Experimental and computational thermoelectric generator for waste heat recovery for aeronautic application

Data availability: Data will be made available on request.This study is a comprehensive exploration of a polymer nanocomposite-based Thermoelectric Generator (TEG) developed within the European project InComEss, specifically designed for aeronautical applications. The focus lies on evaluating the TEG's performance under thermal conditions representative of various aircraft flight stages. The TEG module, consisting of four sections with 17 p-n strips each, is constructed from aerospace-grade polycarbonate, exhibiting dimensions of 50 * 1 * 0.3 mm. In the laboratory phase, the TEG's performance is systematically assessed through a series of experiments. Temperature gradients, ranging from -15°C to 55°C, emulate conditions experienced during ascending and descending flight stages. The results indicate promising outcomes, showcasing the potential viability of polymer-based TEGs for aeronautical applications. Specifically, temperature gradients of 40-70°C, representative of atmospheric conditions and wing leading edge skin conditions, are applied across four test trials. The model validation demonstrates creditable agreement between computational outcomes and experimental data. Insights gained from COMSOL Multiphysics simulations includes temperature distribution, electric potential, and flow dynamics. Simulations conducted under varied temperature ranges provide valuable insights into the TEG's performance variability. Key findings include temperature distribution profiles, electric potential outputs under open and closed-circuit conditions, and a detailed flow analysis within a controlled thermal environment. The validated computational model not only enhances understanding of the TEG's behaviour, but also establishes a foundation for optimizing design parameters to enhance thermoelectric efficiency. The error analysis underscores the model's reliability, exhibiting an average error of 5.68% between computational and experimental results, reinforcing its suitability for scientific investigations of this nature.This work has been receiving financial support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme for project InComEss under Grant Agreement Number 862597

HISTONE DEMETHYLATION BY JHDM1D REGULATES PHOTORECEPTOR GENERATION IN XENOPUS RETINA

The histone demethylase JHDM1D, also known as KDM7 and KIAA1718, catalyzes demethylation of both mono- or dimethylated H3K9 and H3K27, epigenetic marks associated with transcription repression. Although this chromatin modifier has been shown to control neural induction and differentiation, its role in retinal development remains unexplored. In this study, we address the retinal function of JHDM1D taking advantage of specific features of the Xenopus laevis model system. JHDM1D is expressed in the eye field and in retinal progenitors of optic vesicles and cups. JHDM1D overexpression in the early eye field does not significantly affect the retinal expression of markers of cell proliferation and differentiation or the expression of retinal progenitors markers. However, when JHDM1D is injected in a 16-cell stage blastomere fated to give rise partially to the retina, the generated retinal clones display an increase of photoreceptors and a decrease of bipolar cells, compared to control GFP injected embryos. Late overexpression, obtained by lipofecting retinal precursors of optic vesicles with JHDM1D cDNA, yields the same results. Furthermore, immunostaining with a rod-specific antibody shows that JHDM1D overexpression leads to a significant increase in rod-to-cone ratio. Intriguingly, JHDM1D knockdown also leads to an increase of photoreceptors, although without changing the rod-to-cone ratio. These results suggest that the balance between methylated and demethylated H3K9 and H3K27 controlled by JHDM1D is a crucial component of a histone code leading to photoreceptor specification. We are currently assaying the functional interactions between JHDM1D and JMJD3, a histone demethylase that removes a methyl group from trimethylated H3K27, thus providing further substrates for JHDM1D

Exploring the impact of mechanical stress in neurodegeneration

Mechanical stress has been proposed as a common denominator of different pathological conditions, including chronic inflammation and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. While mechanical signals shape the brain development throughout morphogenesis, a role of mechanical forces in neurodegeneration has been suggested by the observed correlation of traumatic brain injury and cerebrovascular hemodynamic stress with the risk of some neurodegenerative disorders. Furthermore, neurodegenerative diseases and brain injury are associated with changes in composition and properties of the extracellular matrix. Using in vivo models, we provide genetic and molecular evidence that alterations in mechanotransduction could impact on neuronal survival and function in stressful conditions. Our findings help better understand the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders and could lead to the identification of therapeutic targets

Exploring the impact of mechanical stress in neurodegeneration

Mechanical stress has been proposed as a common denominator of different pathological conditions, including chronic inflammation and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer\u2019s disease. While mechanical signals shape the brain development throughout morphogenesis, a role of mechanical forces in neurodegeneration has been suggested by the observed correlation of traumatic brain injury and cerebrovascular hemodynamic stress with the risk of some neurodegenerative disorders. Furthermore, neurodegenerative diseases and brain injury are associated with changes in composition and properties of the extracellular matrix. Using in vivo models, we provide genetic and molecular evidence that alterations in mechanotransduction could impact on neuronal survival and function in stressful conditions. Our findings help better understand the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders and could lead to the identification of therapeutic targets

Maternal Exposure to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: Analysis of Their Impact on Infant Gut Microbiota Composition

Endocrine disruptors (EDCs) are chemicals that interfere with the endocrine system. EDC exposure may contribute to the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases by impacting the composition of an infant’s gut microbiota during the first 1000 days of life. To explore the relationship between maternal urinary levels of Bisphenol-A and phthalates (UHPLC-MS/MS), and the composition of the infant gut microbiota (16S rDNA) at age 12 months (T3) and, retrospectively, at birth (T0), 1 month (T1), and 6 months (T2), stool samples from 20 infants breastfed at least once a day were analyzed. Metataxonomic bacteria relative abundances were correlated with EDC values. Based on median Bisphenol-A levels, infants were assigned to the over-exposed group (O, n = 8) and the low-exposed group (B, n = 12). The B-group exhibited higher gut colonization of the Ruminococcus torques group genus and the O-group showed higher abundances of Erysipelatoclostridium and Bifidobacterium breve. Additionally, infants were stratified as high-risk (HR, n = 12) or low-risk (LR, n = 8) exposure to phthalates, based on the presence of at least three phthalates with concentrations exceeding the cohort median values; no differences were observed in gut microbiota composition. A retrospective analysis of gut microbiota (T0–T2) revealed a disparity in β-diversity between the O-group and the B-group. Considering T0–T3, the Linear Discriminant Effect Size indicated differences in certain microbes between the O-group vs. the B-group and the HR-group vs. the LR-group. Our findings support the potential role of microbial communities as biomarkers for high EDC exposure levels. Nevertheless, further investigations are required to deeply investigate this issue