In this report we define the parameters of the human immune response after immunization with hepatitis B vaccine. 2 wk after booster immunization, there is significant spontaneous secretion of antibody...Full Text Available
In an attempt to establish if cross protection can be induced by different strains of Haemophilus parasuis, three groups of 12 gnotobiotic pigs were immunized each with an aluminum hydroxide adsorbed...Full Text Available
The need for agents designed to modify immune response in the treatment of patients with viral infection, immunodeficiency, or cancer prompted the present study on the mechanisms of action of isoprinosine,...Full Text Available
Immunomodulation by environmental chemical contaminants and the role immune parameters play in toxicity and risk assessment studies is of increasing concern. Although considerable evidence has indicated...Full Text Available
The immune system plays a crucial role in maintaining health; however, accumulating evidence indicates that this system can be the target for immunotoxic effects caused by a variety of chemicals including...Full Text Available
Heat shock proteins (Hsp) are a family of stress-inducible molecular chaperones that play multiple roles in a wide variety of animals. However, the roles of Hsps in parasitic nematodes remain largely...Full Text Available
BackgroundHIV infection causes a qualitative and quantitative loss of CD4+ T cell immunity. The institution of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) restores CD4+ T...Full Text Available
Adenovirus vaccine vectors derived from rare human serotypes have been shown to be less potent than serotype 5 (Ad5) at inducingimmune responses to encoded antigens. To identify highly immunogenic...Full Text Available
We studied the effect of booster injections and the long-term immune response after injections of an anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) lipopeptide vaccine. This vaccine was injected alone...Full Text Available
Immune challenge induces behavioral changes including reduced ingestion of palatable food. Multiple pathways likely contribute to this effect, including viscerosensory pathways controlling hypothalamic...Full Text Available
Dendritic cells (DC) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells and play a central role in the induction of antiviral immune responses. Recently, we have shown that monocyte-derived DC (MoDC) from...Full Text Available
The objective of this study was to determine if genistein (GEN) modulation of the immune responses might contribute to the increased host resistances to tumors. A time-course study was performed...Full Text Available
A better understanding of the immune processes in the pathogenesis and progression of prostate cancer (CaP) may point the way towards improved treatment modalities. The challenge is to amplify immune responses to combat tumour escape mechanisms. Infection and inflammation may have a role in prostate carcinogenesis, including the newly discovered xenotropic murine leukaemia virus (XMRV). These inflammatory states damage defence mechanisms and induce a high proliferative state favouring further mutation and impaired immune surveillance. With this knowledge we are able to explore the use of immunotherapy to rejuvenate the immune system in combating CaP. Recently Sipuleucel-T, an immunotherapeutic agent for metastatic androgen independent CaP, has resulted in improved survival and might be the...
Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) is a persistent environmental pollutant. The toxicity of HCB has been extensively studied after an accidental human poisoning in Turkey and more recently it has been shown that...Full Text Available
Resistance (R) protein mediated recognition of pathogen avirulence effectors triggers signaling that induces a very robust form of species-specific immunity in plants. The soybean Rpg1-b protein mediates...Full Text Available
The objective of this study was to determine if inflammatory tolerance and enhancement of innate immune function could be induced by the gram-positive cell wall component peptidoglycan (PGN)....Full Text Available
Recognition of HIV-1 ssRNA by TLR7 induces the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines that may contribute to the systemic immune activation associated with HIV-1 disease progression. Here...Full Text Available
BackgroundSeasonal influenza A infection affects a significant cohort of the global population annually, resulting in considerable morbidity and mortality. Therapeutic strategies...Full Text Available
Silver-haired bat rabies virus (SHBRV) infection induces a strong virus-specific immune response in the periphery of the host, but death is common due to the failure to open the blood-brain barrier...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe immunoregulatory enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, which catalyzes the conversion of tryptophan into kynurenine, is expressed in a significant subset of patients...Full Text Available
Understanding the interactions between herpesviruses and their host cells and also the interactions between neoplastically transformed cells and the host immune system is fundamental to understanding...Full Text Available
Ethnopharmacological relevanceHLXL is a traditional Chinese medicine that has long been used in folk medicine for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases....Full Text Available
Chronic autoimmune or pathogen-inducedimmune reactions resulting in lymphoid neogenesis are associated with development of malignant lymphomas, mostly extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphomas (MZBCLs)....Full Text Available
Cytokines produced by Th2 cells are responsible for the pathogenesis of asthma. Th1-biased immune responses caused by attenuated salmonella have the potential to relieve asthmatic symptoms. We evaluated...Full Text Available
BackgroundArsenic (As) exposure during pregnancy induces oxidative stress and increases the risk of fetal loss and low birth weight.ObjectivesIn...Full Text Available
Model systems to study the effects of chemicals of environmental concern on bacterial and parasitic diseases as well as the immunosurveillance and destruction of transplantable tumor cells were described...Full Text Available
In the cellular immune response, recognition by CTL-TCRs of viral antigens presented as peptides by HLA class I molecules, triggers destruction of the virally infected cell (Townsend, A.R.M., J. Rothbard,...Full Text Available
The class of Spirochetes comprises a wide array of clinically important pathogens, including Treponema pallidum causing syphilis as well as Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease (LD). Diseases caused by spirochetes are characterized by specific sequelae of host reactions, and also by characteristic antibody response patterns. Over the last decades, research on the interaction of spirochetes with the hosts immune system had a strong emphasis on outer membrane lipoproteins. In fact, these structures have been convincingly shown to activate immune cells via CD14 and Toll-like receptor (TLR)-2, and recent data also indicate an interaction with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein (LBP). In particular, the interaction of B. burgdorferi with TLR-2 could not only be demonstrated in ...
We hypothesize that the mushroom-derived active compound may be a potential strategy for increasing survival in response to influenza virus (H1N1) infection through the stimulation of host innate immune response. The validity of the hypothesis can be tested by immune response to influenza infection as seen through survival percentage, virus clearance, weight loss, natural killer cell cytotoxicity, Tumor Necrosis Factor-? (TNF-?) and Interferon-gamma (IFN-?) levels, lytic efficiency in the spleens of mice and inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA expressions in RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells. The hypothesis may improve people's quality of life, reduce the medical cost of our healthcare system and eliminate people's fears of influenza outbreak. PMID:21660092
Pneumonia caused by Mannheimia haemolytica is an important disease of domestic sheep (DS, Ovis aries) and cattle (BO). M. haemolytica is a normal commensal of the upper respiratory tract in ruminants, but during stress and viral infection it breaches the host innate mucosal defense and descents into lungs causing fibrinous pleuropneumonia. Leukotoxin (Lkt) produced by M. haemolytica is cytolytic to all subsets of ruminant leukocytes. Earlier, we and others have shown that DS and BO LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18) and Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18) can mediate Lkt-induced cytolysis. It is not clear whether CR4 (CD11c/CD18), which is involved in chemotaxis, phagocytosis and regulates host immune response can also mediate Lkt-induced cytolysis in ruminants. The host innate immune response to M. haemolytica is poorly ...
To assess the influence of a live attenuated oral vaccine against porcine post-weaning colibacillosis (PWC) induced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) on mucosal lymphoid cell CD45 isoforms expression, experimental group of weaned pigs (n=6) was immunized orally with F4ac+ non-ETEC strain (day 0) and challenged with F4ac+ ETEC strain 7 days latter. Non-immunized ETEC-infected pigs (n=6) served as control. All pigs were killed on post-challenge day 7. The small intestine was excised for isolation of jejunal lamina propria (JLP) and ileal Peyer's patch (IPP) lymphocytes and immunohistochemical studies. The results obtained by immunophenotyping of isolated cells show that the proportion of CD45RA+ and CD45RC+ JLP, but not IPP, cells were higher in the non-ETEC-immunized ETEC-infected pigs versus non-immunized infected. Additionally, while CD45RA+ JLP cells increased only ...
Understanding of probiotic-induced regulatory gene expression and networking is critical to further explore their roles in controlling infection. Transcriptional profile of selected innate immune genes in primary bovine intestinal epithelial cells was assessed over a time course of incubation with the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum 299v. Based on gene expression results, a time point was chosen to prime epithelial cells with the probiotic prior to infection with rotavirus. Plaque assays and genomic analysis provided the basis for establishing the efficacy of probiotics in preventing a rotaviral infection. Plaque assays revealed that the probiotic is capable of decreasing (at least by 100-fold) the levels of live virus when the cells were primed with the probiotic. Results from gene expr...
AbstractBackground: The dinitrofluorobenzene/dinitrosulfonic acid (DNFB/DNS) model was originally described as an experimental model of intestinal inflammation resembling human ulcerative colitis (UC). Due to the absence of acceptable UC experimental models for pharmacological preclinical assays, here we examine the immune response induced in this model. Methods: Balb/c mice were sensitized by skin application of DNFB on day 1, followed by an intrarectal challenge with DNS on day 5. We further expanded this model by administering a second DNS challenge on day 15. The features of colonic inflammation and immune response were evaluated. Results: The changes observed in colonic tissue corresponded, in comparison to the trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) colitis model, to a mild mucosal effe...
The CNS is a unique organ due to its limited capacity for immune surveillance. As macrophages of the CNS, microglia represent a population originally known for the ability to assist neuronal stability,...Full Text Available
Oral vaccination is the most desirable immunization method by which to prevent fish disease occurring at the early larval stage. We developed an Escherichia coli-based oral nervous necrosis virus (NNV) subunit vaccine and demonstrated its effectiveness in orange spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) fry. However, the incubation period was determined to be over 2weeks. To enhance the efficacy and shorten the incubation period, a safe and digestible biological adjuvant should be found. Vibrio anguillarum, a common marine bacterium with immune-stimulatory capability was selected as an expression host. An expression vector containing its heat shock protein 60 gene (groE) as an inducible promoter was constructed to express recombinant NNV coat protein as an antigen. The recombinant V. anguilla...
Insect host/parasitoid interactions are co-evolved systems in which host defenses are balanced by parasitoid mechanisms to disable or hide from host immune effectors. Although there is a rich literature on these systems, parasitoid immune-disabling mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Here we report on a newly discovered immune-disabling mechanism in the Pieris rapae/Pteromalus puparum host/parasitoid system. Because venom injections and parasitization suppresses host phagocytosis, we turned attention to the P. rapae scavenger receptor (Pr-SR), posing the hypothesis that P. puparum venom suppresses expression of the host Pr-SR gene. To test our hypothesis, we cloned a full-length cDNA of the Pr-SR. Multiple sequences alignment showed the deduced amino acid sequence of Pr-SR is similar to scavenger receptors of other lepidopterans. Bacterial and bead injections induced Pr-SR mRNA and protein ...
The spike (S) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) has two major functions: interacting with the receptor to mediate virus entry and inducing protective immunity. Coincidently, the receptor-binding domain (RBD, residues 318-510) of SAR-CoV S protein is a major antigenic site to induce neutralizing antibodies. Here, we used RBD-Fc, a fusion protein containing the RBD and human IgG1 Fc, as a model in the studies and found that a single amino acid substitution in the RBD (R441A) could abolish the immunogenicity of RBD to induce neutralizing antibodies in immunized mice and rabbits. With a panel of anti-RBD mAbs as probes, we observed that R441A substitution was able to disrupt the majority of neutralizing epitopes in the RBD, suggesting that this residue is critical for the antigenic structure responsible for inducing protective ...
Emerging evidence suggests that E3 ligases play critical roles in diverse biological processes, including innate immune responses in plants. However, the mechanism of the E3 ligase involvement in plant innate immunity is unclear. We report that a rice gene, OsBBI1, encoding a RING finger protein with E3 ligase activity, mediates broad-spectrum disease resistance. The expression of OsBBI1 was induced by rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, as well as chemical inducers, benzothiadiazole and salicylic acid. Biochemical analysis revealed that OsBBI1 protein possesses E3 ubiquitin ligase activity in vitro. Genetic analysis revealed that the loss of OsBBI1 function in a Tos17-insertion line increased susceptibility, while the overexpression of OsBBI1 in transgenic plants conferred enhanced resi...
We carried out a feeding study in rats aimed at extending our aboservations of contaminant-induced immunosuppression in harbour seals. Two herring batches were freeze-dried, supplemented and fed to female adult PVG rats for a period of 4 1/2 months. Daily contaminant intakes of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) toxic equivalents (TEQ) were estimated to be 0.3 ng/kg body weight and 1.6 ng/kg in the Atlantic and Baltic groups, respectively. At the end of the feeding experiment, no contaminant-related changes in spleen CD{sub 4}{sup +}/CD{sub 8}{sup +} cellularity, natural killer cell activity, or mitogen-induced proliferative responses of thymus or spleen cells could be detected. However, total thymocyte numbers and thymus CD{sub 4}{sup +}/CD{sub 8}{sup +} ratios were reduced in the Baltic group. A novel model was established to assess the specific T-cell response to rat cytomegalovirus (RCMV). When applied to the feeding study, no ...
