Human genetic variation in PPARGC1B has been associated with adiposity, but the genetic variants that affect PPARGC1B expression have not been experimentally determined. Here, guided by previous observational data, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to scarlessly edit the alleles of the candidate causal genetic variant rs10071329 in a human brown adipocyte cell line (hBAs). Switching the rs10071329 genotype from

We analyse conservatism and regret of stochastic model predictive control (SMPC) when using moment-based ambiguity sets for modeling unknown uncertainties. To quantify the conservatism, we compare the deterministic constraint tightening while taking a distributionally robust approach against the optimal tightening when the exact distributions of the stochastic uncertainties are known. Furthermore,

BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) share many pathophysiological factors including genetics, but whether epigenetic marks are shared is unknown. We aimed to test whether a DNA methylation risk score (MRS) for T2DM was associated with GDM across ancestry and GDM criteria.METHODS: In two independent pregnancy cohorts, EPIPREG (n = 480) and EPIDG (n =

Older adults are frequently exposed to medicines with systemic anticholinergic properties, which are linked to increased risk of negative health outcomes. The association between systemic anticholinergics and lung function has not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate if exposure to systemic anticholinergics influences lung function in older adults. Participants of the southernmo

The chronic hyperglycaemia of diabetes is associated with long-term damage, dysfunction, and failure of different organs, especially the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels. The increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes can largely be ascribed to the worldwide increase in obesity during the last 30 years; for instance, more than 60% of individuals older than 15 years in the UK and USA a

The intricate interplay between colloidal particle shape and precisely engineered interaction potentials has paved the way for the discovery of unprecedented crystal structures in both two and three dimensions. Here, we make use of anisotropic triblock colloidal particles composed of two distinct materials. The resulting surface charge heterogeneity can be exploited to generate regioselective depl

It has been shown previously that the immune system plays a role in implantation and embryo development. The objective was therefore to evaluate cytokine levels and Th1/Th2 ratio in women with recurrent implantation failure in this nested case-control study. Women with no implantation after ≥ 3 embryo transfers were included in the recurrent implantation failure group (n = 29) and were compared wi

Background: Treatment of childhood glioma has evolved to reduce radiotherapy exposure with the goal of limiting late toxicity. However, the associations between treatment changes and neurocognition, and the contribution of neurocognition and chronic health conditions to attainment of adult independence, remain unknown. Methods: Adult survivors of childhood glioma diagnosed in 1970-1999 in the Chil

In situ interfacial rheology and numerical simulations are used to investigate microgel monolayers in a wide range of packing fractions, ζ2D. The heterogeneous particle compressibility determines two flow regimes characterized by distinct master curves. To mimic the microgel architecture and reproduce experiments, an interaction potential combining a soft shoulder with the Hertzian model is introd

This paper explores how vacuum foam-drying of a protein is influenced by formulation parameters by investigating the foam structure, physical properties of the foam, and the stability of the protein. Recombinant human bile salt-stimulated lipase was used as a model of a protein drug. The stability of the lipase was evaluated through activity measurements. Two disaccharides (sucrose and trehalose),

It is commonly believed that the most efficient way to pack a finite number of equal-sized spheres is by arranging them tightly in a cluster. However, mathematicians have conjectured that a linear arrangement may actually result in the densest packing. Here, our combined experimental and simulation study provides a physical realization of the finite sphere packing problem by studying arrangements

The encapsulation of a rigid core within a soft polymeric shell allows obtaining composite colloidal particles that retain functional properties, e.g., optical or mechanical. At the same time, it favors their adsorption at fluid interfaces with a tunable interaction potential to realize tailored two-dimensional (2D) materials. Although they have already been employed for 2D assembly, the conformat

The manipulation of nano-objects through heating is an effective strategy for inducing structural modifications and therefore changing the optoelectronic properties of semiconducting materials. Despite its potential, the underlying mechanism of the structural transformations remains elusive, largely due to the challenges associated with their in situ observations. To address these issues, we synth

The prevalence of alopecia has increased recently. Hair loss is often accompanied by the resting phase of hair follicles (HFs). Dermal papilla (DP) plays a crucial role in HF development, growth, and regeneration. Activating DP can revive resting HFs. Augmenting WNT/β-catenin signaling stimulates HF growth. However, the factors responsible for activating resting HFs effectively are unclear. In thi

We propose a pebble-driven core accretion scenario to explain the formation of giant planets around the late-M dwarfs of M∗=0.1-0.2 M⊙. In order to explore the optimal disk conditions for giant planet, we performed N-body simulations to investigate the growth and dynamical evolution of both single and multiple protoplanets in the disks with both inner viscously heated and outer stellar irradiated

Colloidal molecules are ideal model systems for mimicking real molecules and can serve as versatile building blocks for the bottom-up self-assembly of flexible and smart materials. While most colloidal molecules are rigid objects, the development of colloidal joints has made it possible to endow them with conformational flexibility. However, their unrestricted range of motion does not capture the

Hollow microgels are fascinating model systems at the crossover between polymer vesicles, emulsions, and colloids as they deform, interpenetrate, and eventually shrink at higher volume fraction or when subjected to an external stress. Here, we introduce a system consisting of microgels with a micrometer-sized cavity enabling a straightforward characterization in situ using fluorescence microscopy

Hypothesis: Colloidal molecules with anisotropic shapes and interactions are powerful model systems for deciphering the behavior of real molecules and building units for creating materials with designed properties. While many strategies for their assembly have been developed, they typically yield a broad distribution or are limited to a specific type. We hypothesize that the shape and relative siz

The assembly of colloidal cubic diamond is a challenging process since the shape and interaction parameters and the thermodynamic conditions where this structure is stable are elusive. The simultaneous use of shape-anisotropic particles and strong directional interactions has proven to be a successful path to exclusively nucleate this structure. Here, using molecular dynamics simulations, we explo