128 research outputs found
Profundizando en la estenósis aórtica valvular: análisis proteómico del plasma
Comunicaciones a congreso
Novel nanocomposite biomaterials with controlled copper/calcium release capability for bone tissue engineering multifunctional scaffolds
This work aimed to develop novel composite biomaterials for bone tissue engineering (BTE) made of bioactive glass nanoparticles (Nbg) and alginate cross-linked with Cu2+ or Ca2+ (AlgNbgCu, AlgNbgCa, respectively). Twodimensional scaffolds were prepared and the nanocomposite biomaterials were characterized in terms of morphology, mechanical strength, bioactivity, biodegradability, swelling capacity, release profile of the cross-linking cations and angiogenic properties. It was found that both Cu2+ and Ca2+ are released in a controlled and sustained manner with no burst release observed. Finally, in vitro results indicated that the bioactive ions released from both nanocomposite biomaterials were able to stimulate the differentiation of rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells towards the osteogenic lineage. In addition, the typical endothelial cell property of forming tubes in Matrigel was observed for human umbilical vein endothelial cells when in contact with the novel biomaterials, particularly AlgNbgCu, which indicates their angiogenic properties. Hence, novel nanocomposite biomaterials made of Nbg and alginate cross-linked with Cu2+ or Ca2+ were developed with potential applications for preparation of multifunctional scaffolds for BTE.Fil: Cattalini, Juan Pablo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Tecnología Farmacéutica; ArgentinaFil: Hoppe, A.. Universitat Erlangen-Nuremberg; AlemaniaFil: Pishbin, F.. Imperial College London; Reino UnidoFil: Roether, Judith A.. Universitat Erlangen-Nuremberg; AlemaniaFil: Boccaccini, Aldo R.. Universitat Erlangen-Nuremberg; AlemaniaFil: Lucangioli, Silvia Edith. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Tecnología Farmacéutica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Mouriño, Viviana Silvia Lourdes. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Tecnología Farmacéutica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin
Non-Invasive Brain-Actuated Control of a Mobile Robot
Recent experiments have shown the near possibility to use the brain electrical activity to directly control the movement of robotics or prosthetic devices. In this paper we report results with a portable non-invasive brain-computer interface that makes possible the continuous control of a mobile robot in a house-like environment. The interface uses 8 surface electrodes to measure electroencephalogram (EEG) signals from which a statistical classifier recognizes 3 different mental states. Until now, brain-actuated control of robots has relied on invasive approaches-requiring surgical implantation of electrodes-since EEG-based systems have been considered too slow for controlling rapid and complex sequences of movements. Here we show that, after a few days of training, two human subjects successfully moved a robot between several rooms by mental control only. Furthermore, mental control was only marginally worse than manual control on the same task
Non-invasive Brain actuated control of a mobile robot by Human EEG
Brain activity recorded non-invasively is sufficient to control a moblie robot if advanced robotics is used in combination with asynchronous EEG analysis and machine learning techniques. Until now brain-actuated control has mainly relied on implanted electrodes, since EEG based systems have bben considered tto slow for controlling rapid and complex sequences of movements. We show that two human subjects successfully moved a robot between several rooms by mental control only using an EEG based brain-machine interface that recognized three mental states. Mental control was comparable to manual control on the same task with a preformance ration of 0.74
Submesoscale physicochemical dynamics directly shape bacterioplankton community structure in space and time
Submesoscale eddies and fronts are important components of oceanic mixing and energy fluxes. These phenomena occur in the surface ocean for a period of several days, on scales between a few hundred meters and few tens of kilometers. Remote sensing and modeling suggest that eddies and fronts may influence marine ecosystem dynamics, but their limited temporal and spatial scales make them challenging for observation and in situ sampling. Here, the study of a submesoscale filament in summerly Arctic waters (depth 0–400 m) revealed enhanced mixing of Polar and Atlantic water masses, resulting in a ca. 4 km wide and ca. 50 km long filament with distinct physical and biogeochemical characteristics. Compared to the surrounding waters, the filament was characterized by a distinct phytoplankton bloom, associated with depleted inorganic nutrients, elevated chlorophyll a concentrations, as well as twofold higher phyto- and bacterioplankton cell abundances. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing of bacterioplankton communities revealed enrichment of typical phytoplankton bloom-associated taxonomic groups (e.g., Flavobacteriales) inside the filament. Furthermore, linked to the strong water subduction, the vertical export of organic matter to 400 m depth inside the filament was twofold higher compared to the surrounding waters. Altogether, our results show that physical submesoscale mixing can shape distinct biogeochemical conditions and microbial communities within a few kilometers of the ocean. Hence, the role of submesoscale features in polar waters for surface ocean biodiversity and biogeochemical processes need further investigation, especially with regard to the fate of sea ice in the warming Arctic Ocean
Prioritization of Candidate Biomarkers for Degenerative Aortic Stenosis through a Systems Biology-Based In-Silico Approach
