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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

PubMed2006

An integrated telemedicine platform for the assessment of affective physiological states.

AUBADE is an integrated platform built for the affective assessment of individuals. The system performs evaluation of the emotional state by classifying vectors of features extracted from: facial Electromyogram, Respiration, Electrodermal Activity and Electrocardiogram. The AUBADE system consists of: (a) a multisensorial wearable, (b) a data acquisition and wireless communication module, (c) a feature extraction module, (d) a 3D facial animation module which is used for the projection of the obtained data through a generic 3D face model; whereas the end-user will be able to view the facial expression of the subject in real time, (e) an intelligent emotion recognition module, and (f) the AUBADE databases where the acquired signals along with the subject's animation videos are saved. The system is designed to be applied to human subjects operating under extreme stress conditions, in particular car racing drivers, and also to patients suffering from neurological and psychological disorders. AUBADE's classification accuracy into five predefined emotional classes (high stress, low stress, disappointment, euphoria and neutral face) is 86.0%. The pilot system applications and components are being tested and evaluated on Maserati's car racing drivers.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1997

The progressive rise in the expression of alpha crystallin B chain in human endometrium is initiated during the implantation window: modulation of gene expression by steroid hormones.

Human endometrium undergoes sequential changes during the menstrual cycle and becomes receptive to implantation during a defined period in the secretory phase. We attempted to identify the genes expressed during this period by representational difference analysis (RDA). When the cDNAs of a proliferative endometrium were used as the driver and the cDNAs of a post-ovulatory day 5 endometrium were used as the tester, a number of bands were identified by RDA. DNA of the cloned RDA products revealed that the majority of the clones contained a fragment of a cDNA identical to that of a crystallin B chain. Northern blot analysis showed that the expression of the alpha crystallin B chain mRNA was absent during the proliferative phase. The expression of the mRNA of alpha crystallin B chain first appeared in the secretory phase, progressively increased during this phase and peaked in the late secretory endometria. The pattern of expression of alpha crystallin B chain mRNA in the endometrium of mature cycling baboons (Papio anubis) was similar to that seen in human endometrium. As revealed by Western blot analysis, the expression of the alpha crystallin B chain protein in human endometrium followed a pattern of expression similar to its mRNA. At the cellular level, the immunoreactive protein first appeared in the surface epithelial cells of human endometrium within the implantation window without significant immunoreactivity in the underlying glandular cells. During the mid- and late secretory phases, the intensity of staining in the epithelial cells was enhanced and an intense immunoreactivity was developed in the glandular epithelium, alpha crystallin B chain was virtually an epithelial product and no immunoreactivity for this protein was detectable in the stromal cells, endothelial cells or lymphoid cells. The expression of alpha crystallin B chain could be regulated, by medroxy progesterone acetate as well as by oestrogen withdrawal, in human endometrial carcinoma cells (EnCa-101), transplanted to nude mice. Based on the data presented here, the known function of alpha crystallin B chain and its distinct pattern of expression in human endometrium, we suggest that this protein is an important factor within the molecular repertoire that makes endometrium receptive to implantation.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Closed-loop class E transcutaneous power and data link for microimplants.

Magnetic transcutaneous coupling is frequently used for power and data transfer to implanted electronic devices. The proposed development of MicroImplants, small enough to be injected through a hypodermic needle suggest the need for a high-efficiency magnetic transcutaneous link. This paper describes the use of a multifrequency transmitter coil driver based upon the Class E topology. The development of a "high-Q approximation" which simplifies the design procedure is presented. A closed-loop controller to compensate for transmitter and receiver variations, and a method of data modulation, using synchronous frequency shifting are described. The closed-loop Class E circuit shows great promise, especially for circuits with unusually low coefficients of coupling. Currents of several amperes, at radio frequencies, can easily and efficiently be obtained.

Equipment Design↗

PubMed1980

An inexpensive pressure telemetry system.

