61 research outputs found

    Differences in the pattern and regulation of mineral deposition in human cell lines of osteogenic and non-osteogenic origin

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    Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely used as a cellular model of bone formation, and can mineralize in vitro in response to osteogenic medium (OM). It is unclear, however, whether this property is specific to cells of mesenchymal origin. We analysed the OM response in 3 non-osteogenic lines, HEK293, HeLa and NTera, compared to MSCs. Whereas HEK293 cells failed to respond to OM conditions, the 2 carcinoma-derived lines NTera and HeLa deposited a calcium phosphate mineral comparable to that present in MSC cultures. However, unlike MSCs, HeLa and NTera cultures did so in the absence of dexamethasone. This discrepancy was confirmed, as bone morphogenetic protein inhibition obliterated the OM response in MSCs but not in HeLa or NTera, indicating that these 2 models can deposit mineral through a mechanism independent of established dexamethasone or bone morphogenetic protein signalling

    Results from the CUORE-0 experiment

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    The CUORE-0 experiment searched for neutrinoless double beta decay in 130Te using an array of 52 tellurium dioxide crystals, operated as bolometers at a temperature of 10 mK. It took data in the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (Italy) since March 2013 to March 2015. We present the results of a search for neutrinoless double beta decay in 9.8 kg-years 130Te exposure that allowed us to set the most stringent limit to date on this half-life. The performance of the detector in terms of background and energy resolution is also reported

    Low energy analysis techniques for CUORE

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    CUORE is a tonne-scale cryogenic detector operating at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) that uses tellurium dioxide bolometers to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of 130Te. CUORE is also suitable to search for low energy rare events such as solar axions or WIMP scattering, thanks to its ultra-low background and large target mass. However, to conduct such sensitive searches requires improving the energy threshold to 10 keV. In this paper, we describe the analysis techniques developed for the low energy analysis of CUORE-like detectors, using the data acquired from November 2013 to March 2015 by CUORE-0, a single-tower prototype designed to validate the assembly procedure and new cleaning techniques of CUORE. We explain the energy threshold optimization, continuous monitoring of the trigger efficiency, data and event selection, and energy calibration at low energies in detail. We also present the low energy background spectrum of CUORE-0 below 60keV. Finally, we report the sensitivity of CUORE to WIMP annual modulation using the CUORE-0 energy threshold and background, as well as an estimate of the uncertainty on the nuclear quenching factor from nuclear recoils inCUORE-0

    CUORE and CUORE-0 experiments

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    Neutrino oscillation experiments proved that neutrinos have mass and this enhanced the interest in neutrinoless double-beta decay (0vßß). The observation of this very rare hypothetical decay would prove the leptonic number violation and would give us indications about neutrinos mass hierarchy and absolute mass scale. CUORE (Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events) is an array of 988 crystals of TeO2, for a total sensitive mass of 741 kg. Its goal is the observation of 0vßß of 130Te. The crystals, placed into the a dilution cryostat, are operated as bolometers at a temperature close to 10 mK. CUORE commissioning phase has been concluded recently in Gran Sasso National Laboratory, Italy, and data taking is expected to start in spring 2017. If target background rate is reached (0.01counts/day/keV/kg), the sensibility of CUORE will be, in five years of data taking, T1/21026years (1? CL). In order to test the quality of materials and optimize the construction procedures, the collaboration realized CUORE-0, that took data from spring of 2013 to summer 2015. Here, after a brief description of CUORE, I report its commissioning status and CUORE-0 results

    Status and prospects for CUORE

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    CUORE is a cryogenic detector consisting of 988 TeO2 crystals, 750 g each, and will be operated at a temperature of ~10 mK, to search for neutrinoless double beta decay (0¿ßß) of 130Te. The detector, in the final stages of construction at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (Italy), will start its operations in 2016. CUORE-0, its pilot experiment, has proven the feasibility of CUORE, demonstrating that the target background of 0.01 counts/keV/kg/y and the energy resolution of 5 keV are within reach. CUORE-0 also made the most precise measurement of the 2¿ßß decay. The expected sensitivity of CUORE to the 0¿ßß 130Te half-life is 9 •1025y, for 5 years of data taking. Here, we report the most recent results of CUORE-0, their implications for CUORE, and the current status of the CUORE experiment

