| 1. |
- Beal, Jacob, et al.
(författare)
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Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density
- 2020
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Ingår i: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data.
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| 2. |
- Gulyas, Katalin, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of 1-year anti-TNF-α therapies on bone mineral density and bone biomarkers in rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis
- 2020
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Ingår i: Clinical Rheumatology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0770-3198 .- 1434-9949. ; 39:1, s. 167-175
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ObjectivesRheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have been associated with generalized and localized bone loss. We conducted a comprehensive study using imaging (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, DXA) and laboratory biomarkers in order to determine bone health and to study the effects of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) biologics in RA and AS.Patients and methodsThirty-six RA and 17 AS patients undergoing 1-year etanercept (ETN) or certolizumab-pegol (CZP) therapy were studied. Bone density was assessed by DXA at baseline and after 12 months. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP), calcium, phosphate, parathyroid hormone (PTH), vitamin D3, osteocalcin, procollagen type I N-propeptide (P1NP), C-terminal telopeptide (βCTX), osteoprotegerin, sclerostin (SOST), Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1), soluble receptor activator nuclear kappa B ligand (sRANKL), and cathepsin K (cathK) levels were determined at baseline and after 6 and 12 months.ResultsTNF-α inhibition was clinically effective. Anti-TNF-α halted further bone loss over 1 year. In general, anti-TNF therapy significantly increased P1NP, SOST levels, and the P1NP/βCTX ratios, while decreased DKK-1 and CathK production at different time points in most patient subsets. In the full cohort and in RA, baseline and/or 12-month bone mineral density (BMD) at multiple sites exerted inverse relationships with CRP and βCTX, and positive correlation with SOST. In AS, L2-4 BMD after 1-year biologic therapy inversely correlated with baseline βCTX, while femoral neck BMD rather showed inverse correlations with CRP.ConclusionsAnti-TNF therapy slowed down generalized bone loss, in association with clinical improvements, in both diseases. TNF blockade may enhance bone formation and suppress joint destruction. Anti-TNF therapy may act inversely on DKK-1 and SOST. Independent predictors of BMD were SOST and βCTX in RA, whilst CRP in AS.
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| 3. |
- Nocente, M., et al.
(författare)
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Generation and observation of fast deuterium ions and fusion-born alpha particles in JET D-He-3 plasmas with the 3-ion radio-frequency heating scenario
- 2020
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Ingår i: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP PUBLISHING LTD. - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 60:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dedicated experiments to generate energetic D ions and D-(3) He fusion-born alpha particles were performed at the Joint European Torus (JET) with the ITER-like wall (ILW). Using the 3-ion D-(D-NBI)-(3) He radio frequency (RF) heating scenario, deuterium ions from neutral beam injection (NBI) were accelerated in the core of mixed D-(3) He plasmas to higher energies with ion cyclotron resonance frequency (ICRF) waves, in turn leading to a core-localized source of alpha particles. The fast-ion distribution of RF-accelerated D-NBI ions was controlled by varying the ICRF and NBI power (P-ICRF approximate to 4-6 MW, P-NBI approximate to 3-20 MW), resulting in rather high D-D neutron (approximate to 1x10(16) s(-1)) and D-(3) He alpha rates (approximate to 2x10(16) s(-1)) at moderate input heating power. Theory and TRANSP analysis shows that large populations of co-passing MeV-range D ions were generated using the D-(D-NBI)-(3) He 3-ion ICRF scenario. This important result is corroborated by several experimental observations, in particular gamma-ray measurements. The developed experimental scenario at JET provides unique conditions for probing several aspects of future burning plasmas, such as the contribution from MeV range ions to global confinement, but without introducing tritium. Dominant fast-ion core electron heating with T-i approximate to T-e and a rich variety of fast-ion driven Alfven eigenmodes (AEs) were observed in these D-(3) He plasmas. The observed AE activities do not have a detrimental effect on the thermal confinement and, in some cases, may be driven by the fusion born alpha particles. A strong continuous increase in neutron rate was observed during long-period sawteeth (>1 s), accompanied by the observation of reversed shear AEs, which implies that a non monotonic q profile was systematically developed in these plasmas, sustained by the large fast-ion populations generated by the 3-ion ICRF scenario.
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| 4. |
- Szentpetery, Agnes, et al.
(författare)
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Cardiovascular Comorbidities in Psoriatic Disease
- 2020
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Ingår i: RHEUMATOLOGY AND THERAPY. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2198-6576 .- 2198-6584. ; 7:1, s. 5-17
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Psoriatic disease (PsD) is a multisystem inflammatory disorder with a high prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors contributing to accelerated atherosclerosis and its sequelae. Imaging studies, notably with ultrasound, computed tomography, and positron emission tomography (PET) scanning have confirmed significant atherosclerotic change with plaque formation and vessel stenosis. Atherosclerosis is likely driven by a combination of traditional risk factors which occur more frequently in PsD and by systemic inflammation with associated pro-inflammatory cytokine production. While the mechanisms driving atherosclerosis in PsD are incompletely understood, it is now best practice to try to minimize the impact of CV risk factors by regular assessment, prevention, and treatment and also by ensuring that inflammatory musculoskeletal and cutaneous disease is adequately suppressed. Future studies need to focus on improving our understanding of the mechanisms driving atherosclerosis and, as a consequence, developing more rationale approaches to prevention and treatment.
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| 5. |
- Abbafati, Cristiana, et al.
(författare)
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- 2020
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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