Search results for "MULT"

2016

Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin disease that is associated with aberrant activity of immune cells and keratinocytes. In mice, topical application of TLR7/8 agonist IMQ leads to a skin disorder resembling human psoriasis. Recently, it was shown that the IL-23/ IL-17 axis plays a deciding role in the pathogenesis of human psoriasis, as well as in the mouse model of IMQ-induced psoriasis-like skin disease. A consequence of IL-17A production in the skin includes increased expression and production of IL-6, resulting in the recruitment of neutrophils and other myelomonocytic cells to the site of inflammation. To further investigate and characterize the exact role of IL-6 signaling in myelomonocy…

2016

AbstractGenetic manipulations in nutrient-sensing pathways are known to both extend lifespan and modify responses to environmental stressors (e.g., starvation, oxidative and thermal stresses), suggesting that similar mechanisms regulate lifespan and stress resistance. However, despite being a key factor reducing female lifespan and affecting female fitness, male-induced harm has rarely been considered as a stressor mediated by nutrient sensing pathways. We explored whether a lifespan-extending manipulation also modifies female resistance to male-induced harm. To do so, we used long-lived female Drosophila melanogaster that had their insulin signalling pathway downregulated by genetically ab…

2016

AbstractPhytochromes are a family of photoreceptors that control light responses of plants, fungi and bacteria. A sequence of structural changes, which is not yet fully understood, leads to activation of an output domain. Time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) can potentially shine light on these conformational changes. Here we report the room temperature crystal structure of the chromophore-binding domains of the Deinococcus radiodurans phytochrome at 2.1 Å resolution. The structure was obtained by serial femtosecond X-ray crystallography from microcrystals at an X-ray free electron laser. We find overall good agreement compared to a crystal structure at 1.35 Å resolution d…

Non-conventional Ce:YAG nanostructures via urea complexes

2019

AbstractCe:YAG nanostructures (Ce:YAG = Cerium in Yttrium Aluminium Garnet), easy to control and shape, have been prepared via templating approach using natural and synthetic materials (i.e. paper, cotton wool and glass wool) previously soaked with a gel-like metals precursor and then thermally treated to achieve the wished morphology. The final material, otherwise difficult to process, can be easily moulded, it is lightweight, portable and forms, at the nanoscale, homogeneous layers of interconnected but not agglomerated nanoparticles (15 ± 5 nm). Using the same synthetic route, called Urea-Glass-Route, but in absence of a template, extremely pure Ce:YAG nanoparticle (45 ± 5 nm) can be als…

4D (x-y-z-t) imaging of thick biological samples by means of Two-Photon inverted Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy (2PE-iSPIM)

2015

AbstractIn the last decade light sheet fluorescence microscopy techniques, such as selective plane illumination microscopy (SPIM), has become a well established method for developmental biology. However, conventional SPIM architectures hardly permit imaging of certain tissues since the common sample mounting procedure, based on gel embedding, could interfere with the sample morphology. In this work we propose an inverted selective plane microscopy system (iSPIM), based on non-linear excitation, suitable for 3D tissue imaging. First, the iSPIM architecture provides flexibility on the sample mounting, getting rid of the gel-based mounting typical of conventional SPIM, permitting 3D imaging of…

Stable radical anions generated from a porous perylenediimide metal-organic framework for boosting near-infrared photothermal conversion

2019

Radical anions of electron-deficient systems are widely used, but are easily reoxidized upon exposure to air. Therefore, the stabilization of radical anions under ambient conditions is of great significance, but still remains a scientific challenge. Herein, perylenediimide is employed to prepare a crystalline metal-organic framework for stabilizing radical anions without extensive chemical modification. The porous, three-dimensional framework of perylenediimide can trap electron donors such as amine vapors and produce radical anions in-situ through photo-induced electron transfer. The radical anions are protected against quenching by shielding effect in air and remain unobstructed in air fo…

Standardisation and social ordering: A change of perspective

2021

This article examines standardisation in synthetic biology as a form of social coordination and ordering. I discuss standardisation by exploring what makes standards possible, and offer an understanding based on infrastructures: technical and social systems that support the existence and operation of accepted standards. By exploring the role of social infrastructures, I contend that standards depend upon social ordering: ways of arranging people in particular positions, relations, and hierarchies. I suggest that synthetic biologists ought to develop an awareness of these social orders, take responsibility for their creation, and accept accountability for their consequences, both technical a…

Can life be standardized? Current challenges in biological standardization

2021

The concept of standard strongly evokes machines, industries, electric or mechanical devices, vehicles, or furniture. Indeed, our technological civilization would not be possible – at least in the terms it is structured today – without universal, reliable components, whose acknowledged use results in competitive costs, robustness and interchangeability. For example, an Ikea screw can be used in a wide set of structurally dissimilar furniture and an app can be run on many different smartphones. The very concept of standardization is linked to the industrial revolution and mass production of goods through assembly lines. The question we will try to answer in the present paper is the extent to…

2018

In this study we analysed the effects of prophylactic biolistic DNA vaccination with plasmids encoding the encephalitogenic protein myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) on the severity of a subsequently MOGp35-55-induced EAE and on the underlying immune response. We compared the outcome of vaccination with MOG-encoding plasmids alone or in combination with vectors encoding the regulatory cytokines IL-10 and TGF-s1, respectively. MOG expression was restricted to skin dendritic cells (DCs) by the use of the DC-specific promoter of the fascin1 gene (pFscn-MOG). For comparison, the strong and ubiquitously active CMV promoter was employed (pCMV-MOG), which allows MOG expression in all trans…

Centrality in Complex Networks with Overlapping Community Structure

2019

AbstractIdentifying influential spreaders in networks is an essential issue in order to prevent epidemic spreading, or to accelerate information diffusion. Several centrality measures take advantage of various network topological properties to quantify the notion of influence. However, the vast majority of works ignore its community structure while it is one of the main features of many real-world networks. In a recent study, we show that the centrality of a node in a network with non-overlapping communities depends on two features: Its local influence on the nodes belonging to its community, and its global influence on the nodes belonging to the other communities. Using global and local co…