A Meta-Analysis of the Performance of a Blood-Based Exposure Response Gene Signature Across Clinical Studies on the Tobacco Heating System 2.2 (THS 2.2)

As part of emerging tobacco harm reduction strategies, modified risk tobacco products (MRTP) are being developed to offer alternatives that have the potential to reduce the individual risk and population harm compared with smoking cigarettes for adult smokers who want to continue using tobacco and nicotine products. MRTPs are defined as any tobacco products that are distributed for use to reduce harm or the risk of tobacco-related disease associated with commercially marketed tobacco products. One such candidate MRTP is the Tobacco Heating System (THS) 2.2, which does not burn tobacco but instead heats it, thus producing significantly reduced levels of harmful and potentially harmful constituents compared with cigarettes. The clinical assessment of candidate MRTPs requires the development of exposure-response markers to distinguish current smokers from either nonsmokers or former smokers with high specificity and sensitivity. Toward this end, a whole blood-derived gene signature was previously developed and reported. Four randomized, controlled, open-label, three-arm parallel group reduced exposure clinical studies have been conducted with subjects randomized to three arms: switching from cigarettes to THS 2.2, continuous use of cigarettes, or smoking abstinence. These clinical studies had an investigational period of 5 days in confinement, which was followed by an 85-day ambulatory period in two studies. Here we tested the previously developed blood-derived signature on the samples derived from those clinical studies. We showed that in all four studies, the signature scores were reduced consistently in subjects who either stopped smoking or switched to THS 2.2 compared with subjects who continued smoking cigarettes

Construction of a Baculovirus-Silkworm Multigene Expression System and Its Application on Producing Virus-Like Particles

A new baculovirus-silkworm multigene expression system named Bombyx mori MultiBac is developed and described here, by which multiple expression cassettes can be introduced into the Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) genome efficiently. The system consists of three donor vectors (pCTdual, pRADM and pUCDMIG) and an invasive diaminopimelate (DAP) auxotrophic recipient E. coli containing BmNPV-Bacmid (BmBacmid) with a homologous recombination region, an attTn7 site and a loxp site. Two genes carried by pCTdual are firstly inserted into BmBacmid by homologous recombination, while the other eight genes in pRADM and pUCDMIG are introduced into BmBacmid through Tn7 transposition and cre-loxp recombination. Then the invasive and DAP auxotrophic E. coli carrying recombinant BmBacmid is directly injected into silkworm for expressing heterologous genes in larvae or pupae. Three structural genes of rotavirus and three fluorescent genes have been simultaneously expressed in silkworm larvae using our new system, resulting in the formation of virus-like particles (VLPs) of rotavirus and the color change of larvae. The VLPs were purified from hemolymph by ultracentrifugation using CsCl gradients, with a yield of 12.7 µg per larva. For the great capacity of foreign genes and the low cost of feeding silkworm, this high efficient BmMultiBac expression system provides a suitable platform to produce VLPs or protein complexes

Analytical and experimental determination of radiation and temperature distributions inside solar receivers

A cooled cubic cavity receiving a non uniform concentrated solar radiation is modelized, using the diffuse and semi-gray surface hypothesis and the net radiation method equations. Two more equations corresponding to the heat transfer to a cooling fluid permit to define a heat balance. Thus at thermal equilibrium, net fluxes and temperatures inside the cavity are calculated. An air-cooled solar receiver has been set up at a 6 kW solar furnace. Flux and temperature measurements have been performed for different coatings of the inside surface. Theoritical and experimental results are then compared and discussed.Ce papier présente la modélisation d'un récepteur solaire cubique recevant un flux solaire concentré non uniforme. On utilise les hypothèses des surfaces diffuses et grises par bandes et la méthode des radiosités. Deux équations supplémentaires correspondant au transfert de la chaleur à un fluide caloporteur permettent de définir l'équilibre thermique. On détermine dans ces conditions les répartitions des flux nets et des températures à l'intérieur de la cavité. De plus, une chaudière solaire cubique a été réalisée et installée au foyer d'un four solaire d'une puissance de 6 kW. Les flux et les températures ont été mesurés pour différents états de surface de la cavité. Les résultats théoriques et expérimentaux ont ensuite été comparés et discutés

Analytical and experimental determination of radiation and temperature distributions inside solar receivers

A cooled cubic cavity receiving a non uniform concentrated solar radiation is modelized, using the diffuse and semi-gray surface hypothesis and the net radiation method equations. Two more equations corresponding to the heat transfer to a cooling fluid permit to define a heat balance. Thus at thermal equilibrium, net fluxes and temperatures inside the cavity are calculated. An air-cooled solar receiver has been set up at a 6 kW solar furnace. Flux and temperature measurements have been performed for different coatings of the inside surface. Theoritical and experimental results are then compared and discussed