Fast Advanced Research Articles

A comparative study of extraction free detection of HBV DNA using sodium dodecyl sulfate, N-lauroylsarcosine sodium salt, and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate

This study aimed to develop an extraction-free method for quantitative and qualitative detection of HBV DNA compared to traditional nucleic acid extraction. Paired serum and dried blood spot (DBS) samples from 67 HBsAg-positive and 67 HBsAg-negative individuals were included. Two samples with known HBV DNA titers (~ 109 copies/mL) were examined by extraction-free detection using three surfactants (0.2 to 1% of Sodium dodecyl sulfate:SDS, N-Lauroylsarcosine sodium salt:NL, Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate:SDBS), two stabilizing agents (0.1 or 0.01% 2-Mercaptoethanol:2ME and 3.5 or 7% Bovine Serum Albumin:BSA) and two Taq polymerases (Fast Advanced and Prime Direct Probe). HBV DNA in all 67 HBsAg-positive and 67 HBsAg-negative serum and DBS samples was directly quantified by Rt-PCR using 0.4% SDS or 0.4% NL with Fast Advance or Prime Direct Probe Taq. Extraction-free amplification was also performed. Detection limits were varied by different surfactants and Taq. SDS combined with Fast Advanced Taq showed lower detection limits, while SDS with Prime Direct Probe Taq outperformed NL or SDBS-based detection. Adding 2ME to SDS improved detection limit with Prime Direct Probe Taq but not significantly compared to SDS alone. BSA did not significantly enhance detection limits but provided insights into sample stability. The senitivity and specificity of 0.4% SDS and NL in combination with either Fast advanced or Prime Direct Probe Taq polymerase in serum samples were > 90% and 100% resepctively, while it was > 80% and 100% respectively in DBS samples. Extraction-free HBV DNA amplification provided 100% identity with original genomes. Our study suggests that SDS, NL or SDBS-based extraction-free HBV DNA detection strategies using Prime Direct Probe Taq have potential to simplify and accelerate HBV DNA detection with high sensitivity and specificity in both serum and DBS samples, with implications for resource-limited settings and clinical applications. Utilizing surfactants with 2ME is optional, and further research and validation are necessary to broaden its application in real-world diagnostics.

Impact of Amphiregulin on Oocyte Maturation and Embryo Quality: Insights from Clinical and Molecular Perspectives

AbstractIdentifying non-invasive biomarkers which can predict the outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is crucial, particularly in Germany where the challenges are intensified by the Embryo Protection Act. Recent research has highlighted biomarkers within the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family as central to follicular processes, although their predictive utility remains a subject of debate in the literature. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to investigate the significance of amphiregulin concentrations in follicular fluid and gene expression in mural granulosa cells on oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryo quality.A total of 33 women were recruited at the University Clinic of Saarland Fertility Center (Homburg, Germany). Follicular fluid aspiration consisted of single/individual aspiration of follicles, enabling a 1 : 1 correlation with retrieved oocytes. Follicular fluid and mural granulosa cell samples from 108 oocytes were analyzed. Amphiregulin levels were determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, while gene expression was analyzed with the StepOnePlus Real-Time PCR System using TaqMan Fast Advanced Master Mix assays.Results showed that amphiregulin concentrations affect oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryo quality, while luteinizing hormone concentrations influence oocyte maturation, with significant differences identified between fertilized/unfertilized and good/poor embryo groups. Amphiregulin expression significantly impacts oocyte maturation, with downregulation observed in immature oocytes, while luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptor expression showed no significant differences between groups and did not influence maturation, fertilization, or embryo quality.These findings are very important for advancing infertility treatment, especially in Germany. The results for amphiregulin may provide prognostic insights which could be useful when selecting viable oocytes and embryos. This research underscores the importance of non-invasive biomarkers for optimizing ICSI outcomes and potentially enhancing the success rates of assisted reproductive technology.