An inexpensive telemetry system using transducers and recorders commonly available, i.e., Statham and Grass, is described. The direct-current signal of a Statham transducer is applied to a voltage-controlled oscillator, thereby frequency encoding the pressure sensed by the transducer. This encoded signal frequency modulates a Colpitts oscillator, which acts as a radio-frequency oscillator-transmitter in the 88- to 108-MHz band. This transmitter and transducer, along with a rechargeable NiCd battery pack (total wt 0.5 kg), are mounted in a canvas jacket and worn by a dog previously prepared with a chronic indwelling arterial catheter. With a fully charged battery pack, a signal can be transmitted up to 250 ft for 50 h. A frequency-modulation automotive receiver, powered by and interfaced with a Grass 7B recorder, receives the signal and drives a tachometer circuit that reconverts the audio-frequency signal to a voltage proportional to pressure. This voltage is then applied to the driver amplifier of the Grass to produce a charted record. This system introduces no distortion as seen by comparison of direct and telemetered signals and is drift free for intervals exceeding 24 h.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Spatiotemporal genomic analysis and risk assessment of the plasmids carrying blaOXA-48-like genes based on a large-scale international dataset.

BACKGROUND: The spread of OXA-48-like carbapenemases represents a major public health challenge. Although previous studies have investigated OXA-48-like carbapenemases risk factors, nosocomial dissemination, and plasmid dynamics, an integrated plasmid-centered framework combining complete plasmid mining, transmission-unit analysis, phylogenetic reconstruction, and machine learning-based risk assessment remains limited. METHODS: We systematically collected 747 complete plasmid sequences carrying blaOXA-48-like genes from the NCBI database, establishing the largest collections of complete plasmid sequences to date. Using an integrative framework of population genomics, phylogenetic dating, and machine learning, this study aimed to characterize the dissemination patterns, plasmid replicon diversity, transmission units, mobile genetic elements, co-resistance profiles, and risk classification of these plasmid. RESULTS: Plasmids carrying blaOXA-48-like genes were detected across 50 countries on six continents, with blaOXA-48 predominating in Europe, blaOXA-181 in South Asia, and blaOXA-232 largely in Asia. IncL and ColKP3/IncX3 replicons, together with Tn1999.2 and other MGEs, were central drivers of plasmid maintenance and spread. Sixteen transmission units were defined, with AA068_Cluster3 estimated to have originated in the Netherlands around 2005 before expanding to Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North America. Co-resistance analyses revealed frequent modules involving aminoglycoside and quinolone resistance, with qnrS1 and aph(3'')-Ib most prevalent. Notably, high-risk transposon structures were often identified in non-clinical environments, underscoring their cross-ecological transmission potential. Machine learning-based classification models showed good internal performance for predefined composite-risk categories, with plasmid mobility, clinical/non-clinical source composition, and host background contributing to the classification results. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a large-scale plasmid-centered genomic analysis of publicly available complete plasmid sequences carrying blaOXA-48-like genes, integrating transmission-unit inference, phylogeographic reconstruction, mobile genetic element and co-resistance profiling, and composite genomic risk stratification. This gene-centered framework may support future One Health-oriented antimicrobial resistance surveillance and prioritization of plasmids with higher dissemination and resistance potential.

Plasmids↗

PubMed2006

Seasonal dynamics of microbial community composition and function in oak canopy and open grassland soils.

Soil microbial communities are closely associated with aboveground plant communities, with multiple potential drivers of this relationship. Plants can affect available soil carbon, temperature, and water content, which each have the potential to affect microbial community composition and function. These same variables change seasonally, and thus plant control on microbial community composition may be modulated or overshadowed by annual climatic patterns. We examined microbial community composition, C cycling processes, and environmental data in California annual grassland soils from beneath oak canopies and in open grassland areas to distinguish factors controlling microbial community composition and function seasonally and in association with the two plant overstory communities. Every 3 months for up to 2 years, we monitored microbial community composition using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, microbial biomass, respiration rates, microbial enzyme activities, and the activity of microbial groups using isotope labeling of PLFA biomarkers (13C-PLFA). Distinct microbial communities were associated with oak canopy soils and open grassland soils and microbial communities displayed seasonal patterns from year to year. The effects of plant species and seasonal climate on microbial community composition were similar in magnitude. In this Mediterranean ecosystem, plant control of microbial community composition was primarily due to effects on soil water content, whereas the changes in microbial community composition seasonally appeared to be due, in large part, to soil temperature. Available soil carbon was not a significant control on microbial community composition. Microbial community composition (PLFA) and 13C-PLFA ordination values were strongly related to intra-annual variability in soil enzyme activities and soil respiration, but microbial biomass was not. In this Mediterranean climate, soil microclimate appeared to be the master variable controlling microbial community composition and function.

