Evaluation of various membranes at different fluxes to enable large-volume single-use perfusion bioreactors.

The growing demand for biological therapeutics has increased interest in large-volume perfusion bioreactors, but the operation and scalability of perfusion membranes remain a challenge. This study evaluates perfusion cell culture performance and monoclonal antibody (mAb) productivity at various membrane fluxes (1.5-5 LMH), utilizing polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF), polyethersulfone (PES), or polysulfone (PS) membranes in tangential flow filtration mode. At low flux, culture with PVDF membrane maintained higher cell culture growth, permeate titer (1.06-1.34 g/L) and sieving coefficients (≥83%) but showed lower permeate volumetric throughput and higher transmembrane pressure (TMP) (>1.50 psi) in the later part of the run compared to cultures with PES and PS membrane. However, as permeate flux increased, the total mass of product decreased by around 30% for cultures with PVDF membrane, while it remained consistent with PES and PS membrane, and at the highest flux studied, PES membrane generated 12% more product than PVDF membrane. This highlights that membrane selection for large-volume perfusion bioreactors depends on the productivity and permeate flux required. Since operating large-volume perfusion bioreactors at low flux would require several cell retention devices and a complex setup, PVDF membranes are suitable for low-volume operations at low fluxes whereas PES membranes can be a desirable alternative for large-volume higher demand products at higher fluxes.

Identification of key somatic features that are common and the ones that differ between swim strokes through allometric modeling.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to explore which key somatic features are common to four swim strokes and medley, and specifically to identify which characteristics benefit only specific strokes. Methods: The sample was composed of 130 swimmers (95 males aged 19.5 ± 2.9 years and 35 females aged 18.4 ± 2.8 years). A set of anthropometric variables was used to predict swimming speed in the four swimming strokes and medley. Results: A multiplicative model with allometric body size components was used to identify the demographic and anthropometric predictors of swimming speed. Trunk height and waist circumference were the only variables significantly different among swimming strokes (p < 0.05). Associations between swimming speed and arm length were similar in breaststroke and medley, and in freestyle, backstroke and butterfly (R2 = 60.9%). The model retained as swimming speed predictors the age2, upper body circumference, hand breadth, waist circumference, and subscapular skinfold thickness (these last two had negative associations). Conclusion: All these predictors were common to all four swim strokes and medley. Arm length was also retained as a significant predictor, but this one varied significantly between the four different swim strokes and medley. These findings highlight the importance of having a "V-shape" trunk, longer upper limbs, and large hands as predictors of swimming performance.

Performance Tiers within a Competitive Age Group of Young Swimmers Are Characterized by Different Kinetic and Kinematic Behaviors.

The present study aimed to analyze swimmers' in-water kinetic and kinematic behaviors according to different swimming performance tiers within the same age group. An amount of 53 highly trained swimmers (girls and boys: 12.40 ± 0.74 years) were split up into 3 tiers based on their personal best performance (i.e., speed) in the 50 m freestyle event (short-course): lower-tier (1.25 ± 0.08 m·s-1); mid-tier (1.45 ± 0.04 m·s-1); and top-tier (1.60 ± 0.04 m·s-1). The in-water mean peak force was measured during a maximum bout of 25 m front crawl using a differential pressure sensors system (Aquanex system, Swimming Technology Research, Richmond, VA, USA) and defined as a kinetic variable, while speed, stroke rate, stroke length, and stroke index were retrieved and considered as kinematic measures. The top-tier swimmers were taller with a longer arm span and hand surface areas than the low-tier, but similar to the mid-tier. While the mean peak force, speed and efficiency differed among tiers, the stroke rate and stroke length showed mixed findings. Coaches should be aware that young swimmers belonging to the same age group may deliver different performance outcomes due to different kinetic and kinematic behaviors.

Single-gene resolution of diversity-driven overyielding in plant genotype mixtures.

