Theoretical study of the finite temperature spectroscopy in van der Waals clusters. III Solvated Chromophore as an effective diatomics

The absorption spectroscopy of calcium-doped argon clusters is described in terms of an effective diatomics molecule Ca-(Ar_n), in the framework of semiclassical vertical transitions. We show how, upon choosing a suitable reaction coordinate, the effective finite-temperature equilibrium properties can be obtained for the ground- and excited-surfaces from the potential of mean force (PMF). An extension of the recent multiple range random-walk method is used to calculate the PMF over continuous intervals of distances. The absorption spectra calculated using this single-coordinate description are found to be in good agreement with the spectra obtained from high-statistics Monte Carlo data, in various situations. For CaAr$_{13}$, we compare the performances of two different choices of the reaction coordinate. For CaAr_37, the method is seen to be accurate enough to distinguish between different low-energy structures. Finally, the idea of casting the initial many-body problem into a single degree of freedom problem is tested on the spectroscopy of calcium in bulk solid argon.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figure

m-Path:An easy-to-use and highly tailorable platform for ecological momentary assessment and intervention in behavioral research and clinical practice

In this paper, we present m-Path (www.m-Path.io), an online platform that provides an easy-to-use and highly tailorable framework for implementing smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and intervention (EMI) in both research and clinical practice in the context of blended care. Because real-time monitoring and intervention in people's everyday lives have unparalleled benefits compared to traditional data collection techniques (e.g., retrospective surveys or lab-based experiments), EMA and EMI have become popular in recent years. Although a surge in the use of these methods has led to a myriad of EMA and EMI applications, many existing platforms only focus on a single aspect of daily life data collection (e.g., assessment vs. intervention, active self-report vs. passive mobile sensing, research-dedicated vs. clinically-oriented tools). With m-Path, we aim to integrate all of these facets into a single platform, as it is exactly this all-in-one approach that fosters the clinical utility of accumulated scientific knowledge. To this end, we offer a comprehensive platform to set up complex and highly adjustable EMA and EMI designs with advanced functionalities, using an intuitive point-and click web interface that is accessible for researchers and clinicians with limited programming skills. We discuss the strengths of daily life data collection and intervention in general and m-Path in particular. We describe the regular workflow to set up an EMA or EMI design within the m-Path framework, and summarize both the basic functionalities and more advanced features of our software

Fingerprint resampling: A generic method for efficient resampling

Analysis and Stochastic

Transition State Spectroscopy of the Photoinduced Ca + CH3F Reaction. 2. Experimental and Ab Initio Studies of the Free Ca***FCH3 Complex

International audienceThe Ca* + CH3F CaF* + CH3 reaction was photoinduced in 1:1 Ca***CH3F complexes formed in a supersonic expansion. The transition state of the reaction was explored by monitoring the electronically excited product, CaF, while scanning the laser that turns on the reaction. Moreover, the electronic structure of the Ca***FCH3 system was studied using ab initio methods by associating a pseudopotential description of the [Ca2+] and [F7+] cores, a core polarization operator on calcium, an extensive Gaussian basis and a treatment of the electronic problem at the CCSD(T) (ground state) and RSPT2 (excited states) level. In this contribution we present experimental results for the free complex and a comparison with the results of a previous experiment where the Ca***CH3F complexes are deposited at the surface of large argon clusters. The ab initio calculations allowed an interpretation of the experimental data in terms of two reaction mechanisms, one involving a partial charge transfer state, the other involving the excitation of the C-F stretch in the CH3F moiety prior to charge transfer

De consultatie-liaisonpsychiatrie in de Belgische ziekenhuizen van de eenentwintigste eeuw : quo vadis?

