SNP haplotyping technique for evaluation of MGP 5� UTR power in osteoblast cells

Matrix Gla protein (MGP) is involved in calcium trafficking and arterial calcification. The aim of study was to investigate the role of three polymorphisms within the MGP gene promoter region on reporter gene (luciferase) expression level. The fragments containing rs1800799 (C/T), rs1800802 (T/C), and rs1800801 (G/A) sites were constructed and transferred into human G292 osteoblast cells using pGL3-Basic plasmid. The reporter gene expression was calculated for the high and low frequency polymorphic haplotypes (CTG and TCA, respectively). Results showed that the reporter gene expression levels are not statistically different (p > 0.3). We concluded that the investigated polymorphic sites are not able to change the gene expression pattern in human G292 osteoblast cells. © 2016, The Author(s)

Microdynamic analysis of solid flow in a shear cell

Granular flow in a model shear cell under conditions relevant to those in an annular cell is investigated based on the results obtained by means of the discrete element method. The spatial and statistical distributions of microdynamic variables such as velocity, porosity, coordination number and contact force are established, and the dependence of these variables on some key physical and operational parameters of particles and the cell is studied. It is shown that the normal pressure, shear velocity of the cell, particle friction coefficient and rolling friction coefficient have noticeable influences on these microdynamic variables. However, the effects of wall friction coefficient and damping coefficient are negligible. There is a linear relationship between overall coordination number and packing density, when the coordination number ranges between 5 and 6.5. The deviation from the relation derives from the cases where the normal pressure is varied as a result of the significant change in the normal contact forces between particles