Bacteria↗

PubMed1995

The mouse 14-3-3 epsilon isoform, a kinase regulator whose expression pattern is modulated in mesenchyme and neuronal differentiation.

Kidney development is a complex, little understood process based on inductive interactions and intricate epithelial and mesenchymal morphogenesis. Here, we report the use of subtractive hybridization to clone cDNAs expressed in early nephrogenesis. cDNA made from E14.5 mouse kidney was hybridized with adult mouse liver mRNA employing a technique based on labeling the driver mRNA with photoactivatable biotin and using streptavidin to remove RNA:cDNA complexes. An aliquot of the unhybridized cDNA identified several clones including three isolates that proved to be the epsilon isoform of the 14-3-3 gene family that is, among other functions, implicated in protein kinase C regulation. Northern blot analysis showed a 2.0-kb transcript widely present in mouse embryos from E7.5 onward, but, as expected from the subtractive strategy, absent in adult liver. In situ hybridization was carried out on mouse embryos aged E8.5 to E15.5. These showed that, in the E8.5 embryo, the 14-3-3 epsilon gene was expressed throughout the embryo, but that, within a day, expression was more marked in mesenchyme than elsewhere (e.g., epithelial tissue, where it was generally low), although levels in neural tissue rose again by about E12.5. This difference was maintained until E15.5 when expression levels started to drop in most tissues, with those of the nervous system, tooth, and kidney being exceptions. Perhaps the most intriguing feature of the expression pattern, however, was that, while the gene was strongly expressed in early mesenchyme, the level of expression decreased as the mesenchyme differentiated. This change was particularly noted in mesenchymal condensations that would become cartilage, bone, and myotome-derived muscle, in the presumptive muscle layer of the gut, and in the kidney. In this last case, the gene was strongly expressed in stem cells and mesenchyme, but expression levels dropped markedly as early nephrogenic condensates epithelialized. The results as a whole thus argue for the 14-3-3 epsilon isoform playing roles in neural development and in early mesenchyme, with this latter function being lost or replaced as the tissue differentiates.

14-3-3 Proteins↗

PubMed2026

Alternative tandem transcription initiation links noncoding variants to human disease through translational control.

Alternative tandem transcription initiation is a pervasive mechanism of gene regulation, yet its genetic impact on human disease remains largely unknown. Here, we systematically quantify the genetic regulation of alternative tandem transcription initiation across 25,859 samples from 49 normal human tissues and 33 tumor tissues. We identify approximately 0.4 million genetic variants associated with alternative transcription initiation in 5295 genes, with 32% operating independently of gene expression. Moreover, we discover 2238 multi-tissue alternative tandem transcription initiation outliers enriched for rare deleterious promoter and 5' UTR variants, demonstrating that both common and rare variants modulate transcription initiation. Strikingly, 74% of disease variants that colocalize with genetic variants regulating alternative transcription initiation cannot be identified through expression quantitative trait loci. Transcriptome-wide association studies identify 614 disease susceptibility genes associated with alternative transcription initiation, including known cancer drivers such as MAFF and MLLT10. Functional validation uncovers OSGEP as a breast cancer risk gene, where the alternative allele lengthens the 5' UTR and reduces protein abundance through upstream open reading frame-mediated translation repression, and suppresses breast cancer cell proliferation. Our findings establish alternative transcription initiation as a major, underappreciated mechanism associating noncoding variation with disease, providing a critical resource for interpreting disease risk loci.