MiRNA-369-5p within Small Extracellular Vesicles Correlates with Acute Chest Syndrome in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

Introduction: Acute chest syndrome (ACS) is one of the leading causes of mortality in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Despite this, there are no biomarkers that can distinguish patients who present with a painful vaso-occlusive episode (VOE) and may rapidly develop ACS. Endothelial damage is a critical component of the pathophysiology of SCD. Small extracellular vesicles (EVs) are endocytic-derived vesicles that package protein and nucleic acid cargo for communication between cells. We and others have demonstrated that EVs have unique properties in patients with SCD. We have shown that EVs from SCD patients differentially affect endothelial integrity in vitro. We have previously performed miRNA sequencing and identified 15 miRNA that were differentially expressed based on a history of ACS. In this study we sought to closely assess how three of these miRNA, miR-let7c-5p, miR-122-5p, and miR-369-5p, differ across the timeline of patients with sickle cell, ie. at baseline, during ACS and during VOE. Methods: The SCD biobank at the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital and LaRabida Children's Hospital was queried for patients who had multiple blood samples over many years that included at least one each of a baseline (> 4 weeks from an acute event), a hospitalization for ACS and a hospitalization for a VOE. All subjects had been prospectively enrolled, with informed consent provided by parents or patients aged >18 years and assent obtained from subjects aged 9-18 years. Control samples (n=5) were obtained from patients without SCD who received bloodwork for routine check-ups or for follow-up of iron-deficiency anemia. Equal volumes of control samples were pooled for consistency across experiments. EVs were isolated via Total Exosome Isolation Kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific) per the manufacturer's guidelines. RNA was purified from samples using the miRNeasy Micro Kit (Qiagen). For quantitative PCR, complementary DNA was generated with the TaqMan Advanced miRNA cDNA Synthesis kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Specified miRNAs (hsa-miR-122-5p, hsa-miR-99a-5p, hsa-miR-369-5p, hsa-miR-let-7c-5p) were analyzed using TaqMan Fast Advanced Master Mix (Thermo Fisher Scientific) and TaqMan Advanced miRNA Assay primers (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Samples were analyzed in triplicate on a 7500 Fast Real-Time PCR machine (Applied Biosystems) and threshold cycle values were normalized to cel-miR-39 controls. Relative changes in expression for ACS and VOE samples were calculated using the respective baseline samples or non-SCD controls as reference values and theΔΔ quantification cycle method. Results: To determine whether exosomal miRNA levels correlated with the disease status of patients, normalized samples from all patients were aggregated and then stratified based on sample type (baseline, VOE, ACS, or ACS post transfusion). While there were no statistically significant differences in exosomal expression of miR-let-7c-5p and miR-122-5p between sample types, there was a promising trend for miR-122-5p. There was a 2.6-fold increase in miR-122-5plevels, relative to baseline, when patients experienced a vaso-occlusive episode. In contrast, miR-122-5p levels decreased 2.3-fold, relative to baseline, when patients were hospitalized with acute chest syndrome. Extravesicular miR-369-5p levels were differentially regulated and correlated with the disease status of patients. When patients were hospitalized with a VOE or ACS, there was a 2.9-fold and 10-fold increase in miR-369-5p levels, respectively, compared to their baseline. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference between VOE and ACS samples, which suggests that miR-369-5p levels can distinguish between VOE and ACS events (Fig. 3C). Interestingly, when ACS samples were obtained post-transfusion (ACS ptx), miR-369-5p levels decreased significantly to values near that of VOE samples. Conclusions: In this study, we report that the miRNA-369-5p levels in small EVs are differentially up-regulated in SCD patients during an ACS event. Furthermore, we show that these levels can distinguish patients presenting with a VOE from those who eventually develop ACS. Our findings demonstrate that it is possible to utilize extracellular vesicles and their contents to predict ACS. Further studies should be done so there is a tool to predict ACS and improve the clinical outcomes for patients with SCD.

Association between the single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs1030868) variant in matrix metallopeptidase 2 gene and the development of lymphedema

BackgroundUnderstanding the genetic and molecular pathophysiology of lymphedema contributes to the identification of the complex interaction of genes associated with lymphedema and provides a key therapeutic opportunity to restore lymphatic function. This study aims to answer whether the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1030868 in the MMP-2 gene could be an associated variant in lymphedema development.MethodsThis study was carried out on 93 lymphedema cases (patients’ group) and 187 healthy individuals (control group). Genotyping of MMP-2 (rs1030868) was done following the protocol of Custom TaqMan® SNP Genotyping Assays. TaqMan™ Fast Advanced Master Mix (Cat# 4448892) was used.ResultsThe risk alleles for MMP-2 SNP rs1030868 were A and G of lymphedema development. The GG genotype was associated with triple the risk of lymphedema (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.2–6.5, p = 0.019), while the AA genotype was associated with 5.9 times the likelihood of lymphedema (OR 5.9, 95% CI 2.3–11.9, p < 0.001).ConclusionsWe concluded that the single-nucleotide polymorphisms of rs1030868 in the matrix metallopeptidase 2 gene (allele A and allele G) could be associated variants with the development of lymphedema.