AbstractBackground: A defective innate immune response may contribute to the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Employing a global gene expression analysis, this study was aimed at identifying specifically regulated genes within the epithelial compartment in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: The epithelial fraction of human ileal mucosa samples from surgical specimens was obtained by laser microdissection. Gene expression was examined by global expression profiling (n = 18, Affymetrix), quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) (n = 35), immunoblot analysis (n = 9), and immunohistochemistry (n = 25). Results: Global expression profiling revealed a pronounced downregulation of the retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) with...
Particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique has been employed to perform elemental analysis of K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br and Sr for Syrian medicinal plants used traditionally to enhance the body immunity. Plant samples were prepared in a simple dried base. The results were verified by comparing with those obtained from both IAEA-359 and IAEA-V10 reference materials. Relative standard deviations are mostly within {+-}5-10% suggest good precision. A correlation between the elemental content in each medicinal plant with its traditional remedial usage has been proposed. Both K and Ca are found to be the major elements in the samples. Fe, Mn and Zn have been detected in good levels in most of these plants clarifying their possible contribution to keep the body immune system in good condition. The contribution of the elements in these plants to the dietary recommended intakes (DRI) has been evaluated. Advantages and ...
Immunotoxicity encompasses both reduced and heightened immune function. Diverse chemicals can impair functioning of the immune system. Both monographs and books have been devoted to detailed descriptions...Full Text Available
Activation of the innate immune system results in a rapid microbicidal response against microorganisms, which needs to be fine-tuned because uncontrolled immune responses can lead to infection and cancer,...Full Text Available
Adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats is a chronic inflammatory disease, widely as an animal model for rheumatoid arthritis. In our study the effect of various fractions of dialyzable leukocyte extract (DLE): DLE I-molecular weight below 10 kDa (commercial preparation), DLE II-molecular weight below 5 kDa (suppressor fraction), DLE III-molecular weight 5-10 kDa on rat adjuvant-induced arthritis was studied. The adjuvant arthritic (AA) rats were treated with DLE fractions i.p. in solutions containing an active substance isolated from 12.5 x 10{sup 6} and 6.25 x 10{sup 6} leukocytes from day 1 (adjuvant injected) through day 18, every second day (total 9 times). Various markers in inflammation, immune function and joint destruction were evaluated: hind paw volume, serum hyaluronic acid, serum albumin and biopterin in urine. All these markers showed a significant improvement after using fraction DLE II in comparison with AA ...
Introduction: Tumor-derived heat shock protein (HSP)-peptide complexes (HSPPCs) inducedimmunity against malignancies in preclinical trials, working across tumor types and bypassing the need to identify single immunogenic peptides. These results paved the way for the use of human gp96 obtained from autologous tumor samples as an anti-cancer vaccine. Areas covered: Autologous tumor-derived HSP gp96 peptide complex (HSPPC-96) vaccine is emerging as a tumor- and patient-specific cancer vaccine, with confirmed activity in several malignancies. It has been tested in Phase III clinical trials in advanced melanoma and kidney cancer with evidence for efficacy in patients with earlier stage disease. HSPPC-96-based vaccine demonstrated an excellent safety profile, thus emerging as a novel therapeuti...
Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae is associated with chronic non-progressive pneumonia of sheep and goats. As with many other mycoplasmas involved in animal diseases, protective immune responses have not been achieved with vaccines, even though antibody responses can be obtained. This study focuses on characterizing the interaction of M. ovipneumoniae with ovine PBMC using carboxy-fluorescein-succinimidyl-ester (CFSE) loading and flow cytometry to measure lymphoid cell division. M. ovipneumoniae induced a strong in vitro polyclonal suppression of CD4^+, CD8^+, and B blood lymphocyte subsets. The suppressive activity could be destroyed by heating to 60^oC, and partially impaired by formalin and binary ethyleneimine treatment that abolished its viability. The activity resided on the surface-exposed m...
The effects of dietary plant and yeast cerebroside (glucosylceramide), a major sphingolipid in plants and yeast, on atopic dermatitis (AD) like symptoms were investigated in a mouse model. After 7 wk of feeding with a diet containing maize glucosylceramide, plasma IgE levels became significantly lower and in contrast, the levels of interleukin (IL)-12, which induces cellular immunity, became significantly higher in the AD mice than in the controls. However, the sphingolipid constituents of the skin fraction in the maize glucosylceramide fed group did not contain sphingoid bases of plant origin, such as 8-unsaturated sphingoid bases. The results of the present study indicated that dietary plant glucosylceramide prevented AD-like symptoms in AD model mice via regulation of Th1/Th2 balance. P...
BackgroundCharacterization of the innate immune repertoire of extant cnidarians is of both fundamental and applied interest - it not only provides insights into the basic immunological...Full Text Available
Although the initiating factor(s) is unknown, it is now accepted that pulmonary sarcoidosis develops as a result of an over-stimulated local cellular immune response. Starting as a lymphocytic alveolitis,...Full Text Available
The effects of gate and drain bias stresses on thin film transistors fabricated in polysilicon films crystallized using the advanced sequential lateral solidification excimer laser annealing (SLS ELA) process, which yields very elongated polysilicon grains and allows the fabrication of TFTs without grain boundary barriers to current flow, are investigated as a function of the active layer thickness and of the TFT orientation relative to the grains. The application of hot carrier stress, with a condition of V{sub GS} = V{sub DS}/2, was determined to induce threshold voltage, subthreshold swing and transconductance degradation for TFTs in thicker polysilicon films and the associated stress-induced increase in the active layer trap density was evaluated. However, this device degradation was drastically reduced for TFTs fabricated in ultra-thin films. Furthermore, the application of the same stress condition to TFTs oriented vertically to the ...
The effects of gate and drain bias stresses on thin film transistors fabricated in polysilicon films crystallized using the advanced sequential lateral solidification excimer laser annealing (SLS ELA) process, which yields very elongated polysilicon grains and allows the fabrication of TFTs without grain boundary barriers to current flow, are investigated as a function of the active layer thickness and of the TFT orientation relative to the grains. The application of hot carrier stress, with a condition of V_G_S = V_D_S/2, was determined to induce threshold voltage, subthreshold swing and transconductance degradation for TFTs in thicker polysilicon films and the associated stress-induced increase in the active layer trap density was evaluated. However, this device degradation was drastically reduced for TFTs fabricated in ultra-thin films. Furthermore, the application of the same stress condition to TFTs oriented vertically to the elongated ...
... The effectiveness of immune suppression with both 6-mercaptopurine and methotrexate was insufficient to permit induction of a clinically useful ...
We examine the computational complexity of context-free languages, mainly concentrating on two well-known structural properties--immunity and pseudorandomness. An infinite language is REG-immune (resp., CFL-immune) if it contains no infinite subset that is a regular (resp., context-free) language. We prove that (i) there is a context-free REG-immune language outside REG/$n$ and (ii) there is a REG-bi-immune language that can be computed deterministically using logarithmic space. We also show that (iii) there is a CFL-simple set, where a CFL-simple language is an infinite context-free language whose complement is CFL-immune. Similar to the REG-immunity, a REG-primeimmune language has no polynomially dense subsets that are also regular. We further prove that (iv) there is a context-free language that is REG/n-bi-primeimmune but not even ...
Assessment of the immune system's capability to respond to antigens with the generation of specific antibodies, whilst under the influence of a test article, is required in toxicity tests according to the European guideline for repeated dose toxicity testing of medicinal products. The purpose of this study in rats was to validate methodology for the determination of Keyhole Limpet Haemocyanin (KLH)-specific antibodies under the influence of an immunologically active compound. The immunosuppressant FK506, commercially available as Prograf, was administered orally (gavage) to five rats per sex per group at dosages of 0.5mg/kg per day or 3mg/kg per day, for a period of 4 weeks. On days 14 and 22, KLH was administered subcutaneously, with an adjuvant (AluGel), to the two treated groups and a control (i.e. without FK506 treatment) approximately 1h following administration of FK506. Terminal investigations included haematology parameters, titration of KLH-specific ...
Current bioartificial extra-corporeal systems are bioreactors where cells are separated from the surrounding media by porous polymeric membranes. The present work focuses on the design of membranes that allow the differential diffusion of plasma metabolites and proteins such as immunoglobulin (IgG). This design will improve catabolites removal and reduce possible immune response and virus infection. We demonstrate the feasibility to synthesize the hydrogels confined to the macroporous structure of membranes by radiation-induced in situ polymerization. The hollow-fiber membranes were soaked in aqueous monomeric solution, rinsed and irradiated while submerged in oil. This procedure confined the hydrogel to the void internal volume of the pores of the membrane. Hydrogels of polyacrylamide and polyHEMA were synthesized this way by irradiation at 10 kGy. Hydraulic permeability and diffusion of glucose, albumin and IgG were measured in these ...
Persistent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects 170 million people worldwide. Acute HCV infection is often asymptomatic, but many infected individuals develop persistent infections that may lead to development of end-stage liver diseases, including liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Thus, an HCV vaccine that could significantly lower the chronicity rate would have a major impact on the disease burden. Unfortunately, HCV is a highly mutable virus, and escape mutations can undermine vaccine-induced virus-specific immunity. Also, HCV exists as multiple genotypes, and so genotype-specific vaccines might be required to achieve broad protection. Finally, vaccine development has been hampered by the lack of a small animal model and cell culture systems, but these are currently being established. Despite these obstacles, several vaccine candidates tested in the chimpanzee HCV model have shown some encouraging results.
BackgroundNaturally acquired immune responses against sexual stages of P. falciparum can reduce the transmission of malaria from humans to mosquitoes. These antigens...Full Text Available
The study of blocking factors requires in vitro assay of cell mediated immunity that parallels the in vivo response. By microcytotoxicity testing, progressor and immune peripheral blood lymphocytes...Full Text Available
Antibodies against feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and the feline oncornavirus-associated cell membrane antigen (FOCMA) were transferred from pregnant cats to their suckling kittens. All of these kittens...Full Text Available
A highly purified preparation of double-stranded RNA, obtained from virus-like particles in Penicillium cultures, was found to affert humoral immune responses in mice differentially depending on its...Full Text Available
BackgroundMacrophages (MΦs) utilize macropinocytosis to integrate immune and metabolic signals in order to initiate an effective immune response. Diabetes is characterized...Full Text Available
The influence of an immobilization stressor on lung cellular immune responses was studied. Delayed-type hypersensitivity to sheep erythrocytes was used to evaluate in vivo lung cellular immunity. Mice...Full Text Available
Approximately 30% of foxes given two doses of an inactivated rabies antigen delivered directly into the intestinal tract developed an immune response as measured by rabies serum neutralizing antibodies....Full Text Available
Autoimmune cholangitis would be the appropriate name to define the immune-mediated bile duct injury following the breakdown of tolerance to mitochondrial proteins and the appearance of serum autoantibodies...Full Text Available
Suppressed IL-12 production and maladaptive immune activation, both of which are ameliorated by successful highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), are thought to play important roles in the immunopathogenesis...Full Text Available
ABSTRACTObjectivesTo test the feasibility of human immune globulin (IG, Gamimune N, 10%) as a new treatment for endophthalmitis, the ocular tolerance, distribution,...Full Text Available
SUMMARYDendritic cells (DCs) in mucosal surfaces are early targets for human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1). DCs mount rapid and robust immune responses upon pathogen encounter....Full Text Available
The inflammatory and immune cell populations of the human lung parenchyma have not been characterized in detail. This report describes a novel and efficient procedure for their extraction. Histologically...Full Text Available
BackgroundAntigen sparing and cross-protective immunity are regarded as crucial in pandemic influenza vaccine development. Both targets can be achieved by adjuvantation strategy...Full Text Available
Chickens were bursectomized in ovo on days 18, 19 or 20 of incubation or within 6 h of hatch and immunized at day 28 after hatch by an intravenous injection of sheep red blood cells (SRBC). The immune...Full Text Available
BackgroundSupplementation of nutritional deficiencies helps to improve immune function and resistance to infections in malnourished subjects. However, the suggested benefits of dietary...Full Text Available
The collapse of major histocompatiblity complex (MHC) class-I-dependent immune privilege can lead to autoimmune disease or fetal rejection. Pragmatic and instructive models are needed to clarify the...Full Text Available
Macrophages are cells of the immune system that protect organisms against invading pathogens by fulfilling critical roles in innate and adaptive immunity and inflammation. They originate from circulating...Full Text Available
Endogenous immune complexes present in sera from 10 different patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in an active phase were allowed to bind to Raji cells; the ability of intact complement...Full Text Available
Innate immune responses are regulated by microorganisms and cell death, as well as by a third class of stress signal from the nervous and endocrine systems. The innate immune system also feeds back, through the production of cytokines, to regulate the function of the central nervous system (CNS), and this has effects on behaviour. These signals provide an extrinsic regulatory circuit that links physiological, social and environmental conditions, as perceived by the CNS, with transcriptional 'decision-making' in leukocytes. CNS-mediated regulation of innate immune responses optimizes total organism fitness and provides new opportunities for therapeutic control of chronic infectious, inflammatory and neuropsychiatric diseases.
... Considering these observations, it is most likely that Brucela proteins involved in protective immunity will preferentially stimulate INF-g producing T ...