In een tijd waarin de geneeskunde zich uitsplitst in een groeiend aantal specialismen, subspecialismen en superspecialismen is er in de algemene en de universitaire ziekenhuizen een toenemende nood aan multidisciplinaire samenwerking. Deze vorm van samenwerking is nodig om hoogstaande holistische zorg te blijven verlenen aan de patiënt als centrale figuur in het zorgproces. De technologische mogelijkheden in de geneeskundige zorg nemen toe, maar er is een belangrijke comorbiditeit tussen de medische aandoeningen. De consultatie-liaisonpsychiatrie (CLP) is een van de disciplines die hierop inspeelt. Deze discipline focust vanuit een multidisciplinaire en integrale zorgvisie op de psychiatrische diagnostiek en behandeling van patiënten met psychiatrische en somatische comorbiditeit die hiervoor behandeld en opgevolgd worden in een algemeen ziekenhuis. Dit artikel wil een overzicht geven van de functies van de CLP zowel binnen als buiten het ziekenhuis en licht het historische en huidige Belgische beleid en de wetgeving ter zake toe. Er worden ook aanbevelingen geformuleerd voor de toekomst en men pleit voor de implementatie van de CLP als een volwaardige en structurele klinische activiteit en opdracht in de algemene ziekenhuizen

MicroRNA profiling in lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage of cigarette smoke-exposed mice and in COPD patients: A translational approach

© 2017 The Author(s). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by a progressive airflow limitation and is associated with a chronic inflammatory response in both airways and lungs. microRNAs (miRNAs) are often highly conserved between species and have an intricate role within homeostatic conditions and immune responses. Also, miRNAs are dysregulated in smoking-associated diseases. We investigated the miRNA profile of 523 miRNAs by stem-loop RT-qPCR in lung tissue and cell-free bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) supernatant of mice exposed to air or cigarette smoke (CS) for 4 or 24 weeks. After 24 weeks of CS exposure, 31 miRNAs were differentially expressed in lung tissue and 78 in BAL supernatant. Next, we correlated the miRNA profiling data to inflammation in BAL and lung, obtained by flow cytometry or ELISA. In addition, we surveyed for overlap with newly assessed miRNA profiles in bronchial biopsies and with previously assessed miRNA profiles in lung tissue and induced sputum supernatant of smokers with COPD. Several miRNAs showed concordant differential expression between both species including miR-31, miR-155, miR-218 and let-7c. Thus, investigating miRNA profiling data in different compartments and both species provided accumulating insights in miRNAs that may be relevant in CS-induced inflammation and the pathogenesis of COPD

Late Quaternary multi-genetic processes and products on the northern Gulf of Cadiz upper continental slope (SW Iberian Peninsula)

On continental margins, the upper slope to shelf break environment forms a critical region where sediment supply, hydrographic activity and gravitational processes determine how and when sediments are partitioned between the shallow- and deep-marine realm. On the SW Iberian margin, relatively few studies have addressed the dynamics of this region, although it holds key information regarding the link between the sedimentary evolution of the continental shelf and the contourite depositional system on the middle slope. This work therefore presents a high-resolution analysis of the morphological and stratigraphic expressions of late Quaternary (dominantly last glacial and present-day interglacial) sedimentary processes on the upper slope and shelf margin sector between 7° and 7°30’ W. The integration of seismic, bathymetric and hydrographic data reveals the presence of alongslope processes and products (a bottom current-related plastered drift, moat, erosional surface and terrace, an internal wave-/tide-controlled sediment wave field), downslope (gravitational) processes and products (an upper slope – shelf margin valley system, slumps, debrites, gullies), neotectonic elements (diapirs) and fluid flow features (pockmarks, bright spots). The spatial distribution of these features indicates that the study area becomes increasingly alongslope-dominated towards the W, and oppositely, more downslope-dominated towards the E, because sediment supply to the latter area is enhanced under the dominant eastward dispersal of fluvially supplied sediments on the shelf. In addition, glacial-interglacial variations in the amount of sediments supplied to the shelf edge and the intensity of oceanographic processes in the study area also generate a distinct temporal variability, with glacial and interglacial intervals respectively recording principally downslope- and alongslope-controlled morphological elements. Finally, regardless of these overall spatial and temporal patterns, diapirism and fluid flow are inferred to locally destabilize sediments and induce small-scale mass wasting in the study area. These findings are not only relevant to the northern Gulf of Cadiz, but also to the general understanding of sedimentary dynamics and controls in mixed downslope- and alongslope-controlled upper slope to shelf margin settings worldwide.T. Mestdagh is funded through a doctoral scholarship of the Ghent University Special Research Fund (BOF). We would like to thank the captains, crews and scientists involved in research campaigns COMIC 2013 on board of RV Belgica and LASEA 2013 on board of RV Ramón Margalef. Ship time on RV Belgica was provided by BELSPO and RBINS-OD Nature. This research was performed in collaboration with ”The Drifters” Research Group of the Royal Holloway University of London (UK), and is associated to projects CTM 2012-39599-C03 , CGL2016-80445-R ‘SCORE’ ( AEI/FEDER , UE), CTM2016-75129-C3-1-R , CGL2011-30302-C02-02 and CTM2017-88237-P . Editor Michele Rebesco and two anonymous reviewers are kindly acknowledged for providing constructive feedback