Humans↗

PubMed2004

Continuous infusion of medications in very low birth weight infants.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a safe and accurate method for the administration in the neonatal intensive care unit of several potent medications as a continuous infusion without overloading the infant, especially the very low birth weight (VLBW) infant by diluents. METHOD: The method designed is based on a weight-adapted solution limiting the diluent administration and allowing for a versatile modulation of dose administration. As this method was initially designed for VLBW infants, the point of departure of this method is a standard maximal fluid load of 0.3 ml/h for each medication, delivered in a low compliant circuit with a high-precision syringe driver. Solutions are made for 24 h, which is a compromise between drug stability and repeated pressure drops in the circuit when changing the syringe and administration set. To translate a prescription into a solution a conversion factor is calculated. In addition to the calculation principle, this conversion factor is given for a number of commonly used drugs in neonatal care. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, the method described adds to the safety and accuracy of continuous drug administration in neonatal care.

Humans↗

PubMed2005

Quantitation of p53 nuclear relocation in response to stress using a yeast functional assay: effects of irradiation and modulation by heavy metal ions.

Many regulatory proteins undergo transient nuclear relocation under physical or chemical stress. This phenomenon is, however, difficult to assess due to the lack of sensitive and standardized biological assays. Here, we describe a new quantitative nuclear relocation assay (QNR), based on expression in yeasts of chimeric proteins in which an artificial transcription factor is fused to a target protein acting as driver for relocation. This assay combines the experimental versatility of yeast with quantitation of nuclear relocation at low levels of protein expression. We have assessed the nuclear relocation of yeast Yap1 and human p53, two transcription factors that relocate to the nucleus in response to oxidative-stress and DNA damage, respectively. We show that p53 efficiently drives the relocation of the chimeric reporter in response to irradiation and that this process requires the C-terminal nuclear export signal (NES). Cd2+ and Hg2+, two metal ions inducing DNA damage as well as conformational changes in p53, have opposite effects on p53 relocation in response to DNA damage. Whereas Hg2+ effects are synergistic to DNA damage, Cd2+ inhibits relocation and sequesters p53 into the cytoplasm. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of QNR to investigate the regulation of p53 shuttling in response to stress signals including suspected environmental carcinogens.

Gamma Rays↗

PubMed2006

Modulation of integrin-linked kinase (ILK) expression in human oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines by the EGF and TGFbeta1 growth factors.

BACKGROUND: Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) is a ubiquitously expressed protein kinase that has emerged as one of the points of convergence between integrin- and growth factor-signalling pathways. RESULTS: In this study we identify the ILK isoform expressed in five human oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines of South African origin as ILK1, and demonstrate its cellular distribution. ILK expression, although similar in the majority of the cell lines, did show variation. Furthermore, the ILK expressed was shown to be catalytically functional. The effect of growth factors on ILK expression was examined. An increase in ILK expression, following EGF and TGFbeta1 exposure, was a trend across all the five oesophageal carcinoma cell lines tested. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that growth factor modulation of ILK expression relies on the internalisation/recycling of growth factor receptors and stimulation of the PI3K pathway, which may have implications with regards to cell adhesion and tumourigenesis.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1992

Mechanisms of gastric rhythm generation in the isolated stomatogastric ganglion of spiny lobsters: bursting pacemaker potentials, synaptic interactions, and muscarinic modulation.

