superior Temporal Gyrus Organization of Spectrotemporal Modulation Tuning Derived from Speech Stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Hullett, Patrick W; Hamilton, Liberty S; Mesgarani, Nima; Schreiner, Christoph E; Chang, Edward F

2016-02-10

The human superior temporal gyrus (STG) is critical for speech perception, yet the organization of spectrotemporal processing of speech within the STG is not well understood. Here, to characterize the spatial organization of spectrotemporal processing of speech across human STG, we use high-density cortical surface field potential recordings while participants listened to natural continuous speech. While synthetic broad-band stimuli did not yield sustained activation of the STG, spectrotemporal receptive fields could be reconstructed from vigorous responses to speech stimuli. We find that the human STG displays a robust anterior-posterior spatial distribution of spectrotemporal tuning in which the posterior STG is tuned for temporally fast varying speech sounds that have relatively constant energy across the frequency axis (low spectral modulation) while the anterior STG is tuned for temporally slow varying speech sounds that have a high degree of spectral variation across the frequency axis (high spectral modulation). This work illustrates organization of spectrotemporal processing in the human STG, and illuminates processing of ethologically relevant speech signals in a region of the brain specialized for speech perception. Considerable evidence has implicated the human superior temporal gyrus (STG) in speech processing. However, the gross organization of spectrotemporal processing of speech within the STG is not well characterized. Here we use natural speech stimuli and advanced receptive field characterization methods to show that spectrotemporal features within speech are well organized along the posterior-to-anterior axis of the human STG. These findings demonstrate robust functional organization based on spectrotemporal modulation content, and illustrate that much of the encoded information in the STG represents the physical acoustic properties of speech stimuli. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/362014-13$15.00/0.

Energy harvesting from organic liquids in micro-sized microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Mink, J.E.; Qaisi, R.M.; Logan, B.E.; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

2014-01-01

Micro-sized microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are miniature energy harvesters that use bacteria to convert biomass from liquids into usable power. The key challenge is transitioning laboratory test beds into devices capable of producing high power using

Investigation of Removal Capacities of Biofilters for Airborne Viable Micro-Organisms

Science.gov (United States)

Soret, Rémi; Fanlo, Jean-Louis; Malhautier, Luc; Geiger, Philippe; Bayle, Sandrine

2018-01-01

New emerging issues appears regarding the possible aerosolization of micro-organisms from biofilters to the ambient air. Traditional bioaerosol sampling and cultural methods used in literature offer relative efficiencies. In this study, a new method revolving around a particle counter capable of detecting total and viable particles in real time was used. This counter (BioTrak 9510-BD) uses laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) technology to determine the biological nature of the particle. The concentration of viable particles was measured on two semi-industrial pilot scale biofilters in order to estimate the Removal Efficiency in viable particles (REvp) in stable conditions and to examine the influence of pollutant feeding and relative humidification of the gaseous effluent on the REvp. The REvp of biofilters reached near 80% and highlighted both the stability of that removal and the statistical equivalence between two identical biofilters. Pollutant deprivation periods of 12 h, 48 h and 30 days were shown to have no influence on the biofilters’ removal capacity, demonstrating the robustness and adaptation capacities of the flora. In contrast, a 90-day famine period turned the biofilters into emitters of viable particles. Finally, the humidification of the effluent was shown to negatively influence the removal capacity for viable particles, as drying off the air was shown to increase the REvp from 60 to 85%. PMID:29562709

Intelligent color recognition system using micro-controller

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Ashhar Khalid; Khairiah Yazid; Nur Aira Abd Rahman; Azaman Ahmad

2006-01-01

Color is widely used in categorizing the quality of products as well as a marker for automatic selection and discrimination of products. Most of color recognizing process is done manually and due to the fact that human perceived color differently, different of opinion frequently occur. This paper deals with the development of an intelligent color recognition system used for discriminating the ripeness of oil palm fruits into three categories namely ripe, under-ripe and un-ripe. In deciding the categories of fruit a sample belong, a technique of decision making similar to human thinking called neural network has been implemented. Implementation of neural network using a micro-controller is not so common, due to a limited capability in floating point calculation. To overcome the problem, a floating-point co-processor specially designed for micro-controller is used. The paper will report the system design and the network training and implementation methods. The effectiveness of the system compared to human decision method is also reported. (Author)

