Economics and quality attributes of hMSC production in xeno-free bioprocessing media

Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hMSCs) are key raw material in Regenerative Medicine and are widely used for therapeutics, engineered tissues, and medical devices. Yet, achieving an economical bioprocess for hMSC production remains a significant challenge for industry. Bioprocess economic modeling highlights media as a major cost driver in cell manufacturing. Hence, the availability of efficient and robust xeno-free bioprocessing media will not only reduce manufacturing cost, but also decrease regulatory burden associated with bovine serum components found in traditional culture media. Here, we evaluated and compared hMSCs quality parameters in bovine serum-containing and xeno-free bioprocess media formulations and assessed quality parameters such as cell identity, potency and functionality. Cells in xeno-free media maintained critical hMSC functional properties including angiogenic cytokine (FGF, HGF, IL8, TIMP1, TIMP2, and VEGF) secretion, trilineage differentiation, and immunomodulatory potential. In addition, hMSCs cultured in xeno-free media expanded rapidly and achieved confluency within 4-5 days of culture without media exchange. The economics of hMSC expansion in this xeno-free media were modeled and compared to other competitive hMSC cell or media systems where it consistently outperformed traditional hMSC systems by more than 8 fold on the critical productivity metric of Million cells per Liter, making it ideal for industrial-scale manufacturing of hMSCs

Repetitive Segmental Structure of the Transducin β Subunit: Homology with the CDC4 Gene and Identification of Related mRNAs

Retinal transducin, a guanine nucleotide regulatory protein (referred to as a G protein) that activates a cGMP phosphodiesterase in photoreceptor cells, is comprised of three subunits. We have identified and analyzed cDNA clones of the bovine transducin β subunit that may be highly conserved or identical to that in other G proteins. From the cDNA nucleotide sequence of the entire coding region, the primary structure of a 340-amino acid protein was deduced. The encoded β subunit has a Mr of 37,375 and is comprised of repetitive homologous segments arranged in tandem. Furthermore, significant homology in primary structure and segmental sequence exists between the β subunit and the yeast CDC4 gene product. The Mr 37,375 β subunit polypeptide is encoded by a 2.9-kilobase (kb) mRNA. However, there exists in retina other β-related mRNAs that are divergent from the 2.9-kb mRNA on the basis of oligonucleotide and primer-extended probe hybridizations. All mammalian tissues and clonal cell lines that have been examined contain at least two β-related mRNAs, usually 1.8 and 2.9 kb in length. These results suggest that the mRNAs are the processed products of a small number of closely related genes or of a single highly complex β gene

Integration of DSM and SPH to Model Tailings Dam Failure Run-Out Slurry Routing Across 3D Real Terrain

This is the final version of the article. Available from MDPI via the DOI in this record.Tailings dam failure accidents occur frequently, causing substantial damage and loss of human and animal life. The prediction of run-out tailings slurry routing following dam failures is of great significance for disaster prevention and mitigation. Using satellite remote sensing digital surface model (DSM) data, tailings pond parameters and the advanced meshless smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method, a 3D real-scale numerical modelling method was adopted to study the run-out tailings slurry routing across real downstream terrains that have and have not been affected by dam failures. Three case studies, including a physical modelling experiment, the 2015 Brazil Fundão tailings dam failure accident and an operating high-risk tailings pond in China, were carried out. The physical modelling experiment and the known consequences were successfully modeled and validated using the SPH method. This and the other experiments showed that the run-out tailings slurry would be tremendously destructive in the early stages of dam failure, and emergency response time would be extremely short if the dam collapses at its full designed capacity. The results could provide evidence for disaster prevention and mitigation engineering, emergency management plan optimization, and the development of more responsible site plans and sustainable site designs. However, improvements such as rheological model selection, terrain data quality, computing efficiency and land surface roughness need to be made for future studies. SPH numerical modelling is a powerful and advanced technique that is recommended for hazard assessment and the sustainable design of tailings dam facilities globally.This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 51774045), National Key R&D Program of China (grant number 2017YFC0804600), China Scholarship Council (grant number 201706460051) and Natural Science Foundation project of Chongqing Science and Technology Commission (grant number cstc2016jcyjA0319 and cstc2018jcyjAX0231)

A COMMUNITY-BASED VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT OF FLOODS IN URBAN AREAS OF KAMPUNG MELAYU, JAKARTA

Flooding has become a serious problem in Jakarta. During floods .of 2007, Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta was the worst hit.by the floods. Community have different perceptions on disaster and have different effort to overcome the hazards. Therefore, local government and relevant institution should investigate this situation and make this information a valuable input in developing and implementing response plans in flood mitigation. This research is to explore the vulnerability of floods based on local people\u27s perception. There were 83 households interviewed using questionnaire. Certain elements at risk related with physical and socio:economic aspects were identified. Physical information concerned the building structure and building contents. Several socio-economic characteristics were used as key indicators to analyze the vulnerability of people. Generally, the result of this research shows that the ability of people to cope with the flooding i$ linked with the capacity of the people itself. The capability of people to deal withflooding was influenced by several indicators.based on their socio- . economic characteristics. For example, lower income people will experience more suffering than the wealthier, because they cannot afford the\u27 costs of repair, reconstruction. Although the wealthier are likely to experience a higher degree of economic damage due to possessions of higher value. Base on the analysis, all coping strategies and flood measures are not enough to cope with flooding in the study area

