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M cells are specialized intestinal epithelial cells that provide the main machinery for sampling luminal microbes for mucosal immune surveillance. M cells are usually found in the epithelium overlying organized mucosal lymphoid tissues, but studies have identified multiple distinct lineages of M cells that are produced under different conditions, including intestinal inflammation. Among these lineages there is a common morphology that helps explain the efficiency of M cells in capturing luminal bacteria and viruses; in addition, M cells recruit novel cellular mechanisms to transport the particles across the mucosal barrier into the lamina propria, a process known as transcytosis. These specializations used by M cells point to a novel engineering of cellular machinery to selectively capture and transport microbial particles of interest. Because of the ability of M cells to effectively violate the mucosal barrier, the circumstances of M cell induction have important consequences. Normal immune surveillance insures that transcytosed bacteria are captured by underlying myeloid/dendritic cells; in contrast, inflammation can induce development of new M cells not accompanied by organized lymphoid tissues, resulting in bacterial transcytosis with the potential to amplify inflammatory disease. In this review, we will discuss our own perspectives on the life history of M cells and also raise a few questions regarding unique aspects of their biology among epithelia.

While flow-induced vibration of bluff bodies has been extensively studied over the last half-century, only limited attention has been given to flow-induced vibration of elastically mounted rotating cylinders. Since recent low-Reynolds-number numerical work suggests that rotation can enhance or suppress the natural oscillatory response, the former could find applications in energy harvesting and the latter in vibration control. The present experimental investigation characterises the dynamic response and wake structure of a rotating circular cylinder undergoing vortex-induced vibration at a low mass ratio ( $m^{\\ast }=5.78$ ) over the reduced velocity range leading to strong oscillations. The experiments were conducted in a free-surface water channel with the cylinder vertically mounted and attached to a motor that provided constant rotation. Springs and an air-bearing system allow the cylinder to undertake low-damped transverse oscillations. Under cylinder rotation, the normalised frequency response was found to be comparable to that of a freely vibrating non-rotating cylinder. At reduced velocities consistent with the upper branch of a non-rotating transversely oscillating cylinder, the maximum oscillation amplitude increased with non-dimensional rotation rate up to $\\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}\\approx 2$ . Beyond this, there was a sharp decrease in amplitude. Notably, this critical value corresponds approximately to the rotation rate at which vortex shedding ceases for a non-oscillating rotating cylinder. Remarkably, at $\\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}=2$ there was approximately an 80 % increase in the peak amplitude response compared to that of a non-rotating cylinder. The observed amplitude response measured over the Reynolds-number range of ( $1100\\lesssim Re\\lesssim 6300$ ) is significantly different from numerical predictions and other experimental results recorded at significantly lower Reynolds numbers.

Background Recruitment maneuvers are used to prevent atelectasis, or partial lung collapse, and to help prevent ventilator induced lung injury. Recruitment techniques remain a topic of debate due to the possibility for damage as they necessitate higher transpulmonary pressures, which are associated with inducing lung injury. We aim to evaluate and probe injury mechanisms and potential pressure inhomogeneities, expressed as heterogeneous lung recruitment and overdistension, by associating organ level compliances with continuous regional strains during the application of stepwise escalation contrasted with sustained inflation maneuvers. Methods An established breathing mimicry electromechanical system integrated with high spatio-temporal digital image correlation techniques coupled the global pressure-volume response of the lung with local deformations. Compliances, pressures, strains, heterogeneities and the expansion evolution pertaining to the inflation phase of two recruitment methods were quantified and contrasted. Results Significant differences between the organ- and tissue-level responses of the sustained inflation versus escalation maneuver were found. The escalation maneuver exhibited greater starting compliance, whereas the sustained inflation showed increased inflation compliance. The localized strain distribution for the sustained inflation yielded increased 75th percentile strain, 90th percentile strain, and range at maximum inflation compared to the escalation maneuver. Conclusions Local and global findings indicate the escalation maneuver exhibits more homogeneous lung recruitment compared to sustained inflation. We also observe a correspondence between the significant organ-level compliance differences between the two maneuvers and the disparities observed in the evolutionary progression of localized strain distributions throughout inflation.