A micro-coupling for micro mechanical systems

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wei; Zhou, Zhixiong; Zhang, Bi; Xiao, Yunya

2016-05-01

The error motions of micro mechanical systems, such as micro-spindles, increase with the increasing of the rotational speed, which not only decreases the rotational accuracy, but also promotes instability and limits the maximum operational speed. One effective way to deal with it is to use micro-flexible couplings between the drive and driven shafts so as to reduce error motions of the driven shaft. But the conventional couplings, such as diaphragm couplings, elastomeric couplings, bellows couplings, and grooved couplings, etc, cannot be directly used because of their large and complicated structures. This study presents a novel micro-coupling that consists of a flexible coupling and a shape memory alloy (SMA)-based clamp for micro mechanical systems. It is monolithic and can be directly machined from a shaft. The study performs design optimization and provides manufacturing considerations, including thermo-mechanical training of the SMA ring for the desired Two-Way-Shape-Memory effect (TWSMe). A prototype micro-coupling and a prototype micro-spindle using the proposed coupling are fabricated and tested. The testing results show that the prototype micro-coupling can bear a torque of above 5 N • mm and an axial force of 8.5 N and be fitted with an SMA ring for clamping action at room temperature (15 °C) and unclamping action below-5 °C. At the same time, the prototype micro-coupling can work at a rotational speed of above 200 kr/min with the application to a high-speed precision micro-spindle. Moreover, the radial runout error of the artifact, as a substitute for the micro-tool, is less than 3 μm while that of turbine shaft is above 7 μm. It can be concluded that the micro-coupling successfully accommodates misalignment errors of the prototype micro-spindle. This research proposes a micro-coupling which is featured with an SMA ring, and it is designed to clamp two shafts, and has smooth transmission, simple assembly, compact structure, zero-maintenance and

Toward human organ printing: Charleston Bioprinting Symposium.

Science.gov (United States)

Mironov, Vladimir

2006-01-01

The First Annual Charleston Bioprinting Symposium was organized by the Bioprinting Research Center of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and convened July 21, 2006, in Charleston, South Carolina. In broad terms, bioprinting is the application of rapid prototyping technology to the biomedical field. More specifically, it is defined as the layer by layer deposition of biologically relevant material. The 2006 Symposium included four sessions: Computer-aided design and Bioprinting, Bioprinting Technologies; Hydrogel for Bioprinting and, finally, a special session devoted to ongoing research projects at the MUSC Bioprinting Research Center. The Symposium highlight was the presentation of the multidisciplinary Charleston Bioengineered Kidney Project. This symposium demonstrated that bioprinting or robotic biofabrication is one of the most exciting and fast-emerging branches in the tissue engineering field. Robotic biofabrication will eventually lead to industrial production of living human organs suitable for clinical transplantation. The symposium demonstrated that although there are still many technological challenges, organ printing is a rapidly evolving feasible technology.

Elucidation of functions of micro-organisms and animals in forest biosystem. Shinrin seitaikei ni okeru biseibutsu oyobi dobutsu no kino no kaimei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1991-10-25

This paper describes a report on elucidating functions of micro-organisms and animals in a forest biosystem. Classification of forest micro-organisms and elucidation of their physiology, ecology, and roles in the biosystem: Characteristics of tree root putterfaction bacteria, which cause withering of windbreaks in the Ishigaki Island, Japan were elucidated, and identifying the culture hyphae has become possible. Chemicals effective for their control were discovered, which enable their extermination. Investigations on soil molds using artificial acid rains clarified that the exterminating agents display their effects when sprinkled repeatedly over an extended period even in low concentrations. Classification of forest animals and elucidation of their physiology, ecology, and interactions among animals: A method was developed to photograph three-dimensionally the shapes of perforations made by earthworms using a soft X-ray and analyze them using a computer, which is being used for investigation. The perforation pattern is complex, and the hole diameters are in proportion with sizes of earthworms. Taxonomic studies on the Japanese lesser grain borers are close to completion. Damping-off of certain kinds of plantr exhibited parasitism of a kind of grain borerr and mycobionts without exceptions. An artificial burrow was devised for ecological investigation on field mice. 1 tab.