The hibernation-derived compound SUL-138 shifts the mitochondrial proteome towards fatty acid metabolism and prevents cognitive decline and amyloid plaque formation in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease worldwide and remains without effective cure. Increasing evidence is supporting the mitochondrial cascade hypothesis, proposing that loss of mitochondrial fitness and subsequent ROS and ATP imbalance are important contributors to AD pathophysiology. Methods: Here, we tested the effects of SUL-138, a small hibernation-derived molecule that supports mitochondrial bioenergetics via complex I/IV activation, on molecular, physiological, behavioral, and pathological outcomes in APP/PS1 and wildtype mice. Results: SUL-138 treatment rescued long-term potentiation and hippocampal memory impairments and decreased beta-amyloid plaque load in APP/PS1 mice. This was paralleled by a partial rescue of dysregulated protein expression in APP/PS1 mice as assessed by mass spectrometry-based proteomics. In-depth analysis of protein expression revealed a prominent effect of SUL-138 in APP/PS1 mice on mitochondrial protein expression. SUL-138 increased the levels of proteins involved in fatty acid metabolism in both wildtype and APP/PS1 mice. Additionally, in APP/PS1 mice only, SUL-138 increased the levels of proteins involved in glycolysis and amino acid metabolism pathways, indicating that SUL-138 rescues mitochondrial impairments that are typically observed in AD. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates a SUL-138-induced shift in metabolic input towards the electron transport chain in synaptic mitochondria, coinciding with increased synaptic plasticity and memory. In conclusion, targeting mitochondrial bioenergetics might provide a promising new way to treat cognitive impairments in AD and reduce disease progression