In plant communities, diversity often increases productivity and functioning, but the specific underlying drivers are difficult to identify. Most ecological theories attribute positive diversity effects to complementary niches occupied by different species or genotypes. However, the specific nature of niche complementarity often remains unclear, including how it is expressed in terms of trait differences between plants. Here, we use a gene-centred approach to study positive diversity effects in mixtures of natural Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes. Using two orthogonal genetic mapping approaches, we find that between-plant allelic differences at the AtSUC8 locus are strongly associated with mixture overyielding. AtSUC8 encodes a proton-sucrose symporter and is expressed in root tissues. Genetic variation in AtSUC8 affects the biochemical activities of protein variants and natural variation at this locus is associated with different sensitivities of root growth to changes in substrate pH. We thus speculate that - in the particular case studied here - evolutionary divergence along an edaphic gradient resulted in the niche complementarity between genotypes that now drives overyielding in mixtures. Identifying genes important for ecosystem functioning may ultimately allow linking ecological processes to evolutionary drivers, help identify traits underlying positive diversity effects, and facilitate the development of high-performance crop variety mixtures.

Smart Devices for Health and Wellness Applied to Tele-Exercise: An Overview of New Trends and Technologies Such as IoT and AI.

This descriptive article explores the use of smart devices for health and wellness in the context of telehealth, highlighting rapidly evolving technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Key innovations, benefits, challenges, and opportunities related to the adoption of these technologies are outlined. The article provides a descriptive and accessible approach to understanding the evolution and impact of smart devices in the tele-exercise reality. Nowadays, technological advances provide solutions that were unthinkable just a few years ago. The habits of the general population have also changed over the past few years. Hence, there is a need to investigate this issue and draw the attention of the scientific community to this topic by describing the benefits and challenges associated with each topic. If individuals no longer go to exercise, the exercise must go to their homes instead.

Agreement between Different Methods to Measure the Active Drag Coefficient in Front-Crawl Swimming.

The aim of this study was to analyze the agreement of the active drag coefficient measured through drag and propulsion methods. The sample was composed of 18 swimmers (nine boys: 15.9 ± 0.9 years; nine girls: 15.3 ± 1.2 years) recruited from a national swimming team. The velocity perturbation method was used as the drag measurement system and the Aquanex system as the propulsion system. For both sexes combined, the frontal surface area was 0.1128 ± 0.016 m2, swim velocity 1.54 ± 0.13 m.s-1, active drag 62.81 ± 11.37 N, propulsion 68.81 ± 12.41 N. The level of the active drag coefficient agreement was calculated based on the mean values comparison, simple linear regression, and Bland Altman plots. The mean data comparison revealed non-significant differences (p > 0.05) between methods to measure the active drag coefficient. Both the linear regression (R2 = 0.82, p < 0.001) and Bland Altman plots revealed a very high agreement. The active drag coefficient should be the main outcome used in the interpretation of the swimmers' hydrodynamic profile, because it is less sensitive to swimming velocity. Coaches and researchers should be aware that the active drag coefficient can also be calculated based on propulsion methods and not just based on drag methods. Thus, the swimming community can now use different equipment to measure the hydrodynamics of their swimmers.

Medial Prefrontal Cortex Serotonin Input Regulates Cognitive Flexibility in Mice.

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) regulates cognitive flexibility and emotional behavior. Neurons that release serotonin project to the mPFC, and serotonergic drugs influence emotion and cognition. Yet, the specific roles of endogenous serotonin release in the mPFC on neurophysiology and behavior are unknown. We show that axonal serotonin release in the mPFC directly inhibits the major mPFC output neurons. In serotonergic neurons projecting from the dorsal raphe to the mPFC, we find endogenous activity signatures pre-reward retrieval and at reward retrieval during a cognitive flexibility task. In vivo optogenetic activation of this pathway during pre-reward retrieval selectively improved extradimensional rule shift performance while inhibition impaired it, demonstrating sufficiency and necessity for mPFC serotonin release in cognitive flexibility. Locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior were not affected by either optogenetic manipulation. Collectively, our data reveal a powerful and specific modulatory role of endogenous serotonin release from dorsal raphe-to-mPFC projecting neurons in cognitive flexibility.

