Iturri heated garments for extreme cold conditions

[EN] Biomechanics Institute of Valencia (IBV) participates in the project CENIT INFINITEX, coordinated by the company ITURRI, whose main objective is to develop a new generation of technical textiles, such as multifunctional textiles, which aims to integrate functionalities in a single textile; advanced textiles that offer high performance and specific technical characteristics; and intelligent textiles, capable to react under certain external stimuli. IBV has participated in the generation of specifications for the development of the different research lines; assessment for the development of the new technologies; and the evaluation of the demonstrators of the developed technologies during the Project. This paper presents the work carried out by IBV for ITURRI for the development of heated garments.[ES] El Instituto de Biomecánica (IBV) participa en el proyecto CENIT INFINITEX, coordinado por la empresa ITURRI, cuyo objetivo principal es desarrollar una nueva generación de textiles técnicos, entre ellos, textiles multifuncionales, que permiten integrar funcionalidades en un solo textil; textiles avanzados, que ofrecen unas altas prestaciones y tienen unas características técnicas muy específicas y textiles inteligentes, capaces de reaccionar en función de estímulos externos. El IBV ha participado en la generación de especificaciones para las distintas líneas de investigación, el asesoramiento para el desarrollo de las nuevas tecnologías y la evaluación de los demostradores de las tecnologías desarrolladas durante el proyecto. En este artículo se presenta el trabajo realizado por el IBV para ITURRI en el desarrollo de prendas calefactables.Agradecemos a la empresa ITURRI su liderazgo eficaz del consorcio, que ha hecho posible llevar este ambicioso proyecto a buen término. El proyecto INFINITEX se enmarca dentro de los proyectos CENIT (Consorcios Estratégicos Nacionales de Investigación Técnica) aprobados por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación a través del Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial (CDTI).Gil Garcia, M.; Gonzalez Garcia, JC.; Priego Quesada, JI.; Pellicer Chenoll, MT.; Piqueras Fiszman, P.; Baydal Bertomeu, JM.; Dura Gil, J.... (2013). Prendas calefactables de ITURRI para combatir el frío extremo. Revista de biomecánica. 59:27-29. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/38694S27295

Notch signaling during human T cell development

Notch signaling is critical during multiple stages of T cell development in both mouse and human. Evidence has emerged in recent years that this pathway might regulate T-lineage differentiation differently between both species. Here, we review our current understanding of how Notch signaling is activated and used during human T cell development. First, we set the stage by describing the developmental steps that make up human T cell development before describing the expression profiles of Notch receptors, ligands, and target genes during this process. To delineate stage-specific roles for Notch signaling during human T cell development, we subsequently try to interpret the functional Notch studies that have been performed in light of these expression profiles and compare this to its suggested role in the mouse

IBV and Schol: two decades of ongoing innovation

[EN] Since middle of 90's, Instituto de Biomecánica (IBV) has been working in RTD projects for the footwear division of Scholl. These projects have covered from the initial conceptual stages of product development to the final stages of product launching. The strategy of Scholl has been focused on a continuous innovation based on design improvements and biomechanic adequacy of their products. During this process Scholl has collaborated with IBV.[ES] Desde mediados de los años 90 el Instituto de Biomecánica (IBV) ha trabajado en proyectos de I+D+i para la división de calzado de Scholl. Estos proyectos han abordado desde las etapas más conceptuales del desarrollo de productos hasta su puesta en el mercado. Scholl ha apostado por una estrategia de innovación basada en la mejora continua del diseño y adecuación biomecánica de sus productos, y para ello ha contado con la colaboración del IBV.Solves Camallonga, C.; Gil Mora, S.; Gonzalez Garcia, JC.; Tortosa Latonda, L.; Puigcerver Palau, SA.; Peydro De Moya, MF.; Peris Serra, JL.... (2013). IBV y Schol: dos décadas de innnovación continua. Revista de biomecánica. (60):28-31. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/38519S28316

Polymorphisms in the F pocket of HLA-B27 subtypes strongly impact on assembly, chaperone interactions and heavy chain misfolding

Objective - HLA-B27 is associated with the inflammatory spondyloarthropathies (SpAs). Of significance, subtypes HLA-B*27:06 and HLA-B*27:09 are not associated with the SpAs. These subtypes primarily differ from the HLA-B*27:05 disease associated allele at residues 114 and 116 of the heavy chain, part of the F pocket of the antigen-binding groove. Dimerisation of HLA-B27 during assembly has been implicated in disease onset. This study investigated the factors influencing differences in dimerisation between disease associated and non-associated HLA-B27 alleles. Methods – HLA-B*27:05 and mutants resembling the HLA-B*27:06 and 09 subtypes were expressed in the rat C58 T cell line, the human CEM T cell line and its calnexin deficient variant CEM.NKR. Immunoprecipitation, pulse chase, flow cytometry and immunoblotting were performed to study the assembly kinetics, heavy chain dimerisation and chaperone associations. Results - By expressing HLA-B*27:05, 06-like and 09 alleles on a restrictive rat TAP peptide transporter background, we demonstrate that a tyrosine expressed at p116 or together with an aspartic acid residue at p114 inhibited HLA-B27 dimerisation and increased the assembly rate. F pocket residues alter the associations with chaperones of the early MHC class I folding pathway. Calnexin was demonstrated to participate in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress mediated degradation of dimers, whereas the oxidoreductase ERp57 does not appear to influence dimerization. Conclusion - Residues within the F pocket of the peptide-binding groove differing between disease-associated and non-disease-associated HLA-B27 subtypes can influence the assembly process and heavy chain dimerisation, events which have been linked to the initiation of disease pathogenesis

