Derivation of iPSC lines from two patients with autism spectrum disorder carrying NRXN1α deletion (NUIGi041-A, NUIG041-B; NUIGi045-A) and one sibling control (NUIGi042-A, NUIGi042-B).

NRXN1 encodes thousands of splicing variants categorized into long NRXN1α, short NRXN1ß and extremely short NRXN1γ, which exert differential roles in neuronal excitation/inhibition. NRXN1α deletions are common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental/neuropsychiatric disorders. We derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from one sibling control and two ASD probands carrying NRXN1α+/-, using non-integrating Sendai viral method. All iPSCs highly expressed pluripotency markers and could be differentiated into ectodermal/mesodermal/endodermal cells. The genotype and karyotype of the iPSCs were validated by whole genome SNP array. The availability of the iPSCs offers an opportunity for understanding NRXN1α function in human neurons and in ASD.

Derivation of iPSC lines from three young healthy donors of Caucasian origin (NUIGi035-A; NUIGi036-A; NUIGi037-A).

The induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology has offered an unprecedented opportunity for disease modelling and drug discovery. Here we used non-integrating Sendai viral method and derived iPSCs from three young healthy Caucasian donors. All iPSCs expressed pluripotency markers highly and could be differentiated into three germ lineages. They possess normal karyotype which was confirmed by whole genome SNP array. The availability of the healthy control iPSCs offers an opportunity for phenotypic comparison and genome editing for a variety of diseases.

Derivation of two iPSC lines from a sporadic ASD patient (NUIGi033-A) and a paternal control (NUIGi034-A).

Hundreds of rare risk factors have been identified for ASD, however, the underlying causes for ~70% of sporadic cases are unknown. Sporadic ASD models are thus essential for validating phenotypic commonality and drug suitability to the majority of patients. Here, we derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from one sporadic ASD child and one paternal control, using non-integrating Sendai viral methods. The iPSCs strongly expressed pluripotency markers and could be differentiated into three germ layers. Their normal karyotype was validated by genome SNP array. The availability of sporadic ASD-derived iPSCs offers an opportunity for phenotypic comparison with genetic ASD models.

Effect of zein protein and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose on the texture of model gluten-free bread.

The influence of zein protein and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) on the texture and volume of gluten-free bread was investigated. The addition of HPMC to starch affected the dough viscoelasticity and it improved the bread volume during baking since it acts as an emulsifier. The addition of zein protein to gluten-free bread increased the crumb firmness and reduced the crust hardness within the range of concentrations investigated. No zein protein network could be observed in the bread crumb. The zein protein, cold mixed at low concentration, did not enhance the dough elasticity. Due to the lack of a protein network noncovalent interactions may stabilize the bubble structure stabilization within the crumb, rather than covalent links of the protein chain. With an optimized amount of zein protein and HPMC hydrocolloid, the gluten-free bread showed similar texture and staling behavior to that of model wheat bread. The optimized recipe, compiled into a spreadsheet, is available in the supporting information. The microstructural observations suggest that zein could be replaced with another protein for this recipe resulting in a similar bread texture.

Influence of pyrene grafting on PMMA nanosecond laser ablation at 248 nm.

In this work, we investigate the effects of KrF nanosecond laser ablation on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in combination with pyrene. Three materials containing PMMA were studied: (1) one doped with pure pyrene, (2) one doped with methyl 3-(1-pyrenyl)propanoate (so called alkylpyrene derivative thereafter), and (3) one grafted with pyrene. This last new material was developed by covalently bonding pyrene molecules to PMMA side-chains. A comparative study was undertaken to determine and compare the respective properties of the PMMA dye containing pyrene during nanosecond laser ablation at 248 nm. Cavities were etched for each material with up to 20 pulses for fluences between 0.03 and 1.7 J/cm(2) in samples containing 1, 2, and 4 mol % chromophore. The threshold fluences and the effective absorption coefficients were obtained. It was observed that effective absorption coefficients increased and threshold fluences decreased with the chromophore percentages in each kind of sample. Ablation parameters were not significantly modified when the dopant was changed from pyrene to the alkylpyrene derivative. On the other hand, when pyrene molecules were grafted on the polymer, the threshold fluences decreased, whereas the effective absorption coefficients became similar at fluences above 0.6 J/cm(2).