StressMatic: A Novel Automated System to Induce Depressive- and Anxiety-like Phenotype in Rats.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a multidimensional psychiatric disorder that is estimated to affect around 350 million people worldwide. Generating valid and effective animal models of depression is critical and has been challenging for neuroscience researchers. For preclinical studies, models based on stress exposure, such as unpredictable chronic mild stress (uCMS), are amongst the most reliable and used, despite presenting concerns related to the standardization of protocols and time consumption for operators. To overcome these issues, we developed an automated system to expose rodents to a standard uCMS protocol. Here, we compared manual (uCMS) and automated (auCMS) stress-exposure protocols. The data shows that the impact of the uCMS exposure by both methods was similar in terms of behavioral (cognition, mood, and anxiety) and physiological (cell proliferation and endocrine variations) measurements. Given the advantages of time and standardization, this automated method represents a step forward in this field of preclinical research.

The interplay of long-term memory and working memory: When does object-color prior knowledge affect color visual working memory?

Elaboration enriches newly encoded information by connecting it to prior knowledge. Here, we tested if prior knowledge about object-color associations improves visual working memory (VWM) for colors. A sequence of four colored objects was presented in four screen locations for a continuous color reproduction test. Object-color associations were either congruent with prior knowledge (e.g., red tomato) or incongruent (e.g., blue tomato). In Experiments 1 and 2, congruency had no effect on memory irrespective of memoranda format (images or words), encoding time (1,500 vs. 4,500 ms), and an instruction to elaborate. In Experiment 3, the object was also tested with a three-alternative forced-choice before or after probing color memory. We also included neutral objects (no color association) and abstract shapes and tested VWM and episodic memory. Congruent items were remembered better than in all other conditions, which did not systematically differ. In Experiment 4, we assessed the congruency effect when only color or both color and object were tested. Congruent objects were remembered better only when both features were tested. Hence, prior knowledge boosts VWM only when this knowledge is relevant at test. Our results suggest that retrieval manipulations can be critical for promoting the use of long-term memory knowledge. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Comparison of process mass intensity (PMI) of continuous and batch manufacturing processes for biologics.

Biologics encompasses a wide variety of therapeutics including monoclonal antibodies, fusion proteins, and enzymes, among others. The biologics market is growing at a rapid pace and different manufacturing processes, including continuous manufacturing processes, are being increasingly adopted. There is a strong drive to assess the sustainability of such processes. Here, we calculated the process mass intensity (PMI) of a continuous manufacturing process and compared it to the PMI of batch processes for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Results show that the PMI of continuous manufacturing process is comparable to that of batch processes. Sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the impact of different process strategies on the material usage efficiency of continuous processes. Although PMI is a useful benchmarking metric of sustainability, it does not account for factors such as energy consumption which is a key driver of sustainability for biologics manufacturing. Comparison of a higher PMI continuous process with a lower PMI batch process operating at the same bioreactor scale shows that since the productivity (in g of drug substance, DS) per unit time is multifold higher for the continuous process, the overall energy consumption per unit of DS produced might be lower leading to a more environmentally sustainable process. This study highlights some of these key aspects that would require additional metrics and models to be developed to assess the overall sustainability of biologics processes.

Increasing plant group productivity through latent genetic variation for cooperation.

Historic yield advances in the major crops have, to a large extent, been achieved by selection for improved productivity of groups of plant individuals such as high-density stands. Research suggests that such improved group productivity depends on "cooperative" traits (e.g., erect leaves, short stems) that-while beneficial to the group-decrease individual fitness under competition. This poses a problem for some traditional breeding approaches, especially when selection occurs at the level of individuals, because "selfish" traits will be selected for and reduce yield in high-density monocultures. One approach, therefore, has been to select individuals based on ideotypes with traits expected to promote group productivity. However, this approach is limited to architectural and physiological traits whose effects on growth and competition are relatively easy to anticipate. Here, we developed a general and simple method for the discovery of alleles promoting cooperation in plant stands. Our method is based on the game-theoretical premise that alleles increasing cooperation benefit the monoculture group but are disadvantageous to the individual when facing noncooperative neighbors. Testing the approach using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, we found a major effect locus where the rarer allele was associated with increased cooperation and productivity in high-density stands. The allele likely affects a pleiotropic gene, since we find that it is also associated with reduced root competition but higher resistance against disease. Thus, even though cooperation is considered evolutionarily unstable except under special circumstances, conflicting selective forces acting on a pleiotropic gene might maintain latent genetic variation for cooperation in nature. Such variation, once identified in a crop, could rapidly be leveraged in modern breeding programs and provide efficient routes to increase yields.