Role of microRNAs in sepsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kingsley, S Manoj Kumar; Bhat, B Vishnu

2017-07-01

MicroRNAs have been found to be of high significance in the regulation of various genes and processes in the body. Sepsis is a serious clinical problem which arises due to the excessive host inflammatory response to infection. The non-specific clinical features and delayed diagnosis of sepsis has been a matter of concern for long time. MicroRNAs could enable better diagnosis of sepsis and help in the identification of the various stages of sepsis. Improved diagnosis may enable quicker and more effective treatment measures. The initial acute and transient phase of sepsis involves excessive secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines which causes severe damage. MicroRNAs negatively regulate the toll-like receptor signaling pathway and regulate the production of inflammatory cytokines during sepsis. Likewise, microRNAs have shown to regulate the vascular barrier and endothelial function in sepsis. They are also involved in the regulation of the apoptosis, immunosuppression, and organ dysfunction in later stages of sepsis. Their importance at various levels of the pathophysiology of sepsis has been discussed along with the challenges and future perspectives. MicroRNAs could be key players in the diagnosis and staging of sepsis. Their regulation at various stages of sepsis suggests that they may have an important role in altering the outcome associated with sepsis.

Structural organization of the human and mouse laminin beta2 chain genes, and alternative splicing at the 5' end of the human transcript

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Durkin, M E; Gautam, M; Loechel, F

1996-01-01

We have determined the structural organization of the human and mouse genes that encode the laminin beta2 chain (s-laminin), an essential component of the basement membranes of the neuromuscular synapse and the kidney glomerulus. The human and mouse genes have a nearly identical exon-intron organ......We have determined the structural organization of the human and mouse genes that encode the laminin beta2 chain (s-laminin), an essential component of the basement membranes of the neuromuscular synapse and the kidney glomerulus. The human and mouse genes have a nearly identical exon...

ISLAMIC HUMAN RESOURCE PRACTICES AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE: A PRELIMINARY FINDING OF ISLAMIC ORGANIZATIONS IN MALAYSIA

OpenAIRE

Ilhaamie Abdul Ghani Azmi

2010-01-01

At the moment, there are lots of studies on conventional human resource practices. However, there are quite a few studies done on Islamic human resource practices. Using simple random sampling technique, final copies of questionnaires were sent to 300 Islamic organizations. However, only 114 questionnaires were returned and 111 were usable. These Islamic organizations implement Islamic human resource practices due to Islam; the religion is the way of life, type of their organizations and orga...

Micro Engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alting, Leo; Kimura, F.; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

2003-01-01

The paper addresses the questions of how micro products are designed and how they are manufactured. Definitions of micro products and micro engineering are discussed and the presentation is aimed at describing typical issues, possibilities and tools regarding design of micro products. The implica......The paper addresses the questions of how micro products are designed and how they are manufactured. Definitions of micro products and micro engineering are discussed and the presentation is aimed at describing typical issues, possibilities and tools regarding design of micro products...

Micro, nanosystems and systems on chips modeling, control, and estimation

CERN Document Server

Voda, Alina

2013-01-01

Micro and nanosystems represent a major scientific and technological challenge, with actual and potential applications in almost all fields of the human activity. The aim of the present book is to present how concepts from dynamical control systems (modeling, estimation, observation, identification, feedback control) can be adapted and applied to the development of original very small-scale systems and of their human interfaces. The application fields presented here come from micro and nanorobotics, biochips, near-field microscopy (AFM and STM) and nanosystems networks. Alina Voda has drawn co

Regulation of Corticosteroidogenic Genes by MicroRNAs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stacy Robertson

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The loss of normal regulation of corticosteroid secretion is important in the development of cardiovascular disease. We previously showed that microRNAs regulate the terminal stages of corticosteroid biosynthesis. Here, we assess microRNA regulation across the whole corticosteroid pathway. Knockdown of microRNA using Dicer1 siRNA in H295R adrenocortical cells increased levels of CYP11A1, CYP21A1, and CYP17A1 mRNA and the secretion of cortisol, corticosterone, 11-deoxycorticosterone, 18-hydroxycorticosterone, and aldosterone. Bioinformatic analysis of genes involved in corticosteroid biosynthesis or metabolism identified many putative microRNA-binding sites, and some were selected for further study. Manipulation of individual microRNA levels demonstrated a direct effect of miR-125a-5p and miR-125b-5p on CYP11B2 and of miR-320a-3p levels on CYP11A1 and CYP17A1 mRNA. Finally, comparison of microRNA expression profiles from human aldosterone-producing adenoma and normal adrenal tissue showed levels of various microRNAs, including miR-125a-5p to be significantly different. This study demonstrates that corticosteroidogenesis is regulated at multiple points by several microRNAs and that certain of these microRNAs are differentially expressed in tumorous adrenal tissue, which may contribute to dysregulation of corticosteroid secretion. These findings provide new insights into the regulation of corticosteroid production and have implications for understanding the pathology of disease states where abnormal hormone secretion is a feature.