Significance of expression of selected miRNAs in the diagnosis of hepatological complications of Epstein-Barr virus infection in children.

To assess the expression of selected miRNAs as predictive factors of hepatological complications in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected children. This study included 68 children infected with EBV aged 1 to 18 years hospitalised between 01.12.2018 and 31.12.2020 in the Department of Paediatrics, Infectious Diseases and Hepatology. The expression of 5 miRNAs (miR-122-5p, miR-21-3p, miR-34a-5p, miR-26b-5p, miR-199a-5p) was analysed by real-time PCR using the TaqMan Fast Advanced Master Mix kit. In the group of EBV-infected children, statistically significantly higher expression for miR-21-3p, miR-122-5p, miR-26b-5p and miR-34a-5p was confirmed. In a group of 54 children diagnosed with hepatitis, along with an increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and g-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP) activity, an increase in expression of miR-21-3p, miR-122-5p, miR-26b-5p, miR-34a-5p and miR-199a-5p was observed. Increased expression of miR-21-3p, miR-122-5p, miR-26b-5p, miR-34a-5p and miR-199a-5p in EBV-infected children appears to be a risk factor for hepatological complications progressing to biliary pole defects.

PATH-02. ANALYSIS OF MICRORNA EXPRESSION IN BRAIN METASTASES USING NEXT-GENERATION SEQUENCING

Abstract BACKGROUND Brain metastases (BMs) are intracranial tumors that frequently occur in adult cancer patients. Because the prognosis of patients with BM individually varies, it would be useful to improve prognostic scoring tools by including new high-performance biomarkers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) appear to be promising in this regard as they are highly stable and, thus, suitable for both next-generation sequencing (RNA-Seq) and retrospective analyses in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues.Material and METHODS Total RNA enriched for miRNAs was isolated from 71 freshly frozen histopathologically confirmed BMs with origin in 5 tumor types (ca lung - 37%, melanoma - 23%, ca breast - 18%, RCC - 15%, CRC - 7%) using mirVana miRNA Isolation Kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Sequencing libraries were prepared from RNA using the QIAseq miRNA Library Kit (Qiagen) and sequenced using the NextSeq 500 platform (Illumina). The miRNA molecules were subsequently transcribed from total RNA samples isolated from a retrospective set of 119 FFPE tissues using the TaqMan Advanced miRNA cDNA Synthesis Kit, and the expression of selected miRNAs was validated in a pilot experiment by qPCR using TaqMan Fast Advanced Master Mix and appropriate TaqMan MicroRNA Assays (all from Thermo Fisher Scientific). RESULTS The differential analysis identified 373 miRNAs with significantly different expression among the 5 BMs groups (p&amp;lt; 0.001). A molecular classifier based on the expression of 32 miRNAs was able to classify all samples correctly. Out of these, seven, including miR-122-5p, miR-141-3p, miR-146a-5p, miR-194-5p, miR-200c-3p, miR-211-3p, and miR-215-5p, were chosen for subsequent validation and their significantly different expression in 5 BMs groups was validated. CONCLUSIONS Presented results confirm the importance of studying dysregulated miRNA expression in BM and the diagnostic potential of validated miRNAs. The study was prepared with the grant support of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic - grant No. NV18-03-00398.

Circulating Serum MiRNA-8074 as a Novel Prognostic Biomarker for Multiple Myeloma.