Tet3 Deletion in Adult Brain Neurons of Female Mice Results in Anxiety-like Behavior and Cognitive Impairments.

TET enzymes (TET1-3) are dioxygenases that oxidize 5-methylcytosine (5mC) into 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) and are involved in the DNA demethylation process. In line with the observed 5hmC abundance in the brain, Tet genes are highly transcribed, with Tet3 being the predominant member. We have previously shown that Tet3 conditional deletion in the brain of male mice was associated with anxiety-like behavior and impairment in hippocampal-dependent spatial orientation. In the current study, we addressed the role of Tet3 in female mice and its impact on behavior, using in vivo conditional and inducible deletion from post-mitotic neurons. Our results indicate that conditional and inducible deletion of Tet3 in female mice increases anxiety-like behavior and impairs both spatial orientation and short-term memory. At the molecular level, we identified upregulation of immediate-early genes, particularly Npas4, in both the dorsal and ventral hippocampus and in the prefrontal cortex. This study shows that deletion of Tet3 in female mice differentially affects behavioral dimensions as opposed to Tet3 deletion in males, highlighting the importance of studying both sexes in behavioral studies. Moreover, it contributes to expand the knowledge on the role of epigenetic regulators in brain function and behavioral outcome.

Energy efficiency in large office buildings post-COVID-19 in Europe's top five economies.

Since the World Health Organization announced the COVID-19 pandemic, indoor airflows became a synonym for virus super-spreaders and the focus point for the scientific community and professional associations across the globe, disrupting all daily life dimensions. Europe's quick response to control the disease led the REHVA board to address mitigation guidelines, reassessed by each member association's following national specifics. The present study aims to quantify the energy consumption and CO2 emissions of "large office" buildings in top-five European economies under the COVID-19 guidelines under the post-pandemic telework forecast. Methodology resorted to a standard model under Building Energy Simulation assessment to compare prior and posterior scenarios. The latter displays a tendency to increase energy and CO2 emissions in all locations, in the first form 10.18% (Rome) to 69.48% (Paris); and second 5.80% (Rome) and 120.61% (Paris), which will affect national energy production and imports, urban pollution and business competitiveness. On a different scope, future HVAC guidelines need to address the incoming figures, particularly in highly dense urban areas. Also, to comply with the goals set by the Paris Accord.

Can Post-Exercise Hemodynamic Response Be Influenced by Different Recovery Methods in Paraplegic Sportsmen?

Post-exercise hypotension is of great clinical relevance and also in sports training settings, as recovery speed is important. The aim of this study was to compare the influence of different recovery methods on post-exercise hemodynamic response. Twelve male paraplegic sportsmen (25.40 ± 3.30 years) performed a strength training (ST) session using the bench press exercise. After the ST, three recovery methods were randomly performed over a 15-min period: passive recovery (PR), cold-water (CW) and dry needle (DN). Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and myocardial oxygen were measured before and post ST, as well as post the recovery method. Results: Dry needling induced lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) immediately after the treatment when compared with the other recovery methods, but the contrary was observed at 50 and 60-min post recovery, where records with DN exhibit higher mean values (η2p = 0.330). There were no differences in post-exercise diastolic BP and mean BP between recovery methods. There was a significantly higher HR after the PR method, when compared with CW and with DN (η2p = 0.426). The same was observed for double product and for myocardial oxygen, though with a larger effect size (η2p = 0.446). We conclude that dry needling seems to induce a faster SBP lowering immediately after the procedure but at 50-min post procedure the cold-water method showed better result. As for HR, both procedures (DN and CW) showed a better recovery when compared with passive recovery, along the several moments of measurement.

