109 research outputs found
An RNA interference knock-down of nitrate reductase enhances lipid biosynthesis in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum
No full textWhen diatoms are stressed for inorganic nitrogen they remodel their intermediate metabolism and redirect carbon towards lipid biosynthesis. However, this response comes at a significant cost reflected in decreased photosynthetic energy conversion efficiency and growth. Here we explore a molecular genetics approach to restrict the assimilation of inorganic nitrogen by knocking down nitrate reductase (NR). The transformant strain, NR21, exhibited about 50% lower expression and activity of the enzyme but simultaneously accumulated over 40% more fatty acids. However, in contrast to nitrogen-stressed wild-type (WT) cells, which grow at about 20% of the rate of nitrogen-replete cells, growth of NR21 was only reduced by about 30%. Biophysical analyses revealed that the photosynthetic energy conversion efficiency of photosystem II was unaffected in NR21; nevertheless, the plastoquinone pool was reduced by 50% at the optimal growth irradiance while in the WT it was over 90% oxidized. Further analyses reveal a 12-fold increase in the glutamate/glutamine ratio and an increase NADPH and malonyl-CoA pool size. Transcriptomic analyses indicate that the knock down resulted in changes in the expression of genes for lipid biosynthesis, as well as the expression of specific transcription factors. Based on these observations, we hypothesize that the allocation of carbon and reductants in diatoms is controlled by a feedback mechanism between intermediate metabolites, the redox state of the plastid and the expression and binding of transcription factors related to stress responses.Peer reviewe
Transplant for non-malignant disorders: an International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy Stem Cell Engineering Committee report on the role of alternative donors, stem cell sources and graft engineering
No full text: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is curative for many non-malignant disorders. As HSCT and supportive care technologies improve, this life-saving treatment may be offered to more and more patients. With the development of new preparative regimens, expanded alternative donor availability, and graft manipulation techniques, there are many options when choosing the best regimen for patients. Herein the authors review transplant considerations, transplant goals, conditioning regimens, donor choice, and graft manipulation strategies for patients with non-malignant disorders undergoing HSCT
A qualitative analysis of attitudes to face transplants: contrasting views of the general public and medical professionals
No full textWhile there has been a considerable criticism and debate about face transplantation from ethicists, surgeons and psychologists, little is known about the attitudes of medical professionals and the general public whose support will be necessary if face transplants are to be accepted. This study therefore conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with medical professionals (8) and the general public (8) to explore their understanding of and attitudes to face transplants. A thematic analysis was used to analyse these data. Five overarching themes were identified including agreement in principal, caveats and conditions, medical and technical difficulties, function and appearance, and the significance of the human face. The analysis revealed overwhelming support in principle for face transplants, but with important caveats and conditions. Both groups shared clear representations of deserving and undeserving candidates, and concerns about psychological adjustment. The general public sample demonstrated little understanding of medical implications or the consequences of a failed graft, which did concern the medical professionals. Neither group showed a clear understanding of the psychological or social factors required to predict best outcomes and identify suitable candidates. Analyses revealed a stereotypical belief from both groups that the life of a severely disfigured recipient is intolerable without this operation
The children's disability living allowance form:policing dependency with a boundary object
No full textDistress in the parents of children labelled with complex needs:replacing psy professionals with something more useful
No full textA Geometric Approach to Study Aircraft Trajectories: The Benefits of OpenSky Network ADS-B Data
No full textTo date, statistical analyses of aircraft trajectories have been under-exploited in the Airspace Traffic Management (ATM) literature. One reason is the need for advanced methods to tackle the high sampling irregularities and temporal correlations that both characterize trajectories. Differential geometry provides a relevant framework to study trajectories. By modeling trajectories as parameterized curves, shape analysis allows us to answer operational questions. This work presents a geodesic distance that rigorously defines and quantifies shape differences between aircraft trajectories. The key idea is to compare how the shape of a given trajectory changes from one popular data set (the Eurocontrol R&D data archive) to another one (OpenSky Network ADS-B data). Distances and geodesic paths are computed for a sample of flights that departed from Toulouse–Blagnac (LFBO) and landed at Paris–Orly (LFPO) in 2019. Its use for clustering purposes is illustrated and discussed
A Geometric Approach to Study Aircraft Trajectories: the benefits of OpenSky Network ADS-B data
No full textInternational audienceTo date, the statistical analysis of aircraft trajectories has been under-exploited in the Airspace Traffic Management (ATM) literature. One reason is the need for advanced methods to tackle the high sampling irregularity and temporal correlation that both characterize a trajectory. Differential geometry provides a relevant framework to study trajectories. Modeling trajectories as parametrized curves, shape analysis allows to answer operational questions. This work presents a geodesic distance that rigorously defines and quantifies shape differences between aircraft trajectories. The key idea is to compare how the shape of a given trajectory changes from one popular data set (the Eurocontrol R&D data archive) to another one (OpenSky Network ADS-B data). Distances as well as geodesic paths are computed for a sample of flights departing from Toulouse-Blagnac (LFBO) and landing at Paris-Orly (LFPO) in 2019. Its use for clustering purposes is illustrated and discussed
C'mon girlfriend: sisterhood, sexuality and the space of the benign in makeover TV
No full textIn the context of a purported shift from humiliation to the benign exemplified by the marked contrast between How to Look Good Naked and What Not to Wear, this article examines the cultural work performed by the ‘space of the benign’. We identify three main mechanisms – body appreciation, synthetic friendship and suspended sexuality – which manipulate existing constructions of female friendship and homosexuality to produce the host as the ‘gay best friend’. As such, the host sidesteps the heterosexual scopic economy while seeking to re-place women within it, and avoids the censure frequently directed at female presenters. At the same time, by coaxing women towards an acceptance of their body as is, the show provides a ‘feel-good’ sense of empowerment while preserving individualistic framings of body problems and solutions. We conclude that the show ehabilitates women within the heteronormative scopic economy, and reinscribes them as neo-liberal consumers
C’mon girlfriend: Sisterhood, sexuality and the space of the benign in makeover TV
No full textIn the context of a purported shift from humiliation to the benign exemplified by the marked contrast between How to Look Good Naked and What Not to Wear, this article examines the cultural work performed by the ‘space of the benign’. We identify three main mechanisms — body appreciation, synthetic friendship and suspended sexuality — which manipulate existing constructions of female friendship and homosexuality to produce the host as the ‘gay best friend’. As such, the host sidesteps the heterosexual scopic economy while seeking to re-place women within it, and avoids the censure frequently directed at female presenters. At the same time, by coaxing women towards an acceptance of their body as is, How to Look Good Naked provides a ‘feel-good’ sense of empowerment while preserving individualistic framings of body problems and solutions. We conclude that the show rehabilitates women within the heteronormative scopic economy, and reinscribes them as neo-liberal consumers
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