MiRNA-8074 is a molecule with the potential to regulate the expression of key genes related to the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma (MM), i.e., TP53, MYC, MAPK1, and KIAA. We analyzed the predictive and prognostic value of miRNA-8074 expression in MM patients. In total, 105 newly diagnosed MM patients treated with thalidomide (n = 27), bortezomib (n = 41) and bortezomib with thalidomide (n = 37) were studied. For miRNA analysis, the column method and the Real-Time PCR technique with specific TaqMan Fast Advanced Master Mix and TaqMan probes were used. Factors that were associated with a significant reduction in progression-free survival (PFS) included: ECOG > 1, ISS stage III, low hemoglobin, thrombocytopenia, hypoalbuminemia, abnormal renal function, elevated creatinine, GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, elevated LDH, del(17p), t(11;14), the use of a single drug regimen (thalidomide or bortezomib) and high miRNA-8074 expression (HR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.16–3.49; p = 0.0233). In addition to the known prognostic factors, such as ECOG > 1, Durie–Salmon stage III, diagnosis of light chain disease or non-secreting MM, renal failure, hypoalbuminemia, hypercalcemia, high β2-microglobulin, elevated LDH, and t(14;16), a high expression of miRNA-8074 was significantly associated with a higher risk of death (HR = 4.12, 95% CI: 2.20–7.70; p = 0.0009). In summary, miRNA-8074 may be a useful diagnostic tool to assess the prognosis in MM patients.

Core Materials for Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors: Past to Present and Future Prospects

Abstract The Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) is the most promising and technologically evolved among the six nuclear reactor concepts selected by the Generation IV International Forum. Although it is compatible with a closed fuel cycle for sustainable energy production, its competitiveness depends on being able to achieve high fuel burn-up up to 200 GWd/t. This would enable efficient fuel utilization to minimize fuel cycle costs. Hence, development of optimized core materials, especially for fuel cladding tubes that are subjected to extreme conditions of intense fast-spectrum neutron irradiation, high temperatures, and mechanical and chemical fuel–cladding interactions, continues to be a priority worldwide. Resistance to void swelling, irradiation creep, and embrittlement are required to be enhanced to minimize dimensional changes and loss of ductility in core components, which limit achievable burn-up. Current SFR core materials comprise austenitic stainless steels (SS) and ferritic-martensitic (FM) steels. Cold-worked austenitic SS grades 304, 316, 316Ti, niobium-stabilized grades FV548, EI-847, EP-172, and Ti-modified 15Cr-15Ni SS, such as D9, 1.4970, 15/15Ti SS, and ChS-68, have been used for fuel cladding and ducts in SFRs built to date, and they withstand neutron irradiation damage up to 80–100 dpa. Subsequent improvements have been made by optimizing minor elements (titanium, silicon, and phosphorous) and multi-stabilization to develop advanced grades such as Si-modified 15-15Ti, Indian Fast Reactor Advanced Clad (IFAC-1), PNC-316, EK-164, and HT-UPS, which could support burn-up of 150 GWd/t. In the case of FM steels, several commercial grades are found suitable in view of their inherent void swelling resistance to 200 dpa, and are being developed for improved creep strength by oxide dispersion strengthening to realize burn-up of 200–250 GWd/t. This article presents the development of structural materials for SFR fuel pin cladding and ducts and associated enhancement of permissible fuel burn-up. Indian and international experience resulting from extensive in-pile and out-of-pile mechanical testing and fuel–cladding interactions has been covered.

Design and Implementation of a Lightweight and Fast Tiny Advanced Encryption Standard Algorithm

Cryptographic algorithms are gaining importance due to their relevance and importance in the areas of privacy and security experienced by the Internet of Things (IoT) devices. They improve data privacy and confidentiality by limiting who can decrypt the data to the person who has the key. Advanced encryption standard (AES) is one of the most important encryption algorithms in use. This algorithm uses 10 rounds for each encryption and decryption process and encrypts data starting with 16 bytes, which increases the time needed for encryption and decryption. In order to speed up encryption and decryption while maintaining security levels more than or equal to those offered by the AES algorithm, this paper proposes an algorithm called tiny advanced encryption standard (TAES) with two different scenarios. As the encryption process starts with 4 bytes and goes up to an unlimited number of bytes, TAES features are less complex and more flexible than those of AES and can be quickly implemented, and are characterized by high encryption of images, texts, and sounds. The proposed TAES algorithm is tested on text and images using the MATLAB software. The result is completely distorted images and text. The test results also unveil that the encryption and decryption speeds as well as the throughput of the proposed TAES is much better than those of the original AES algorithm. Moreover, a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values are obtained, indicating a greater degree of image distortion as a consequence of utilizing the proposed TAES algorithm.