Acute and Long-Term Comparison of Fixed vs. Self-Selected Rest Interval Between Sets on Upper-Body Strength.

ABSTRACT: Simão, R, Polito, M, de Salles, BF, Marinho, DA, Garrido, ND, Santos Junior, ERT, and Willardson, JM. Acute and long-term comparison of fixed vs. self-selected rest interval between sets on upper-body strength. J Strength Cond Res 36(2): 540-544, 2022-The effects of different rest interval durations between sets has been widely studied, but only recently, the self-selected rest interval (SSRI) has been a matter of interest. However, previous studies comparing fixed and SSRI have investigated only acute responses. The purpose of this study was to analyze the acute and long-term effects of a fixed rest interval (FRI) vs. an SSRI between sets on upper-body performance and strength gains. Thirty-three trained men were randomly divided into 2 groups: FRI (75 seconds between sets), and SSRI. Both groups performed 3 sets with 75% of 1-repetition maximum until repetition failure in the chest press (CP), lat pull-down (LPD), shoulder press (SP), and seated row (SR) 3 times a week for 8 weeks. The results demonstrated that the SSRI allowed for significantly greater repetition performance vs. the FRI in the CP (26.1 ± 2.0 vs. 21.5 ± 1.8), LPD (30.1 ± 2.3 vs. 24.9 ± 1.9), SP (24.0 ± 2.8 vs. 17.4 ± 1.5), and SR (26.3 ± 1.6 vs. 22.0 ± 1.6). In addition, the following strength gains were observed: SSRI (CP: 6.8%, LPD: 8.0%, SP: 6.7%, SR: 7.8%) and FRI (CP: 7.4%, LPD: 6.7%, SP: 6.1%, SR: 7.0%) without significant differences between the groups. In conclusion, within an 8-week period, both protocols seem to be effective for strength gains, despite the higher training volume accomplished by the SSRI group. However, the FRI was 37% more time efficient.

Agility, vertical jump, and shot velocity of Brazilian water polo players: correlations and top performances analysis.

BACKGROUND: Agility, vertical jump (VJ), and shot velocity (SV) are associated with water polo (WP) performance. The aim of this study was to identify the performance in agility, VJ and SV; to verify the correlations between the variables; and to identify the 90th and 95th percentile of each variable. METHODS: Fifty-five male WP players (aged 21.6±8.2 years; experience in WP: 8.5±6.1 years) were assessed in three specific in-water tests: 1) Functional Test for Agility Performance; 2) VJ; 3) SV. The 95th and 90th percentiles were identified (5% and 10% best results). Correlations were tested with Pearson Correlation test. RESULTS: Agility, VJ, and SV, were, respectively: 3.8±0.3 s; 137.5±14.3 cm; and 17.9±1.4 m·s-1. For the 95th percentiles, nine players were identified, all different players, three at each parameter. For the 90th percentile, 16 players were included, but just one player ws in the 10% best result for the three variables. Correlations (P≤0.05) were found for agility vs. VJ (r=-0.38) and for agility vs. SV (r=- 0.25). CONCLUSIONS: Although correlations have been found between the variables, it was not possible to verify the pattern of better players in the three parameters evaluated.

