Effect of HIT Components on the Development of Breast Cancer Cells

Cancer cells circulating in blood vessels activate platelets, forming a cancer cell encircling platelet cloak which facilitates cancer metastasis. Heparin (H) is frequently used as an anticoagulant in cancer patients but up to 5% of patients have a side effect, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) that can be life-threatening. HIT is developed due to a complex interaction among multiple components including heparin, platelet factor 4 (PF4), HIT antibodies, and platelets. However, available information regarding the effect of HIT components on cancers is limited. Here, we investigated the effect of these materials on the mechanical property of breast cancer cells using atomic force microscopy (AFM) while cell spreading was quantified by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and cell proliferation rate was determined. Over time, we found a clear effect of each component on cell elasticity and cell spreading. In the absence of platelets, HIT antibodies inhibited cell proliferation but they promoted cell proliferation in the presence of platelets. Our results indicate that HIT complexes influenced the development of breast cancer cells

Servicio SURAD, 2011 primer año de funcionamiento

1 copia .pdf del póster original, presentado en tamaño din A0 en las 4as Jornadas de Análisis de la Red de Bibliotecas del CSIC (Madrid. 26-27 abril, 2012). Más información de las Jornadas en: http://jornadas.urici.csic.es/IVjornadas/El servicio SURAD presenta los resultados del 2011, su primer año de actividad. SURAD es el servicio de localización y suministro de documentos científicos para la comunidad investigadora del CSIC, que atiende aquellas solicitudes que no pueden gestionar en primera instancia sus bibliotecas. SURAD se gestiona a través de la Unidad de Recursos de la Información Científica para la Investigación y integrado dentro del Plan 100% Digital del CSIC. Su objetivo es dar un servicio de acceso al documento a la comunidad científica del CSIC que carece de servicio de biblioteca presencial en su centro/instituto y actuar como servicio de último recurso de obtención de documentos para las bibliotecas de la Red, proporcionando los documentos que éstas no puedan obtener.Peer reviewe

Void-Assisted Ion-Paired Proton Transfer at Water-Ionic Liquid Interfaces.

At the water-trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate ([P14,6,6,6 ][FAP]) ionic liquid interface, the unusual electrochemical transfer behavior of protons (H(+) ) and deuterium ions (D(+) ) was identified. Alkali metal cations (such as Li(+) , Na(+) , K(+) ) did not undergo this transfer. H(+) /D(+) transfers were assisted by the hydrophobic counter anion of the ionic liquid, [FAP](-) , resulting in the formation of a mixed capacitive layer from the filling of the latent voids within the anisotropic ionic liquid structure. This phenomenon could impact areas such as proton-coupled electron transfers, fuel cells, and hydrogen storage where ionic liquids are used as aprotic solvents

Municipal service delivery: the role of transaction costs in the choice between alternative governance mechanisms

Service provision by local governments can be delivered using in-house bureaucracies, private firms, and partnerships with other governments or the not-for-profit sector. This production decision has been a major focus of discussion among scholars, practitioners and political agents for the last quarter of a century. The transaction costs framework is an important tool to analyse decisions regarding the production of local services. In this paper, the authors employ this framework to analyse service delivery in Portugal and find that service characteristics and the local political environment play a key role in local officials’ choice among the three governance mechanisms to deliver public service

Short Telomeres Compromise β-Cell Signaling and Survival

The genetic factors that underlie the increasing incidence of diabetes with age are poorly understood. We examined whether telomere length, which is inherited and known to shorten with age, plays a role in the age-dependent increased incidence of diabetes. We show that in mice with short telomeres, insulin secretion is impaired and leads to glucose intolerance despite the presence of an intact β-cell mass. In ex vivo studies, short telomeres induced cell-autonomous defects in β-cells including reduced mitochondrial membrane hyperpolarization and Ca2+ influx which limited insulin release. To examine the mechanism, we looked for evidence of apoptosis but found no baseline increase in β-cells with short telomeres. However, there was evidence of all the hallmarks of senescence including slower proliferation of β-cells and accumulation of p16INK4a. Specifically, we identified gene expression changes in pathways which are essential for Ca2+-mediated exocytosis. We also show that telomere length is additive to the damaging effect of endoplasmic reticulum stress which occurs in the late stages of type 2 diabetes. This additive effect manifests as more severe hyperglycemia in Akita mice with short telomeres which had a profound loss of β-cell mass and increased β-cell apoptosis. Our data indicate that short telomeres can affect β-cell metabolism even in the presence of intact β-cell number, thus identifying a novel mechanism of telomere-mediated disease. They implicate telomere length as a determinant of β-cell function and diabetes pathogenesis

