Mechanisms of fate decision and lineage commitment during haematopoiesis.

Blood stem cells need to both perpetuate themselves (self-renew) and differentiate into all mature blood cells to maintain blood formation throughout life. However, it is unclear how the underlying gene regulatory network maintains this population of self-renewing and differentiating stem cells and how it accommodates the transition from a stem cell to a mature blood cell. Our current knowledge of transcriptomes of various blood cell types has mainly been advanced by population-level analysis. However, a population of seemingly homogenous blood cells may include many distinct cell types with substantially different transcriptomes and abilities to make diverse fate decisions. Therefore, understanding the cell-intrinsic differences between individual cells is necessary for a deeper understanding of the molecular basis of their behaviour. Here we review recent single-cell studies in the haematopoietic system and their contribution to our understanding of the mechanisms governing cell fate choices and lineage commitment.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Nature Publishing Group via http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/icb.2015.9

Matching structure and bargaining outcomes in buyer–seller networks

We examine the relationship between the matching structure of a bipartite (buyer-seller) network and the (expected) shares of the unit surplus that each connected pair in this network can create. We show that in different bargaining environments, these shares are closely related to the Gallai-Edmonds Structure Theorem. This theorem characterizes the structure of maximum matchings in an undirected graph. We show that the relationship between the (expected) shares and the tructure Theorem is not an artefact of a particular bargaining mechanism or trade centralization. However, this relationship does not necessarily generalize to non-bipartite networks or to networks with heterogeneous link values

Fatores de risco para quedas em pacientes adultos hospitalizados: um estudo caso-controle

Objective: to identify risk factors for falls in hospitalized adult patients. Methods: a matched case-control study (one control for each case). A quantitative study conducted in clinical and surgical units of a teaching hospital in Southern Brazil. The sample comprised 358 patients. Data were collected over 18 months between 2013-2014. Data analysis was performed with descriptive statistics and conditional logistic regression using Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 18.0. Results: risk factors identified were: disorientation/confusion [OR 4.25 (1.99 to 9.08), p<0.001]; frequent urination [OR 4.50 (1.86 to 10.87), p=0.001]; walking limitation [OR 4.34 (2.05 to 9.14), p<0.001]; absence of caregiver [OR 0.37 (0.22 to 0.63), p<0.001]; postoperative period [OR 0.50 (0.26 to 0.94), p=0.03]; and number of medications administered within 72 hours prior the fall [OR 1.20 (1.04 to 1.39) p=0.01]. Conclusion: risk for falls is multifactorial. However, understanding these factors provides support to clinical decision-making and positively influences patient safety.Objetivo: identificar los factores de riesgo para la ocurrencia de caídas en pacientes adultos hospitalizados. Métodos: un estudio caso-control emparejado (un control para cada caso). Investigación cuantitativa llevada a cabo en unidades clínicas y quirúrgicas de un hospital universitario en el Sur de Brasil. La muestra constó de 358 pacientes. Se recopilaron datos durante 18 meses, entre 2013-2014. El análisis de los datos se realizó mediante estadística descriptiva y regresión logística condicional, utilizando el Microsoft Excel y el SPSS versión 18.0. Resultados: los factores de riesgo identificados fueron: desorientación/confusión [OR 4,25 (1,99 a 9,08), p<0,001]; micción frecuente [OR 4,50 (1,86 a 10,87), p=0,001]; limitación para caminar [OR 4,34 (2,05 a 9,14), p<0,001]; ausencia de cuidadores [OR 0,37 (0,22 a 0,63), p<0,001]; período postoperatorio [OR 0,50 (0,26 a 0,94), p=0,03]; y número de medicamentos administrados dentro de las 72 horas previas a la caída [OR 1,20 (1,04 a 1,39) p=0,01]. Conclusión: los riesgos de caídas son multifactoriales. Sin embargo, la comprensión de estos factores respalda la toma de decisiones clínicas y tiene un impacto positivo en la seguridad del paciente.Objetivo: identificar os fatores de risco para a ocorrência de quedas em pacientes adultos hospitalizados. Métodos: estudo do tipo caso-controle pareado (um controle para cada caso). Pesquisa quantitativa realizada em unidades clínicas e cirúrgicas de um hospital universitário da região Sul do Brasil. A amostra incluiu 358 pacientes. Os dados foram coletados durante 18 meses, entre 2013-2014. A análise dos dados foi realizada por meio de estatística descritiva e regressão logística condicional, utilizando o Microsoft Excel e o SPSS versão 18.0. Resultados: os fatores de risco identificados foram: desorientação/confusão [OR 4,25 (1,99 a 9,08), p<0,001]; micção frequente [OR 4,50 (1,86 a 10,87), p=0,001]; limitação para caminhar [OR 4,34 (2,05 a 9,14), p<0,001]; ausência de cuidador [OR 0,37 (0,22 a 0,63), p<0,001]; período pós-operatório [OR 0,50 (0,26 a 0,94), p=0,03]; e o número de medicamentos administrados nas 72 horas anteriores à queda [OR 1,20 (1,04 a 1,39) p=0,01]. Conclusão: os riscos para quedas são multifatoriais. Todavia, conhecê-los dá suporte à decisão clínica do enfermeiro, o que contribui para a busca das melhores intervenções preventivas e impacta positivamente na segurança dos pacientes