1. The gastric central pattern generator (CPG), located in the stomatogastric ganglion (STG) of the spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus), is nonrhythmic when deprived of neuromodulatory inputs from anterior ganglia. Leaving these inputs intact in vitro can sustain a gastric rhythm but also introduces numerous, uncontrolled and largely unknown modulatory and synaptic influences that greatly complicate analysis of this CPG. 2. Here we induced gastric rhythms in the isolated STG, by superfusing a specific modulator, the muscarinic agonist, pilocarpine. Muscarinic agents sustain vigorous gastric rhythms in the isolated STG. Our aim was to analyze the pattern-generating functions of the restricted gastric circuit, free of complicating influences from other ganglia, and under specific (muscarinic) modulation. 3. We used combinations of multiple cell hyperpolarizations, photodeletions, and synaptic blockade by picrotoxin to assess the pattern-generating role of individual gastric neurons and to study the activity of subcircuits. 4. Four identified gastric neurons [lateral gastric (LG), dorsal gastric (DG), 2 electrically coupled lateral posterior gastric (2LPGs)] acted as pattern-generating cells. They showed bursting pacemaker potentials (BPPs), i.e., plateau (or driver) potentials that underlay bursts of axonal spikes and slow, interburst depolarizing potentials that underlay repetitive burst activity. LG and DG, at least, became conditional bursters, able to burst repetitively because of intrinsic oscillations. The other gastric neurons behaved mainly as follower cells and derived their rhythmic bursting from synaptic coupling to the pattern-generator cells and from their own intrinsic (but nonoscillatory) properties. 5. The pattern-generating neurons form a novel "kernel" circuit that works by the cooperative interaction of cellular properties and synaptic connectivity. 6. This study constitutes the first complete and fully consistent analysis of pattern generation in the gastric network of the isolated STG. These mechanisms pertain to muscarinic rhythms in particular but also, we suggest, to gastric rhythm generation and CPG function in general. We suggest that 1) rhythmicity normally depends on the induction of bursty membrane properties in at least some component neurons; 2) different subcircuits can produce rhythmic patterns and may be activated by different modulators; and 3) the gastric network shares several important "building blocks" with CPGs that have been analyzed in other systems. 7. Muscarinic inputs are implicated as an important gastric regulator. We compare these responses with the reported modulatory actions of the anterior pyloric modulator (AMP), an identified, putatively cholinergic input interneuron that may act via muscarinic mechanisms.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Multiwavelength thermal lens spectrophotometer based on an acousto-optic tunable filter.

The instrumentation development of a novel, all solid-state, nonmoving parts, fast-scanning and wide-tuning range multiwavelength thermal lens spectrophotometer based on the acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) is described. Initially, the essential electronic driver was developed to facilitate the systematic characterization of the paratellurite (TeO2) AOTF and to demonstrate that this filter can be successfully and uniquely used as an all solid-state, nonmoving parts dispersive device to rapidly diffract white incident light into a selected color beam, to amplitude modulate the diffracted monochromatic light, and to keep its intensity constant. The multiwavelength thermal lens instrument was subsequently constructed using this AOTF, and preliminary results on advantages of this spectrophotometer such as its ability to characterize trace chemicals and to analyze multicomponent samples are delineated.

Acoustics↗

PubMed1989

Transient responses to tone bursts.

Investigating theoretical conditions under which linearly-operating tuned structures produce click-like transient responses to onsets and offsets of trapezoidal tone bursts, we come to the following conclusions: (1) each of the four corners of the trapezoidal tone burst is capable of eliciting such a response; (2) the amplitude of the response and its dependence on the frequency of the modulated tone both depend on the phase of the modulated sinusoid at the time a corner occurs; (3) such responses will arise in structures having sufficiently steep band edges, provided that the frequency of the modulated tone is well outside the pass band of the structure--for a corner in cosine phase, the sustained slope of the low-frequency band edge must be greater than zero and that of the high-frequency band edge must be greater than 12 dB/Oct, for a corner in sine phase the sustained slope of the low-frequency band edge must be greater than 6 dB/Oct and that of the high-frequency band edge must be greater than 18 dB/Oct; (4) they will not arise in response to tone bursts whose frequencies fall within the pass band of the structure; (5) nor will they arise in response to a trapezoidal tone burst of any frequency applied to structures (such as simple microphones or drivers) following second-order dynamics and having both spectral zeros at infinity. We present theoretically derived relationships between the amplitude of transient responses and the tone-burst frequency, not only for the corners of trapezoidal tone bursts, but also for tone bursts of more general shapes. We conclude that, owing to its extraordinarily steep high-frequency rolloff, the filter associated with each cochlear axon is well suited to extracting temporal information from onset or offset singularities in modulated tones whose frequencies are above the characteristic frequency of the filter. Applying the theory to observed onset and offset responses to high-intensity tone bursts in auditory afferents of the Mongolian gerbil, we conclude that some of the responses we observed must have been sculpted in part by cochlear nonlinearities.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed2003

Performance analysis of ultrasono-therapy transducer with contact detection.

