The National Bank of Belgium, Research Department’s new business survey indicator

The business survey indicator is one of the most valuable statistics that the Bank publishes every month. Its reputation is due to the reliability it has demonstrated over several decades in reflecting the pattern of economic activity in the country and in the euro area every month. The indicator is compiled on the basis of the responses to the monthly business survey that the Bank has arranged with enterprises in Belgium since 1954. Almost twenty years after the last methodological revision of the indicator in 1990, the Bank decided that it was now desirable to review its method of calculation again. This article presents the key characteristics of the business survey indicator, its practical applications and the new method of calculation applied since April 2009. This methodological revision gradually became necessary owing to the extension of the survey in 1994 to business-related services, the results of which were not included in the general business survey indicator until this methodological change. The old business survey indicator had also exhibited some undesirable short-term fluctuations. The methodological changes have been kept to a minimum and only concern the calculation of the synthetic curves, with an amended selection of questions that are included in the synthetic curves for each industry and by incorporating the business-related services curve into the overall synthetic business indicator. These changes aim to strengthen the correlation between the indicator and GDP growth, to reduce the undesirable short-term volatility and to maintain its early response.business cycle, business survey, leading indicator, correlation, GDP

Fear of exercise and health-related quality of life in patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator

Several studies have reported improved survival rates thanks to the use of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in the treatment of patients with life-threatening arrhythmia. However, the effects of the ICD on health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) of these patients are not clear. The aim of this study is to describe HR-QoL and fear of exercise in ICD patients. Eighty-nine ICD patients from the University Hospital in Groningen, the Netherlands, participated in this study. HR-QoL was measured using the Rand-36 and the Quality of Life After Myocardial Infarction Dutch language version questionnaires. Fear of exercise was measured using the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, Dutch version and the Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, Dutch version. Association between outcome variables was analysed by linear regression analyses. Study results show that the HR-QoL of patients with ICDs in our study population is significantly worse than that of normal healthy people. Furthermore, fear of exercise is negatively associated with HR-QoL corrected for sex, age and number of years living with an ICD. After implantation of the ICD, patients with a clear fear of exercise should be identified and interventions should be considered in order to increase their HR-QoL

A dynamic supramolecular polyurethane network whose mechanical properties are kinetically controlled

We report the synthesis and characterization of a kinetically controlled, thermoreversible supramolecular polyurethane whose mechanical properties depend unusually strongly on the processing history. Materials were prepared by solution casting, quenching and annealing of quenched material, allowing pronounced micro-structural evolution, which leads to rapid increases in modulus as determined by rheological analysis. Tensile tests showed that the quenched material is soft, weak and ductile (shear modulus ~ 5 MPa, elongation ~ 250 %), but after annealing, at 70 °C for one hour, it becomes stiffer, stronger and more brittle (~ 20 MPa, ~ 20 %). FTIR and NMR spectroscopic analysis, coupled with MDSC and SAXS, were performed to investigate the network’s dynamic structural changes. SAXS results suggest the presence of a lamellar structure in the sample when solution cast at high temperature, or annealed. This ordering is unique when compared to structurally-related supramolecular bisurethane and bisurea polymers, and may be the cause of the observed path dependence. These mechanical properties, which can be switched repeatedly by simple thermal treatments, coupled with its adhesion properties as determined from peel and tack tests, make it an excellent candidate as a recyclable material for adhesives and coatings

Hepatic lipase gene expression is transiently induced by gonadotropic hormones in rat ovaries

Hepatic lipase (HL) gene expression was studied in rat ovaries. A transcript lacking exons 1 and 2 could be detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in the ovaries of mature cyclic females and of immature rats treated with pregnant mare serum followed by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) to induce superovulation. By competitive RT-PCR the HL transcript was quantified. Low levels of HL mRNA were detected in ovaries of mature cyclic females and of immature rats. During superovulation HL mRNA was several fold higher than in mature cyclic rats and transiently increased to a maximum at 2 days after hCG treatment. Pulse-labelling of ovarian cells and ovarian slices with [35S]methionine followed by immunoprecipitation with polyclonal anti-HL IgGs showed de novo synthesis of a 47 kDa HL-related protein. Expression of the protein was transiently induced by gonadotropins with a peak at 2 days after hCG treatment. Induction of liver-type lipase activity occurred only after HL mRNA and synthesis of the HL-related protein had returned to pre-stimulatory levels. We conclude that in rat ovaries the HL gene is expressed into a variant mRNA and a 47 kDa protein. The expression of the HL gene in ovaries is inducible and precedes the expression of the mature, enzymatically active liver-type lipase

The TgsGP gene is essential for resistance to human serum in Trypanosoma brucei gambiense

