Project description:Immune system cells and cells of the endometrium have long been proposed to interact in both physiological and pathological processes. The current study was undertaken to examine communication between cultured monocytes and endometrial stromal cells and also to assess responses of endometrial stromal cells to treatment with estradiol (E) in the absence and presence of medroxyprogesterone acetate (P). A telomerase-immortalized human endometrial stromal cell line (T-HESC) and the U-937 monocyte cell line were used. T-HESC were treated with E ± P ± monocyte conditioned medium; U-937 were treated ± T-HESC conditioned medium. Gene expression in response to treatment was examined by DNA microarray. Bi-directional communication, as demonstrated by changes in gene expression, clearly occurred between U-937 monocytes and T-HESC endometrial stromal cells.
Project description:BackgroundStudies have shown the clinical benefits of laparoscopic simulator training. Decreasing numbers of operations by surgical residents have further increased the need for surgical simulator training. However, many surgical simulators in Sweden are often insufficiently used or not used at all. Furthermore, large geographical distances make access to curriculum-based surgical simulator training at established simulator centres difficult. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether tele-mentoring (TM) could be well tolerated and improve basic laparoscopic surgical skills of medical students 900 km away from the teacher.MethodsTwenty students completed an informed consent and a pre-experimental questionnaire. The students were randomized into two groups: (1) TM (N = 10), receiving instructor feedback via video-link and (2) control group (CG, N = 10) with lone practice. Initial warm-up occurred in the Simball Box simulator with one Rope Race task followed by five consecutive Rope Race and three Peg Picker tasks. Afterwards, all students completed a second questionnaire.ResultsThe whole group enjoyed the simulator training (prescore 73.3% versus postscore 89.2%, P < 0.0001). With TM, the simulator Rope Race overall score increased (prescore 30.8% versus postscore 43.4%; P = 0.004), and the distance that the laparoscopic instruments moved decreased by 40% (P = 0.015), indicating better precision, whereas in the CG it did not. In Peg Picker, the overall scores increased, whereas total time and distance of the instruments decreased in both groups, indicating better performance and precision.ConclusionsSimulation training was highly appreciated overall. The TM group showed better overall performance with increased precision in what we believe to be the visuospatially more demanding Rope Race tasks compared to the CG. We suggest that surgical simulator tele-mentoring over long distances could be a viable way to both motivate and increase laparoscopic basic skills training in the future.
Project description:We present the Focus-Induced Photoresponse (FIP) technique, a novel approach to optical distance measurement. It takes advantage of a universally-observed phenomenon in photodetector devices, an irradiance-dependent responsivity. This means that the output from a sensor is not only dependent on the total flux of incident photons, but also on the size of the area in which they fall. If probe light from an object is cast on the detector through a lens, the sensor response depends on how far in or out of focus the object is. We call this the FIP effect. Here we demonstrate how to use the FIP effect to measure the distance to that object. We show that the FIP technique works with different sensor types and materials, as well as visible and near infrared light. The FIP technique operates on a working principle, which is fundamentally different from all established distance measurement methods and hence offers a way to overcome some of their limitations. FIP enables fast optical distance measurements with a simple single-pixel detector layout and minimal computational power. It allows for measurements that are robust to ambient light even outside the wavelength range accessible with silicon.
Project description:Artificial cells capable of both sensing and sending chemical messages to bacteria have yet to be built. Here we show that artificial cells that are able to sense and synthesize quorum signaling molecules can chemically communicate with V. fischeri, V. harveyi, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa. Activity was assessed by fluorescence, luminescence, RT-qPCR, and RNA-seq. Two potential applications for this technology were demonstrated. First, the extent to which artificial cells could imitate natural cells was quantified by a type of cellular Turing test. Artificial cells capable of sensing and in response synthesizing and releasing N-3-(oxohexanoyl)homoserine lactone showed a high degree of likeness to natural V. fischeri under specific test conditions. Second, artificial cells that sensed V. fischeri and in response degraded a quorum signaling molecule of P. aeruginosa (N-(3-oxododecanoyl)homoserine lactone) were constructed, laying the foundation for future technologies that control complex networks of natural cells.
Project description:Most existing measures of distance between phylogenetic trees are based on the geometry or topology of the trees. Instead, we consider distance measures which are based on the underlying probability distributions on genetic sequence data induced by trees. Monte Carlo schemes are necessary to calculate these distances approximately, and we describe efficient sampling procedures. Key features of the distances are the ability to include substitution model parameters and to handle trees with different taxon sets in a principled way. We demonstrate some of the properties of these new distance measures and compare them to existing distances, in particular by applying multidimensional scaling to data sets previously reported as containing phylogenetic islands. [Metric; probability distribution; multidimensional scaling; information geometry.