Design of price incentives for adjunct policy goals in formula funding for hospitals and health services

Background. Hospital policy involves multiple objectives: efficiency of service delivery, pursuit of high quality care, promoting access. Funding policy based on hospital casemix has traditionally been considered to be only about promoting efficiency. Discussion. Formula-based funding policy can be (and has been) used to pursue a range of policy objectives, not only efficiency. These are termed 'adjunct' goals. Strategies to incorporate adjunct goals into funding design must, implicitly or explicitly, address key decision choices outlined in this paper. Summary. Policy must be clear and explicit about the behaviour to be rewarded; incentives must be designed so that all facilities with an opportunity to improve have an opportunity to benefit; the reward structure is stable and meaningful; and the funder monitors performance and gaming

Budowa modelu układu wlotowego silnika F-100-PW-229 w samolocie F-16 na potrzeby analizy powstawania wiru wlotowego

W pracy przedstawiono wybrane problemy budowy złożonego obiektu (wirtualnego modelu kanału wlotowego do silnika samolotu F-16) na potrzeby numerycznej analizy zjawiska powstawania wiru wlotowego. Opisano proces dyskretyzacji w rozpatrywanym zagadnieniu oraz zawarto pewne wskazówki i wytyczne do przygotowania i przeprowadzenia operacji dyskretyzacji obszaru obliczeniowego. W dalszej części przedstawiono wybrane wstępne wyniki testowe mające na celu sprawdzenie poprawności kształtu obiektu, siatki obliczeniowej jak i doboru warunków brzegowych oraz algorytmu rozwiązania. powyższa praca stanowi wstęp do przeprowadzenia szerszej analizy powstawania niebezpiecznego zjawiska wiru wlotowegodo silnika samolotu F-16

Analysis of the gust impact on inlet vortex formation of the fuselage-shielded inlet of an jet engine powered aircraft

Selected problems of a complex structure, namely the fuselage-shielded inlet model of a turbine jet engine for numerical analysis purposes of the intake vortex formation phenomenon are presented in this paper. As a result of numerical analysis, an intake vortex has been developed. The analysis of the impact of changes in speed, angle and the direction of gust on vortex development has been conducted. Also, consequences of ingestion of foreign objects by the inlet and relevant statistics concerning damage to turbine engines have been presented

Budowa siatki do wlotu F-16. Analiza przepływowa

In this paper selected problems on building complex object (virtual model of intake conduit for the engine of F-16 aircraft) for the needs of numerical analysis, including numerical analysis of intake vortex phenomenon, are presented. The process of discretization in selected problem was described and few hints and guidelines for preparing and performing the process of computational area discretization were contained. In the next section test results were presented with the purpose of examining the accurateness of object’s shape and selected computational grid, chosen boundary conditions and algorithm of solution. This paper is an introduction to conducting wider analysis of a dangerous, from the perspective of engine’s life, phenomenon which is the air intake vortex development on F-16 aircraft.W artykule zaprezentowano metodykę budowy modelu parametrycznego na potrzeby analizy drgań własnych elementów lotniczego silnika turbinowego. Omówiono proces modelowania w ujęciu systemowym w zastosowaniu do procesu optymalizacji łopatki turbiny. Przedstawiono osobliwości projektowania lotniczego silnika turbinowego i jego zespołów. Opracowano algorytmy wyboru punktów z danych pomiarowych do utworzenia wzorca. Przeprowadzono dyskusję doboru krzywych do parametrycznego modelowania z uwzględnieniem wejść do procesu optymalizacji odwzorowania powierzchni bazując na technice inżynierii odwrotnej. Przedstawiono proces odwzorowania geometrii od etapu wykonania precyzyjnych pomiarów, identyfikacji danych, weryfikacji krzywych, aż do utworzenia bryły modelowanego obiektu. W pracy zawarto założenia opracowanych przez autorów i zastosowanych algorytmów modelowania elementów struktur lotniczych