Experimental evidence of flow destabilization in a 2D bidisperse foam

Liquid foam flows in a Hele-Shaw cell were investigated. The plug flow obtained for a monodisperse foam is strongly perturbed in the presence of bubbles whose size is larger than the average bubble size by an order of magnitude at least. The large bubbles migrate faster than the mean flow above a velocity threshold which depends on its size. We evidence experimentally this new instability and, in case of a single large bubble, we compare the large bubble velocity with the prediction deduced from scaling arguments. In case of a bidisperse foam, an attractive interaction between large bubbles induces segregation and the large bubbles organize themselves in columns oriented along the flow. These results allow to identify the main ingredients governing 2D polydisperse foam flows

Towards Automatic Crack Size Estimation with iFEM for Structural Health Monitoring

The inverse finite element method (iFEM) is a model-based technique to compute the displacement (and then the strain) field of a structure from strain measurements and a geometrical discretization of the same. Different literature works exploit the error between the numerically reconstructed strains and the experimental measurements to perform damage identification in a structural health monitoring framework. However, only damage detection and localization are performed, without attempting a proper damage size estimation. The latter could be based on machine learning techniques; however, an a priori definition of the damage conditions would be required. To overcome these limitations, the present work proposes a new approach in which the damage is systematically introduced in the iFEM model to minimize its discrepancy with respect to the physical structure. This is performed with a maximum likelihood estimation framework, where the most accurate damage scenario is selected among a series of different models. The proposed approach was experimentally verified on an aluminum plate subjected to fatigue crack propagation, which enables the creation of a digital twin of the structure itself. The strain field fed to the iFEM routine was experimentally measured with an optical backscatter reflectometry fiber and the methodology was validated with independent observations of lasers and the digital image correlation

RNAseq Analyses Identify Tumor Necrosis Factor-Mediated Inflammation as a Major Abnormality in ALS Spinal Cord

ALS is a rapidly progressive, devastating neurodegenerative illness of adults that produces disabling weakness and spasticity arising from death of lower and upper motor neurons. No meaningful therapies exist to slow ALS progression, and molecular insights into pathogenesis and progression are sorely needed. In that context, we used high-depth, next generation RNA sequencing (RNAseq, Illumina) to define gene network abnormalities in RNA samples depleted of rRNA and isolated from cervical spinal cord sections of 7 ALS and 8 CTL samples. We aligned \u3e50 million 2X150 bp paired-end sequences/sample to the hg19 human genome and applied three different algorithms (Cuffdiff2, DEseq2, EdgeR) for identification of differentially expressed genes (DEG’s). Ingenuity Pathways Analysis (IPA) and Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) identified inflammatory processes as significantly elevated in our ALS samples, with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) found to be a major pathway regulator (IPA) and TNFα-induced protein 2 (TNFAIP2) as a major network “hub” gene (WGCNA). Using the oPOSSUM algorithm, we analyzed transcription factors (TF) controlling expression of the nine DEG/hub genes in the ALS samples and identified TF’s involved in inflammation (NFkB, REL, NFkB1) and macrophage function (NR1H2::RXRA heterodimer). Transient expression in human iPSC-derived motor neurons of TNFAIP2 (also a DEG identified by all three algorithms) reduced cell viability and induced caspase 3/7 activation. Using high-density RNAseq, multiple algorithms for DEG identification, and an unsupervised gene co-expression network approach, we identified significant elevation of inflammatory processes in ALS spinal cord with TNF as a major regulatory molecule. Overexpression of the DEG TNFAIP2 in human motor neurons, the population most vulnerable to die in ALS, increased cell death and caspase 3/7 activation. We propose that therapies targeted to reduce inflammatory TNFα signaling may be helpful in ALS patients

Desenvolvimento e aplicação de procedimento metodológico em suporte ao planejamento participativo à redução de perda de solos em pequenas bacias hidrográficas com emprego da EUPS