The Manager's Human Communication in the Organizations of the XXI Century

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga Vargas Cordero

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The article offers the results of a quantitative study on the manager's human communication in organizations of the XXI century, supported by the epistemic principle of complementarity, coaching tools (360° Feedback and Wheel of Life and unstructured interview to six managers of CORPOELEC, to reveal how it interacts both horizontally and vertically and to identify communication barriers from the manager's ontological element. The research findings point to the presence of cultural and psychosocial communication barriers that impact interactions (senior manager-manager, manager-manager and manager-subordinate. For this reason, among other guidelines, Ontological Coaching is recommended to develop a person manager with competences of human communication, personal valuation and management of differences that humanize the communication in the organization of the XXI century.

JURIDICAL ANALYSIS OF LEGISLATION RELATED TO THE CRIME OF TRADE IN HUMAN ORGANS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE KIDNEY ORGAN TRANSPLANT (Comparative Studies Between Indonesia with Philippines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benny Situmorang

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In accordance with organ transplant’s evolve especially the kidneys it is necessary to rule out specific health legislation  in dealing with transplantation  of human body’s  organs  to prevent  human  trafficking  of human  organs.  The approaches used is the approach of legislation and comparisons to provide an overview of the regulation of transplantation of human body’s organs in Indonesia, and to know the comparison with other countries that have specific rules on transplants. The result is that the regulations in Indonesia does not have rules on organ transplants from living non-related organ donation and found no legal protection againts the donor. Keywords: Organ   transplant,   kidney   transplant,   human   trafficking,   health legislation.

Macro-and micro-autoradiographic study in comparison with the incorporation of 35S-methionine by various tissue protein in organism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Shoupeng; Mei Shengping; Le Shangcheng

1990-12-01

The purpose of the study was to observe the incorporation level of 35 S-methionine by various tissue protein in organism. By the use of the macro-and micro-autoradiographic technique, the incorporation of 35 S-methionine by the tissues has been utilized as an index of various tissue protein synthesis. On this basis, the further experiments showed that tracer agent 35 S-methionine was dominantly incorporated in the immature cells of bone marrow and the tissue of liver, kidney and spleen. Its incorporation increased gradually with time. From the experimental results it can be concluded that a strong protein biosynthesis metabolism was produced in these tissues. While the tissues have important physiological function in organism, such as heart, lung and skeletal muscle, but the protein biosynthesis in those tissues was at a low level

mESAdb: microRNA expression and sequence analysis database.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaya, Koray D; Karakülah, Gökhan; Yakicier, Cengiz M; Acar, Aybar C; Konu, Ozlen

2011-01-01

microRNA expression and sequence analysis database (http://konulab.fen.bilkent.edu.tr/mirna/) (mESAdb) is a regularly updated database for the multivariate analysis of sequences and expression of microRNAs from multiple taxa. mESAdb is modular and has a user interface implemented in PHP and JavaScript and coupled with statistical analysis and visualization packages written for the R language. The database primarily comprises mature microRNA sequences and their target data, along with selected human, mouse and zebrafish expression data sets. mESAdb analysis modules allow (i) mining of microRNA expression data sets for subsets of microRNAs selected manually or by motif; (ii) pair-wise multivariate analysis of expression data sets within and between taxa; and (iii) association of microRNA subsets with annotation databases, HUGE Navigator, KEGG and GO. The use of existing and customized R packages facilitates future addition of data sets and analysis tools. Furthermore, the ability to upload and analyze user-specified data sets makes mESAdb an interactive and expandable analysis tool for microRNA sequence and expression data.