Carrageenan is used widely in food products especially for gelling, thickening, emulsifying agents, and to stabilize the food properties which is extracted from red and purple seaweeds that contain the mixture of polysaccharides. Based on the sulfate content, carrageenan is divided as kappa-carrageenan, iota-carrageenan, and lambda carrageenan. Even though it is used widely in the food industry, there is controversy about the health effects of using carrageenan in the food products such as may cause inflammation, glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, gastrointestinal ulcerations, and could damage the digestive system. According to this condition it is suggested to limit the usage of carrageenan in the food industry. The objective of this paper is to discuss the impact to health and application of carrageenan in the food industry.

Known for their distinct antigen-sampling abilities, microfold cells, or M cells, have been well characterized in the gut and other mucosa including the lungs and nasal-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT). More recently, however, they have been identified in tissues where they were not initially suspected to reside, which raises the following question: what external and internal factors dictate differentiation toward this specific role? In this discussion, we will focus on murine studies to determine how these cells are identified (e.g., markers and function) and ask the broader question of factors triggering M-cell localization and patterning. Then, through the consideration of unconventional M cells, which include villous M cells, Type II taste cells, and medullary thymic epithelial M cells (microfold mTECs), we will establish the M cell as not just a player in mucosal immunity but as a versatile niche cell that adapts to its home tissue. To this end, we will consider the lymphoid structure relationship and apical stimuli to better discuss how the differing cellular programming and the physical environment within each tissue yield these cells and their unique organization. Thus, by exploring this constellation of M cells, we hope to better understand the multifaceted nature of this cell in its different anatomical locales.

Geometric morphometrics is the statistical analysis of landmark-based shape variation and its covariation with other variables. Over the past two decades, the gold standard of landmark data acquisition has been manual detection by a single observer. This approach has proven accurate and reliable in small-scale investigations. However, big data initiatives are increasingly common in biology and morphometrics. This requires fast, automated, and standardized data collection. We combine techniques from image registration, geometric morphometrics, and deep learning to automate and optimize anatomical landmark detection. We test our method on high-resolution, micro-computed tomography images of adult mouse skulls. To ensure generalizability, we use a morphologically diverse sample and implement fundamentally different deformable registration algorithms. Compared to landmarks derived from conventional image registration workflows, our optimized landmark data show up to a 39.1% reduction in average coordinate error and a 36.7% reduction in total distribution error. In addition, our landmark optimization produces estimates of the sample mean shape and variance–covariance structure that are statistically indistinguishable from expert manual estimates. For biological imaging datasets and morphometric research questions, our approach can eliminate the time and subjectivity of manual landmark detection whilst retaining the biological integrity of these expert annotations.

At Mount Etna volcano, the focus point of persistent tectonic extension is represented by the Summit Craters. A muographic telescope has been installed at the base of the North-East Crater from August 2017 to October 2019, with the specific aim to find time related variations in the density of volcanic edifice. The results are significant, since the elaborated images show the opening and evolution of different tectonic elements; in 2017, a cavity was detected months before the collapse of the crater floor and in 2018 a set of underground fractures was identified, at the tip of which, in June 2019, a new eruptive vent started its explosive activity, still going on (February, 2020). Although this is the pilot experiment of the project, the results confirm that muography could be a turning point in the comprehension of the plumbing system of the volcano and a fundamental step forward to do mid-term (weeks/months) predictions of eruptions. We are confident that an increment in the number of telescopes could lead to the realization of a monitoring system, which would keep under control the evolution of the internal dynamic of the uppermost section of the feeding system of an active volcano such as Mount Etna.

