Tangible air: An interactive installation for visualising audience engagement

This article presents an end-to-end system for capturing physiological sensor data and visualising it on a real-time graphic dashboard and as part of an art installation. More specifically, it describes an event where the level of engagement of the audience was measured by means of Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) sensors and of the presenter through a sweater fitted with GSR, ECG and acceleration sensors. The gathered data was presented in real-time through a visualisation projected onto a screen and a physical electro-mechanical installation, which would change the height of helium-filled balloons depending on the atmosphere in the auditorium. Thereby trying to create a tangible way of making the invisible visible

Hexavalent Chromium Induces Malignant Transformation of Human Lung Bronchial Epithelial Cells Via ROS-Dependent Activation of miR-21-PDCD4 Signaling

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is a well-known human carcinogen associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying Cr(VI)-induced carcinogenesis remain unclear. MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is a key regulator of oncogenic processes. Studies have shown that miR-21 exerts its oncogenic activity by targeting the tumor suppressor gene programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4). The present study examined the role of miR-21-PDCD4 signaling in Cr(VI)-induced cell transformation and tumorigenesis. Results showed that Cr(VI) induces ROS generation in human bronchial epithelial (BEAS-2B) cells. Chronic exposure to Cr(VI) is able to cause malignant transformation in BEAS-2B cells. Cr(VI) caused a significant increase of miR-21 expression associated with an inhibition of PDCD4 expression. Notably, STAT3 transcriptional activation by IL-6 is crucial for the Cr(VI)-induced miR-21 elevation. Stable knockdown of miR-21 or overexpression of PDCD4 in BEAS-2B cells significantly reduced the Cr(VI)-induced cell transformation. Furthermore, the Cr(VI) induced inhibition of PDCD4 suppressed downstream E-cadherin protein expression, but promoted β-catenin/TCF-dependent transcription of uPAR and c-Myc. We also found an increased miR-21 level and decreased PDCD4 expression in xenograft tumors generated with chronic Cr(VI)-exposed BEAS-2B cells. In addition, stable knockdown of miR-21 and overexpression of PDCD4 reduced the tumorogenicity of chronic Cr(VI)-exposed BEAS-2B cells in nude mice. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the miR-21-PDCD4 signaling axis plays an important role in Cr(VI)-induced carcinogenesis

OpenBIM-Tango integrated virtual showroom for offsite manufactured production of self-build housing

As a result of progressive use of BIM in the AEC sector, the amount of diverse project information is increasing rapidly, thus necessitating interoperability of tools, compatibility of data, effective collaboration and sophisticated data management. Media-rich VR and AR environments have been proven to help users better understand design solutions, however, they have not been quite advanced in supporting interoperability and collaboration. Relying on capabilities of openBIM and IFC schema, this study posits that this shortcoming of VR and AR environment could be addressed by use of BIM server concept allowing for concurrent multiuser and low-latency communication between applications. Successful implementation of this concept can ultimately mitigate the need for advanced technical skills for participation in design processes and facilitate the generation of more useful design solutions by early involvement of stakeholders and end-users in decision making. This paper exemplifies a method for integration of BIM data into immersive VR and AR environments, in order to streamline the design process and provide a pared-down agnostic openBIM system with low latency and synchronised concurrent user accessibility that gives the “right information to the right people at the right time”. These concepts have been further demonstrated through development of a prototype for openBIM-Tango integrated virtual showroom for offsite manufactured production of self-build housing. The prototype directly includes BIM models and data from IFC format and interactively presents them to users on both VR immersive and AR environments, including Google Tango enabled devices. This paper contributes by offering innovative and practical solutions for integration of openBIM and VR/AR interfaces, which can address interoperability issues of the AEC industry