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense causes 97% of all cases of African sleeping sickness, a fatal disease of sub-Saharan Africa. Most species of trypanosome, such as T. b. brucei, are unable to infect humans due to the trypanolytic serum protein apolipoprotein-L1 (APOL1) delivered via two trypanosome lytic factors (TLF-1 and TLF-2). Understanding how T. b. gambiense overcomes these factors and infects humans is of major importance in the fight against this disease. Previous work indicated that a failure to take up TLF-1 in T. b. gambiense contributes to resistance to TLF-1, although another mechanism is required to overcome TLF-2. Here, we have examined a T. b. gambiense specific gene, TgsGP, which had previously been suggested, but not shown, to be involved in serum resistance. We show that TgsGP is essential for resistance to lysis as deletion of TgsGP in T. b. gambiense renders the parasites sensitive to human serum and recombinant APOL1. Deletion of TgsGP in T. b. gambiense modified to uptake TLF-1 showed sensitivity to TLF-1, APOL1 and human serum. Reintroducing TgsGP into knockout parasite lines restored resistance. We conclude that TgsGP is essential for human serum resistance in T. b. gambiense

Real-time and Multichannel Measurement of Contractility of hiPSC-Derived 3D Skeletal Muscle using Fiber Optics-Based Sensing

As the field of cardiac and skeletal muscle tissue engineering expands, so does the need for accurate and reliable systems to generate in vitro 3D tissues and analyze their functional properties. In this study, the Cuore is introduced, a system that integrates sensors based on optical fibers and uses the principle of light interferometry to detect the contraction of 3D Tissue Engineered Skeletal Muscles (3D-TESMs). The technology employed in the Cuore allows for reproducible and multichannel force measurements down to a nano-Newtons resolution while maintaining sterility and permitting continuous non-invasive recording within and outside standard tissue culture incubators. Thanks to the integrated electrodes for electrical pulse stimulation (EPS), 3D-TESMs generated from three independent hiPSC-derived myogenic progenitors (MPs) lines are stimulated and the contractility is recorded over the course of a week. Through the modulation of different EPS parameters, the optimal combination to induce the 3D-TESMs in producing fully fused tetani without causing damage is determined. Furthermore, 3D-TESMs from different lines exhibit characteristic signatures of spontaneous contractility and response to caffeine, verapamil, and the β-agonist clenbuterol. The ease of use, high sensitivity, and the integrated electrodes and sensors make the Cuore an ideal technology to investigate the biology of contractile tissues and their response to drugs.</p

Differences between <i>Trypanosoma brucei gambiense</i> groups 1 and 2 in their resistance to killing by Trypanolytic factor 1

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Background:&lt;/b&gt; The three sub-species of &lt;i&gt;Trypanosoma brucei&lt;/i&gt; are important pathogens of sub-Saharan Africa. &lt;i&gt;T. b. brucei&lt;/i&gt; is unable to infect humans due to sensitivity to trypanosome lytic factors (TLF) 1 and 2 found in human serum. &lt;i&gt;T. b. rhodesiense&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt; are able to resist lysis by TLF. There are two distinct sub-groups of &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt; that differ genetically and by human serum resistance phenotypes. Group 1 &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt; have an invariant phenotype whereas group 2 show variable resistance. Previous data indicated that group 1 &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt; are resistant to TLF-1 due in-part to reduced uptake of TLF-1 mediated by reduced expression of the TLF-1 receptor (the haptoglobin-hemoglobin receptor (&lt;i&gt;HpHbR&lt;/i&gt;)) gene. Here we investigate if this is also true in group 2 parasites.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Methodology:&lt;/b&gt; Isogenic resistant and sensitive group 2 &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt; were derived and compared to other T. brucei parasites. Both resistant and sensitive lines express the &lt;i&gt;HpHbR&lt;/i&gt; gene at similar levels and internalized fluorescently labeled TLF-1 similar fashion to &lt;i&gt;T. b. brucei&lt;/i&gt;. Both resistant and sensitive group 2, as well as group 1 &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt;, internalize recombinant APOL1, but only sensitive group 2 parasites are lysed.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/b&gt; Our data indicate that, despite group 1 &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt; avoiding TLF-1, it is resistant to the main lytic component, APOL1. Similarly group 2 &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt; is innately resistant to APOL1, which could be based on the same mechanism. However, group 2 &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt; variably displays this phenotype and expression does not appear to correlate with a change in expression site or expression of &lt;i&gt;HpHbR&lt;/i&gt;. Thus there are differences in the mechanism of human serum resistance between &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt; groups 1 and 2.&lt;/p&gt

Meeting report: the 2021 FSHD International Research Congress

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is the second most common genetic myopathy, characterized by slowly progressing and highly heterogeneous muscle wasting with a typical onset in the late teens/early adulthood [1]. Although the etiology of the disease for both FSHD type 1 and type 2 has been attributed to gain-of-toxic function stemming from aberrant DUX4 expression, the exact pathogenic mechanisms involved in muscle wasting have yet to be elucidated [2-4]. The 2021 FSHD International Research Congress, held virtually on June 24-25, convened over 350 researchers and clinicians to share the most recent advances in the understanding of the disease mechanism, discuss the proliferation of interventional strategies and refinement of clinical outcome measures, including results from the ReDUX4 trial, a phase 2b clinical trial of losmapimod in FSHD [NCT04003974]