Disorder-enhanced phase coherence in trapped bosons on optical lattices

The consequences of disorder on interacting bosons trapped in optical lattices are investigated by quantum Monte Carlo simulations. At small to moderate strengths of potential disorder a unique effect is observed: if there is a Mott plateau at the center of the trap in the clean limit, phase coherence {\it increases} as a result of disorder. The localization effects due to correlation and disorder compete against each other, resulting in a partial delocalization of the particles in the Mott region, which in turn leads to increased phase coherence. In the absence of a Mott plateau, this effect is absent. A detailed analysis of the uniform system without a trap shows that the disordered states participate in a Bose glass phase.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Nutritional composition and antioxidant properties of Canarium odontophyllum Miq. (dabai) fruits.

The present study sought to determine the nutritional composition and antioxidant properties of Canarium odontophyllum Miq. (dabai) fruits from different districts in Malaysia, namely Kanowit, Sarikei, Kapit and Song in Sarawak. Two varieties of the fruits were investigated. Lipid (21.16 ± 4.71 to 25.76 ± 3.03 g/100 g FW) was the major macronutrient in dabai fruits, while the predominant minerals were calcium, sodium and potassium. The fruit protein was rich in aspartic and glutamic acids which accounted for 45–49% of total amino acids. Purple dabai fruits from Kapit were found to contain the highest total phenolic levels, flavonoids and anthocyanin contents (p < 0.01) and to exhibit the most significant antioxidant activities (p < 0.01), using trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and ferric reducing ability (FRAP) assays. Antioxidant activities were highly correlated with total phenolic and flavonoid contents of dabai fruits

High-speed Civil Transport Aircraft Emissions

Estimates are given for the emissions from a proposed high speed civil transport (HSCT). This advanced technology supersonic aircraft would fly in the lower stratosphere at a speed of roughly Mach 1.6 to 3.2 (470 to 950 m/sec or 920 to 1850 knots). Because it would fly in the stratosphere at an altitude in the range of 15 to 23 km commensurate with its design speed, its exhaust effluents could perturb the chemical balance in the upper atmosphere. The first step in determining the nature and magnitude of any chemical changes in the atmosphere resulting from these proposed aircraft is to identify and quantify the chemically important species they emit. Relevant earlier work is summarized, dating back to the Climatic Impact Assessment Program of the early 1970s and current propulsion research efforts. Estimates are provided of the chemical composition of an HSCT's exhaust, and these emission indices are presented. Other aircraft emissions that are not due to combustion processes are also summarized; these emissions are found to be much smaller than the exhaust emissions. Future advances in propulsion technology, in experimental measurement techniques, and in understanding upper atmospheric chemistry may affect these estimates of the amounts of trace exhaust species or their relative importance

The Atmospheric Effects of Stratospheric Aircraft: a First Program Report

Studies have indicated that, with sufficient technology development, high speed civil transport aircraft could be economically competitive with long haul subsonic aircraft. However, uncertainty about atmospheric pollution, along with community noise and sonic boom, continues to be a major concern; and this is addressed in the planned 6 yr HSRP begun in 1990. Building on NASA's research in atmospheric science and emissions reduction, the AESA studies particularly emphasizing stratospheric ozone effects. Because it will not be possible to directly measure the impact of an HSCT aircraft fleet on the atmosphere, the only means of assessment will be prediction. The process of establishing credibility for the predicted effects will likely be complex and involve continued model development and testing against climatological patterns. Lab simulation of heterogeneous chemistry and other effects will continue to be used to improve the current models

Order via Nonlinearity in Randomly Confined Bose Gases

A Hartree-Fock mean-field theory of a weakly interacting Bose-gas in a quenched white noise disorder potential is presented. A direct continuous transition from the normal gas to a localized Bose-glass phase is found which has localized short-lived excitations with a gapless density of states and vanishing superfluid density. The critical temperature of this transition is as for an ideal gas undergoing Bose-Einstein condensation. Increasing the particle-number density a first-order transition from the localized state to a superfluid phase perturbed by disorder is found. At intermediate number densities both phases can coexist.Comment: Author Information under http://www.theo-phys.uni-essen.de/tp/ags/pelster_dir/. International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos (in press

Antioxidant Capacities of Peel, Pulp, and Seed Fractions of Canarium odontophyllum Miq. Fruit

Antioxidant capacities of ethylacetate, butanol, and water fractions of peel, pulp, and seeds of Canarium odontophyllum Miq. (CO) were determined using various in vitro antioxidant models. Ethylacetate fraction of peel (EAFPE) exhibited the highest total phenolic (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activities compared to pulp, seeds, and other solvent fractions. Antioxidant capacities were assayed by total antioxidant capability, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and hemoglobin oxidation assay. Total phenolic content of ethylacetate fractions was positively correlated with the antioxidant activity. This is the first report on the antioxidant activities from CO fruit fractions. Thus, EAFPE can be used potentially as a readily accessible source of natural antioxidants and as a possible pharmaceutical supplement