The performance of ultrasono-therapy transducer with contact detection by using the impedance phase change is described. Usually a therapy transducer is designed with a lambda/2 frontal plate glued to a PZT-4 piezoceramic. This plate ensures a good mechanical protection of the piezoceramic with a corresponding high-transmission energy. Normally this transducer is operated at the minimum at the frequency of the impedance module of its input electric impedance, but this operation point is affected by the shift caused by the expected temperature increase. This shift could be higher than the narrow bandwidth presented. As a result we obtain a decrease in the power level for medical treatment. Usually it is designed electronic drivers with automatic control that follow the frequency change, but the relatively narrow bandwidth introduces difficulty in the design. Another frequency operation point is presented here and analyzed using the criteria of the maximum of the impedance phase with a wider bandwidth than in the previous case. Simulation with mechanical losses are presented with experimental results that show the convenience of this criteria for practical application.

Equipment Failure Analysis↗

PubMed2005

Physical activity and modulation of systemic low-level inflammation.

It has been recognized for some time that cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes are, to a major extent, inflammatory disorders associated with an environment characterized by a sedentary lifestyle together with abundant intakes of calories. Systemic low-level inflammation is suggested to be a cause as well as consequence of pathological processes with local tumor necrosis factor alpha production as an important biological driver. It is hypothesized that physical inactivity contributes to an enhanced proinflammatory burden independently of obesity, as regular muscle contractions mediate signals with myokines/cytokines as important messengers, which suppress proinflammatory activity at distant sites as well as within skeletal muscle. Muscle-derived interleukin (IL)-6 is considered to possess a central role in anti-inflammatory activities and health beneficial effects in relation to physical exercise. It is discussed how this fits the consistent observation that enhanced plasma levels of IL-6 represent a strong risk marker in chronic disorders associated with systemic low-level inflammation and all-cause mortality.

Exercise↗

PubMed2003

Possible beneficial role of exercise in modulating low-grade inflammation in the elderly.

Aging is associated with increased levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) and interleukin (IL)-6. These two cytokines are tightly linked in that TNF induces production of IL-6, which again inhibits TNF gene expression. In epidemiological studies, both cytokines have been associated with obesity, insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. However, based on basal studies, we suggest that TNF (and not IL-6) is the driver behind insulin resistancy. Thus, it is possible that selective enhancement of the IL-6 level may inhibit TNF-induced insulin resistance. Muscle contractions induce production and release of IL-6, but not TNF, into the circulation, in both young and elderly humans. We suggest that muscle-derived IL-6 contributes to mediate the beneficial metabolic effects of exercise and may contribute to inhibit TNF-production and thereby insulin resistance.

Aged↗

PubMed2025

Deciphering the Impact of Temperature on Pleiotropic Consequences of RNA Polymerase Mutations.

Despite occurring in an essential molecule, mutations in RNA polymerase readily emerge and elicit complex pleiotropic effects across different levels of biological organization, which are all modulated by environment. We investigated the impact of temperature on the effects of six mutations on sequence, structure, transcriptome, and organismal traits. We found temperature altered the transcriptomic response and key organismal traits such as growth rate and biofilm formation in a genotype-specific manner. Critically, mechanistic insights into the possible drivers of mutational effects emerged only when examining the relationships between different levels of organization: location of mutations in the tertiary structure and distance to key interacting molecules partly explained the observed transcriptomic differences, which in turn drove the impact of mutations on organismal traits. While falling short of capturing the full complexity of the system, our findings underscore the benefits of integrating insights across multiple biological levels to understand the relationship between environment and mutational effects in molecules with extensive pleiotropic effects.

Mutation↗