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- Murari, A., et al.
(author)
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A control oriented strategy of disruption prediction to avoid the configuration collapse of tokamak reactors
- 2024
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In: Nature Communications. - 2041-1723 .- 2041-1723. ; 15:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The objective of thermonuclear fusion consists of producing electricity from the coalescence of light nuclei in high temperature plasmas. The most promising route to fusion envisages the confinement of such plasmas with magnetic fields, whose most studied configuration is the tokamak. Disruptions are catastrophic collapses affecting all tokamak devices and one of the main potential showstoppers on the route to a commercial reactor. In this work we report how, deploying innovative analysis methods on thousands of JET experiments covering the isotopic compositions from hydrogen to full tritium and including the major D-T campaign, the nature of the various forms of collapse is investigated in all phases of the discharges. An original approach to proximity detection has been developed, which allows determining both the probability of and the time interval remaining before an incoming disruption, with adaptive, from scratch, real time compatible techniques. The results indicate that physics based prediction and control tools can be developed, to deploy realistic strategies of disruption avoidance and prevention, meeting the requirements of the next generation of devices.
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| 5. |
- Karlsson, Niclas G., 1966, et al.
(author)
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O-Linked glycome and proteome of high-molecular-mass proteins in human ovarian cancer ascites: Identification of sulfation, disialic acid and O-linked fucose
- 2012
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In: Glycobiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0959-6658 .- 1460-2423. ; 22:7, s. 918-929
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The O-linked glycosylation of the main acidic high-molecular-weight glycoprotein from ascites fluid from patients with ovarian cancer were analyzed. The O-linked oligosaccharides were shown to consist of mainly highly sialylated core 1 and 2 structures with a smaller amount of sulfated core 2 structures. These structures were shown to be able to be further extended into small keratan sulfate (KS)-type oligosaccharides with up to four N-acetyllactosamine units. Proteomic studies of the acidic fraction of ascites fluid from patients with ovarian cancer showed that this fraction was enriched in proteoglycans. Among them, lumican, agrin, versican and dystroglycans were potential candidates, with threonine- and serine-rich domains that could carry a significant amount of O-linked glycosylation, including also the O-linked KS. Glycomic analysis using liquid chromatography (LC)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) also showed that the disialic acid NeuAc-NeuAc- was frequently found as the terminating structure on the O-linked core 1 and 2 oligosaccharides from one ascites sample. Also, a small amount of the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-associated O-linked fucose structure Gal-GlcNAc-Fucitol was detected with and without sialic acid in the LC-MS/MS analysis. Candidate proteins containing O-linked fucose were suggested to be proteoglycan-type molecules containing the O-linked fucose EGF consensus domain.
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| 6. |
- Lindén, Sara K., 1974, et al.
(author)
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Microbes at the host surface
- 2010
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In: Current Research, Technology and Education Topics in Applied Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology. ; , s. 591-596
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The human body encounters pathogenic bacteria every day although establishment of infections after such contacts is rare. The skin and mucosal surfaces, which comprise the barrier between the body and the external milieu, are the first lines of defense, and colonization of these surfaces is normally the first step in bacterial disease. As a physical barrier, the skin is reinforced by dry, slightly acidic conditions, sloughing of cells and a resident microflora. The non-keratinized mucosal surfaces have functions such as secretion of digestive enzymes and absorption of nutrients that require the barrier to be ‘semi-permeable’ with ensuing demands on their design. In addition to a resident microflora and sloughing of cells, the mucosal surfaces are protected by a mucus layer. This gel-like layer is formed by highly glycosylated proteins referred to as mucins and is efficient in trapping microorganisms. The underlying cells relay signals to activate the immune system and mobilization of tissue and blood defense mechanisms is an important aspect of host defense. However, such mechanisms may be accompanied by tissue damage, and infectious diseases are often aggravated by an excessive host response to the invading pathogen. Invading pathogens also have weapons to fight the host with, for example mucindegrading enzymes to disrupt mucus, toxins to disrupt epithelial integrity, and structures to adhere to the host and facilitate invasion. This review will focus on the interplay between the host and bacteria at the mucosal surfaces, which forms a barrier between the inside and the outside of the body.
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| 7. |
- Lindén, Sara K., 1974, et al.
(author)
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MUC1 limits Helicobacter pylori infection both by steric hindrance and by acting as a releasable decoy.
- 2009
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In: PLoS pathogens. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7374. ; 5:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The bacterium Helicobacter pylori can cause peptic ulcer disease, gastric adenocarcinoma and MALT lymphoma. The cell-surface mucin MUC1 is a large glycoprotein which is highly expressed on the mucosal surface and limits the density of H. pylori in a murine infection model. We now demonstrate that by using the BabA and SabA adhesins, H. pylori bind MUC1 isolated from human gastric cells and MUC1 shed into gastric juice. Both H. pylori carrying these adhesins, and beads coated with MUC1 antibodies, induced shedding of MUC1 from MKN7 human gastric epithelial cells, and shed MUC1 was found bound to H. pylori. Shedding of MUC1 from non-infected cells was not mediated by the known MUC1 sheddases ADAM17 and MMP-14. However, knockdown of MMP-14 partially affected MUC1 release early in infection, whereas ADAM17 had no effect. Thus, it is likely that shedding is mediated both by proteases and by disassociation of the non-covalent interaction between the alpha- and beta-subunits. H. pylori bound more readily to MUC1 depleted cells even when the bacteria lacked the BabA and SabA adhesins, showing that MUC1 inhibits attachment even when bacteria cannot bind to the mucin. Bacteria lacking both the BabA and SabA adhesins caused less apoptosis in MKN7 cells than wild-type bacteria, having a greater effect than deletion of the CagA pathogenicity gene. Deficiency of MUC1/Muc1 resulted in increased epithelial cell apoptosis, both in MKN7 cells in vitro, and in H. pylori infected mice. Thus, MUC1 protects the epithelium from non-MUC1 binding bacteria by inhibiting adhesion to the cell surface by steric hindrance, and from MUC1-binding bacteria by acting as a releasable decoy.