Degenerative aortic stenosis is the most common valve disease in the elderly and is usually confirmed at an advanced stage when the only treatment is surgery. This work is focused on the study of previously defined biomarkers through systems biology and artificial neuronal networks to understand their potential role within aortic stenosis. The goal was generating a molecular panel of biomarkers to ensure an accurate diagnosis, risk stratification, and follow-up of aortic stenosis patients. We used in silico studies to combine and re-analyze the results of our previous studies and, with information from multiple databases, established a mathematical model. After this, we prioritized two proteins related to endoplasmic reticulum stress, thrombospondin-1 and endoplasmin, which have not been previously validated as markers for aortic stenosis, and analyzed them in a cell model and in plasma from human subjects. Large-scale bioinformatics tools allow us to extract the most significant results after using high throughput analytical techniques. Our results could help to prevent the development of aortic stenosis and open the possibility of a future strategy based on more specific therapies
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Association analysis between symptomology and herpesvirus IgG antibody concentrations in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and multiple sclerosis
Data availability statement:
The data set used in this study is freely available from the United Kingdom ME/CFS biobank upon application.Supplementary data are available online at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023054580?via%3Dihub#appsec2 .Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are two complex and multifactorial diseases whose patients experience persistent fatigue, cognitive impairment, among other shared symptoms. The onset of these diseases has also been linked to acute herpesvirus infections or their reactivations. In this work, we re-analyzed a previously-described dataset related to IgG antibody responses to 6 herpesviruses (CMV – cytomegalovirus; EBV – Epstein-Barr virus; HHV6 – human herpesvirus-6; HSV1 and HSV2 – herpes simplex virus-1 and -2, respectively; VZV – varicella-zoster virus) from the United Kingdom ME/CFS biobank. The primary goal was to report the underlying symptomology and its association with herpesvirus IgG antibodies using data from 4 disease-trigger-based subgroups of ME/CFS patients (n = 222) and patients with MS (n = 46). The secondary objective was to assess whether serological data could distinguish ME/CFS and its subgroup from MS using a SuperLearner (SL) algorithm. There was evidence for a significant negative association between temporary eye insight disturbance and CMV antibody concentrations and for a significant positive association between bladder problems and EBV antibody concentrations in the MS group. In the ME/CFS or its subgroups, the most significant antibody-symptom association was obtained for increasing HSV1 antibody concentration and brain fog, a finding in line with a negative impact of HSV1 exposure on cognitive outcomes in both healthy and disease conditions. There was also evidence for a higher number of significant antibody-symptom associations in the MS group than in the ME/CFS group. When we combined all the serological data in an SL algorithm, we could distinguish three ME/CFS subgroups (unknown disease trigger, non-infection trigger, and an infection disease trigger confirmed in the lab at the time of the event) from the MS group. However, we could not find the same for the remaining ME/CFS group (related to an unconfirmed infection disease). In conclusion, IgG antibody data explains more the symptomology of MS patients than the one of ME/CFS patients. Given the fluctuating nature of symptoms in ME/CFS patients, the clinical implication of these findings remains to be determined with a longitudinal study. This study is likely to ascertain the robustness of the associations during natural disease course.This research was funded by: FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal, ref. grant: SFRH/BD/149758/2019 (J.M.), and UIDB/00006/2020 (T.D.D., J.M., H.M., NS); the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA), ref. grant: PPN/ULM/2020/1/00069/U/00001 (N.S.). The UKMEB was established with a joint grant from the charities ME Association (including continuing support), ME Research UK and Action for ME, as well as private donors. Research reported in this manuscript was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under award number 2R01AI103629
Dieta suplementada com prebiótico, probiótico e simbiótico no cultivo de camarões marinhos
O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o uso de suplemento prebiótico, probiótico e simbiótico, na dieta de camarões marinhos (Litopenaeus vannamei) e seus efeitos sobre o crescimento, a microbiota intestinal, a resposta imune e a resistência ao desafio experimental com Vibrio alginolyticus. Foram utilizados quatro tratamentos: prebiótico inulina; probiótico Lactobacillus plantarum; simbiótico Lactobacillus plantarum + inulina; e controle. Os camarões foram distribuídos em 16 tanques de dez mil litros de água, povoados com 200 camarões cada, cultivados por seis semanas. Avaliaram-se a microbiologia do trato intestinal dos camarões e a reposta imune, antes e após o desafio com V. alginolyticus. A concentração de Vibrio spp. no trato digestório foi menor em camarões alimentados com dieta suplementada com prebiótico, probiótico e simbiótico, enquanto a concentração de bactérias acidoláticas foi superior somente nos camarões alimentados com probiótico e simbiótico. O título aglutinante do soro contra V. alginolyticus aumentou no grupo probiótico e simbiótico, antes da infecção, e foi maior em todos os tratamentos após infecção com V. alginolyticus, em comparação ao controle. Não foi observada diferença entre os tratamentos quanto aos demais parâmetros avaliados. As dietas probióticas, prebióticas e simbióticas alteram a microbiota intestinal e aumentam o título aglutinante do soro contra V. alginolyticus; contudo, não alteram a resistência ao desafio nem o crescimento dos camarões
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