Project description:The movements of cytoplasmic dynein on microtubule (MT) tracks is achieved by two-way communication between the microtubule-binding domain (MTBD) and the ATPase domain via a coiled-coil stalk, but the structural basis of this communication remains elusive. Here, we regulate MTBD either in high-affinity or low-affinity states by introducing a disulfide bond to the stalk and analyze the resulting structures by NMR and cryo-EM. In the MT-unbound state, the affinity changes of MTBD are achieved by sliding of the stalk α-helix by a half-turn, which suggests that structural changes propagate from the ATPase-domain to MTBD. In addition, MT binding induces further sliding of the stalk α-helix even without the disulfide bond, suggesting how the MT-induced conformational changes propagate toward the ATPase domain. Based on differences in the MT-binding surface between the high- and low-affinity states, we propose a potential mechanism for the directional bias of dynein movement on MT tracks.
Project description:BackgroundHemodynamic monitoring is imperative for patients with cardiogenic shock undergoing Intra-aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) therapy. Blood pressure monitoring encompasses non-invasive, invasive peripheral arterial pressure (IPAP), and invasive central aortic pressure (ICAP) methods. However, marked disparities exist between IPAP and ICAP. This study examined the discrepancies between IPAP and ICAP and their clinical significance.MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on cardiogenic shock patients who underwent IABP therapy and were admitted to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of a tertiary hospital in China from March 2017 to November 2022. The Bland-Altman plot illustrated the discrepancy between IPAP and ICAP. A clinically significant difference between ICAP and IPAP measurements was defined as ≥ 10 mmHg, which could necessitate alterations in blood pressure management according to current guidelines that recommend maintaining a mean arterial pressure (MAP) ≥ 70 mmHg.ResultsIn total, 162 patients were included in the final analysis. In patients without vasopressors, the difference between ICAP and IPAP was 5.73 mmHg (95% limits of agreement [LOA], -16.98 to 28.44), whereas, in patients with vasopressors, it was 4.36 mmHg (95% LOA, -17.31 to 26.03). ICAP measurements exceeded IPAP in patients undergoing IABP therapy. However, the difference was not statistically significant between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that higher serum lactate levels (Odds ratio [OR], 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.27; p = 0.013) and age ≥ 60 years (OR, 13.20; 95% CI, 1.50-115.51; p = 0.020) were associated with an increased likelihood of a clinically significant MAP discrepancy. Conversely, a history of coronary heart disease was associated with a decreased likelihood (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.13-0.90; p = 0.031).ConclusionsNotable discrepancies between ICAP and IPAP measurements exist in cardiogenic shock patients undergoing IABP therapy. ICAP exceeds IPAP, and factors such as age ≥ 60 years, elevated lactic acid levels, and absence of coronary heart disease contribute to this discrepancy. Enhanced vigilance is warranted for these patients, and the consideration of peripheral invasive monitoring in conjunction with IABP therapy is advised.
Project description:BackgroundDetection of significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from DNA microarray datasets is a common routine task conducted in biomedical research. For the detection of DEGs, numerous methods are proposed. By such conventional methods, generally, DEGs are detected from one dataset consisting of group of control and treatment. However, some DEGs are easily to be detected in any experimental condition. For the detection of much experiment condition specific DEGs, each measurement value of gene expression levels should be compared in two dimensional ways, or both with other genes and other datasets simultaneously. For this purpose, we retrieve the gene expression data from public database as possible and construct "meta-dataset" which summarize expression change of all genes in various experimental condition. Herein, we propose "two-way AIC" (Akaike Information Criteria), method for simultaneous detection of significance genes and experiments on meta-dataset.ResultsAs a case study of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa, we evaluate whether two-way AIC method can detect test data which is the experiment condition specific DEGs. Operon genes are used as test data. Compared with other commonly used statistical methods (t-rank/F-test, RankProducts and SAM), two-way AIC shows the highest specificity of detection of operon genes.ConclusionsThe two-way AIC performs high specificity for operon gene detection on the microarray meta-dataset. This method can also be applied to estimation of mutual gene interactions.
Project description:Full title: Genomics based analysis of interactions between developing B-lymphocytes and stromal cells reveal complex interactions and two-way communication In order to identify extra cellular signals that promote B lymphocyte development we created a database with approximately 400 receptor ligand pairs and software matching gene expression data from two cell populations to obtain information about possible communication pathways. Using this database and gene expression data from NIH3T3 cells (unable to support B cell development) and OP-9 cells (strongly supportive of B cell development) and data from pro-B and pre-B cells as well as mature peripheral B-lineage cells, we were able to identify a set of potential stage and stromal cell restricted communication pathways. Functional analysis of some of these potential ways of communication allowed us to identify BMP-4 as a potent stimulator of B-cell development in vitro. Further, the analysis suggested that there existed possibilities for progenitor B cells to send signals to the stroma. The functional consequences of this were investigated by co-culture experiments revealing that the co-incubation of stromal cells with pro-B cells altered both the morphology and the gene expression pattern in the stromal cells.