Development of micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) cochlear biomodel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ngelayang, Thailis Bounya Anak; Latif, Rhonira [Faculty of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya, 76100 Durian Tunggal, Melaka (Malaysia)

2015-05-15

Human cochlear is undeniably one of the most amazing organs in human body. The functional mechanism is very unique in terms of its ability to convert the sound waves in the form of mechanical vibrations into the electrical nerve impulses. It is known that the normal human auditory system can perceive the audible frequency range between 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Scientists have conducted several researches trying to build the artificial basilar membrane in the human cochlea (cochlear biomodel). Micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) is one of the potential inventions that have the ability to mimic the active behavior of the basilar membrane. In this paper, an array of MEMS bridge beams that are mechanically sensitive to the perceived audible frequency has been proposed. An array of bridge bridge beams with 0.5 µm thickness and length varying from 200 µm to 2000 µm have been designed operate within the audible frequency range. In the bridge beams design, aluminium (Al), copper (Cu), tantalum (Ta) and platinum (Pt) have considered as the material for the bridge beam structure. From the finite element (FE) and lumped element (LE) models of the MEMS bridge beams, platinum has been found to be the best material for the cochlear biomodel design, closely mimicking the basilar membrane.

Development of micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) cochlear biomodel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ngelayang, Thailis Bounya Anak; Latif, Rhonira

2015-01-01

Human cochlear is undeniably one of the most amazing organs in human body. The functional mechanism is very unique in terms of its ability to convert the sound waves in the form of mechanical vibrations into the electrical nerve impulses. It is known that the normal human auditory system can perceive the audible frequency range between 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Scientists have conducted several researches trying to build the artificial basilar membrane in the human cochlea (cochlear biomodel). Micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) is one of the potential inventions that have the ability to mimic the active behavior of the basilar membrane. In this paper, an array of MEMS bridge beams that are mechanically sensitive to the perceived audible frequency has been proposed. An array of bridge bridge beams with 0.5 µm thickness and length varying from 200 µm to 2000 µm have been designed operate within the audible frequency range. In the bridge beams design, aluminium (Al), copper (Cu), tantalum (Ta) and platinum (Pt) have considered as the material for the bridge beam structure. From the finite element (FE) and lumped element (LE) models of the MEMS bridge beams, platinum has been found to be the best material for the cochlear biomodel design, closely mimicking the basilar membrane

Beagle: an appropriate experimental animal for extrapolating the organ distribution pattern of Th in humans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, N.P.; Zimmerman, C.J.; Taylor, G.N.; Wrenn, M.E.

1988-01-01

The concentrations and the organ distribution patterns of 228Th, 230Th and 232Th in two 9-y-old dogs of our beagle colony were determined. The dogs were exposed only to background environmental levels of Th isotopes through ingestion (food and water) and inhalation as are humans. The organ distribution patterns of the isotopes in the beagles were compared to the organ distribution patterns in humans to determine if it is appropriate to extrapolate the beagle organ burden data to humans. Among soft tissues, only the lungs, lymph nodes, kidney and liver, and skeleton contained measurable amounts of Th isotopes. The organ distribution pattern of Th isotopes in humans and dog are similar, the majority of Th being in the skeleton of both species. The average skeletal concentrations of 228Th in dogs were 30 to 40 times higher than the average skeletal concentrations of the parent 232Th, whereas the concentration of 228Th in human skeleton was only four to five times higher than 232Th. This suggests that dogs have a higher intake of 228Ra through food than humans. There is a similar trend in the accumulations of 232Th, 230Th and 228Th in the lungs of dog and humans. The percentages of 232Th, 230Th and 228Th in human lungs are 26, 9.7 and 4.8, respectively, compared to 4.2, 2.6 and 0.48, respectively, in dog lungs. The larger percentages of Th isotopes in human lungs may be due simply to the longer life span of humans. If the burdens of Th isotopes in human lungs are normalized to an exposure time of 9.2 y (mean age of dogs at the time of sacrifice), the percent burden of 232Th, 230Th and 228Th in human lungs are estimated to be 3.6, 1.3 and 0.66, respectively. These results suggest that the beagle may be an appropriate experimental animal for extrapolating the organ distribution pattern of Th in humans

Reactive Inkjet Printing of Biocompatible Enzyme Powered Silk Micro-Rockets.