Toxicity of Cultured Bullseye Puffer Fish Sphoeroides annulatus

The toxin content in various life cycle stages of tank-cultivated bullseye puffer (Sphoeroides annulatus) were analyzed by mouse bioassay and ESI-MS spectrometry analysis. The presence of toxin content was determined in extracts of sperm, eggs, embryo, larvae, post-larvae, juvenile, pre-adult, and adult fish, as well as in food items used during the cultivation of the species. Our findings show that only the muscle of juveniles, the viscera of pre-adults, and muscle, liver, and gonad of adult specimens were slightly toxic (<1 mouse unit). Thus, cultivated S. annulatus, as occurs with other cultivated puffer fish species, does not represent a food safety risk to consumers. This is the first report of toxin analysis covering the complete life stages of a puffer fish under controlled conditions

Experimental arthritis induced by a clinical Mycoplasma fermentans isolate

BACKGROUND: Mycoplasma fermentans has been associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Recently, it was detected in the joints and blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but it is not clear yet how the bacteria enter the body and reach the joints. The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of M. fermentans to induce experimental arthritis in rabbits following inoculation of the bacteria in the trachea and knee joints. METHODS: P-140 and PG-18 strains were each injected in the knee joints of 14 rabbits in order to evaluate and compare their arthritogenicity. P-140 was also injected in the trachea of 14 rabbits in order to test the ability of the bacteria to reach the joints and induce arthritis. RESULTS: M. fermentans produced an acute arthritis in rabbits. Joint swelling appeared first in rabbits injected with P-140, which caused a more severe arthritis than PG-18. Both strains were able to migrate to the uninoculated knee joints and they were detected viable in the joints all along the duration of the experiment. Changes in the synovial tissue were more severe by the end of the experiment and characterized by the infiltration of neutrophils and substitution of adipose tissue by connective tissue. Rabbits intracheally injected with P-140 showed induced arthritis and the bacteria could be isolated from lungs, blood, heart, kidney, spleen, brain and joints. CONCLUSION: M. fermentans induced arthritis regardless of the inoculation route. These findings may help explain why mycoplasmas are commonly isolated from the joints of rheumatic patients

Evaluation of Intra-Host Variants of the Entire Hepatitis B Virus Genome

Genetic analysis of hepatitis B virus (HBV) frequently involves study of intra-host variants, identification of which is commonly achieved using short regions of the HBV genome. However, the use of short sequences significantly limits evaluation of genetic relatedness among HBV strains. Although analysis of HBV complete genomes using genetic cloning has been developed, its application is highly labor intensive and practiced only infrequently. We describe here a novel approach to whole genome (WG) HBV quasispecies analysis based on end-point, limiting-dilution real-time PCR (EPLD-PCR) for amplification of single HBV genome variants, and their subsequent sequencing. EPLD-PCR was used to analyze WG quasispecies from serum samples of patients (n = 38) infected with HBV genotypes A, B, C, D, E and G. Phylogenetic analysis of the EPLD-isolated HBV-WG quasispecies showed the presence of mixed genotypes, recombinant variants and sub-populations of the virus. A critical observation was that HBV-WG consensus sequences obtained by direct sequencing of PCR fragments without EPLD are genetically close, but not always identical to the major HBV variants in the intra-host population, thus indicating that consensus sequences should be judiciously used in genetic analysis. Sequence-based studies of HBV WG quasispecies should afford a more accurate assessment of HBV evolution in various clinical and epidemiological settings

Presence of Mycoplasma fermentans in the bloodstream of Mexican patients with rheumatoid arthritis and IgM and IgG antibodies against whole microorganism