Secure and Consistent Job Administration Using Encrypted Data Access Policies in Cloud Systems

Cloud services are provided to individuals or particular communities and groups. The data produced or communicated are expected to be more secure in the cloud environment, which requires the continuous services of Cloud Service Provider (CSP). In this article, Securely Encrypted Data Access Policies (SEDAP) are configured in the cloud platform. The proposed SEDAP helps to understand the cloud services and accesses in different perspectives such as user actions, jobs initiated from users and the batches evolved from the dependent jobs. The boundary between these perspectives is used in SEDAP for providing encrypted and authenticated job administration in cloud services. In this work, efficient fast processing Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Secure Hashing Algorithm (SHA-3) and other session key distribution mechanisms are used. The results of SEDAP are compared with the other existing cloud security schemes, which shows that SEDAP has 20% more stability and ensures multilevel security in cloud job administration process.

VDR, CYP2R1 and CYP27B1 Genes Are Differentially Expressed in Male`s and Females Tissues of Wistar Rats

Effect of vitamin D on gene expression has been widely investigated in vitro; however, in vivo action of vitamin D supplementation has been much less analysed in this context. Moreover, recent findings suggest that the effect of vitamin D supplementation may be sex-specific. The aim of our study was to investigate how vitamin D supplementation affects the expression of vdr, cyp2r1 and cyp27b1 genes in the liver, fat, brain and kidney of male and female rats. 36 adult Wistars rats (18 male and 18 females) were divided into 3 groups obtaining the same standard diet, differing only in the dose of vitamin D (group I - no supplementation, group II 1000 IU/kg of vitamin D, group III 5000 IU/kg of vitamin D). After 3 months of the experiment, animals were euthanised, and samples of tissues were collected from all animals. RNA was isolated using the Purelink RNA isolation kit (Thermofisher). RNA was reverse transcribed using High-Capacity cDNA Reverse Transcription Kit (Thermofisher). qPCR was performed using TaqMan™ assays and TaqMan™ Fast Advanced Master Mix on Quant Studio 7 instrument (Thermofisher). Data were analysed using SAS software. In the liver, we observed that the expression of the vdr gene was ~5 fold higher and cyp2r1 was ~2 fold higher in females compared to males (p<0.0003) (p<0.0002) respectively. In adipose tissue expression of cyp27b1 was ~1.8 fold higher (p<0.014) in females compared to males. In the kidney expression of vdr and cyp2r1 was slightly higher in females (fold change- (fc) 1.18 p<0.03) (fc=1.37, p<0.0001), while expression of cyp27b1 was 1.7 fold higher in males (p<0.013). In the brain, we observed slightly increased expression of cyp2r1 and cyp27b1 genes in females when compared to males (fc=1.14 p<0.0001), fc=1.23 p<0.01). Supplementation with 5000 IU/kg of vitamin D resulted in the decrease in the expression of vdr, cyp2r1 and cyp27b1 in the kidney when both sexes were analysed together(p<0.0127, p<0.0326, p<0.0326) but this decline was only statistically significant for vdr in males when sexes were analysed separately (p<0,0403). In the liver of males expression of vdr gene tended to increase and expression of cyp27b1 tended to decrease after vitamin D supplementation (p<0.06) (p<0.0501). In the adipose of males expression of cyp27b1 was downregulated by the high dose of vitamin D (p<0.04) but not in females. In the brain of males, we observed a slight decrease in the expression of cyp2r1 in a group obtaining 5000 IU/kg of vitamin D when compared to animals obtaining 1000 IU/kg (p<0.025). Concluding, our study shows that in a number of tissues of Wistar rats, expression of vdr, cyp27b1, and cyp2r1 is higher in females when compared to males. The only exception is the expression of cyp27b1 in the kidney, where it is higher in males. Moreover, the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the expression of these genes is weak and more evident in males and when high doses (5000 IU/kg) of vitamin D was used.