Hybrid Approach in Microscale Transport Phenomena: Application to Biodiesel Synthesis in Micro-reactors

A hybrid engineering approach to the study of transport phenomena, based on the synergy among computational, analytical, and experimental methodologies is reviewed. The focus of the chapter is on fundamental analysis and proof of concept developments in the use of nano- and micro-technologies for energy efficiency and heat and mass transfer enhancement applications. The hybrid approach described herein combines improved lumped-differential modeling, hybrid numericalanalytical solution methods, mixed symbolic-numerical computations, and advanced experimental techniques for micro-scale transport phenomena. An application dealing with micro-reactors for continuous synthesis of biodiesel is selected to demonstrate the instrumental role of the hybrid approach in achieving improved design and enhanced performance

Working Group Report: Heavy-Ion Physics and Quark-Gluon Plasma

This is the report of Heavy Ion Physics and Quark-Gluon Plasma at WHEPP-09 which was part of Working Group-4. Discussion and work on some aspects of Quark-Gluon Plasma believed to have created in heavy-ion collisions and in early universe are reported.Comment: 20 pages, 6 eps figures, Heavy-ion physics and QGP activity report in "IX Workshop on High Energy Physics Phenomenology (WHEPP-09)" held in Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar, India, during January 3-14, 2006. To be published in PRAMANA - Journal of Physics (Indian Academy of Science

Spectral-based mesh segmentation

In design and manufacturing, mesh segmentation is required for FACE construction in boundary representation (BRep), which in turn is central for featurebased design, machining, parametric CAD and reverse engineering, among others -- Although mesh segmentation is dictated by geometry and topology, this article focuses on the topological aspect (graph spectrum), as we consider that this tool has not been fully exploited -- We preprocess the mesh to obtain a edgelength homogeneous triangle set and its Graph Laplacian is calculated -- We then produce a monotonically increasing permutation of the Fiedler vector (2nd eigenvector of Graph Laplacian) for encoding the connectivity among part feature submeshes -- Within the mutated vector, discontinuities larger than a threshold (interactively set by a human) determine the partition of the original mesh -- We present tests of our method on large complex meshes, which show results which mostly adjust to BRep FACE partition -- The achieved segmentations properly locate most manufacturing features, although it requires human interaction to avoid over segmentation -- Future work includes an iterative application of this algorithm to progressively sever features of the mesh left from previous submesh removal

Mechanisms Involved in Alleviation of Intestinal Inflammation by Bifidobacterium Breve Soluble Factors

Objectives: Soluble factors released by Bifidobacterium breve C50 (Bb) alleviate the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines by immune cells, but their effect on intestinal epithelium remains elusive. To decipher the mechanisms accounting for the cross-talk between bacteria/soluble factors and intestinal epithelium, we measured the capacity of the bacteria, its conditioned medium (Bb-CM) and other Gram(+) commensal bacteria to dampen inflammatory chemokine secretion. Methods: TNFa-induced chemokine (CXCL8) secretion and alteration of NF-kB and AP-1 signalling pathways by Bb were studied by EMSA, confocal microscopy and western blotting. Anti-inflammatory capacity was also tested in vivo in a model of TNBS-induced colitis in mice. Results: Bb and Bb-CM, but not other commensal bacteria, induced a time and dose-dependent inhibition of CXCL8 secretion by epithelial cells driven by both AP-1 and NF-kB transcription pathways and implying decreased phosphorylation of p38-MAPK and IkB-a molecules. In TNBS-induced colitis in mice, Bb-CM decreased the colitis score and inflammatory cytokine expression, an effect reproduced by dendritic cell conditioning with Bb-CM. Conclusions: Bb and secreted soluble factors contribute positively to intestinal homeostasis by attenuating chemokine production. The results indicate that Bb down regulate inflammation at the epithelial level by inhibiting phosphorylation