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| 8. |
- Lindén, Sara K., 1974, et al.
(author)
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Mucin dynamics in intestinal bacterial infection.
- 2008
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In: PloS one. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 3:12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Bacterial gastroenteritis causes morbidity and mortality in humans worldwide. Murine Citrobacter rodentium infection is a model for gastroenteritis caused by the human pathogens enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and enterohaemorrhagic E. coli. Mucin glycoproteins are the main component of the first barrier that bacteria encounter in the intestinal tract. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using Immunohistochemistry, we investigated intestinal expression of mucins (Alcian blue/PAS, Muc1, Muc2, Muc4, Muc5AC, Muc13 and Muc3/17) in healthy and C. rodentium infected mice. The majority of the C. rodentium infected mice developed systemic infection and colitis in the mid and distal colon by day 12. C. rodentium bound to the major secreted mucin, Muc2, in vitro, and high numbers of bacteria were found in secreted MUC2 in infected animals in vivo, indicating that mucins may limit bacterial access to the epithelial surface. In the small intestine, caecum and proximal colon, the mucin expression was similar in infected and non-infected animals. In the distal colonic epithelium, all secreted and cell surface mucins decreased with the exception of the Muc1 cell surface mucin which increased after infection (p<0.05). Similarly, during human infection Salmonella St Paul, Campylobacter jejuni and Clostridium difficile induced MUC1 in the colon. CONCLUSION: Major changes in both the cell-surface and secreted mucins occur in response to intestinal infection.
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| 9. |
- Navabi, Nazanin, 1969, et al.
(author)
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Gastrointestinal Cell Lines Form Polarized Epithelia with an Adherent Mucus Layer when Cultured in Semi-Wet Interfaces with Mechanical Stimulation
- 2013
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In: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 8:7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mucin glycoproteins are secreted in large quantities by mucosal epithelia and cell surface mucins are a prominent feature of the glycocalyx of all mucosal epithelia. Currently, studies investigating the gastrointestinal mucosal barrier use either animal experiments or non-in vivo like cell cultures. Many pathogens cause different pathology in mice compared to humans and the in vitro cell cultures used are suboptimal because they are very different from an in vivo mucosal surface, are often not polarized, lack important components of the glycocalyx, and often lack the mucus layer. Although gastrointestinal cell lines exist that produce mucins or polarize, human cell line models that reproducibly create the combination of a polarized epithelial cell layer, functional tight junctions and an adherent mucus layer have been missing until now. We trialed a range of treatments to induce polarization, 3D-organization, tight junctions, mucin production, mucus secretion, and formation of an adherent mucus layer that can be carried out using standard equipment. These treatments were tested on cell lines of intestinal (Caco-2, LS513, HT29, T84, LS174T, HT29 MTX-P8 and HT29 MTX-E12) and gastric (MKN7, MKN45, AGS, NCI-N87 and its hTERT Clone5 and Clone6) origins using Ussing chamber methodology and (immuno)histology. Semi-wet interface culture in combination with mechanical stimulation and DAPT caused HT29 MTX-P8, HT29 MTX-E12 and LS513 cells to polarize, form functional tight junctions, a three-dimensional architecture resembling colonic crypts, and produce an adherent mucus layer. Caco-2 and T84 cells also polarized, formed functional tight junctions and produced a thin adherent mucus layer after this treatment, but with less consistency. In conclusion, culture methods affect cell lines differently, and testing a matrix of methods vs. cell lines may be important to develop better in vitro models. The methods developed herein create in vitro mucosal surfaces suitable for studies of host-pathogen interactions at the mucosal surface.
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| 10. |
- Png, Chin Wen, et al.
(author)
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Mucolytic bacteria with increased prevalence in IBD mucosa augment in vitro utilization of mucin by other bacteria.
- 2010
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In: The American journal of gastroenterology. - : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 1572-0241 .- 0002-9270. ; 105:11, s. 2420-2428
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: Mucosa-associated bacteria are increased in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which suggests the possibility of an increased source of digestible endogenous mucus substrate. We hypothesized that mucolytic bacteria are increased in IBD, providing increased substrate to sustain nonmucolytic mucosa-associated bacteria. METHODS: Mucolytic bacteria were characterized by the ability to degrade human secretory mucin (MUC2) in pure and mixed anaerobic cultures. Real-time PCR was used to enumerate mucosa-associated mucolytic bacteria in 46 IBD and 20 control patients. Bacterial mucolytic activity was tested in vitro using purified human MUC2. RESULTS: We confirm increased total mucosa-associated bacteria 16S rRNA gene in macroscopically and histologically normal intestinal epithelium of both Crohn's disease (CD) (mean 1.9-fold) and ulcerative colitis (UC) (mean 1.3-fold). We found a disproportionate increase in some mucolytic bacteria. Mean Ruminococcus gnavus were increased >4-fold and Ruminococcus torques ∼100-fold in macroscopically and histologically normal intestinal epithelium of both CD and UC. The most abundantly detected mucolytic bacterium in controls, Akkermansia muciniphila, was reduced many fold in CD and in UC. Coculture of A. muciniphila with MUC2 as the sole carbon source led to reduction in its abundance while it augmented growth of other bacteria. CONCLUSIONS: Mucolytic bacteria are present in healthy humans, where they are an integral part of the mucosa-associated bacterial consortium. The disproportionate increase in R. gnavus and R. torques could explain increased total mucosa-associated bacteria in IBD.
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