Reconstructing Gene Regulatory Networks That Control Hematopoietic Commitment.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) reside at the apex of the hematopoietic hierarchy, possessing the ability to self-renew and differentiate toward all mature blood lineages. Along with more specialized progenitor cells, HSCs have an essential role in maintaining a healthy blood system. Incorrect regulation of cell fate decisions in stem/progenitor cells can lead to an imbalance of mature blood cell populations-a situation seen in diseases such as leukemia. Transcription factors, acting as part of complex regulatory networks, are known to play an important role in regulating hematopoietic cell fate decisions. Yet, discovering the interactions present in these networks remains a big challenge. Here, we discuss a computational method that uses single-cell gene expression data to reconstruct Boolean gene regulatory network models and show how this technique can be applied to enhance our understanding of transcriptional regulation in hematopoiesis.Work in the author’s laboratory is supported by grants from the Wellcome, Bloodwise, Cancer Research UK, NIH-NIDDK and core support grants by the Wellcome to the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research and Wellcome & MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute. F.K.H. is a recipient of a Medical Research Council PhD Studentship

Recent evolutions of gender, state feminism and care models in Latin America and Europe

Production of INCASI Project H2020-MSCA-RISE-2015 GA 691004This chapter presents and characterises the way in which, in the twenty-first century, after years of feminist struggles inside and outside of institutions, gender relations are organised in the different countries of the INCASI project (on the European side, Spain, Italy, Finland, France and the United Kingdom, on the side of the South American Southern Cone, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay). It pays special attention to the implementation of feminist issues on political agendas, and in particular the assignment of women to unpaid care work-an aspect of the power continuum that we look to relate to other aspects. Gradually and for almost a century all countries in both continents have granted women the status of subjects, citizens and employees. However, the conditions, challenges and timelines of this process differ considerably from one continent to another, so they need to be addressed separately. The neoliberal era did not have the same impact in Europe as it did in South America (nor was it exactly the same between particular European countries or among South American ones)

Neuronal Deletion of Caspase 8 Protects against Brain Injury in Mouse Models of Controlled Cortical Impact and Kainic Acid-Induced Excitotoxicity

system. mice demonstrated superior survival, reduced seizure severity, less apoptosis, and reduced caspase 3 processing. Uninjured aged knockout mice showed improved learning and memory, implicating a possible role for caspase 8 in cognitive decline with aging.Neuron-specific deletion of caspase 8 reduces brain damage and improves post-traumatic functional outcomes, suggesting an important role for this caspase in pathophysiology of acute brain trauma

Insights into household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from a population-based serological survey

Understanding the risk of infection from household- and community-exposures and the transmissibility of asymptomatic infections is critical to SARS-CoV-2 control. Limited previous evidence is based primarily on virologic testing, which disproportionately misses mild and asymptomatic infections. Serologic measures are more likely to capture all previously infected individuals. We apply household transmission models to data from a cross-sectional, household-based population serosurvey of 4,534 people ≥5 years from 2,267 households enrolled April-June 2020 in Geneva, Switzerland. We found that the risk of infection from exposure to a single infected household member aged ≥5 years (17.3%,13.7-21.7) was more than three-times that of extra-household exposures over the first pandemic wave (5.1%,4.5-5.8). Young children had a lower risk of infection from household members. Working-age adults had the highest extra-household infection risk. Seropositive asymptomatic household members had 69.4% lower odds (95%CrI,31.8-88.8%) of infecting another household member compared to those reporting symptoms, accounting for 14.5% (95%CrI, 7.2-22.7%) of all household infections

Experimental Characterization of Shock Wave Behavior of Porous Aluminum

Experiments of shock wave propagation performed on 9% and 17% porous aluminum are presented and analyzed. The originality of the plate impact set-up and its associated metrology (VISAR interferometry and PVDF piezoelectric gages) exhibits also the influence of local physical mechanisms on shock wave propagation in porous aluminum. More, the variations observed between the rise times of shocks seem to point out a preponderance of the dynamic effects (inertia or strain rate) over the material behavior. This point is confirmed by comparing quasi static and dynamic responses of porous aluminum.On présente une analyse du comportement sous choc de deux aluminium poreux à 9% et 17%. La configuration expérimentale des essais d'impact de plaques ainsi que la métrologie retenue (VISAR et jauges PVDF) révèlent les mécanismes de propagation d'onde dans l'aluminium poreux. Les temps de montée des ondes semblent indiquer une influence des effets dynamiques (inertie ou vitesse de déformation) sur le comportement du matériau. Ce point est confirmé par la comparaison entre les résultats quasi statique et dynamique

Experimental Characterization of Shock Wave Behavior of Porous Aluminum

Experiments of shock wave propagation performed on 9% and 17% porous aluminum are presented and analyzed. The originality of the plate impact set-up and its associated metrology (VISAR interferometry and PVDF piezoelectric gages) exhibits also the influence of local physical mechanisms on shock wave propagation in porous aluminum. More, the variations observed between the rise times of shocks seem to point out a preponderance of the dynamic effects (inertia or strain rate) over the material behavior. This point is confirmed by comparing quasi static and dynamic responses of porous aluminum.On présente une analyse du comportement sous choc de deux aluminium poreux à 9% et 17%. La configuration expérimentale des essais d'impact de plaques ainsi que la métrologie retenue (VISAR et jauges PVDF) révèlent les mécanismes de propagation d'onde dans l'aluminium poreux. Les temps de montée des ondes semblent indiquer une influence des effets dynamiques (inertie ou vitesse de déformation) sur le comportement du matériau. Ce point est confirmé par la comparaison entre les résultats quasi statique et dynamique

Utilisation de méthodes d'auscultation externes pour l'évaluation de l'endommagement de structures de protection contre les chutes de pierres

International audienceThis paper deals with the evaluation of damage due to boulder impact on rockfall protection embankment thanks to external methods. A 4 m high, 8 m long three layered structure is built using cells filled with different material according to their location in the structure. The structure is impacted by a 6500 kg spherical boulder with a maximal impact energy of 2000 kJ. The behaviour of the structure is first investigated using topographic surveys. Then, the results are compared with geophysical measurements. Results show that a low-energy impact leads to (i) the densification of both front and inner-layers associated with the swelling of the materials of the rear layer in the impact plane, and (ii) to the readjustment of internal materials which induces a local densification in a plane offset of 2 m. A high-energy impact induces large deformations on both inner and rear layers. These results are confirmed by seismic velocities which decrease with successive impacts