Two plasmids which express either nearly intact or truncated filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) from Bordetella pertussis and which are marked with a tetracycline resistance (Tcr) gene were transformed into Salmonella dublin SL1438, an aroA deletion mutant intended for use as an attenuated oral vaccine against salmonellosis. These S. dublin recombinants, when fed to mice, induced serum immunoglobulin, immunoglobulin M (IgM), and sometimes IgA antibody responses to FHA and S. dublin. In addition, IgA antibodies against FHA were found in gut wash fluids. S. dublin carrying pDB2300, a multicopy plasmid encoding truncated FHA protein, induced a better antibody response than did S. dublin carrying pDB2000, a low-copy-number plasmid encoding full-sized FHA. Administration of tetracycline to mice enhanced the stability of recombinant plasmids, and tetracycline-treated mice developed higher anti-FHA titers. Although neither strain examined is suitable for ...
It has previously been shown that a recommender based on immune system idiotypic principles can out perform one based on correlation alone. This paper reports the results of work in progress, where we undertake some investigations into the nature of this beneficial effect. The initial findings are that the immune system recommender tends to produce different neighbourhoods, and that the superior performance of this recommender is due partly to the different neighbourhoods, and partly to the way that the idiotypic effect is used to weight each neighbours recommendations.
Correlates between immunological parameters and protection against Bacillus anthracis infection in animals vaccinated with protective antigen (PA)-based vaccines could provide surrogate markers to evaluate the putative protective efficiency of immunization in humans. In previous studies we demonstrated that neutralizing antibody levels serve as correlates for protection in guinea pigs (S. Reuveny et al., Infect. Immun. 69:2888-2893, 2001; H. Marcus et al., Infect. Immun. 72:3471-3477, 2004). In this study we evaluated similar correlates for protection by active and passive immunization of New Zealand White rabbits. Full immunization and partial immunization were achieved by single and multiple injections of standard and diluted doses of a PA-based vaccine. Passive immunization was carried out by injection of immune sera ...
ABSTRACTThe immune response to Neisseria gonorrhoeae is poorly understood, but its extensive antigenic variability and resistance to complement are thought to allow it...Full Text Available
The immune system modulates many key biological processes in humans. However, the exact role of the immune system in particle-associated periprosthetic osteolysis is controversial. Human tissue retrieval studies, in vivo and in vitro experiments suggest that the immune response to polymer particles is non-specific and macrophage-mediated. Lymphocytes may modulate this response. However direct lymphocyte activation by polymer particle-protein complexes seems unlikely. However, metallic byproducts may complex with serum proteins and lead to a Type IV, lymphocyte-mediated immune reaction. In predisposed individuals, this reaction may rarely lead to persistent painful joint effusions, necessitating debridement and excision of the bearing surfaces of the prosthesis. In these patients, retrieved...
Immune function is critical in health and disease. The control and regulation of immune reactions is an area of intense investigation that has important implications for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Immune reactions are regulated in a number of important ways. Compartmentalization of immune responses and the production of both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines play a major role. More recently several populations of T cells that regulate immune responses termed regulatory T cells have been identified. This manuscript will focus on CD4^+CD25^+FoxP3^+ natural regulatory T cells (T"r"e"g) and @a@bTCR^+CD4^+NK1.1^+ natural killer T (NK-T) cells which both suppress graft vs host disease but appear to function by distinct mechanisms.
Cytoreductive conditioning regimes designed to allow for successful allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) paradoxically are also detrimental to recovery of the immune system in general but lymphopoiesis in particular. Post-transplant immune depletion is particularly striking within the T cell compartment which is exquisitely sensitive to negative regulation, evidenced by the profound decline in thymic function with age. As a consequence, regeneration of the immune system remains a significant unmet clinical need. Over the past decade studies have revealed several promising therapeutic strategies to address ineffective lymphopoiesis and post-transplant immune deficiency. These include the use of cytokines such as IL-7, IL-12 and IL-15; growth factors and hormones li...
Testosterone has bipotential effects on male fitness; that is, it both suppresses immune function and maintains characteristics important for reproductive success. Presumably, these effects of testosterone may be more pronounced among polygynous species because testosterone concentrations are generally higher among polygynous than monogamous males. The present study examined sex and species differences in cell-mediated immunity among four arvicoline rodents. The role of mating system and sex steroids in sex differences in immune function was examined in individually housed polygynous meadow (Microtus pennsylvanicus) and montane (M. montanus) voles and monogamous prairie (M. ochrogaster) and pine (M. pinetorum) voles in Experiment 1. No sex differences in splenocyte proliferation were observed among the four species and circulating testosterone concentrations did not correlate with immune function of ...
The IRG protein Irgm3 preserves cell survival during coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) infection. However, the molecular mechanisms are not clear. Here, we examined the effect of Irgm3 expression on ER stress triggered by pharmacological agents or CVB3 infection. In Tet-On/Irgm3 HeLa cells, Irgm3 expression suppressed either chemical- or CVB3-induced upregulation of glucose-regulated protein78. Further, Irgm3 strongly inhibited the activation of both the PERK and ATF6 pathways of ER stress responses, which further led to the diminished phosphorylation of eIF2?, reduced cleavage/activation of transcription factor SREBP1 and attenuated induction of proapoptotic genes CHOP and GADD34. These data were further supported by experiments using Irgm3 knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts, in which the ER stress induced by CVB3 was not relieved due to the lack of Irgm3 expression. In addition, the tunicamycin-triggered ER stress promoted the subsequent CVB3 ...
In the present study Balb/c mice were exposed to 3,4-benzopyrene, painted on the skin every 2nd day for a total of 6 months, and simultaneously irradiated with athermal (5 mW/cm/sup 2/) or subthermal (15 mW/cm/sup 2/) doses of 2,450 MHz microwaves. The other group of animals was preirradiated with microwaves at 10 mW/cm/sup 2/ power level for 1, 2, or 3 months and then treated with benzopyrene, as above. Control mice were exposed for 6 months to benzopyrene, resulting in the development of baso- or spinocellular skin carcinoma within approximately 9 months, and sham-irradiated with microwaves. The growth of the tumour was assessed according to a self-designed 7-range macroscopic scale, supported by microscopical examinations of skin sections. All protocols of microwave irradiations resulted in a significant acceleration of the development of benzopyrene-induced skin cancer and in shortening of life span of the tumour-bearing hosts. This effect seemed to be ...
OBJECTIVES: The authors examine the rationale and efficacy of pre-travel hepatitis B immunization strategies based on itinerary and presumed on-travel risk behaviour. METHODS: A large survey among 26,640 Danes survey provided data on journey lengths and destinations, immunization coverage, risk behaviour and knowledge. RESULTS: The estimated cumulative lifetime stay in endemic areas outside Europe is 4.3 months. The majority of risk situations are involuntary and unforeseeable. The majority of risk situations occur on short-term journeys. 5% nonimmune and 5% short-term travellers experienced at least one risk situation such as injections/operations/tattoos on their journey. The level of knowledge of hepatitis A and B is low. CONCLUSIONS: The rationale and efficacy of current immunization strategies are challenged. Based on the results presented here and the availability of vaccines with long-lasting coverage, the authors ...
The herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-TK) reporter system is being used to directly and indirectly monitor therapeutic gene expression, immune cell trafficking and protein-protein interactions in various living animals. However, the issues of HSV1-TK enzyme stability in living cells and whether this reporter system is optimal for dynamic studies of gene expression events in genetic imaging have not be addressed. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the application of this reporter system in dynamic studies of transcriptional gene regulation. To achieve this purpose, we established two tetracycline-inducible murine sarcoma cell lines, tetracycline-turn-off HSV1-tk-expressing cell line (NG4TL4/tet-off-HSV1-tk) and tetracycline-turn-off Luc-expressing cell line (NG4TL4/tet-off-Luc), to create an artificially regulated gene expression model in vitro. The dynamic transcriptional events mediating a series of doxycycline ...
The pathological effects of lead on the renal, nervous, reproductive, endocrine, and immune systems have been reviewed. Emphasis is placed on reported subclinical effects due to chronic, low-level lead...Full Text Available
BackgroundTacrolimus (FK-506) is an immunosuppressant that binds to a specific immunophilin, resulting in the suppression of the cellular immune response during transplant rejection....Full Text Available
Reports in humans and rodents indicate that immune development may be altered following perinatal exposure to immunotoxic compounds, including chemotherapeutics, corticosteroids, polycyclic hydrocarbons,...Full Text Available
The battery manufacturing industry has not been immune to the impact of new technologies. How one company is adapting production techniques to meet the demand for better products is discussed.
In the paper we investigate a mathematical model describing the growth of tumor in the presence of immune response of a host organism. The dynamics of tumour and immune cells is based on the generic Michaelis-Menten kinetics describing interaction and competition between the tumour and the immune system. The appropriate phenomenological equation modeling cell-mediated immune surveillance against cancer is of the predator-prey form and within a given choice of parameters exhibits bistability. Under the influence of spontaneous weak fluctuations, the model may be analyzed in terms of a stochastic differential equation bearing the form of an overdamped Langevin-like dynamics in the external quasi-potential represented by a double well. We analyze properties of the system within the range of parameters for which the potential wells are of the same depth and when the additional perturbation describing a ...
Vaccine-mediated prevention of primary HIV-1 infection at the heterosexual mucosal portal of entry may be facilitated by highly optimised formulations or drug delivery devices for intravaginal (i.vag) immunization. Previously we described hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC)-based rheologically structured gel vehicles (RSVs) for vaginal immunization of an HIV-1 vaccine candidate, a soluble recombinant trimeric HIV-1 clade-C envelope glycoprotein designated CN54gp140. Here we investigated the efficacy of lyophilized solid dosage formulations (LSDFs) for prolonging antigen stability and as i.vag delivery modalities. LSDFs were designed and developed that upon i.vag administration they would reconstitute with the imbibing of vaginal fluid to mucoadhesive, site-retentive semi-solids. Mice were immunize...
... objective of this research work were to 1 ... function of experimentally manipulated dogs to define ... Escherichia coli; Sepsis; Military medicine; Medical ...
PurposeClinical trials have commenced to evaluate the feasibility of targeting malignant gliomas with genetically engineered cytolytic T-cells (CTLs) delivered directly...Full Text Available
The eye is an easily accessible, highly compartmentalised and immune-privileged organ that offers unique advantages as a gene therapy target. Significant advancements have been made in understanding...Full Text Available
In a series of experiments carried out on young and adult rabbits the effect of isocaloric low protein diets containing 4% or 8% protein compared with a diet containing 21% protein on Obeliscoides cuniculi infection was studied. The pathogenesis, resistance and local immunity were assessed after single infections with 10,000 larvae or reinfection with 5000 larvae. Live weight gain was reduced in young and adult rabbits fed the low protein diets, but the establishment of parasites was not substantially influenced by protein deprivation. However, development of worms in the histotrophic phase and parasite fecundity were impaired in association with the low protein diet. Moreover, mild anaemia as well as changes in the mucosal immune response as a result of infection were related to the level of dietary protein. (author). 30 refs, 6 figs, 5 tabs.
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that leads to the development of a number of complications. The etiology of each diabetic complication is undoubtedly multifactorial. We will focus...Full Text Available
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) persists as a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease and is characterized by the production of autoantibodies and immune complexes that affects multiple organs....Full Text Available
Phosphorylation is one of the most frequent modifications in intracellular signaling and is implicated in many processes ranging from transcriptional control to signal transduction in innate immunity....Full Text Available
Background:Alopecia areata (AA) is an immune-mediated form of hair loss that occurs in all ethnic groups, ages, and both sexes. Helicobacter pylori has...Full Text Available
PPARgamma agonists have been proposed to exert more than metabolic benefits, particularly by anti-inflammatory mechanisms. We hypothesized that pioglitazone might modulate inflammatory and vascular responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In a placebo-controlled parallel-group study in 18 healthy male subjects, the E. coli endotoxin model of inflammation (20 IU/kg i. v.) was employed to test the effect of 60 mg pioglitazone over nine days on inflammatory cytokines. Macrovascular function and microvascular blood flow were assessed by brachial artery ultrasound and retinal blood flow parameters, respectively. Pioglitazone increased brachial artery diameter by 5.6% but had no effect on other outcome parameters under resting conditions. LPS increased cytokine levels to peak concentrations of 91.3+/-22.5 ng/ml (IL-6), 261.4+/-60.0 ng/ml (TNFalpha), and 524.5+/-15.3 ng/ml (VCAM-1). The endotoxin caused microvascular vasodilation and increased retinal white blood cell flux, while baseline ...
Epidermal gamma delta T cells (γδ T) and Langerhans cells (LC) are immune cells altered by exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVB), a powerful stressor resulting in immune suppression....Full Text Available
BackgroundUnderstanding immunity, incidence and risk factors of the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic (2009 H1N1) through a national seroprevalence study is necessary for informing...Full Text Available
Effect of single and chronic irradiation on factors of hamsters natural immunity such as complement, lysozyme and antibodies in norm and in the cestode invasion has been investigated. Significant phase changes in the complement activity level, lysozyme content and specific antibodies tite have been shown to occur in hamster blood under the influence of ionizing radiation. Cestode invasion in irradiated host organism increases the negative effect of ionizing radiation on the hamster immyne system.
