The Hatano-Sasa equality: transitions between steady states in a granular gas

An experimental study is presented, about transitions between Non-Equilibrium Steady States (NESS) in a dissipative medium. The core device is a small rotating blade that imposes cycles of increasing and decreasing forcings to a granular gas, shaken independently. The velocity of this blade is measured, subject to the transitions imposed by the periodic torque variation. The Hatano-Sasa equality, that generalises the second principle of thermodynamics to NESS, is verified with a high accuracy (a few $10^{-3}$), at different variation rates. Besides, it is observed that the fluctuating velocity at fixed forcing follows a generalised Gumbel distribution. A rough evaluation of the mean free path in the granular gas suggests that it might be a correlated system, at least partially

Control in the technical societies: a brief history

By the time control engineering emerged as a coherent body of knowledge and practice (during and just after WW2) professional engineering societies had existed for many decades. Since control engineering is an interdisciplinary branch of the profession, new sections devoted to control were quickly established within the various existing technical societies. In addition, some new bodies devoted specifically or primarily to control were established. This article, a revised version of a paper presented at the IEEE 2009 Conference on the History of Technical Societies, describes how control engineering as a distinct branch of engineering became represented in technical societies in a number of countries

Distinct expression pattern of the full set of secreted phospholipases A2 in human colorectal adenocarcinomas: sPLA2-III as a biomarker candidate

Recent studies suggest that secreted phospholipases A2 (sPLA2s) represent attractive potential tumour biomarkers and therapeutic targets for various cancers. As a first step to address this issue in human colorectal cancer, we examined the expression of the full set of sPLA2s in sporadic adenocarcinomas and normal matched mucosa from 21 patients by quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. In normal colon, PLA2G2A and PLA2G12A were expressed at high levels, PLA2G2D, PLA2G5, PLA2G10 and PLA2G12B at moderate levels, and PLA2G1B, PLA2G2F and PLA2G3 at low levels. In adenocarcinomas from left and right colon, the expression of PLA2G3 was increased by up to 40-fold, while that of PLA2G2D and PLA2G5 was decreased by up to 23- and 14-fold. The variations of expression for sPLA2-IID, sPLA2-III and sPLA2-V were confirmed at the protein level. The expression pattern of these sPLA2s appeared to be linked respectively to the overexpression of interleukin-8, defensin α6, survivin and matrilysin, and downregulation of SFRP-1 and RLPA-1, all these genes being associated to colon cancer. This original sPLA2 profile observed in adenocarcinomas highlights the potential role of certain sPLA2s in colon cancer and suggests that sPLA2-III might be a good candidate as a novel biomarker for both left and right colon cancers

Perspectives of vaccinators on the factors affecting uptake of meningococcal ACWY vaccine amongst school leavers in London.

OBJECTIVES: Uptake of meningococcal ACWY (Men ACWY) vaccine amongst school leavers is suboptimal in London (9.9% compared to 17.4% nationally in 2015/16). This study explores service delivery barriers and elicits insights from general practice staff on their interaction with this cohort. The purpose was to inform the National Health Service England (London) public health commissioning team's strategy to improve Men ACWY vaccination uptake in London. STUDY DESIGN: Qualitative semi-structured interviews study. METHODS: Purposive sampling of practice nurses from three general practices from each of the three London clinical commissioning group areas (Barnet, Camden and Newham) with the largest numbers of 18-20 year old registered patients. Participants were recruited through their practice managers. A thematic analysis approach was used. RESULTS: A total of ten interviews were conducted between June and August 2017. Five themes were identified: (1) Nurses unsupported by practice systems; (2) difficulty getting school leavers into the practice; (3) confused messaging; (4) reliance on parental responsibility for health; and (5) perception of complacency amongst adolescents. CONCLUSION: Little is known about the service factors that impede uptake of adolescent vaccinations. This exploratory study suggests that existing programmatic mechanisms for delivering the Men ACWY catch-up programme were not adequate. The number of adolescent vaccinations offered has increased in the UK in the last five years and is likely to continue. Although the findings need to be further extrapolated in quantitative research, general practice staff need more systematic guidance on their role and how they can support vaccine decision-making in later adolescence