Mass Transfer and Volume Changes in French Fries During Air Frying

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11947-012-0904-8 (The graph located in the left upper corner of Fig. 2 is incorrect)The production of healthier fried foods requires the adaptation of industrial processes. In this context, air frying is an alternative to deep oil frying to obtain French fries with lower fat content. Kinetic analysis of compositional changes and main fluxes involved in air frying were carried out, and the results were compared to those obtained for deep oil frying. The influence of the type of sample (unpretreated, frozen, or blanched potatoes) was also analyzed. The results showed that oil uptake is much lower in air frying although a much longer processing time is required. Also, water loss and thus the loss of volume were much higher in air frying compared to the conventional process.The authors would like to thank the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (PAID-06-09-2876) for the financial support given to this investigation.Andrés Grau, AM.; Argüelles Foix, AL.; Castelló Gómez, ML.; Heredia Gutiérrez, AB. (2013). Mass Transfer and Volume Changes in French Fries During Air Frying. Food and Bioprocess Technology. 6(8):1917-1924. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-012-0861-2S1917192468Aguilar, C. N., Anzaldúa-Morales, R., Talamás, R., & Gastélum, G. (1997). Low-temperature blanch improves textural quality of French-fries. Journal of Food Science, 62, 568–571.AOAC. (1980). Official methods of analysis (12th ed.). Washington, D.C., USA: Association of Official Analytical Chemists.Califano, A. N., & Calvelo, A. (1987). Adjustment of surface concentration of reducing sugars before frying of potato strips. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 12, 1–9.Clark, J. P. (2003). Happy birthday, potato chip! And other snack developments. Food Technology, 57(5), 89–92.Debnath, S., Bhat, K. K., & Rastogi, N. K. (2003). Effect of pre-drying on kinetics of moisture loss and oil uptake during deep fat frying of chickpea flour-based snack food. LWT—Food Science and Technology, 36, 91–98.Du Pont, M. S., Kirby, A. B., & Smith, A. C. (1992). Instrumental and sensory tests of cooked frozen French fries. International Journal of Food Science and Technology, 27, 285–295.Dueik, V., Robert, P., & Bouchon, P. (2010). Vacuum frying reduces oil uptake and improves the quality parameters of carrot crisps. Food Chemistry, 119(3), 1143–1149.Hubbard, L. J., & Farkas, B. E. (2000). Influence of oil temperature on convective heat transfer during immersion frying. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 24(2), 143–162.Krokida, M. K., Oreopoulou, V., & Maroulis, Z. B. (2000). Water loss and oil uptake as a function of frying time. Journal of Food Engineering, 44, 39–46.Mestdagh, F., De Wilde, T., Fraselle, S., Govaert, Y., Ooghe, W., Degroodt, J. M., Verhé, R., Van Peteghem, C., & De Meulenaer, B. (2008). Optimization of the blanching process to reduce acrylamide in fried potatoes. LWT- Food Science and Technology, 41(9), 1648–1654.Mohsenin, N. M. (1986). Physical properties of plant and animal materials. Nueva York: Gordon and Breach.Moyano, P. C., & Pedreschi, F. (2006). Kinetics of oil uptake during frying of potato slices: effect of pre-treatments. LWT- Food Science and Technology, 39, 285–291.Ngadi, M. O., Wang, Y., Adedeji, A. A., & Raghavan, G. S. V. (2009). Effect of microwave pretreatment on mass transfer during deep-fat frying of chicken nugget. LWT- Food Science and Technology, 42(1), 438–440.Pedreschi, F., & Moyano, P. (2005). Oil uptake and texture development in fried potato slices. Journal of Food Engineering, 70(4), 557–563.Saguy, S., & Dana, D. (2003). Integrated approach to deep fat frying: engineering, nutrition, health and consumer aspects. Journal of Food Engineering, 56, 143–152.Troncoso, E., & Pedreschi, F. (2009). Modeling water loss and oil uptake during vacuum frying of pre-treated potato slices. LWT- Food Science and Technology, 42(6), 1164–1173

MIR376A is a regulator of starvation-induced autophagy

Background: Autophagy is a vesicular trafficking process responsible for the degradation of long-lived, misfolded or abnormal proteins, as well as damaged or surplus organelles. Abnormalities of the autophagic activity may result in the accumulation of protein aggregates, organelle dysfunction, and autophagy disorders were associated with various diseases. Hence, mechanisms of autophagy regulation are under exploration. Methods: Over-expression of hsa-miR-376a1 (shortly MIR376A) was performed to evaluate its effects on autophagy. Autophagy-related targets of the miRNA were predicted using Microcosm Targets and MIRanda bioinformatics tools and experimentally validated. Endogenous miRNA was blocked using antagomirs and the effects on target expression and autophagy were analyzed. Luciferase tests were performed to confirm that 3’ UTR sequences in target genes were functional. Differential expression of MIR376A and the related MIR376B was compared using TaqMan quantitative PCR. Results: Here, we demonstrated that, a microRNA (miRNA) from the DlkI/Gtl2 gene cluster, MIR376A, played an important role in autophagy regulation. We showed that, amino acid and serum starvation-induced autophagy was blocked by MIR376A overexpression in MCF-7 and Huh-7 cells. MIR376A shared the same seed sequence and had overlapping targets with MIR376B, and similarly blocked the expression of key autophagy proteins ATG4C and BECN1 (Beclin 1). Indeed, 3’ UTR sequences in the mRNA of these autophagy proteins were responsive to MIR376A in luciferase assays. Antagomir tests showed that, endogenous MIR376A was participating to the control of ATG4C and BECN1 transcript and protein levels. Moreover, blockage of endogenous MIR376A accelerated starvation-induced autophagic activity. Interestingly, MIR376A and MIR376B levels were increased with different kinetics in response to starvation stress and tissue-specific level differences were also observed, pointing out to an overlapping but miRNA-specific biological role. Conclusions: Our findings underline the importance of miRNAs encoded by the DlkI/Gtl2 gene cluster in stress-response control mechanisms, and introduce MIR376A as a new regulator of autophagy