BackgroundAvian β-defensins (AvBDs) represent a group of innate immune genes with broad antimicrobial activity. Within the chicken genome, previous work identified 14 AvBDs...Full Text Available
Fifty-six tuberculosis patients and twenty-eight control subjects were evaluated in a comprehensive investigation of cellular and humoral immune function in pulmonary TB. The patient group showed significantly...Full Text Available
Abstract Aim:- To describe the first case of ceftriaxone-related haemolysis in a patient with congenital nephrotic syndrome (CNS). Background:- Severe haemolysis caused by an immune reaction to ceftriaxone has mostly been described in patients with underlying haematological or immune dysfunction. Case report:- The authors present a 20-month-old boy with CNS of the Finnish type with several previous severe infections treated with ceftriaxone, admitted for suspected sepsis. Following ceftriaxone administration he developed shock secondary to an acute haemolytic reaction, with severe anaemia. Hypersensitivity to ceftriaxone was documented through positive agglutination tests. Conclusion:- Onset of haemolysis following ceftriaxone administration, particularly in a patient previously exposed to...
The issue of the duration of immunity, particularly for the modified live viral components of veterinary vaccines, has been a significant part of the recent vaccination debate. One manufacturer has increased the recommended booster interval for these components to 3 years give name and another now states `up to 4 years' immunity.There remain many unanswered questions regarding this duration of immunity (DOI). Studies suitable for data sheet claims are time consuming and costly and can only be performed in laboratory dogs under tightly controlled conditions. Evidence from rabies serology testing in the UK shows that the response of individual animals to routine vaccination is highly variable. Much of the published field evidence on the persistence of antibody titres originates from North Am...
Ten children receiving maintenance dialysis were immunized with the standard dose of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine between 15 and 33 months of age. Immune responses to vaccination were determined using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for measles, mumps, and rubella viruses. Eight children responded to measles vaccine, 5 to mumps vaccine, 8 to rubella vaccine, and only 3 children to all three vaccines, compared with a seroconversion rate of over 90% to all three vaccines in healthy children (P less than 0.0001). We contend that the relatively poor immunocompetence of our dialysis patients explains their less than optimal vaccine response and suggest that children vaccinated while undergoing dialysis be tested to confirm serological evidence of immunity. PMID:1571219
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), and Hashimotos thyroiditis (HT) are autoimmune disorders caused by impaired self-tolerance mechanisms triggered by interaction between genetic and environmental factors. ITP is an immune-mediated destruction of platelets resulting in mucocutaneous bleeding, GBS is an ascending motor paralysis caused by an inflammatory demyelination of peripheral nerves, and HT is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of the thyroid gland. The concurrent development of ITP and GBS has only rarely been reported in the literature, and GBS itself rarely occurs with other autoimmune disorders. We present a 21 year-old patient with known Hashimotos hypothyroidism that simultaneously developed GBS and ITP after an upper respiratory t...
In acute liver failure following hepatitis, toxic insults, or after major liver surgery, there is an increased bacterial translocation from the gut. This may explain some of the infectious complications seen in these conditions. To elucidate mechanisms and find possible preventive measures, we investigated the effect of rectal administration of arginine and probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus spp.) on bacterial translocation and the extent of liver failure. Sprague-Dawley rats were used and five different Lactobacillus strains (Lb. reuteri R2LC, Lb. rhamnosus DSM 6594 (= strain 271), Lb. plantarum DSM 9843 (= strain 299v), Lb. fermentum 8704:3 (= strain 245), and Lb. reuteri (= strain 108) were administered rectally once daily for 8 days with and without 2% arginine. Acute liver injury (ALI) was induced on the eighth day by intraperitoneal injection of D-galactosamine (1.1 g/kg body weight), and samples were collected after 24 and 48 hours. Bacterial translocation ...
The central nervous system regulates peripheral immune responses via the vagus nerve, the primary neural component of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. Electrical stimulation of the...Full Text Available
OmpU porins are increasingly recognized as key determinants of pathogenic host Vibrio interactions. Although mechanisms remain incompletely understood, various species, including the...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe dynorphin-kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system regulates glial proliferation after sciatic nerve injury. Here, we investigated its role in cell proliferation following...Full Text Available
Highly polymorphic genes with central roles in lymphocyte mediated immune surveillance are grouped together in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in higher vertebrates. Generally, across vertebrate...Full Text Available
In a significant percentage of examined cases of fulminant hepatitis, subacute hepatitis, chronic aggressive hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and chronic persistent hepatitis, Australia (hepatitis-associated)...Full Text Available
BackgroundSensitization to house dust mite allergens is strongly correlated with asthma. Der p 7 elicits strong IgE antibody and T-cell responses in mite allergic...Full Text Available
Monogenic autoinflammatory diseases encompass a distinct and growing clinical entity of multisystem inflammatory diseases with known genetic defects in the innate immune system. The diseases...Full Text Available
The specific binding of transcription factors to cognate sequence elements is thought to be critical for the generation of specific gene expression programs. Members of the nuclear factor κB...Full Text Available
The human immunodeficiency virus Tat protein is essential for virus replication and is a candidate vaccine antigen. Macaques immunized with Tat or chemically modified Tat toxoid having the same clade...Full Text Available
Surfactant protein A (SP-A), first identified as a component of the lung surfactant system, is now recognized to be an important contributor to host defence mechanisms. SP-A can facilitate phagocytosis...Full Text Available
Malaria parasites must undergo a round of sexual reproduction in the blood meal of a mosquito vector to be transmitted between hosts. Developing a transmission-blocking intervention to prevent parasites...Full Text Available
Although cellular immunity has a crucial role during cryptococcosis, several in vitro studies have pointed out the importance of IgG anti-Cryptococcus neoformans antibodies and complement components...Full Text Available
Interleukin 2 (IL-2) and B-cell growth factors I and II (BCGF I and BCGF II) are lymphokines produced by T cells that play a major role in T- and B-cell cooperation. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from...Full Text Available
BackgroundSurrogate immunologic markers for natural and vaccine-mediated protection against tuberculosis (TB) have not been identified.MethodsHIV-infected...Full Text Available
Israel has faced the challenge presented by epidemic poliomyelitis by using different immunization strategies. In the 1950s, inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) helped to reduce the total burden of...Full Text Available
Plasma exchange (PE) is currently being used to treat a variety of disorders involving immune complexes, such as polyarteritis nodosa. This procedure removes endogenous toxic components that accumulate...Full Text Available
The CNS can exhibit features of inflammation in response to injury, infection or disease, whereby resident cells generate inflammatory mediators, including cytokines, prostaglandins, free radicals and...Full Text Available
Naturally occurring, double-stranded RNA (ds-RNA)) was immunogenic when injected into mice, rats, guinea-pigs, rabbits, dogs and baboons. The response to native material administered intravenously (i.v.)...Full Text Available
Microglia provide immune surveillance for the brain through both the removal of cellular debris and protection against infection by microorganisms and “foreign” molecules. Upon...Full Text Available
BackgroundIndividuals living in malaria endemic areas generally harbour multiple parasite strains. Multiplicity of infection (MOI) can be an indicator of immune status. However,...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe binding of peptide fragments of antigens to class II MHC is a crucial step in initiating a helper T cell immune response. The identification of such peptide epitopes...Full Text Available
Cancer immunotherapies can be guided by cellular imaging techniques, which can identify the presence or absence of immune-cell accumulation in the tumor tissue in-vivo and in real time. This...Full Text Available
Over the last three to four decades, it has been observed that the average total hours of sleep have decreased to less than seven hours per person per night. Concomitantly, global figures relating to...Full Text Available
Glycoprotein 60 (gp60) is a normal plasma protein (mean concentration in normal serum 34 micrograms/ml) that is present in increased levels (mean concentration 97 micrograms/ml) in the sera of patients...Full Text Available
Many lessons in autoimmunity — particularly relating to the role of immune privilege and the interplay between genetics and neuroimmunology — can be learned from the study of alopecia...Full Text Available
A 30-year-old man with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and Kaposi's sarcoma had a palpable thyroid mass and cervical lymphadenopathy. Nuclear medicine and ultrasound scans revealed multiple thyroid nodules. Results of biopsy showed Kaposi's sarcoma metastatic to the thyroid.
Since a large body of data has suggested a significant role for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in the regulation of the immune response at a number of levels, we examined the possibility of a specific receptor...Full Text Available
Chemokine receptors control leukocyte chemotaxis and cell-cell communication but have also been associated with pathogen entry. GPR33, an orphan member of the chemokine-like receptor family,...Full Text Available
The cytokine interleukin-7 (IL-7) has essential growth activities that maintain the homeostatic balance of the immune system. Little is known of the mechanism by which IL-7 signaling regulates metabolic...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe VP2 outer capsid protein Bluetongue Virus (BTV) is responsible for receptor binding, haemagglutination and eliciting host-specific immunity. However, the assembly of...Full Text Available
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are highly polymorphic components of the vertebrate immune system, which play a key role in pathogen resistance. MHC genes may also function as odour-related...Full Text Available
A unique antibacterial peptide derivative found in immune honeybee lymph, apidaecin 1b (AP1), was randomly mutagenized and characterized by a newly established system to analyze in vivo its structure-function...Full Text Available
Mass mortalities among seals and dolphins inhabiting contaminated marine regions have led to speculation about a possible involvement of immunosuppression associated with environmental pollution. To...Full Text Available
The importance of a properly functioning and well-balanced immune system for maintaining health has become strikingly evident over the past decades. Roughly since World War II, there has been an apparent...Full Text Available
Immunotherapy has shown promise in a number of tumor types, but its exact role in sarcoma remains to be defined. Advanced bone and soft tissue sarcomas are challenging diseases to treat with an unmet...Full Text Available
BackgroundMastitis in dairy cattle results from infection of mammary tissue by a range of micro-organisms but principally coliform bacteria and Gram positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus...Full Text Available
We have developed a new strategy for immunization of wild rabbit populations against myxomatosis and rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) that uses recombinant viruses based on a naturally attenuated field...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe objective of the study was to analyse the evolution of Bordetella pertussis population and the influence of herd immunity in different areas of the...Full Text Available
Purpose of reviewSevere congenital neutropenia (SCN) is a primary immunodeficiency in which lack of neutrophils causes inadequate innate immune host response to bacterial...Full Text Available
Dectin-1, the major β-glucan receptor in leukocytes, triggers an effective immune response upon fungal recognition. Here we use sortase-mediated transpeptidation, a technique that allows placement...Full Text Available
BackgroundSeveral diseases, many of which nowadays pandemic, consist of multifactorial pathologies. Paradigmatic examples come from the immune response to pathogens, in which cases...Full Text Available
Lumbricus terrestris (Annelid, Oligocheta) is capable of cellular- and humoral-specific reactions against natural antigens. Is this earthworm able to elaborate a response of antibody type against a...Full Text Available
Eosinophils are associated with helminth immunity and allergy, often in conjunction with alternatively activated macrophages (AAMs). Adipose tissue AAMs are necessary to maintain glucose homeostasis...Full Text Available
Protective innate immunity to the nematode Strongyloides stercoralis requires eosinophils in the parasite killing process. Experiments were performed to determine if an extract of S....Full Text Available
B lymphocytes can function independently as efficient APCs. However, our previous studies demonstrate that both dendritic cells and macrophages are necessary to propagate immune responses initiated...Full Text Available
The objective of this study was to develop a specific immunological diagnostic assay for yellow disease in hyacinths, using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). Mice were immunized with a crude cell wall preparation...Full Text Available
Background. It is currently recommended that diet of pregnant mothers contain 200–300 mg DHA/day. Aim. To determine whether DHA supplementation...Full Text Available
During the anamnestic response, the sera of four rabbits immunized with a polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine contained large amounts of cryoglobulins belonging to the G and M immunoglobulin classes. These...Full Text Available
The use of mice for the assay of tetanus toxoids would offer considerable advantages over the use of guinea-pigs, but mice cannot readily be immunized with the fluid tetanus toxoid at present designated...Full Text Available
BackgroundMammalian antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are effectors of the innate immune response. A multitude of signals coming from pathways of mammalian pathogen/pattern recognition...Full Text Available
BackgroundOne virulence property of Borrelia burgdorferi is its resistance to innate immunity, in particular to complement-mediated killing. Serum-resistant B....Full Text Available
The most characteristic features of the Lyme disease pathogens, the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) group, are their ability to invade tissues and to circumvent the immune defenses...Full Text Available
BackgroundMost rapidly evolving gene families are involved in immune responses and reproduction, two biological functions which have been assigned to the carcinoembryonic antigen...Full Text Available
The cell types involved in the cellular immune response were studied with the GVH in vitro as a test system. Comparison of the activities of cells of different lymphoid organs in the...Full Text Available
CSV consists of a very complex of molecules and demonstrates significant cellular activities capable of stimulating immune functions in vivo. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of...Full Text Available
Polyclonal antibodies were raised in rabbits by immunization with free peptides corresponding to positions 197-222 of the human beta 1-adrenergic receptor (beta 1 peptide) and the corresponding sequence...Full Text Available
BackgroundMalaria resistance by the sickle cell trait (genotype HbAS) has served as the prime example of genetic selection for over half a century. Nevertheless, the mechanism...Full Text Available
Naturally acquired immunity to Plasmodium falciparum malaria in malaria holoendemic areas is characterized by the gradual, age-related development of protection against high-density...Full Text Available
Abs facilitate humoral immunity via the classical mechanisms of opsonization, complement activation, Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, and toxin/viral neutralization. There is also evidence that some...Full Text Available
BackgroundBlood group O has been significantly associated with increased placental malaria infection in primiparae and reduced risk of infection in multiparae in the Gambia, an area...Full Text Available
Abs are central to malaria immunity, which is only acquired after years of exposure to Plasmodium falciparum (Pf). Despite the enormous worldwide burden of malaria,...Full Text Available
The decline in immune function with aging, known as immunosenescence, has been implicated in evolutionarily diverse species, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not understood. During aging...Full Text Available
BackgroundFew studies have yet addressed the effects of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in house dust on human nasal mucosa.ObjectivesWe investigated...Full Text Available
There is very little known about the long-term evolution of the MHC and MHC-like molecules. This is because both the theory (the evolutionary questions and models) and the practice (the animals systems, functional assays and reagents to identify and characterize these molecules) have been difficult to develop. There is no molecular evidence yet to decide whether vertebrate immune systems (and particularly the MHC molecules) are evolutionarily related to invertebrate allorecognition systems, and the functional evidence can be interpreted either way. Even among the vertebrates, there is great heterogeneity in the quality and quantity of the immune response. The functional evidence for T-lymphocyte function in jawless and cartilagenous fish is poor, while the bony fish seem to have many characteristics of a mammalian immune system. The organization and sequence of fish Ig genes also indicate that important events in the ...