Diversity within Italian Cheesemaking Brine-Associated Bacterial Communities Evidenced by Massive Parallel 16S rRNA Gene Tag Sequencing

This study explored the bacterial diversity of brines used for cheesemaking in Italy, as well as their physicochemical characteristics. In this context, 19 brines used to salt soft, semi-hard, and hard Italian cheeses were collected in 14 commercial cheese plants and analyzed using a culture-independent amplicon sequencing approach in order to describe their bacterial microbiota. Large NaCl concentration variations were observed among the selected brines, with hard cheese brines exhibiting the highest values. Acidity values showed a great variability too, probably in relation to the brine use prior to sampling. Despite their high salt content, brine microbial loads ranged from 2.11 to 6.51 log CFU/mL for the total mesophilic count. Microbial community profiling assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that these ecosystems were dominated by Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, followed by Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Cheese type and brine salinity seem to be the main parameters accountable for brine microbial diversity. On the contrary, brine pH, acidity and protein concentration, correlated to cheese brine age, did not have any selective effect on the microbiota composition. Nine major genera were present in all analyzed brines, indicating that they might compose the core microbiome of cheese brines. Staphylococcus aureus was occasionally detected in brines using selective culture media. Interestingly, bacterial genera associated with a functional and technological use were frequently detected. Indeed Bifidobacteriaceae, which might be valuable probiotic candidates, and specific microbial genera such as Tetragenococcus, Corynebacterium and non-pathogenic Staphylococcus, which can contribute to sensorial properties of ripened cheeses, were widespread within brines. \ua9 2017 Marino, Innocente, Maifreni, Mounier, Cobo-D\uedaz, Coton, Carraro and Cardazzo

Annexin A1 drives macrophage skewing to accelerate muscle regeneration through AMPK activation.

Understanding the circuits that promote an efficient resolution of inflammation is crucial to deciphering the molecular and cellular processes required to promote tissue repair. Macrophages play a central role in the regulation of inflammation, resolution, and repair/regeneration. Using a model of skeletal muscle injury and repair, herein we identified annexin A1 (AnxA1) as the extracellular trigger of macrophage skewing toward a pro-reparative phenotype. Brought into the injured tissue initially by migrated neutrophils, and then overexpressed in infiltrating macrophages, AnxA1 activated FPR2/ALX receptors and the downstream AMPK signaling cascade, leading to macrophage skewing, dampening of inflammation, and regeneration of muscle fibers. Mice lacking AnxA1 in all cells or only in myeloid cells displayed a defect in this reparative process. In vitro experiments recapitulated these properties, with AMPK-null macrophages lacking AnxA1-mediated polarization. Collectively, these data identified the AnxA1/FPR2/AMPK axis as an important pathway in skeletal muscle injury regeneration

Shigella Effector IpaB-Induced Cholesterol Relocation Disrupts the Golgi Complex and Recycling Network to Inhibit Host Cell Secretion

Shigella infection causes destruction of the human colonic epithelial barrier. The Golgi network and recycling endosomes are essential for maintaining epithelial barrier function. Here we show that Shigella epithelial invasion induces fragmentation of the Golgi complex with consequent inhibition of both secretion and retrograde transport in the infected host cell. Shigella induces tubulation of the Rab11-positive compartment, thereby affecting cell surface receptor recycling. The molecular process underlying the observed damage to the Golgi complex and receptor recycling is a massive redistribution of plasma membrane cholesterol to the sites of Shigella entry. IpaB, a virulence factor of Shigella that is known to bind cholesterol, is necessary and sufficient to induce Golgi fragmentation and reorganization of the recycling compartment. Shigella infection-induced Golgi disorganization was also observed in vivo, suggesting that this mechanism affecting the sorting of cell surface molecules likely contributes to host epithelial barrier disruption associated with Shigella pathogenesis

Priority Setting for Pandemic Influenza: An Analysis of National Preparedness Plans

The authors provide a targeted review of national pandemic influenza plans from the developed and developing world, describing national variations in prioritization of vaccines and antiviral medications