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Increasing evidence incriminates bacteria, especially <it>Mycoplasma fermentans</it>, as possible arthritogenic agents in humans. The purpose of this study was to investigate <it>M. fermentans </it>in the bloodstream of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Two hundred and nineteen blood samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, antiphospholipid syndrome, and healthy individuals were screened by bacterial culture and direct PCR in order to detect mycoplasmas; IgM and IgG against <it>M. fermentans </it>PG18 were also detected by ELISA and Immunoblotting assays in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and healthy individuals.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Blood samples from patients with antiphospholipid syndrome and healthy individuals were negative for mycoplasma by culture or direct PCR. In blood samples from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus were detected by direct PCR <it>M. fermentans </it>in 2/50 (2%), <it>M. hominis </it>in 2/50 (2%) and <it>U. urealyticum </it>in 1/50 (0.5%). In patients with RA <it>M. fermentans </it>was detected by culture in 13/87 blood samples and in 13/87 by direct PCR, however, there was only concordance between culture and direct PCR in six samples, so <it>M. fermentans </it>was detected in 20/87(23%) of the blood samples from patients with RA by either culture or PCR. Antibody-specific ELISA assay to <it>M. fermentans </it>PG18 was done, IgM was detected in sera from 40/87 patients with RA and in sera of 7/67 control individuals, IgG was detected in sera from 48/87 RA patients and in sera from 7/67 healthy individuals. Antibody-specific immunoblotting to <it>M. fermentans </it>PG18 showed IgM in sera from 35/87 patients with RA and in sera from 4/67 healthy individuals, IgG was detected in sera from 34/87 patients and in sera from 5/67 healthy individuals.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings show that only <it>M. fermentans </it>produce bacteremia in a high percentage of patients with RA. This finding is similar to those reported in the literature. IgM and IgG against <it>M. fermentans </it>PG18 were more frequent in patients with RA than healthy individuals.</p

Dominant inhibition of Fas ligand-mediated apoptosis due to a heterozygous mutation associated with autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) Type Ib

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background:</p> <p>Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is a disorder of lymphocyte homeostasis and immunological tolerance due primarily to genetic defects in Fas (CD95/APO-1; <it>TNFRSF6</it>), a cell surface receptor that regulates apoptosis and its signaling apparatus.</p> <p>Methods:</p> <p>Fas ligand gene mutations from ALPS patients were identified through cDNA and genomic DNA sequencing. Molecular and biochemical assessment of these mutant Fas ligand proteins were carried out by expressing the mutant FasL cDNA in mammalian cells and analysis its effects on Fas-mediated programmed cell death.</p> <p>Results:</p> <p>We found an ALPS patient that harbored a heterozygous A530G mutation in the FasL gene that replaced Arg with Gly at position 156 in the protein's extracellular Fas-binding region. This produced a dominant-interfering FasL protein that bound to the wild-type FasL protein and prevented it from effectively inducing apoptosis.</p> <p>Conclusion:</p> <p>Our data explain how a naturally occurring heterozygous human FasL mutation can dominantly interfere with normal FasL apoptotic function and lead to an ALPS phenotype, designated Type Ib.</p

Preface Special Issue on novel superconducting and magnetic materials

Superconductivity and magnetism -- and their entanglement in a single material -- are among the most studied phenomena in condensed matter physics and continue to pose new challenges for fundamental research and exciting opportunities for technological applications. The last decade has witnessed ground-breaking discoveries in both fields: high-temperature superconductivity in compressed hydrides, unconventional superconductivity in iron-based materials and new types of magnetic states in spin-orbit coupled materials with topological and nematic characteristics. The prediction of material-specific properties and the interpretation of superconducting and magnetic phase transitions have been crucially aided by advances in ab-initio electronic structure methods within the density functional theory and its extensions. This special issue gathers together selected theoretical and experimental contributions on novel aspects of superconductivity and magnetism, %that have been collected in memory of Prof. Sandro Massidda. The collection aims to provide an updated view on timing issues and challenges in this active research field that have been at the hearth of Sandro's scientific interests. As commemorated in the obituary by Continenza and Colombo, Sandro has dedicated his scientific work to the development and application of \textit{ab-initio} computational and theoretical methods, yet never losing focus to the ultimate goal of theoretical and computational physics, that is to support, complement and understand the experimental observations