... A better understanding of the links between nutrients, the gut microbiome and the intestinal immune system is likely to pave the way to the development of innovative approaches that target activation of specific immunological pathways for promoting the hostrsquo;s gut defense. Such knowledge should positively impact on the development of vaccine formulations and intervention strategies for improved control of enteric infections in developing countries. Registration fees # The Registration Fee is $715.00 on and before September 7, 2011. # After September 7, 2011, the ...
Resistance and tolerance are two types of host defense mechanisms that increase fitness in response to fungi. Several genetic polymorphisms in pattern recognition receptors, most remarkably Toll-like receptors (TLRs), have been described to influence resistance and tolerance to aspergillosis in distinct clinical settings. TLRs on dendritic cells pivotally contribute in determining the balance between immunopathology and protective immunity to the fungus. Epithelial cells also contribute to this balance via selected TLRs converging on indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). Studies in experimental hematopoietic transplantation confirmed the dichotomy of pathways leading to resistance and tolerance to the fungus providing new insights on the relative contribution of the hematopoietic/nonhematopoi...
A semiquantitative assay was developed and used to measure the effects of immune responses against 16 independent non-H-2 antigenic loci on erythropoietic stem cells. The assay compares repopulation in genetically anemic WBB6F1-W/Wv recipients that have normal immune responses, and in lethally irradiated WBB6F1 +/+ mice whose immune responses are suppressed by the irradiation. The differences in repopulating ability between these two types of recipients measure how immune responses affect erythropoietic stem cells. Stem cell repopulating abilities for the cells with antigens specified by the Thy-1, H-1, H-24, Ly-1, H-37, and H-17 loci were affected slightly, if at all. Repopulating abilities were moderately reduced by responses against antigens specified by H-15, 16, Ea-2, and Ly-2, 3 loci, and against the differences between the B6 and B10 genotypes, although marrow of these types cured W/Wv ...
Data from 52 litters farrowed in two seasons of a cross-fostering experiment were analyzed to estimate variances and covariances for additive direct and maternal genetic effects on immune response to pseudorabies virus and B. bronchiseptica vaccine. Twenty purebred boars and 44 sows of the Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire breeds were used. Immune response was measured after vaccine challenge. A modified-live pseudorabies (PR) vaccine was administered to piglets at 28 d of age; response was measured by log2 serum neutralization titers at 56 d. An inactivated B. bronchiseptica bacterin was administered at 28, 42 and 112 d. Antibody levels were measured relative to positive and negative controls at 28, 56 and 119 d by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results from this study for heritability were .18 +/- .09 for PR titer and .15 +/- .07 and .52 +/- .15 for 56- and 119-d ELISA values, respectively. The variability due to nurse ...
The ability of Yersinia pestis to forestall the mammalian innate immune response is a fundamental aspect of plague pathogenesis. In this study, we examined the effect of Ail, a 17-kDa outer membrane protein that protects Y. pestis against complement-mediated lysis, on bubonic plague pathogenesis in mice and rats. The Y. pestis ail mutant was attenuated for virulence in both rodent models. The attenuation was greater in rats than in mice, which correlates with the ability of normal rat serum, but not mouse serum, to kill ail-negative Y. pestis in vitro. Intradermal infection with the ail mutant resulted in an atypical, subacute form of bubonic plague associated with extensive recruitment of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN or neutrophils) to the site of infection in the draining lymph node and the formation of large purulent abscesses that contained the bacteria. Systemic spread and mortality were greatly attenuated, however, and a productive adaptive ...
In searching modulators of immunity and hematopoiesis among natural products, being used as foods, six herbs exhibited lymphocyte proliferation in vitro, and six exhibited augmentation of hematopoietic cell growth. The combined treatments showed synergistic effects of lymphocyte proliferation and of hematopoietic cell growth. On the other hand, we found four effective oriental medicinal prescriptions, used as energy tonic or blood-building decoctions, for survival and regeneration of hematopoietic cells and for protection of stem cells of intestinal crypt in irradiated mice. On the basis of these results, extracts from combinations of herbs were made in expectation of higher effects in the three respects. In immuno modulation activity by the two combinations of herbs was confirmed in mice. In culture of bone narrow cells, growth improvement of non-adherent precursor and induction of cytokine expression by herb mixture extracts were observed. In evaluation of ...
Abstract. The potential effects of synthetic unmethylated oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) containing CpG motifs, mimicking bacterial DNA, has never been evaluated on the immune response in the teleost fish gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), the most important fish species in Mediterranean aquaculture. First, binding and competition studies have demonstrated that binding is saturated and promiscuous, suggesting the participation of several receptors. Moreover, leucocyte cytotoxic (NCC) activity, production of ROIs (reactive oxygen intermediates), and expression of immune-relevant genes was greatly primed by ODNs. Focusing on the mechanism, the TLR9 gene is widely distributed in seabream tissues and differently regulated in vitro by several stimuli. Moreover, and for the first time in fish, TLR9...
The antimicrobial peptide scygonadin (Scy) was first isolated from the gonad of Scylla serrata and its gene is predominantly expressed in the ejaculatory duct of adult males. Thus, its function was predicted to be associated with reproductive immunity, but this is still unclear and needs further investigation. In our study, the expression pattern of Scy at different developmental stages of both male and female S. paramamosain was investigated, so that the potential function of this peptide could be examined. Using real-time quantitative PCR, Scy mRNA transcripts were demonstrated obviously in the vulnerable embryos and larvae-zoea I but very weakly detected in the larvae-zoea III, megalops and juveniles. The gene expression pattern showed a decreasing trend during the early developmental s...
European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) is a marine species of great economic importance, particularly in Mediterranean aquaculture. However, numerous pathogenic viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites affect the species, causing various infectious diseases and thereby leading to the most heavy losses in aquaculture production of sea bass. In this respect, knowledge on molecular and genetic mechanisms of resistance to pathogens and specific features of immune response against various infectious agents should greatly benefit the development of effective vaccines and proper vaccination strategies in marker-assisted selection of fish resistant to a range of infections. To date, genetic knowledge on sea bass immune regulatory genes responsible for resistance to pathogens is relatively poor ...
Objective. Preterm neonates are susceptible to infection due to a combination of sub-optimal immunity and increased exposure to invasive organisms. Invasive fungal infections are associated with significant morbidity and mortality among preterm infants cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a component of the innate immune system, which may be especially important in the neonatal setting. The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of any association between MBL gene polymorphism and nosocomial invasive fungal infection in preterm neonates. Methods. Codon 54 (B allele) polymorphism in exon 1 of the MBL gene was investigated in 31 patients diagnosed as nosocomial invasive fungal infection and 30 control preterm neonates. Results...
The greater amberjack, Seriola dumerilii (Risso 1810) is a semi-pelagic fish and a worldwide species; it is considered a promising candidate for the diversification of Mediterranean aquaculture. In this paper an experimental injection with Listonella (Vibrio) anguillarum was performed to study the immune response of S. dumerilii. Antibody titres to L. anguillarum O1 were determined with indirect-ELISA at different times over a period of 42 days. Results showed that the antibody levels against L. anguillarum were significantly higher in the challenged fish compared to the control. They started developing since the 5th day reaching the highest peak on day 20 after injection, indicating a fast response of the immune system. The observed antibody titre was very high versus L. anguillarum if co...
Viral infections are still common causes of morbidity and mortality in immunosuppressed patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Infections caused by virus such as cytomegalovirus, adenovirus and Epstein-Barr virus are well-known. In addition, several other viruses such as polyomavirus and human herpesvirus 6 have been recently reported to be causes of significant complications. As the delay in recovery of virus-specific cellular immune response after transplant is associated with viral reactivation and viral disease, adoptive immunotherapy to restore virus-specific cellular immunity is an attractive option. Recent clinical trials showed the safety and effectiveness of adoptive immunotherapy against viral diseases. In this review, we summarize the current status o...
A fundamental Doppler-like but asymmetric wave effect that shifts received signals in frequency in proportion to their respective source distances, was recently described as means for a whole new generation of communication technology using angle and distance, potentially replacing TDM, FDM or CDMA, for multiplexing. It is equivalent to wave packet compression by scaling of time at the receiver, converting path-dependent phase into distance-dependent shifts, and can multiply the capacity of physical channels. The effect was hitherto unsuspected in physics, appears to be responsible for both the cosmological acceleration and the Pioneer 10/11 anomaly, and is exhibited in audio data. This paper discusses how it may be exploited for instant, passive ranging of signal sources, for verification, rescue and navigation; incoherent aperture synthesis for smaller, yet more accurate radars; universal immunity to jamming or interference; and precision frequency scaling of ...
Programmed cell death (PCD) is triggered when Pto, a Ser-Thr protein kinase, recognizes either the AvrPto or AvrPtoB effector from Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato. This...Full Text Available
Selected sera from cattle naturally infected with Brucella abortus precipitate water soluble antigens extracted by sonication from B. abortus. One of these antigens resembles antigen E (Baughn and Freeman)...Full Text Available
Several early genes of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) encode proteins that mediate immune evasion by interference with the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) pathway of antigen presentation...Full Text Available
The threshold stress itensities for stress corrosion crack propagation in beta titanium alloy 38-6-44, Ti-3Al-8V-6Cr-4Mo-4Zr, has been determined in salt water and methanolic solutions. The alloy was immune to stress corrosion cracking in aqueous sodium c...
Protective immunity against infection with Bacillus anthracis is almost entirely based on a response to the protective antigen (PA), the binding moiety for the two other toxin components....Full Text Available
The declaration of the human influenza A pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (H1N1/09) raised important questions, including origin and host range [1],...Full Text Available
Regulatory T (T reg) cells exert powerful down-modulatory effects on immune responses, but it is not known how they act in vivo. Using intravital two-photon laser scanning microscopy we determined that,...Full Text Available
Two monoclonal antibodies, TAL-1B5 and TAL-3C3, specific for human Ia alpha-chain subunits have been produced by fusing P3/NSI/1-Ag4-1 mouse myeloma cells with spleen cells from a BALB/c mouse immunized...Full Text Available
BackgroundSelection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) by host immunity has been suggested to give rise to variants with amino acid substitutions at or around the 'a' determinant...Full Text Available
This book contains 49 chapters. Some of the titles are: Molecular, Genetic, and Clinical Aspects of the HLA System; The Normal Immune Response; Significance of the ABO Antigen System; The Role of Dialysis in the Management of End-Stage Renal Disease; Access for Dialysis; Patient Selection for Renal Transplantation; The Living Donor in Kidney Transplantation; and Kidney Preservation by Cold Storage.
"Nine of CERN 's 20 Member States today a signed new Protocol on privileges and immunities. This brings the Organization into line with other European intergovernmental organizations, such as the European Space Agency and the European Southern Observatory, which already enjoy international status in all of their Member States" (2
The long pentraxin PTX3 has multiple roles in innate immunity. For example, PTX3 regulates C1q binding to pathogens and dead cells and regulates their uptake by phagocytes. It also inhibits P-selectin-mediated...Full Text Available
Type I interferon is important in anti-viral responses and in coordinating the innate immune response. Here we explore the use of interferon-β to adjuvant the response to a rabies virus...Full Text Available
Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) has been shown to enhance anti-tumor immunity and inhibit the formation of bone-resorbing osteoclasts. We evaluated the role of IFN-γ in bone metastases,...Full Text Available
Background: Recent studies have developed a murine model of IgE-mediated food allergy based on oral coadministration of antigen and cholera toxin (CT) to establish a maximal response for studying immunopathogenic mechanisms and immunotherapeutic strategies. However, for studying subtle immunomodulating factors or factors effective during response initiation, this maximal response-based model is less suitable due to a lack of sensitivity. Therefore, in attempts to identify essential parameters to fine-tune the immune response towards a submaximal level, potentially more sensitive, we were interested in characterizing the individual effects of the parameters in the CT-based model: CT dose, antigen type and dose, and number of immunizations. Methods: BALB/c mice were orally sensitized weekly for 3 or 7 weeks with graded doses of CT and various food antigens (soy-trypsin inhibitor, ovalbumin or ovomucoid). Antigen-specific lgG1, IgG2a, IgA and IgE ...
