Complex rearrangements in patients with duplications of MECP2 can occur by fork stalling and template switching

Duplication at the Xq28 band including the MECP2 gene is one of the most common genomic rearrangements identified in neurodevelopmentally delayed males. Such duplications are non-recurrent and can be generated by a non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) mechanism. We investigated the potential mechanisms for MECP2 duplication and examined whether genomic architectural features may play a role in their origin using a custom designed 4-Mb tiling-path oligonucleotide array CGH assay. Each of the 30 patients analyzed showed a unique duplication varying in size from similar to 250 kb to similar to 2.6 Mb. Interestingly, in 77% of these non-recurrent duplications, the distal breakpoints grouped within a 215 kb genomic interval, located 47 kb telomeric to the MECP2 gene. The genomic architecture of this region contains both direct and inverted low-copy repeat (LCR) sequences; this same region undergoes polymorphic structural variation in the general population. Array CGH revealed complex rearrangements in eight patients; in six patients the duplication contained an embedded triplicated segment, and in the other two, stretches of non-duplicated sequences occurred within the duplicated region. Breakpoint junction sequencing was achieved in four duplications and identified an inversion in one patient, demonstrating further complexity. We propose that the presence of LCRs in the vicinity of the MECP2 gene may generate an unstable DNA structure that can induce DNA strand lesions, such as a collapsed fork, and facilitate a Fork Stalling and Template Switching event producing the complex rearrangements involving MECP2.

Template-based quadrilateral meshing

Generating quadrilateral meshes is a highly non-trivial task, as design decisions are frequently driven by specific application demands. Automatic techniques can optimize objective quality metrics, such as mesh regularity, orthogonality, alignment and adaptivity; however, they cannot make subjective design decisions. There are a few quad meshing approaches that offer some mechanisms to include the user in the mesh generation process; however, these techniques either require a large amount of user interaction or do not provide necessary or easy to use inputs. Here, we propose a template-based approach for generating quad-only meshes from triangle surfaces. Our approach offers a flexible mechanism to allow external input, through the definition of alignment features that are respected during the mesh generation process. While allowing user inputs to support subjective design decisions, our approach also takes into account objective quality metrics to produce semi-regular, quad-only meshes that align well to desired surface features. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Template-based quadrilateral mesh generation from imaging data

This paper describes a novel template-based meshing approach for generating good quality quadrilateral meshes from 2D digital images. This approach builds upon an existing image-based mesh generation technique called Imeshp, which enables us to create a segmented triangle mesh from an image without the need for an image segmentation step. Our approach generates a quadrilateral mesh using an indirect scheme, which converts the segmented triangle mesh created by the initial steps of the Imesh technique into a quadrilateral one. The triangle-to-quadrilateral conversion makes use of template meshes of triangles. To ensure good element quality, the conversion step is followed by a smoothing step, which is based on a new optimization-based procedure. We show several examples of meshes generated by our approach, and present a thorough experimental evaluation of the quality of the meshes given as examples.

Template Score

Imagem componente do jogo “Musikinésia (http://www.loa.sead.ufscar.br/musikinesia.php)” desenvolvido pela equipe do Laboratório de Objetos de Aprendizagem da Universidade Federal de São Carlos (LOA/UFSCar).

Template Notas

Ilustração componente do jogo “Musikinésia (http://www.loa.sead.ufscar.br/musikinesia.php)” desenvolvido pela equipe do Laboratório de Objetos de Aprendizagem da Universidade Federal de São Carlos (LOA/UFSCar).

Template Lousa

Ilustração componente do jogo “Musikinésia (http://www.loa.sead.ufscar.br/musikinesia.php)” desenvolvido pela equipe do Laboratório de Objetos de Aprendizagem da Universidade Federal de São Carlos (LOA/UFSCar).

Template Teclado

Ilustração componente do jogo “Musikinésia (http://www.loa.sead.ufscar.br/musikinesia.php)” desenvolvido pela equipe do Laboratório de Objetos de Aprendizagem da Universidade Federal de São Carlos (LOA/UFSCar).

Photoluminescence properties of PZT 52/48 synthesized by microwave hydrothermal method using PVA with template

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Preparation of hierarchically structured porous aluminas by a dual soft template method

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Novel Aspects of the Purpose-Built Materials Strategy: Evidence of Topographic Template Effect and Oriented Attachment Growth Mechanism

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Controlling the growth of zirconia needles precursor from a liquid crystal template

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Inorganic-Organic Nanocomposite Assembly Using Collagen as a Template and Sodium Tripolyphosphate as a Biomimetic Analog of Matrix Phosphoprotein

Nanocomposites created with polycarboxylic acid alone as a stabilization agent for prenucleation clusters-derived amorphous calcium phosphate exhibit nonperiodic apatite deposition. In the present study, we report the use of inorganic polyphosphate as a biomimetic analog of matrix phosphoprotein for directing poly(acrylic acid)-stabilized amorphous nano-precursor phases to assemble into periodic apatite-collagen nanocomposites. The sorption and desorption characteristics of sodium tripolyphosphate to type I collagen were examined. Periodic nanocomposite assembly with collagen as a template was demonstrated with TEM and SEM using a Portland cement-based resin composite and a phosphate-containing simulated body fluid. Apatite was detected within the collagen at 24 h and became more distinct at 48 h, with prenucleation clusters attaching to the collagen fibril surface during the initial infiltration stage. Apatite-collagen nanocomposites at 72 h were heavily mineralized with periodically arranged intrafibrillar apatite platelets. Defect-containing nanocomposites caused by desorption of TPP from collagen fibrils were observed in regions lacking the inorganic phase.

Zirconia foams prepared by integration of the sol-gel method and dual soft template techniques

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Template-based fluoropolymer ferroelectrets with multiple layers of tubular channels

Significant efforts are devoted to developing new ferroelectrets with well-controlled void distributions or uniform voids and with good long-term and thermal stability of the piezoelectricity. Here, we describe the concept, the fabrication, and the most relevant properties of fluoropolymer ferroelectret systems with three separate films of fluoroethylenepropylene (FEP), alternating with two polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) templates. The FEP films are selectively fused by means of a lamination process. Two practically identical PTFE templates are used, which have parallel rectangular openings (1.5×30 mm 2) separated by PTFE ridges of 1.5 mm width. After removing the PTFE templates, a three-layer FEP-film sandwich with tubular channels is obtained. We demonstrate that such FEP-film systems exhibit significant and stable piezoelectricity after charging under a high DC voltage. The resulting piezoelectric effect may be further improved by carefully assembling and arranging the PTFE templates during preparation. ©2010 IEEE.

Design of microstructure of zirconia foams from the emulsion template properties

In this work, we investigate the correlations between structural and rheological properties of emulsified aqueous sol and the porous microstructure of monolithic zirconia foams, manufactured by the integrative combination of the sol-gel and emulsification processes. Macroporous zirconia ceramics prepared using different amounts of decahydronaphthalene, as oil phase, are compared in terms of the emulsion microstructure and ceramic porosity. A combination of electrical conductivity, oil droplet diameter, and rheological measurements was used to highlight the key effect of the dynamic structural properties of the emulsion on the porosity of the ceramic zirconia foam. The minimization of drying shrinkage by appropriate sol-gel mineralization of the oil droplet wall enabled versatile and easy tuning of the ceramic foam microstructure, by fine adjustment of the emulsion characteristics. The foam with the highest porosity (90%) and the lowest bulk density (0.40 g cm-3) was prepared from emulsion with 80 wt% of decahydronaphthalene, which also showed a bicontinuous structure and elevated flow consistency. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2013.