    Lowering the CUORE energy threshold

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    The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) is a ton-scale double beta decay experiment based on TeO2 cryogenic bolometers and is currently in the last construction stage at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS). Its primary goal is to observe neutrino-less double beta decay of 130Te, however thanks to the ultra-low background and large projected exposure it could also be suitable for other rare event searches, as the detection of solar axions, neutrinos from type II supernovae or direct detection of dark matter. The sensitivity for these searches will depend on the performance achieved at the low energy threshold. For this reason a trigger algorithm based on continuous data filtering has been developed which will allow lowering the threshold down to the few keV region. The new trigger has been tested in CUORE-0, a single-tower CUORE prototype consisting of 52 TeO2 bolometers and recently concluded, and here we present the results in terms of trigger efficiency, data selection and low-energy calibration

    Epidemiology of surgery associated acute kidney injury (EPIS-AKI) : a prospective international observational multi-center clinical study

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    The incidence, patient features, risk factors and outcomes of surgery-associated postoperative acute kidney injury (PO-AKI) across different countries and health care systems is unclear. We conducted an international prospective, observational, multi-center study in 30 countries in patients undergoing major surgery (> 2-h duration and postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) or high dependency unit admission). The primary endpoint was the occurrence of PO-AKI within 72 h of surgery defined by the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. Secondary endpoints included PO-AKI severity and duration, use of renal replacement therapy (RRT), mortality, and ICU and hospital length of stay. We studied 10,568 patients and 1945 (18.4%) developed PO-AKI (1236 (63.5%) KDIGO stage 1500 (25.7%) KDIGO stage 2209 (10.7%) KDIGO stage 3). In 33.8% PO-AKI was persistent, and 170/1945 (8.7%) of patients with PO-AKI received RRT in the ICU. Patients with PO-AKI had greater ICU (6.3% vs. 0.7%) and hospital (8.6% vs. 1.4%) mortality, and longer ICU (median 2 (Q1-Q3, 1-3) days vs. 3 (Q1-Q3, 1-6) days) and hospital length of stay (median 14 (Q1-Q3, 9-24) days vs. 10 (Q1-Q3, 7-17) days). Risk factors for PO-AKI included older age, comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease), type, duration and urgency of surgery as well as intraoperative vasopressors, and aminoglycosides administration. In a comprehensive multinational study, approximately one in five patients develop PO-AKI after major surgery. Increasing severity of PO-AKI is associated with a progressive increase in adverse outcomes. Our findings indicate that PO-AKI represents a significant burden for health care worldwide

    Cross‑species oncogenomics offers insight into human muscle‑invasive bladder cancer

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    AVAILABILITY OF DATA AND MATERIALS : The dataset supporting the conclusions of this article is available in the European Nucleotide Archive repository (https:// www. ebi. ac. uk/ ena/ brows er/ home), under the study accession ERP142199 [113]. Catalogs of known variants in the feline genome were obtained from the 99 Lives Cat Genome Consortium (v9, from 54 cat genomes) [88]. Catalogs of known variants in the canine genome were obtained from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) Dog Genome Project [97]. Catalogs of known variants in the bovine genome were obtained from and the 1000 Bull Genomes Project [98].BACKGROUND : In humans, muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is highly aggressive and associated with a poor prognosis. With a high mutation load and large number of altered genes, strategies to delineate key driver events are necessary. Dogs and cats develop urothelial carcinoma (UC) with histological and clinical similarities to human MIBC. Cattle that graze on bracken fern also develop UC, associated with exposure to the carcinogen ptaquiloside. These species may represent relevant animal models of spontaneous and carcinogen-induced UC that can provide insight into human MIBC. RESULTS : Whole-exome sequencing of domestic canine (n = 87) and feline (n = 23) UC, and comparative analysis with human MIBC reveals a lower mutation rate in animal cases and the absence of APOBEC mutational signatures. A convergence of driver genes (ARID1A, KDM6A, TP53, FAT1, and NRAS) is discovered, along with common focally amplified and deleted genes involved in regulation of the cell cycle and chromatin remodelling. We identify mismatch repair deficiency in a subset of canine and feline UCs with biallelic inactivation of MSH2. Bovine UC (n = 8) is distinctly different; we identify novel mutational signatures which are recapitulated in vitro in human urinary bladder UC cells treated with bracken fern extracts or purified ptaquiloside. CONCLUSION : Canine and feline urinary bladder UC represent relevant models of MIBC in humans, and cross-species analysis can identify evolutionarily conserved driver genes. We characterize mutational signatures in bovine UC associated with bracken fern and ptaquiloside exposure, a human-linked cancer exposure. Our work demonstrates the relevance of cross-species comparative analysis in understanding both human and animal UC.The Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK, ERC Combat Cancer, and the Medical Research Council as well as the projects UIDB/CVT/00772/2020 and LA/P/0059/2020 funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, the University of Huddersfield and an NSERC Discovery Grant.https://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/am2024Companion Animal Clinical StudiesParaclinical SciencesSDG-03:Good heatlh and well-bein
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