Toxin-secreting “killer” yeasts were initially identified >40 years ago in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains infected with a double-stranded RNA “killer”...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe differentiation of CD8+ T lymphocytes following priming of naïve cells is central in the establishment of the adaptive immune response. Yet, the...Full Text Available
A recent clinical trial of a T-cell-based AIDS vaccine delivered with recombinant adenovirus type 5 (rAd5) vectors showed no efficacy in lowering viral load and was associated with increased risk of...Full Text Available
A device for marking and searching for information on a magnetic carrier is described. In order to increase the noise immunity and reliability of the data recording and reading paths, the recording head is included between the amplifier of the clock pulses for the master oscillator and through the amplifier of the code pulses for the logical element unit. The reproduction head is connected through the code pulse shaper-amplifier with a switch which is connected with the display unit, and through another analogous clock pulse amplifier with a multivibrator.
We have previously described a monoclonal antibody (FA6-152), obtained by immunizing mice with fetal human erythrocytes [Edelman, Vinci, Villeval, Vainchenker, Henri, Miglierina, Rouger, Reviron, Breton-Gorius,...Full Text Available
A thorough understanding of the immune system, including the role of different cytokines, during inflammatory diseases in ruminants could lead to the development of new diagnostic methods and treatments....Full Text Available
The ζ chain-associated 70-kDa protein (ZAP-70) of tyrosine kinase plays a critical role in T cell receptor-mediated signal transduction and the immune response. A high level of ZAP-70 expression...Full Text Available
BackgroundIsoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy in mice has been used in a number of studies to model human cardiac disease. In this study, we compared the transcriptional response...Full Text Available
Studies fail to find uniform effects of age-related or induced hypogonadism on human sexual function. We examined the effects of induced hypogonadism on sexual function in healthy men and women...Full Text Available
The author derives to which of the three types an irreducible UA representation which is obtained with the procedure of generalised induction belongs. The question whether or not the irreducible induced UA representations are on standardform is analysed. The results hold as well for induced PUA representations. (Auth.).
Many patients are currently suffering from nickel (Ni)-induced allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). There have been few Korean studies dealing with the threshold of Ni-induced ACD and quantifying the...Full Text Available
We introduce cyclophosphamide-induced alopecia (CYP-IA) in C57BL-6 mice as a clinically relevant model for studying the biology of chemotherapy-induced alopecia and for developing anti-alopecia drugs....Full Text Available
The issue of beam-induced damage on diffractive hard X-ray optics is addressed. For this purpose a systematic study on the radiation damage induced by a high-power X-ray beam is carried out in both...Full Text Available
Several organophosphate and organochlorine compounds, including pesticides commonly found in the Great Lakes basin, have the potential to induce immunotoxicity. Because of biomagnification and accumulation...Full Text Available
Neutron-induced soft error rates (SER`s) of subhalf-micron CMOS SRAM and Latch circuits were studied both experimentally and analytically to investigate cosmic ray neutron-induced soft errors (SE`s). Because the neutron beam used in the measurement has an energy spectrum similar to that of sea-level atmospheric neutrons, the SER data corresponds to those induced by cosmic ray neutrons. The {alpha}-particle induced SER`s were also measured for comparison with the neutron-induced SER`s. Neutron-induced SE`s occurred in both circuits. On the other hand, {alpha}-induced SE`s occurred in SRAM, but not in the Latch circuit. The measured SER`s agreed with simulated results. The authors discussed the significance of how cosmic ray neutrons affects CMOS circuits at ground level.
Lens-induced glaucoma comprises a number of different glaucomatous processes occurring in the elderly that share in common the role of the crystalline lens in the mechanism of increase in intraocular...Full Text Available
In rats, drug-induced depression of the central nervous system has been shown generally to be associated with an elevation in level of total acetylcholine in the brain. This generalization held true...Full Text Available
Abstract in english Cytokines are molecules that were initially discovered in the immune system as mediators of communication between various types of immune cells. However, it soon became evident that cytokines exert profound effects on key functions of the central nervous system, such as food intake, fever, neuroendocrine regulation, long-term potentiation, and behavior. In the 80's and 90's our group and others discovered that the genes encoding various cytokines and their receptors are e (more) xpressed in vascular, glial, and neuronal structures of the adult brain. Most cytokines act through cell surface receptors that have one transmembrane domain and which transduce a signal through the JAK/STAT pathway. Of particular physiological and pathophysiological relevance is the fact that cytokines are potent regulators of hypothalamic neuropeptidergic systems that maintain neuroendocrine homeostasis and which regulate the body's response to ...
Iron is an essential micronutrient. As an integral part of hemoglobin, it is essential for the transport of oxygen in blood to the tissues. It is an important component of cytochromes and other tissue enzymes that are critical for cellular respiration and of myoglobin that helps maintain oxygen reserve in the muscle. It is also involved in the normal functioning of the immune function, and in the synthesis of steroid hormones and bile acids. There are serious functional consequences to iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in the human body. The deleterious effects include increased morbidity, preterm delivery, low birth weight, delayed cognitive development, lowered cellular immunity and reduced physical work capacity. However, iron deficiency and IDA remain the world's most common deficiency disease in the 21st century. Recent estimates of people affected with iron deficiency and IDA are 3.5 billion. Iron deficiency anemia is most ...
Abstract in english The tegument surface of the adult schistosome, bounded by a normal plasma membrane overlain by a secreted membranocalyx, holds the key to understanding how schistosomes evade host immune responses. Recent advances in mass spectrometry (MS), and the sequencing of the Schistosoma mansoni transcriptome/genome, have facilitated schistosome proteomics. We detached the tegument from the worm body and enriched its surface membranes by differential extraction, before subjecting t (more) he preparation to liquid chromatography-based proteomics to identify its constituents. The most exposed proteins on live worms were labelled with impearmeant biotinylation reagents, and we also developed methods to isolate the membranocalyx for analysis. We identified transporters for sugars, amino acids, inorganic ions and water, which confirm the importance of the tegument plasma membrane in nutrient acquisition and solute balance. Enzymes, including phosphohydrolases, ...
We evaluated the use of a novel gene porter (Den123-a nontoxic self-assembled dendritic spheroidal nanoparticle made of biodegradable monomers), aiming to enhance and improve the desired immune response in protection from allergy. Footpad DNA immunization in Balb/c mice was done three times using the Bet v 1a gene with or without Den123 with 2-week intervals followed by sensitization with rBetv1 (5mg) in alum twice in a weekly interval. Different doses of pCMV-Betv1 were used (10mg and 100mg). The protective role of different formulations was evaluated by measuring the IgG1, IgG2a and IgE antibody production, cytokine release of isolated splenocytes and b-hexosaminidase release from the RBL cells. Higher and increasing ratios of IgG2a/IgG1 were seen in mice which received plasmids in combi...
The present study was performed to investigate the effects of various levels of dietary Bacillus subtilis and chitosan on the growth performance, non-specific immunity and protection against Vibrio harveyi infection in cobia, Rachycentron canadum. Fish were fed with the control diet and six different experimental diets containing three graded levels of B. subtilis at 2 x 10^1^0 CFU g^-^1 (0.0, 1.0, 2.0 g kg^-^1 diet) for each of two levels of chitosan (3.0 and 6.0 g kg^-^1 diet). The results of 8 weeks feeding trial showed that the survival rate ranged from 81.3% to 84.0% with no significant difference (P > 0.05). The SGR (%) in the fish fed with dietary treatments was significantly higher than that of the control fish except diet 6 group with 2.0 g kg^-^1B. subtilis and 3.0 g kg^-^1 chito...
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of meningitis in newborn infants. Bacterial cell surface appendages, known as pili, have been recently described in streptococcal pathogens, including GBS. The pilus tip adhesin, PilA, contributes to GBS adherence to blood-brain barrier (BBB) endothelium; however, the host receptor and the contribution of PilA in central nervous system (CNS) disease pathogenesis are unknown. Here we show that PilA binds collagen, which promotes GBS interaction with the ?(2)?(1) integrin resulting in activation of host chemokine expression and neutrophil recruitment during infection. Mice infected with the PilA-deficient mutant exhibit delayed mortality, a decrease in neutrophil infiltration and bacterial CNS dissemination. We find that PilA-mediated virulence is dependent on neutrophil influx as neutrophil depletion results in a decrease in BBB permeability and GBS-BBB penetration. Our results suggest that the bacterial pilus, specifically the PilA ...
DescriptionPig production represents an important source of revenue for the agricultural industry of the UK. However as a direct result of environmental and animal welfare concerns European-wide directives are now in place which severely restrict both the non-clinical use of production enhancers/chemotherapeutics and heavy metals in animal production and also prevent piglet weaning prior to 28 days of age. These legislative events have had a major impact on pig production within Europe rendering current pr [continued...
The threshold stress intensities for stress corrosion crack propagation in beta titanium alloy 38-6-44, Ti3Al-8V-6Cr-4Mo-4Zr, has been determined in salt water and methanolic solutions. The alloy was immune to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in aqueous sodium chloride solutions (marine atmosphere). However, in methanolic solutions, the alloy was very susceptible to SCC. This marked susceptibility in methanolic solutions can be mitigated by the addition of an inhibitor: sodium nitrate. Crack extension in the alloy was transgranular and failure occurred by brittle quasi-cleavage in methanolic solutions.
Astatine conversed into cationic form is shown to form stable complex with diethylenetriaminpentacetic acid. Due to this complex astatine joins RN_2 type monoclonal antibodies. More favorable conditions to prepare astatine labelled antibodies are found. Chromatographical analysis and electromigration experiments have shown that astatine is strongly retained in in-vitro biomolecule. Astatine did not escape from the labelled antibodies even in case of urea effect on them. Immune activity of astatine labelled antibodies remained similar in 20 h. 28 refs., 4 figs.
The repeated use and limited lifetime of a composite tiring vessel compel a need to survey techniques for monitoring the structural integrity of the vessel in order to determine when it should be retired. Various nondestructive techniques were researched and evaluated based on their applicability to the vessel. The methods were visual inspection, liquid penetrant testing, magnetic particle testing, surface mounted strain gauges, thermal inspection, acoustic emission, ultrasonic testing, radiography, eddy current testing, and embedded fiber optic sensors. It was determined that embedded fiber optic sensor is the most promising technique due to their ability to be embedded within layers of composites and their immunity to electromagnetic interference.
Visceral hypersensitivity is currently considered a key pathophysiological mechanism involved in pain perception in large subgroups of patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In IBS, visceral hypersensitivity has been described in 20%?90% of patients. The contribution of the central nervous system and psychological factors to visceral hypersensitivity in patients with IBS may be significant, although still debated. Peripheral factors have gained increasing attention following the recognition that infectious enteritis may trigger the development of persistent IBS symptoms, and the identification of mucosal immune, neural, endocrine, microbiological, and intestinal permeability abnormalities. Growing evidence suggests that these factors ...
Significantly improved immunity to hot-hole damage of the SiO[sub 2]/Si structure is achieved by a shallow fluorine implantation into the poly-Si gate of MOS capacitors followed by a drive-in process. Compared to the nonfluorinated control, the fluorinated samples exhibit a dramatic reduction of both hole trapping probability and interface-trap generation under avalanche hole injection conditions. The degree of such an improvement increases monotonically as a function of the F implantation dose (up to 10[sup 16]/cm[sup 2]). Significant decrease of the hole detrapping rate is also observed in fluorinated samples. Possible mechanisms are discussed.
Repassivation resulting from the bared metal surface is a critical process for judging whether or not material suffers from corroding or immunizing. Nickel based alloys with high chromium content were developed to increase the corrosion resistant to sulphur compounds. Active humps resulting from active dissolution of nickel were obtained by creating the bared metal surfaces in thiosulphate solutions. The lower the Cr content the higher is the dissolution rate. The passive films formed on the bared metal surface were examined by ac impedance. Results suggest the formation of multi-layers oxide which were affected by active dissolution reactions during repassivation. (author).
Acquired cystic kidney disease (ACKD), also known as acquired renal cystic disease (ARCD,) occurs in patients who are on dialysis for end-stage renal disease. It is generally accepted that ACKD develops as a consequence of sustained uremia and can first manifest even before dialysis is initiated while the patient is still in chronic renal failure. The role of immune suppression, particularly in transplant recipients, in the development of ACKD, is still under investigation. The prevalence of ACKD is directly related to the duration of dialysis and the risk of cancer is directly related to the presence of cysts. Herein we review the current understanding of the pathophysiology and imaging implications of ACKD. (orig.)