Expression of the T Cell Receptor αβ on a CD123+ BDCA2+ HLA-DR+ Subpopulation in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Human Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells (PDCs) infiltrating solid tumor tissues and draining lymph nodes of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) show an impaired immune response. In addition to an attenuated secretion of IFN-α little is known about other HNSCC-induced functional alterations in PDCs. Particular objectives in this project were to gain new insights regarding tumor-induced phenotypical and functional alterations in the PDC population. We showed by FACS analysis and RT-PCR that HNSCC orchestrates an as yet unknown subpopulation exhibiting functional autonomy in-vitro and in-vivo besides bearing phenotypical resemblance to PDCs and T cells. A subset, positive for the PDC markers CD123, BDCA-2, HLA-DR and the T cell receptor αβ (TCR-αβ) was significantly induced subsequent to stimulation with HNSCC in-vitro (p = 0.009) and also present in metastatic lymph nodes in-vivo. This subgroup could be functionally distinguished due to an enhanced production of IL-2 (p = 0.02), IL-6 (p = 0.0007) and TGF-β (not significant). Furthermore, after exposure to HNSCC cells, mRNA levels revealed a D-J-beta rearrangement of the TCR-beta chain besides a strong enhancement of the CD3ε chain in the PDC population. Our data indicate an interface between the PDC and T cell lineage. These findings will improve our understanding of phenotypical and functional intricacies concerning the very heterogeneous PDC population in-vivo

Cell Lineages and the Logic of Proliferative Control

It is widely accepted that the growth and regeneration of tissues and organs is tightly controlled. Although experimental studies are beginning to reveal molecular mechanisms underlying such control, there is still very little known about the control strategies themselves. Here, we consider how secreted negative feedback factors (“chalones”) may be used to control the output of multistage cell lineages, as exemplified by the actions of GDF11 and activin in a self-renewing neural tissue, the mammalian olfactory epithelium (OE). We begin by specifying performance objectives—what, precisely, is being controlled, and to what degree—and go on to calculate how well different types of feedback configurations, feedback sensitivities, and tissue architectures achieve control. Ultimately, we show that many features of the OE—the number of feedback loops, the cellular processes targeted by feedback, even the location of progenitor cells within the tissue—fit with expectations for the best possible control. In so doing, we also show that certain distinctions that are commonly drawn among cells and molecules—such as whether a cell is a stem cell or transit-amplifying cell, or whether a molecule is a growth inhibitor or stimulator—may be the consequences of control, and not a reflection of intrinsic differences in cellular or molecular character

Transcriptomic analysis supports similar functional roles for the two thymuses of the tammar wallaby

Background: The thymus plays a critical role in the development and maturation of T-cells. Humans have a single thoracic thymus and presence of a second thymus is considered an anomaly. However, many vertebrates have multiple thymuses. The tammar wallaby has two thymuses: a thoracic thymus (typically found in all mammals) and a dominant cervical thymus. Researchers have known about the presence of the two wallaby thymuses since the 1800s, but no genome-wide research has been carried out into possible functional differences between the two thymic tissues. Here, we used pyrosequencing to compare the transcriptomes of a cervical and thoracic thymus from a single 178 day old tammar wallaby.Results: We show that both the tammar thoracic and the cervical thymuses displayed gene expression profiles consistent with roles in T-cell development. Both thymuses expressed genes that mediate distinct phases of T-cells differentiation, including the initial commitment of blood stem cells to the T-lineage, the generation of T-cell receptor diversity and development of thymic epithelial cells. Crucial immune genes, such as chemokines were also present. Comparable patterns of expression of non-coding RNAs were seen. 67 genes differentially expressed between the two thymuses were detected, and the possible significance of these results are discussed.Conclusion: This is the first study comparing the transcriptomes of two thymuses from a single individual. Our finding supports that both thymuses are functionally equivalent and drive T-cell development. These results are an important first step in the understanding of the genetic processes that govern marsupial immunity, and also allow us to begin to trace the evolution of the mammalian immune system

Base molecular y modulacion del reconocimiento aloespecifico de HLA-B27 por linfocitos T citotoxicos

Centro de Informacion y Documentacion Cientifica (CINDOC). C/Joaquin Costa, 22. 28002 Madrid. SPAIN / CINDOC - Centro de Informaciòn y Documentaciòn CientìficaSIGLEESSpai

Ecological characteristics of pre-imaginal stages of blackflies (diptera: simuliidae) in Southern England

Data on pre-imaginal stages of blackflies obtained in southern England during the summer and early autumn of 2020 were supplemented by additional surveys and analysed in relation to environmental factors. Fourteen taxa from 29 locations were recorded. Of these, seven are of medical and/or veterinary importance: Simulium (Wilhelmia) equinum (Linnaeus, 1758), S. (Boophthora) erythrocephalum (De Geer, 1776), S. (Simulium) intermedium Roubaud, 1906 sensu lato (s.l., a complex of species), S. (W.) lineatum (Meigen, 1804), S. (S.) morsitans Edwards, 1915, S. (S.) noelleri Friederichs, 1920 and S. (S.) ornatum (Meigen, 1818) s.l. Analyses of a variety of environmental factors recorded at the insects’ breeding sites showed that, by considering larvae and pupae together, the differences in the assemblages of blackfly species were explained by four variables: river depth, temperature, conductivity and elevation