Development and Deployment of Welding Technologies for the Indian Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor and Advanced Ultra-supercritical Thermal Power Programmes

Development and Deployment of Welding Technologies for the Indian Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor and Advanced Ultra-supercritical Thermal Power Programmes

18 Relative expression of the neonatal crystallizable fragment receptor (FcRn) in equine tissues

The neonatal crystallizable fragment receptor (FcRn) is an important immune system receptor with several functions including bi-directional transport of immunoglobulin G across cell surfaces and involvement in antigen presentation. Research regarding the FcRn is robust in human medicine, but has lagged in livestock species. Although the FcRn has been characterized in several body tissues in cattle, sheep and pigs, there is only one published report regarding examination of the FcRn in intestine from a single horse in China. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify relative FcRn mRNA expression in various equine body tissues. To meet the objective, tissues were collected from 2 horses (H1, H2) within 30 min of euthanasia. Collection sites were standardized for each location to minimize variation. Tissues included lung (4 locations), stomach (2 locations), small intestine (3 locations), cecum (3 locations), large colon (6 locations), and joints (2 locations). A minimum of 5 tissue samples (500 mg each) were collected from each location to obtain representative samples and preserved in RNAlater. Total RNA was extracted using the RNeasy Plus Universal Mini Kit (Qiagen). Reverse transcription to cDNA was performed with the High-Capacity cDNA Reverse Transcription kit (ThermoFisher Scientific). Pre-designed TaqMan probe sets for FcRn (Assay ID 07049868_g1) and 3 reference genes (ACTB, GADPH, HPRT1) were obtained from ThermoFisher Scientific. Relative quantification of mRNA expression of FcRn in each tissue was measured by qPCR using TaqMan Fast Advanced Master Mix (ThermoFisher Scientific) and calculated using the 2 −ΔΔCT method and normalized to the geometric mean of the 3 reference genes. Realtive quantity (RQ) of FcRn expression for tissues from the 2 horses was grouped qualitatively into high, moderate, and low designations. RQ of FcRn expression was highest in the joints (RQ range 2.37–3.98) and small intestine (RQ range 2.28–3.18) with individual variation present in the duodenum (H1 RQ 2.60; H2 RQ 0.82) and ileum (H1 RQ 1.08; H2 RQ 2.47). FcRn expression was moderate in tissues from the cecum (RQ range 1.02–1.75) and lung (RQ 1.42–2.32) with individual variation present in the distal cecum (H1 RQ 1.02; H2 RQ 0.67) and main bronchi tissue (H1 RQ 2.06; H2 RQ 0.47). Expression was lowest in the stomach (RQ range 0.24–1.12) and colon (RQ range 0.56–1.35). FcRn location within specific cell types was not determined and requires further examination. In summary, this novel qualitative study indicates FcRn expression in numerous equine tissues and provides base knowledge from which to expand future investigation.

MRI and CT venography in the diagnosis of hemodynamic disorders in patients suffering from the lower extremities veins chronic diseases Part I. Possibilities of MRI in visualization of the vascular blood flow of the lower extremities

Despite the fact that most vascular surgeons in Russia rarely use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in their daily practice, today interest in this method of imaging among specialists in the world is steadily increasing. This is due to the desire of clinicians to have another non – invasive method for diagnosing hemodynamic disorders of both the arterial (Magnetic Resonance Angiography – MRA) and venous vascular bed (Magnetic Resonance Venography – VRA). The development of these methods today is associated with the solution of many technical problems, the development of special pulse sequences and post-processing methods for the resulting image. This literature review analyzes published scientific data on the methodology of MRI in relation to the vascular system and the choice of optimal scanning modes. Taking into consideration the fact that this material is intended primarily for vascular surgeons and phlebologists, and not radiologists, the first part summarizes the basic understanding of the physical phenomena underlying the MRI image, without which a thoughtful analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of MR-Angiography and the search for the most optimal scanning mode for MR-Venography is not possible. Based on the constant desire of clinicians to be self-educated, it seems that this part of the presented material will not be difficult to understand. When describing the developed contrast-free and contrast-free MRA methods, attention is paid to the traditional methods of image processing in 2D mode (TOF, PC) using pulse sequences: spin echo (SE), multi-echo (SE T2), turbo spin echo (TSE), fast Advanced Spin Echo (fast Advanced Spin Echo-FASE), gradient echo (Gradient Echo-GE, GRE) and inversion recovery (Inversion Recovery-IR). In addition, the focus is on the most modern solu tions, including: multiplantar reformatting (MPR), maximum intensity projection (MIP), subvolume maximum intensity, surface rendering (SR), volume rendering (VR) and virtual intraluminal endoscopy (VIE). For all the methods used today, MR-Angiography is shown to be specific and informative, with a detailed analysis of the advantages and disadvantages. The nuances of understanding the resulting angiographic image in T1 and T2-weighted images and the phenomena of “bright blood” and “black blood” are shown. Since the absence of information or a brief mention only about the possibilities of using MRI in the diagnosis of hemodynamic disorders in patients with vascular pathology in Russian scientific literature it seems that this material is relevant and will arouse some interest from various specialists. Of particular interest is the potential use of contrast-free and contrast – free MR Angiography in the study of venous pathology of the lower extremities and pelvis, especially with regard to timely and accurate diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis (deep Vein Thrombosis-DVT) and venous thromboembolism (Venous Thrombosis – Embolism – VTE), which occupy a special position in the structure of patients with chronic venous Disorders of the lower extremities (Chronic Venous Disorders-CVD).