Four techniques for using LIDAR in Search and Rescue Operations will be discussed. The topic will include laser retroreflection, laser-induced fluorescence in the visible, laser-induced fluorescence during daylight hours, and laser-induced fluorescence in the uv. These techniques use high-repetition rate lasers at a variety of frequencies to induce either fluorescence in dye markers or retroreflection from plastic corner cubes on life preservers and other emergency markers.
Stem-boring insects and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) are thought to induce similar complex chemical and anatomical defenses in conifers. To compare insect- and MeJA-induced terpenoid responses, we analyzed...Full Text Available
The authors review two types of simulators for the analysis of cosmic ray neutron-induced soft errors (SE's). One of them is the neutron-induced soft error simulator (NISES). A recently proposed nuclear reaction theory forms the foundation for the nuclear reaction database used in NISES. The other simulator, the simplified simulator MBGR, is based on a modified version of the burst generation rate (BGR) model. Both simulators accurately simulate neutron-induced SE rates (SER's). MBGR actually provides an easier and quicker estimation of neutron-induced SER's than NISES. On the other hand, NISES covers more applications; it simulates neutron-induced charge collection, multiple-bit SE, and [alpha]-induced SE analysis.
The authors review two types of simulators for the analysis of cosmic ray neutron-induced soft errors (SE's). One of them is the neutron-induced soft error simulator (NISES). A recently proposed nuclear reaction theory forms the foundation for the nuclear reaction database used in NISES. The other simulator, the simplified simulator MBGR, is based on a modified version of the burst generation rate (BGR) model. Both simulators accurately simulate neutron-induced SE rates (SER's). MBGR actually provides an easier and quicker estimation of neutron-induced SER's than NISES. On the other hand, NISES covers more applications; it simulates neutron-induced charge collection, multiple-bit SE, and #alpha#-induced SE analysis
A computerised glow curve deconvolution (CGCD) analysis was applied to the main dosimetric peak of #alpha#-Al_2O_3:C in order to study the effects of light on the glow curve shape. It was shown that both the light-induced signal and the light-induced fading effects tend to shift the main dosimetric peak to higher temperatures and at the same time change its shape. Furthermore it was confirmed that the magnitude of the light-induced signal depends on radiation history and, by increasing the duration of light exposure, the magnitude of the light-induced signal reaches a plateau, thereby implying the saturation of the phototransfer process. (author).
Several compounds were evaluated in nonhuman primates for their potential to induce neoplasms, especially hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The compounds can be classified into three groups: food contaminants, model rodent carcinogens, and nitrosamines. All three compounds in the food contaminants group, namely, aflatoxin B1, sterigmatocystin, and methylazoxymethanol acetate, induced HCC. None of the model rodent carcinogens tested consistently induced HCC in rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys. Three of four nitrosamines evaluated induced HCC in rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys. One nitrosamine, diethylnitrosamine, is a predictable and potent inducer of HCC and is useful for establishment of a nonhuman primate model for numerous oncologic studies.
We have established a reliable method to induce invasive and non-invasive carcinomas in the heterotopically transplanted urinary bladder of rats by repeated injection of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU),...Full Text Available
Global acetylation of histone H4 is a mark of gene transcriptional activation. The c-Myc transcription factor binds to specific DNA sites in cellular chromatin and induces the acetylation of...Full Text Available
A brief overview if provided of selected reports presented at the International Symposium on Molecular Mechanisms of Radiation- and Chemical Carcinogen-Induced Cell Transformation held at Mackinac Island, Michigan on September 19-23, 1993.
BackgroundWe examined the effects of short-term consumption of whey protein isolate on muscle proteins and force recovery after eccentrically-induced muscle damage in healthy individuals.MethodsSeventeen...Full Text Available
The hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein of influenza virus performs two critical roles during infection: it binds virus to cell surface sialic acids, and under mildly acidic conditions it induces fusion...Full Text Available
Hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) promotes tumor cell adaptation to microenvironmental stress. HIF-1 is up-regulated in irradiated tumors and serves as a promising target for radiosensitization....Full Text Available
An overall hypothesis for benzene-induced leukemia is proposed. Key components of the hypothesis include a) activation of benzene in the liver to phenolic metabolites; b) transport of these metabolites...Full Text Available
The purpose of this study was to determine whether resistance exercise training-induced reductions in inflammation are mediated via melanocortin 3 receptor expression in obese (BMI 32.7 ± 3.7)...Full Text Available
BackgroundContrast-induced nephropathy is the leading cause of in-hospital acute renal failure. This side effect of contrast agents leads to increased morbidity, mortality, and health...Full Text Available
An ultrasensitive laser-induced fluorescence detector was used with capillary electrophoresis for the study of 5-carboxy-tetramethylrhodamine. The raw signal from the detector provided roughly...Full Text Available
Interleukin 12 (IL-12) activates natural killer (NK) and T cells with the secondary synthesis and release of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and other cytokines. IL-12-induced organ alterations are reported...Full Text Available
It has been observed that puncture of a lumbar disc may induce formation of a nodule on the surface of the disc and osteophytes. It is not known if this is based on the presence of a foreign tissue...Full Text Available
Background and ObjectivesDisruption of the vocal fold extracellular matrix (ECM) can induce a profound and refractory dysphonia. Pulsed dye laser (PDL) irradiation...Full Text Available
The morphogenesis of pulmonary edema and bronchiolar injury induced by the toxic furan, 4-ipomeanol, was studied by combined light and transmission electron microscopy. Weanling male CD-1 mice received...Full Text Available
A total of 626 patients undergoing a prostaglandin-induced abortion, the majority in the second trimester, have been analysed for complications occurring during inpatient treatment. Of the last 155...Full Text Available
Petal senescence, one type of programmed cell death (PCD) in plants, is a genetically controlled sequence of events comprising its final developmental stage. We characterized the pollination-induced...Full Text Available
ObjectiveThe primary objective of this study was to assess whether pentagastrin-induced panic symptoms are associated with release of free fatty acids (FFAs) in a manner that could...Full Text Available
Treatment of Japanese pines (P. densiflora and P. thunbergii) with paraquat induced a zone of lightwood. Determinations of turpentine and ether extractives contents in lightwoods showed high levels as compared with those in control woods. (Refs. 5).
BackgroundThe objective of this study was to gain insight into the molecular mechanism of induced cell death (apoptosis) by PYRROLO [1,2-b][1,2,5]BENZOTHIADIAZEPINES...Full Text Available
The measured result of charged multiplicity in cosmic-ray proton induced nuclear reaction from Chinese satellite emulsion is reported. The correlation of shower and heavy particles is discussed and compared with p-emulsion interactions.
Plant roots exhibit remarkable developmental plasticity in response to local soil conditions. It is shown here that mild salt stress stimulates a stress-induced morphogenic response (SIMR) in Arabidopsis...Full Text Available
The goal of this study was to determine if the exaggerated morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) response seen in adult rats after preweanling methylphenidate exposure is unique...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe tumor microenvironment has been described as a critical milieu determining tumor growth and metastases. A pivotal role of metastasis-inducing S100A4 in the development...Full Text Available
The mechanism of chemotherapy-induced acceleration of ovarian aging is not fully understood. We used doxorubicin, a widely used cancer chemotherapeutic, in a variety of in vivo xenograft,...Full Text Available
The mechanism of influenza virus (INFV)-induced immunosuppression and the mode of inosiplex action against INFV infection were studied. INFV suppressed both anti-lipopolysaccharide and anti-sheep erythrocyte...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe complications of hypertension cause severe health problems in rural areas in China. We (i) screened the major factors inducing hypertensive complications and provided...Full Text Available
BackgroundSome breast cancer patients receiving anti-angiogenic treatment show increased metastases, possibly as a result of induced hypoxia. The effect of hypoxia on tumor cell...Full Text Available
Type II collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice is an autoimmune experimental model for rheumatoid arthritis. Susceptibility to CIA is associated with certain major histocompatibility complex class...Full Text Available
Reversion-induced LIM protein (RIL) is a member of the ALP (actinin-associated LIM protein) subfamily of the PDZ/LIM protein family. RIL serves as an adaptor protein and seems to regulate cytoskeletons....Full Text Available
BackgroundThe maternally inherited, bacterial symbiont, parthenogenesis inducing (PI) Wolbachia, causes females in some haplodiploid insects to produce daughters...Full Text Available
1. The effect of three single doses of nifedipine on exercise-induced asthma has been examined in 11 asthmatic subjects. 2. On four separate days patients undertook 6 min of exercise on a treadmill...Full Text Available
Increased sensitivity to light-induced melatonin suppression characterizes some, but not all, patients with bipolar illness or seasonal affective disorder. The aim of this study was to test...Full Text Available
Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) protein initiates Ig gene mutation by deaminating cytosines, converting them into uracils. Excision of AID-induced uracils by uracil-N-glycosylase...Full Text Available
Calorie restriction (CR) induces a metabolic shift towards mitochondrial respiration; however, molecular mechanisms underlying CR remain unclear. Recent studies suggest that CR-induced mitochondrial...Full Text Available
Osteoblasts are the primary cells responsible for bone formation. They also support osteoclast formation from bone marrow precursors in response to osteotropic factors by inducing receptor activator...Full Text Available
AimTo assess the progression of bronchial reactivity (BR) and incidence of bronchial hyperreactivity (BH), exercise‐induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) and asthma in triathletes...Full Text Available
Accumulation of molecular damage and increased molecular heterogeneity are hallmarks of cellular aging. Mild stress-induced hormesis can be an effective way for reducing the accumulation of molecular...Full Text Available
Neonatal administration of the synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone (DEX) retards brain growth, alters adult behaviors and induces cell death in the rat brain, thereby implicating glucocorticoids...Full Text Available
Cigarette smoke (CS) induces recruitment of inflammatory cells in the lungs leading to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are involved in lung inflammation and injury. Nicotinamide...Full Text Available
PurposeTo investigate the effects of laser photocoagulation (LP)-induced ocular hypertension (OHT) on the survival and retrograde axonal transport of retinal ganglion cells (RGC),...Full Text Available
The speed of ethylene-induced leaf abscission in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. cv LG-102) seedlings is dependent on leaf position (i.e. physiological age). Fumigation...Full Text Available
Esophageal perforation is associated with a significant risk of morbidity and mortality. We report herein a case of lye-induced esophageal perforation managed successfully by employing endoscopic T-tube...Full Text Available
BackgroundTrichloroethylene (TCE) may induce oxidative stress which generates free radicals and alters antioxidants or oxygen-free radical scavenging enzymes.MethodsTwenty...Full Text Available
The effects of dietary monosodium glutamate (MSG) on trans-fatty acid (TFA)-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are addressed in an animal model. We used Affymetrix microarray...Full Text Available
Systemic administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which causes endotoxemia and systemic inflammation, has been reported to induce expression of the gene for type II inducible nitric oxide synthase...Full Text Available
mRNA is sequestered and turned over in cytoplasmic processing bodies (PBs), which are induced by various cellular stresses. Unexpectedly, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mutants of the...Full Text Available
Explants from flower stalks of Nicotiana tabacum L. were cultured on different cytokinins to induce flower bud formation. All cytokinins tested except zeatin and zeatin-riboside induced...Full Text Available
AbstractX-ray diffraction analysis of pressure-induced structural changes in the Aequorea yellow fluorescent protein Citrine reveals the structural basis for the continuous...Full Text Available
Rationale: Ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) leads to an unacceptably high mortality. In this regard, the antiinflammatory properties of inhaled carbon monoxide (CO) may provide...Full Text Available
Recent studies suggest that calcium influx via L-type calcium channels is necessary for psychostimulant-induced behavioral sensitization. In addition, chronic amphetamine upregulates subtype...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVES—To investigate the relation between different types of exposure to noise and a classic sign of noise induced hearing loss (NIHL), the audiometric notch. METHODS—The...Full Text Available
The Δ- and Λ-isomerism of octahedral metal complexes is employed as a source of chirality for inducing chiral nematic phases. By applying a wide range of chiral metal complexes as a...Full Text Available
Fatalities caused by parasitic infections often occur as a result of tissue injury that results from a form of host-cell death known as apoptosis. However, instead of being pathogenic, parasite-induced...Full Text Available
Wistar rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes (STZ-diabetic rats), which is similar to human insulin-dependent diabetic mellitus (IDDM), were employed to investigate...Full Text Available
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ameliorative potential of quercetin (QC) against paracetamol (PCM)-induced oxidative stress and biochemical alterations in mice blood. A total of 36...Full Text Available
BackgroundPeriodontal disease in diabetic patients presents higher severity and prevalence; and increased severity of ligature-induced periodontal disease has been verified in diabetic...Full Text Available
Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide live or work in close proximity to steel mills. Integrated steel production generates chemical pollution containing compounds that can induce genetic damage...Full Text Available
Ozone (O3) is an oxidant gas that can directly induce lung injury. Knowledge of the initial molecular events of the acute O3 response would be useful in developing biomarkers of...Full Text Available
During sexual development, Neurospora crassa inactivates genes in duplicated DNA segments by a hypermutation process, repeat-induced point mutation (RIP). RIP introduces C:G to T:A...Full Text Available
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary malignancy of the liver, which is closely related to hepatitis C and cirrhosis. The molecular mechanisms underlying the hepatocarcinogenesis induced by HCV...Full Text Available
Selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), molybdenum (Mo) and vanadium (V) in 28 types of Egyptian common foodstuffs as well as drinking and irrigation water samples were determined using neutron activation analysis (NAA) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The samples were collected from 74 sites over 13 governorates as well as the Nile river, wells and tap water in the regions of the Nile Delta, Sinai, the east and west desert, and north and south Egypt. These trace elements were chosen according to international references, which show the close relationship of their deficiencies to immunity-related diseases. Calculation values of daily uptake per capita were made with the results of analysis. The results, as calculated per 100 g dry weight, showed that some Egyptian foods are rich in Se including such fish (0.94 #mu#g), sesame (0.88 #mu#g), beef meat (0.48 #mu#g), instant tea (0.42 #mu#g), mushroom (0.34 #mu#g) and eggs (0.3 #mu#g), whereas the vegetables ...