A atividade agrosilvipastoril no Brasil e em diversas localidades do mundo, tem provocado impactos como a erosão do solo e o assoreamento dos corpos hídricos. A Equação Universal de Perda de Solos EUPS estima a perda de solos por erosão hídrica laminar (A) em ton/ha/ano, através da multiplicação de seis parâmetros: erosividade da chuva (R), erodibilidade do solo (K), comprimento da rampa (L), inclinação da rampa (S), uso e manejo do solo (C) e práticas conservacionistas (P). Dessa forma, ela permite a proposição de cenários alternativos de uso e manejo do solo através dos fatores C e P. Os Sistemas de Informações Geográficas SIG contribuíram muito para ampliação de sua aplicação. Resultados de pesquisa-extensão rural com enfoque sistêmico indicam, fundamentalmente, que as tecnologias de controle de erosão deveriam ser adaptadas às condições de cada tipo de agricultor e conduzidas diretamente nas suas propriedades, com a participação do mesmo. Com isso, esta pesquisa vem contribuir para gestão de bacias hidrográficas, visando redução de perda de solos e dos impactos conseqüentes, através do desenvolvimento de um procedimento metodológico participativo com base na utilização da EUPS e de SIG. Entre os temas e aspectos que serviram de maior embasamento para o desenvolvimento do procedimento metodológico têm-se: a estimativa da perda de solos sob duas abordagens em termos de modelagem convencional, sem o envolvimento de participação social, e contando com esta na determinação dos parâmetros C e P da EUPS; a mobilização de atores relevantes para participação do processo de modelagem subsídio quanto à definição dos fatores C e P; a capacitação dos participantes do processo de modelagem; a integração de saberes especializados e não especializados (locais); e a iteratividade como forma de aperfeiçoamento de processos. A aplicação do procedimento metodológico proposto a uma bacia hidrográfica piloto, situada no município de Itarana/ES, possibilitou mostrar que o mesmo pode auxiliar: no desenvolvimento de planejamento participativo para redução de perdas de solos de pequenas bacias hidrográficas com base na realidade de cada produtor rural, considerando, entre outros fatores, as especificidades sócio-culturais e a interação de saberes (especializados e não especializados locais); considerando a capacidade de investimento de cada produtor rural no dimensionamento dos investimentos institucionais adicionais, espaciais, necessários para o cumprimento de metas de redução de perdas de solo por bacia; que o maior esforço para aplicação da EUPS de forma participativa é compensado tanto pela produção de cenários de redução de perdas de solos mais realistas que os convencionalmente praticados como pela sensibilização e promoção do envolvimento dos produtores/ proprietários rurais em ações de conservação dos solos

Temperature dependent CO2 behavior in microporous 1-D channels of a metal-organic framework with multiple interaction sites

The MOF with the encapsulated CO2 molecule shows that the CO2 molecule is ligated to the unsaturated Cu(II) sites in the cage using its Lewis basic oxygen atom via an angular eta(1)-(O-A) coordination mode and also interacts with Lewis basic nitrogen atoms of the tetrazole ligands using its Lewis acidic carbon atom. Temperature dependent structure analyses indicate the simultaneous weakening of both interactions as temperature increases. Infrared spectroscopy of the MOF confirmed that the CO2 interaction with the framework is temperature dependent. The strength of the interaction is correlated to the separation of the two bending peaks of the bound CO2 rather than the frequency shift of the asymmetric stretching peak from that of free CO2. The encapsulated CO2 in the cage is weakly interacting with the framework at around ambient temperatures and can have proper orientation for wiggling out of the cage through the narrow portals so that the reversible uptake can take place. On the other hand, the CO2 in the cage is restrained at a specific orientation at 195 K since it interacts with the framework strong enough using the multiple interaction sites so that adsorption process is slightly restricted and desorption process is almost clogged.ope

Differential cell line susceptibility to the emerging Zika virus: implications for disease pathogenesis, non-vector-borne human transmission and animal reservoirs

published_or_final_versio

Contribution of Genetic Background, Traditional Risk Factors, and HIV-Related Factors to Coronary Artery Disease Events in HIV-Positive Persons

We show in human immunodeficiency virus-positive persons that the coronary artery disease effect of an unfavorable genetic background is comparable to previous studies in the general population, and comparable in size to traditional risk factors and antiretroviral regimens known to increase cardiovascular ris

Mapping human dispersals into the Horn of Africa from Arabian Ice Age refugia using mitogenomes

Rare mitochondrial lineages with relict distributions can sometimes be disproportionately informative about deep events in human prehistory. We have studied one such lineage, haplogroup R0a, which uniquely is most frequent in Arabia and the Horn of Africa, but is distributed much more widely, from Europe to India. We conclude that: (1) the lineage ancestral to R0a is more ancient than previously thought, with a relict distribution across the Mediterranean/Southwest Asia; (2) R0a has a much deeper presence in Arabia than previously thought, highlighting the role of at least one Pleistocene glacial refugium, perhaps on the Red Sea plains; (3) the main episode of dispersal into Eastern Africa, at least concerning maternal lineages, was at the end of the Late Glacial, due to major expansions from one or more refugia in Arabia; (4) there was likely a minor Late Glacial/early postglacial dispersal from Arabia through the Levant and into Europe, possibly alongside other lineages from a Levantine refugium; and (5) the presence of R0a in Southwest Arabia in the Holocene at the nexus of a trading network that developed after ~3 ka between Africa and the Indian Ocean led to some gene flow even further afield, into Iran, Pakistan and India

Post-transplant events Combined administration of alpha-erythropoietin and filgrastim can improve the outcome and cost balance of autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with lymphoproliferative disorders

autologous transplantation; erythropoietin; engraftment kinetic