CXXC5 variant in an immunodeficient patient with a progressive loss of hematopoietic cells

Partial loss of function variant in CXXC5 identified in an immunodeficient patient with progressive bone marrow failure, corrected by bone marrow transplant.

Developmental data for several human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) long amplification targets.

Candidate long mtDNA targets ∼300 bp in length were identified on the revised Cambridge mtDNA reference sequence using Primer Express software (Applied Biosystems) with modified default analysis settings. The primer and hydrolysis probe sequences for the resultant three (3) targets were queried in the Mitomap database [1] to avoid common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) which, if present in a sample, could reduce binding to template and therefore result in inefficient amplification. Primers and probes identified by Primer Express, some synthesized degenerate to mitigate the presence of certain SNPs, were utilized in a Fast Advanced Master Mix (Applied Biosystems) reaction which was amplified on a 7500 Real Time PCR System using HID Real Time PCR Software v1.2 (Applied Biosystems) to collect and analyze the qPCR data. QPCR reaction conditions and software analysis settings were optimized and modified to yield efficient amplification and robust results. QPCR experiments were exported into Excel (Microsoft Corp.) for additional analyses and evaluation. The data was used to develop a triplex qPCR method, which includes amplification of one of the long targets, to quantify and assess degradation of human mtDNA, the results of which were previously published [2]. That triplex method also incorporated an internal positive control to test for the presence of amplification inhibitors in the sample [3]. The data presented herein may be used to develop alternative amplification methods for user-specific biomedical applications.

Modern nanostructured ferritic alloys: A compelling and viable choice for sodium fast reactor fuel cladding applications

Sodium fast reactor cores present a truly challenging environment for the fuel cladding and core structural materials that limit achievable fuel burnup in these systems. Modern nanostructured ferritic alloys have the potential to deliver the desired high performance characteristics where historic austenitic and ferritic/martensitic alloys fall short. In this paper, a new nanostructured ferritic alloy, OFRAC (Oak Ridge Fast Reactor Advanced Fuel Cladding), is developed and demonstrated in cladding geometry with a length > 1 m. The alloy composition and microstructure are tailored to deliver dramatically improved strength and creep resistance. At 600 °C the ultimate tensile strength is ∼600 MPa and the stress to induce a steady state strain rate of 10−6 s−1 is 500 MPa vs. 200 MPa for traditional ferritic/martensitic alloys. A very high defect sink density was engineered in these alloys that is expected to further enhance the traditional good swelling and irradiation creep resistance of ferritic/martensitic steels. These significant improvements along with the demonstrated viability for seamless cladding production indicate that this alloy is a compelling and viable choice for sodium fast reactor fuel cladding applications.

Microstructural evaluation of a Fe-12Cr nanostructured ferritic alloy designed for impurity sequestration

Fast reactor fuel cladding candidate materials require proficiency in extreme environments consisting of high temperatures and irradiation doses in excess of 150 displacements per atom (dpa). Nanostructured oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloys have been developed extensively for this purpose due to their notable high temperature strength, creep resistance, and irradiation resistance. However, their properties can deteriorate if interstitial impurities such as C and N are not well controlled during the fabrication process. A new Fe-12Cr nanostructured ODS alloy OFRAC (Oak Ridge Fast Reactor Advanced Fuel Cladding) with solute additions of Mo, Ti, and Nb has been developed to provide the desired properties mentioned above while simultaneously sequestering impurities within the matrix. After extrusion at 850 °C, the as-extruded microstructure consists of an average 490 nm grain size and a high number density (6.8 × 1023 m-3) of 2.2 nm diameter (Y,Ti,O) nanoclusters distributed homogeneously in the matrix. Atom probe tomography investigations suggest non-stochiometric compositions for the smallest nanoclusters. In addition, a second population of nanometer scale (Nb,Ti) rich carbonitrides is also present in the microstructure that captures the potentially detrimental C and N impurity atoms present in the matrix. Atom probe tomography results indicate elemental segregation of Cr, Mo, and Nb to grain boundaries in the as-extruded material, consistent with previous investigations of solid solution strengthening by solute additions. The ability of OFRAC to sequester impurities introduced from the powder metallurgical approach to nanostructured ferritic alloy development, compounded with its beneficial mechanical properties, makes this alloy a competitive candidate for fast reactor applications.This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes. The Department of Energy will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan).

