Search results for "FN"

Direct stiffness matrices of BEs in the Galerkin BEM formulation

2001

Abstract In the analysis of an elastic two-dimensional solid body by means of the Symmetric Galerkin Boundary Element Method (SGBEM), difficulties arise in the computation of some terms of the solving system coefficients. In fact these coefficients are expressed as double integrals with singularities of order 1/ r 2 , r being the distance between the field and source points. In order to compute these coefficients a strategy based on Schwartz's distribution theory is employed. In this paper the direct stiffness matrix related to the generic node of the free boundary are computed in closed form.

A four-node MITC finite element for magneto-electro-elastic multilayered plates

2013

An isoparametric four-node finite element for multilayered magneto-electro-elastic plates analysis is presented. It is based on an equivalent single-layer model, which assumes the first order shear deformation theory and quasi-static behavior for the electric and magnetic fields. First, the electro-magnetic state of the plate is determined in terms of the mechanical primary variables, namely the generalized displacements, by solving the strong form of the magneto-electric governing equations coupled with the electro-magnetic interface continuity conditions and the external boundary conditions. In turn, this result is used into the layers constitutive law to infer the equivalent single-layer…

Analysis of the Polymorphisms of Th1 and Th17 Cytokines in Mediterranean Spotted Fever

2012

Background: We have recently reported that the susceptibility for Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) caused by Rickettsia conorii, is influenced by the Th2 and Th1 cytokine genetic polymorphism profiles. Less it is known on the effect of gene polymorphisms of cytokine produced by the Th17. Methods: 70 Sicilian patients affected by MSF and 239 control subjects matched for age, gender, and geographic origin were typed for functionally relevant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IFN-γ (+874 T/A), IL-18 (-137 G/C and -607A/C ) and IL-17 (7488T/C) according to our laboratory procedures. Results: No significant differences in IL-18 -137 G/C, -607A/C and in IFN-γ +874 T /A genotype frequenci…

A FE-Meshless Multiscale Approach for Masonry Materials

2015

Abstract A FE-Meshless multiscale computational strategy for the analysis of running bond masonry is presented. The Meshless Method (MM) is adopted to solve the boundary value problem (BVP) at the mesoscopic level. The representative unit cell is composed by the aggregate and the surrounding joints, the former assumed to behave elastically while the latter are simulated as non-associated elastic-plastic zero-thickness interfaces with a softening response. Macroscopic localization of plastic bands is obtained performing a spectral analysis of the tangent stiffness matrix. Localized plastic bands are embedded into the quadrature points area of the macroscopic finite elements.

Mitochondrial dynamics in type 2 diabetes: Pathophysiological implications

2017

Mitochondria play a key role in maintaining cellular metabolic homeostasis. These organelles have a high plasticity and are involved in dynamic processes such as mitochondrial fusion and fission, mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis. Type 2 diabetes is characterised by mitochondrial dysfunction, high production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and low levels of ATP. Mitochondrial fusion is modulated by different proteins, including mitofusin-1 (MFN1), mitofusin-2 (MFN2) and optic atrophy (OPA-1), while fission is controlled by mitochondrial fission 1 (FIS1), dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) and mitochondrial fission factor (MFF). PARKIN and (PTEN)-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) partici…

The thiol switch C684 in Mitofusin-2 mediates redox-induced alterations of mitochondrial shape and respiration

2017

Mitofusin-2 (MFN2) is a GTPase in the outer mitochondrial membrane involved in the regulation of mitochondrial fusion and bioenergetics. MFN2 also plays a role in mitochondrial fusion induced by changes in the intracellular redox state. Adding oxidized glutathione (GSSG), the core cellular stress indicator, to mitochondrial preparations stimulates mitochondrial fusion by inducing disulphide bond-mediated oligomer formation of MFN2 and its homolog MFN1 which involve cysteine 684 (C684) of MFN2. Mitochondrial hyperfusion represents an adaptive stress response that confers transient protection by increasing mitochondrial ATP production but how this depends on the thiol switch C684 in MFN2 has …

La relazione tra microalbuminuria e stiffness aortica è indipendente dal filtrato glomerulare nell’ipertensione essenziale

2008

Microalbuminuria Is Associated With Increased Aortic Stiffness Independently of C-Reactive Protein in Essential Hypertension

2009

Application of fnbA gene as new target for the species-specific and quantitative detection of Staphylococcus aureus directly from lower respiratory t…

2013

Staphylococcus aureus is a significant cause of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), particularly in mechanically ventilated patients. We used the fibronectin-binding protein A gene (fnbA) for the species-specific and quantitative detection of S. aureus directly from lower respiratory tract (LRT) specimens by a Taq Man real time PCR. For this reason, a total of 269 lower respiratory tract (LRT) specimens collected from patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia were assayed. Amplification of fnbA in serial dilutions ranged from 10(9) CFU/ ml to 10(2) CFU/ml. Standard curve of triplicate every dilution had slope 3.34±0.1 and R2>0.99 with SD 0.1. Based on these data, the sensitivity and specif…

Statistics of reversible transitions in two-state trajectories in force-ramp spectroscopy

2014

A possible way to extract information about the reversible dissociation of a molecular adhesion bond from force fluctuations observed in force ramp experiments is discussed. For small loading rates the system undergoes a limited number of unbinding and rebinding transitions observable in the so-called force versus extension (FE) curves. The statistics of these transient fluctuations can be utilized to estimate the parameters for the rebinding rate. This is relevant in the experimentally important situation where the direct observation of the reversed FE-curves is hampered, e.g. due to the presence of soft linkers. I generalize the stochastic theory of the kinetics in two-state models to the…