Development of immunocompetent T cells in the thymus is required for effective defence against all types of pathogens, including viruses, bacteria and fungi. To this end, T cells undergo a very strict educational program in the thymus, during which both non-functional and self-reactive T cell clones are eliminated by means of positive and negative selection 1 .Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) have an indispensable role in these processes, and previous studies have shown the notable heterogeneity of these cells 2 – 7 . Here, using multiomic analysis, we provide further insights into the functional and developmental diversity of TECs in mice, and reveal a detailed atlas of the TEC compartment according to cell transcriptional states and chromatin landscapes. Our analysis highlights unconventional TEC subsets that are similar to functionally well-defined parenchymal populations, including endocrine cells, microfold cells and myocytes. By focusing on the endocrine and microfold TEC populations, we show that endocrine TECs require Insm1 for their development and are crucial to maintaining thymus cellularity in a ghrelin-dependent manner; by contrast, microfold TECs require Spib for their development and are essential for the generation of thymic IgA + plasma cells. Collectively, our study reveals that medullary TECs have the potential to differentiate into various types of molecularly distinct and functionally defined cells, which not only contribute to the induction of central tolerance, but also regulate the homeostasis of other thymus-resident populations. Multiomic analyses of mouse thymic epithelial cells identify several unconventional subsets that are mimetics of various populations of terminally differentiated parenchymal cells and provide insights into their development, molecular features and function.

Tempeh is an indigenous traditional fermented food from Indonesia that is rich in protein and phenolics. Unfortunately, tempeh is highly perishable, with a shelf life of 36-48 hours at room temperature. Making soy sauce from tempeh can increase tempeh’s functional value and shelf life. However, tempeh-based soy sauce has different sensory characteristics than koji-based soy sauce. Therefore, molasses can be used to increase consumer preferences. Molasses is a sweetener that has a unique aroma of caramels and dark color. This research aims to determine the effect of molasses addition on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of tempeh soy sauce based on consumer preferences. Four different concentrations of molasses (0%, 2%, 4% and 6%) in tempeh soy sauce were used in this research, with commercial soy sauce as a benchmark. After soy sauce was fermented for 2 months, L*, a* and b* values, total dissolved solids (TDS), hedonic and just about right (JAR) tests were analyzed. Results showed that adding molasses significantly increased L*, a*, b* and TDS values. Commercial soy sauce and tempeh-based soy sauce with 4% molasses and 6% molasses additions were not significantly different and were the most preferred. Based on the penalty test, commercial soy sauce and the addition of 4% molasses do not have the characteristics of entering the critical corner.

The vortex-induced vibration of a spring-mounted, damped, rigid circular cylinder, immersed in a Newtonian viscous flow and capable of moving in the direction orthogonal to the unperturbed flow is investigated for Reynolds numbers$Re$in the vicinity of the onset of unsteadiness ($15\\leqslant Re\\leqslant 60$) using the incompressible linearised Navier–Stokes equations. In a first step, we solve the linear problem considering an imposed harmonic motion of the cylinder. Results are interpreted in terms of the mechanical impedance, i.e. the ratio between the vertical force coefficient and the cylinder velocity, which is represented as function of the Reynolds number and the driving frequency. Considering the energy transfer between the cylinder and the fluid, we show that impedance results provide a simple criterion allowing the prediction of the onset of instability of the coupled fluid-elastic structure case. A global stability analysis of the fully coupled fluid/cylinder system is then performed. The instability thresholds obtained by this second approach are found to be in perfect agreement with the predictions of the impedance-based criterion. A theoretical argument, based on asymptotic developments, is then provided to give a prediction of eigenvalues of the coupled problem, as well as to characterise the region of instability beyond the threshold as function of the reduced velocity$U^{\\ast }$, the dimensionless mass$m^{\\ast }$and the Reynolds number. The influence of the damping parameter$\\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FE}$on the instability region is also explored.