Development and Deployment of Welding Technologies for the Indian Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor and Advanced Ultra Super Critical Thermal Power Programmes

Robust manufacturing technology for Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) components necessitates development of various research-backed innovative welding technologies. Prior to the start of construction of the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor, extensive technology development was planned and implemented for development of welding consumables, procedures and technologies for fabrication of components with stringent specifications. With close interaction amongst design, materials and non-destructive evaluation engineers, materials and welding consumable manufactures, and the fabrication industries, it has been possible to overcome the challenges and establish robust manufacturing technologies for fabrication of all the structural components. Extensive welding is involved in the fabrication of reactor vessels, steam generators, fuel sub-assemblies etc. Further, Activated Tungsten Inert Gas (A-TIG) welding process, along with activated flux developed in-house, has been successfully implemented on various SFR-related components. Also, a computational-intelligence based welding system for online monitoring and control during welding has been developed for obtaining near defect-free welded components. Plasma Transferred Arc Welding process has been deployed for deposition of the chosen nickel-base alloy for hardfacing of SFR components, which require improvement in resistance to high temperature wear, especially galling, of mating surfaces in liquid sodium. To reduce carbon footprint substantially, India has initiated a national mission programme of design, development and establishment of 800 MWe Advanced Ultra Supercritical (AUSC) power plant having steam parameters of 710°C / 720°C / 310 bar. Materials and fabrication technologies play decisive roles in the success of such mission project. For this purpose, two important India-specific high-temperature tube materials, 304HCu austenitic stainless steel (304HCu SS) and modified Alloy 617M, as also large cylindrical forgings of Alloy 617M of up to 800 mm diameter for turbine rotors have been indigenously developed. Development of welding consumables and welding procedure has also been established for TIG welding of the tubes, including the 304HCu SS/Alloy 617M dissimilar joint. Based on the tensile and creep tests properties, welding consumables for the tubes and their dissimilar joint have been finalized. Technology for dissimilar metal welding between Alloy 617M and 10Cr-steel forgings for turbine rotors has also been developed. Using narrow-gap TIG welding process, the dissimilar metal weld between 200 mm Alloy 617M and 10Cr-steel have been produced by directly welding the two forgings using Alloy 617 filler wire. The weld exhibited no lack-of-penetration defects and passed dye-penetrant, radiographic and ultrasonic examinations. Similarly procedure for NG welding of superheater headers has also been demonstrated. The details of the Indian efforts towards development and deployment of welding technologies for application to the fabrication to components for the Indian programmes for SFR-based nuclear power and AUSC thermal power plant are presented and discussed.

Mixed Conducting Perovskite Materials as Superior Catalysts for Fast Aqueous-Phase Advanced Oxidation: A Mechanistic Study

A mixed ionic–electronic conducting (MIEC) double perovskite, PrBaCo2O5+δ (PBC), was synthesized and evaluated as the heterogeneous catalyst to generate radicals from peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the oxidative degradation of organic wastes in aqueous solution. A superior catalytic activity was obtained for PBC, which was much higher than that of the most popular Co3O4 nanocatalyst. More importantly, a detailed mechanism of PMS activation on the MIEC perovskite was proposed. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and radical competitive reactions suggested that both sulfate radicals (SO4•–) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH) participated in and played important roles in the catalytic oxidation processes. Oxygen temperature-programmed desorption (O2-TPD) demonstrated that the PBC perovskite oxide is capable of facilitating an easier valence-state change of the B-site cation (cobalt ions) to mediate a redox process. Additionally, the oxygen vacancies could facilitate the bonding with PMS molecules and promote the rea...