Science.gov (United States)

Gregory, David A; Zhang, Yu; Smith, Patrick J; Zhao, Xiubo; Ebbens, Stephen J

2016-08-01

Inkjet-printed enzyme-powered silk-based micro-rockets are able to undergo autonomous motion in a vast variety of fluidic environments including complex media such as human serum. By means of digital inkjet printing it is possible to alter the catalyst distribution simply and generate varying trajectory behavior of these micro-rockets. Made of silk scaffolds containing enzymes these micro-rockets are highly biocompatible and non-biofouling. © 2016 The Authors. Published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Micro-combustion calorimetry employing a Calvet heat flux calorimeter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rojas-Aguilar, Aaron; Valdes-Ordonez, Alejandro

2004-01-01

Two micro-combustion bombs developed from a high pressure stainless steel vessel have been adapted to a Setaram C80 Calvet calorimeter. The constant of each micro-bomb was determined by combustions with benzoic acid NIST 39j, giving for the micro-combustion bomb in the measurement sensor k m =(1.01112±0.00054) and for the micro-combustion bomb in the reference sensor k r =(1.00646±0.00059) which means an uncertainty of less than 0.06 per cent for calibration. The experimental methodology to get results of combustion energy of organic compounds with a precision also better than 0.06 per cent is described by applying this micro-combustion device to the measurement of the enthalpy of combustion of the succinic acid, giving Δ c H compfn m (cr, T=298.15 K)=-(1492.89 ± 0.77) kJ · mol -1

MicroRNA-143 Downregulates Interleukin-13 Receptor Alpha1 in Human Mast Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianqiu Cheng

2013-08-01

Full Text Available MicroRNA-143 (miR-143 was found to be downregulated in allergic rhinitis, and bioinformatics analysis predicted that IL-13Rα1 was a target gene of miR-143. To understand the molecular mechanisms of miR-143 involved in the pathogenesis of allergic inflammation, recombinant miR-143 plasmid vectors were constructed, and human mast cell-1(HMC-1 cells which play a central role in the allergic response were used for study. The plasmids were transfected into HMC-1 cells using a lentiviral vector. Expression of IL-13Rα1 mRNA was then detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR and Western Blotting. The miR-143 lentiviral vector was successfully stably transfected in HMC-1 cells for target gene expression. Compared to the control, the target gene IL-13Rα1 was less expressed in HMC-1 transfected with miR-143 as determined by RT-PCR and Western Blotting (p < 0.05; this difference in expression was statistically significant and the inhibition efficiency was 71%. It indicates that miR-143 directly targets IL-13Rα1 and suppresses IL-13Rα1 expression in HMC-1 cells. Therefore, miR-143 may be associated with allergic reaction in human mast cells.

Systematic Prediction of the Impacts of Mutations in MicroRNA Seed Sequences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bhattacharya Anindya

2017-05-01

Full Text Available MicroRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs that are involved in many important biological processes and the dysfunction of microRNA has been associated with many diseases. The seed region of a microRNA is of crucial importance to its target recognition. Mutations in microRNA seed regions may disrupt the binding of microRNAs to their original target genes and make them bind to new target genes. Here we use a knowledge-based computational method to systematically predict the functional effects of all the possible single nucleotide mutations in human microRNA seed regions. The result provides a comprehensive reference for the functional assessment of the impacts of possible natural and artificial single nucleotide mutations in microRNA seed regions.

Where do human organs come from? Trends of generalized and restricted altruism in organ donations.

Science.gov (United States)

Boas, Hagai

2011-11-01

The supply of human organs for transplantation is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Using data from 30 countries for the years 1995-2007, this paper suggests that organ supply today is more dependent on direct donations than on the collective organ pool. This trend is analyzed by studying different modes of altruism: "generalized altruism" relates to the procurement of organs through a one-for-all collectivized system of donations whereas "restricted altruism" relates to one-to-one donations with organs considered personal gifts. The data suggest that transplants are becoming less and less social goods and more and more personal gifts. This trend is documented and discussed in light of the linkage that social scientists hypothesize between altruism and social solidarity. Whereas altruism is conceived as generating social solidarity, the rise in direct organ donations restricts the effect of altruism to one-to-one interactions rather than one-for-all giving. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.