Acute Hormonal Responses to Multi-Joint Resistance Exercises with Blood Flow Restriction.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effects of multi-joint resistance exercises (MJRE) with blood flow restriction on hormonal responses. Ten men participated in the study and underwent two experimental protocols in random order: four sets (30, 15, 15, and 15 reps, respectively) of MJRE (half squat and horizontal chest press) were performed with 20% of 1RM and a rest time between sets of 30 s, combined with intermittent blood flow restriction (LI + BFR protocol); and four sets (8, 8, 8, 20 reps, respectively) of the same MJRE performed with 75% of 1RM load (HI protocol), with a 90 s rest between the first three sets and 30 s between the third to the fourth set. Blood samples were collected before (PRE), immediately after (POST), and 15 min after the performance of MJRE (POST15). A time effect was observed for growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like-growth-factor-1-binding-protein-3 (IGFPB-3), but no protocol effects or interactions between protocol and times were observed (p > 0.05). There was no effect of either protocol or time (p > 0.05) on total testosterone, free testosterone, or cortisol concentrations. However, significant (p < 0.05) increases were observed in the GH serum concentrations of 2072.73% and 2278.5%, HI, and LI + BFR protocols, respectively, from the PRE to POST15 test. In addition, there was an increase of 15.30% and 13.29% in the IGFPB-3 concentrations (p < 0.05) from PRE to POST0 times for HI and LI + BFR protocols, respectively. Furthermore, there was a decrease of −6.17% and −11.54%, p = 0.00, between the times POST0 to POST15 in the IGFPB-3 for the HI and LI + BFR protocols, respectively. It is concluded that multi-joint resistance exercises combined with intermittent blood flow restriction seemed to promote acute hormonal responses in a manner similar to traditional exercise with high loads. Future studies may investigate whether chronic use of LI + BFR with MJRE may promote muscle hypertrophy.

Determination of protein concentration in downstream biomanufacturing processes by in-line index of refraction.

Protein concentration determination is a necessary in-process control for the downstream operations within biomanufacturing. As production transitions from batch mode to an integrated continuous bioprocess paradigm, there is a growing need to move protein concentration quantitation from off-line to in-line analysis. One solution to fulfill this process analytical technology need is an in-line index of refraction (IoR) sensor to measure protein concentration in real time. Here the performance of an IoR sensor is evaluated through a series of experiments to assess linear response, buffer matrix effects, dynamic range, sensor-to-sensor variability, and the limits of detection and quantitation. The performance of the sensor was also tested in two bioprocessing scenarios, ultrafiltration and capture chromatography. The implementation of this in-line IoR sensor for real-time protein concentration analysis and monitoring has the potential to improve continuous bioprocess manufacturing.

COVID-19: The impact in US high-rise office buildings energy efficiency.

The COVID-19 pandemic, through stay-at-home orders, forced rapid changes to social human behavior and interrelations, targeting the work environments to protect workers and users. Rapidly, global organizations, US associations, and professionals stepped in to mitigate the virus's spread in buildings' living and work environments. The institutions proposed new HVAC settings without efficiency concerns, as improved flow rates and filtering for irradiation, humidity, and temperature. Current literature consensually predicted an increase in energy consumption due to new measures to control the SARS-CoV-2 spread. The research team assumed the effort of validating the prior published outcomes, applied to US standardized high-rise office buildings, as defined and set by the key entities in the field, by resorting to a methodology based on software energy analysis. The study compares a standard high-rise office building energy consumption, CO2 emissions and operations costs in nine US climate zones - from 0 to 8, south to north latitudes, respectively -, assessed in the most populated cities, between the previous and post COVID-19 scenarios. The outcomes clarify the gathered knowledge, explaining that climate zones above mixed-humid type tend to increase relative energy use intensity by 21.72%, but below that threshold the zones decrease relative energy use intensity by 11.92%.

The Polycomb group protein MEDEA controls cell proliferation and embryonic patterning in Arabidopsis.

Establishing the embryonic body plan of multicellular organisms relies on precisely orchestrated cell divisions coupled with pattern formation, which, in animals, are regulated by Polycomb group (PcG) proteins. The conserved Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) mediates H3K27 trimethylation and comes in different flavors in Arabidopsis. The PRC2 catalytic subunit MEDEA is required for seed development; however, a role for PRC2 in embryonic patterning has been dismissed. Here, we demonstrate that embryos derived from medea eggs abort because MEDEA is required for patterning and cell lineage determination in the early embryo. Similar to PcG proteins in mammals, MEDEA regulates embryonic patterning and growth by controlling cell-cycle progression through repression of CYCD1;1, which encodes a core cell-cycle component. Thus, Arabidopsis embryogenesis is epigenetically regulated by PcG proteins, revealing that the PRC2-dependent modulation of cell-cycle progression was independently recruited to control embryonic cell proliferation and patterning in animals and plants.