Introduction The progressive growth of malignancies is accompanied by a decline in the immune response through mechanisms which are poorly understood. Apoptosis and induction of inflammation by tumor released cytokines as tumor escape mechanisms have been proposed to play an important role in colorectal carcinogenesis. Methods Expression of Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-?) was analyzed in colorectal cancer specimen and the cancer cell line HT-29 by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. TNF-? expression on protein and mRNA level were correlated with clinical characteristics and impact on survival. TNFR-1 was co-labelled with TNF-? and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells in immunofluorescence double staining experiments. Results: 94% (n?=?98/104) of the patients with CRC expressed TNF-?. High TNF-? express...
Abstract Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is an immune sensor for gram-positive bacterial cell wall components. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TLR2 gene that impair its function may, therefore, influence the risk and outcomes of gram-positive bacterial infections. In a cohort of 694 liver transplant recipients, we assessed the TLR2 SNP that is translated into an amino acid substitution of arginine for glutamine at position 753 (R753Q), and we found that its presence was associated with the clinical characteristics and outcomes of gram-positive bacterial infections. The proportions of patients with the TLR2 R753Q SNP did not significantly differ between those with gram-positive bacterial infections and those without gram-positive bacterial infections (9.6% versus 9.6%, P = 0.999)....
A new in vivo method has been developed for the precise observation of RES activity. Both Escherichia coli endotoxin 100 #mu#g/100 g i.v. (LPS) and radiodetoxified endotoxin 100 #mu#g/100 g body weight i.v. (RD-LPS, TOLERIN) increased the granulopectic activity of RES. The RD-LPS was more effective. The preparation containing trace elements also increased the activity of RES. The treatment consisting of the use of both trace elements and RD-LPS proved to be the most effective. The activity of RES was inversely proportional to various doses of X-ray irradiation (7, 8, 9 Gy). Trace elements and RD-LPS even improved the immunity system of animals having deteriorated RES. (N.T.).
The T cell receptor is a fundamental mediator of the adaptive immune responses, since TR ab on T cells recognize foreign structures (peptides derived from processed antigens) bound to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on APC cells. In the present study, we report the cloning of six TRB chains cDNA sequences from gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata), a fish of high economical impact in South Mediterranean aquaculture. The V-BETA domains have the canonical features of known teleost and mammalian TR V-BETA domains and have been divided in four different subgroups. A multiple alignment of the six sea bream TRB chains with other known TRB sequences was assembled and showed the conservation of the four cysteine residues involved in disulphide bonds and of some amino acids with an importan...
Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) demonstrate an increased susceptibility to invasive bacterial infections (IBI). The most common organisms causing IBI are Streptococcus pneumoniae, nontyphi Salmonella species and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). IBI are the most common causes of death in children below 5 years of age with SCD. Increased susceptibility to IBI is because of several factors including dysfunctional antibody production and opsonophagocytosis as well as defective splenic clearance. Early diagnosis of Hib and pneumococcal infections combined with antibiotic prophylaxis and immunization programs, could lead to significant improvements in mortality, especially in Africa. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2010;55:401-406. Copyright 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The thymus is a key organ of the immune system in most vertebrates and, for this reason, it has been used in this paper for the generation of a normalized cDNA library from sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), one of the most extensively cultured species in South Mediterranean aquaculture. A total of 1632 ESTs from this library were initially analysed for sequence quality and vector sequences and, after this control, 1264 (77% of total clones sequenced) high-quality ESTs were further processed. The total collection of D. labrax thymus ESTs has been deposited in the EBI-GenBank-DBJ database (GenBank accession numbers from FN565576 to FN566839). The functional classification of ESTs was performed by Gene Ontology and KEGG annotation and, successively, the sequences were analysed using the Immuno...
In mammals, primordial germ cells (PGCs) are generated in the extra-embryonic epiblast, and thereafter migrate into the developing gonads. Following the development of the gonads to the testes or ovaries, germ cells mature into sperms or eggs. In the present study, we report production and characterization of monoclonal antibodies (MAb) that recognize PGCs. Extracts from E12.5 mouse embryonic gonads were immunized as an antigen, and hybridomas were generated using the rat medial iliac lymph node method. The hybridoma supernatants were screened by immunohistochemical analyses of E12.5 mouse embryonic sections. The antibody, referred to herein as MAb 5B5, provided strong signals on PGCs. Moreover, immunofluorescence analyses using a variety of the tissue sections of mouse embryos revealed th...
Antibodies directed against markers on cancer cells are gaining in importance for the purpose of targeting diagnostic and therapeutic agents. In the past, this approach has had very limited success principally because the classical methods for producing antibodies from blood serum of animals immunized with cancer cells or extracts were unsatisfactory. The situation has changed dramatically since 1975 following the design of procedures for 'immortalizing' antibody-producing cells (lymphocytes) by fusing them with cultured myeloma cells to form hybridomas which continuously secrete antibodies. Since these hybridomas produce antibodies coded for by a single antibody-producing cell, the antibodies are called monoclonal. Building on these advances in biomedical research, it is now possible to reproducibly manufacture monoclonal antibodies on a scale suitable for use in cancer detection and therapy.
Objective: A growing body of data from genetic, immunological and clinical studies indicates an involvement of the immune system in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and suggests that the modulation of the cytokine system by antipsychotics may be one cause for the improvement of psychotic symptoms. However, the influence of the typical antipsychotics chlorpromazine and haloperidol, and the effect of typical and atypical antipsychotics on the TSST-1-stimulated blood cell secretion of cytokines, and specifically the interleukin (IL)-17 production have not been studied so far, although IL-17 is a leading pro-inflammatory cytokine. Method: We measured levels of IL-1@b, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-17 and tumor necrosis factor-@a (TNF-@a) in stimulated blood of 10 healthy female subjects in a whole ...
Introduction: Haploidentical transplantation, with extensive T cell depletion to prevent GvHD, is associated with a high incidence of infection-related deaths. The key challenge is to improve immune recovery with allogeneic donor T cells without triggering GvHD. As T regulatory cells (Tregs) controlled GvHD in pre-clinical studies, the present study evaluated the impact of an infusion of donor CD4/CD25 + Tregs, followed by an inoculum of donor mature T cells (Tcons) and positively immunoselected CD34 + cells in the setting of haploidentical stem cell transplantation. Patients and methods: Twenty-eight patients were enrolled in this study (22 AML; 5 ALL; 1 NHL). All received immunoselected Tregs (CliniMACS, Miltenyi Biotec) followed by positively immunoselected CD34 + cells together with Tc...
Currently, human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-mismatched/haploidentical allografts have been validated as an alternative stem cell source for patients who have no immediate access to an HLA-matched related or unrelated donor. However, relapse remains a challenge after HLA-mismatched/haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) that is employed in the treatment of patients with hematological malignancies. In recent years, newly developed immunomodulatory strategies, which include prophylactic and therapeutic donor lymphocyte/natural killer (NK) cell infusion, donor selection based on NK alloreactivity/non-inherited maternal antigen (NIMA), immune reconstitution promotion, and application of exogenous cytokines, have made it possible to decrease the relapse rate and improve outco...
Astrocytes have important immune functions in CNS, and astrocytes stimulated by interferon-g were showed to have direct antimicrobial function. However whether astrocytes without the stimulation of cytokines have antibacterial function, and how this function is regulated are still largely unknown. In this study, we found that primary cultured astrocytes inhibited the growth of both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Further more, we showed that interleukin-1b (IL-1b) enhanced the antibacterial effect in a dose-dependent manner, and the antibacterial effect of astrocytes from IL-1b receptor-deficient mice failed to be enhanced by IL-1b. IL-1b stimulated IkBa degradation, NF-kB nuclear translocation, and transactivation in astrocytes. NF-kB inhibitors blocked NF-kB activation and the ...
The results of nine years of study of the 237 patients who suffered from acute radiation syndrome (ARS) as a consequence of the Chernobyl accident are reported. Thirty-eight of these patients have died, 28 in the acute period in 1986, 5 in 1987-90 and 5 in 1992-93. The reasons for death show no clear tendencies. They include: gangrene of the lung, organic disease of the brain and spinal chord, hypoplasia of haematopoeisis, coronary heart disease, sarcoma and an automobile accident. Investigations have been carried out on an annual obligatory basis of the patients` haemopoietic, immune, nervous and endocrine systems. An analysis of the data is presented. Histograms are included showing the incidence of digestive tract, nervous system, respiratory and cardiovascular disorders, the frequency and degree of disablement and serum prolactin concentration. The types of skin damage sustained by 39 of the patients are listed. (6 figures, 3 tables). (UK).
Keratinocyte growth factor receptor (KGFR) and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) 2c share identical amino acid sequences, except for a 46-amino acid domain in the extracellular region. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific to KGFR have not been reported nor are commercially available. In this study, we generated murine MAbs specific to KGFR in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice using a modified Repeated Immunizations at Multiple Sites (RIMMS) technology. Stable cell lines expressing the full-length human KGFR or FGFR2c were produced to facilitate the identification of KGFR-specific MAbs. Following the initial screening of hybridoma clones with a fluorescence-based, confocal cell detection method and ELISA, KGFR-specific MAbs were selected and confirmed by flow cytometry and Western blot ...
It is hypothesized that the good performance of Alloy 800 in steam generator service is due to its relative immunity to two distinct mechanisms of stress corrosion cracking; the argument also applies to intergranular corrosion. One mechanism operates in the high-nickel region (Alloy 600 and nearby model alloys) and is due to internal intergranular oxidation. The other operates in the low-nickel (stainless steel) region and is due to de-alloying of Fe and/or Cr. This latter mechanism may, under special conditions, operate in high-Ni, high-Cr alloys such as 690. Some essential features of the de-alloying mechanism are demonstrated using strong caustic solutions, and the prospect of extending this approach to dilute high-temperature environments is discussed. (author)
The purpose of this study was to validate through natural exposure a cut-off level of varicella zoster IgG as protective against infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV). Laboratory testing to determine VZV immune status of pregnant women exposed to varicella is recommended. Quantitative assays are now available which are sensitive and specific. More than 200 consecutive requests for screening in pregnant patients with recent varicella contacts were followed-up by questionnaire. DiaSorin LIAISON and VZV time resolved fluorescence immuno assay (VZV TRFIA) were used to measure VZV antibody level. One hundred fifty out of 209 (72%) questionnaires were returned; 14 patients developed varicella, 129 did not and seven were not known. Patients who had been given VZIG and developed varicella on...
Three in vivo assays were used to measure the immunocompetence of chickens in two generations of a selection experiment. The obtained data were used to estimate the variance components for sire and dam for antibody production to Pasteurella multocida and Mycoplasma gallisepticum vaccines, for T-cell-mediated immunity evaluated by a phytohemagglutinin wing web assay, and for clearance of foreign particles from the circulatory system. Heritabilities of and genetic correlations among these immunological traits were calculated from the sire variance components. Heritability estimates of the immunological traits based on the sire component of variance ranged from .06 to .53, and genetic correlations among immunological traits were generally negative. PMID:1956847
In this paper, we investigate the epidemic spreading for SIR model in weighted scale-free networks with nonlinear infectivity, where the transmission rate in our analytical model is weighted. Concretely, we introduce the infectivity exponent $\\alpha$ and the weight exponent $\\beta$ into the analytical SIR model, then examine the combination effects of $\\alpha$ and $\\beta$ on the epidemic threshold and phase transition. We show that one can adjust the values of $\\alpha$ and $\\beta$ to rebuild the epidemic threshold to a finite value, and it is observed that the steady epidemic prevalence $R$ grows in an exponential form in the early stage, then follows hierarchical dynamics. Furthermore, we find $\\alpha$ is more sensitive than $\\beta$ in the transformation of the epidemic threshold and epidemic prevalence, which might deliver some useful information or new insights in the epidemic spreading and the correlative immunization schemes.
The growth response, total hemocyte count (THC), respiratory burst (release of superoxide anion), phenoloxidase (PO) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity as well as resistance to the pathogen Vibrio alginolyticus were measured in Litopenaeus vannamei, which had been fed diets supplemented with glycyrrhizin (the aqueous extract of licorice, Glycyrrhiza glabra, roots) at 0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg/kg of feed for 8 wk. In the feeding trial, there was no significant difference in survival rate (P > 0.05). Significant higher specific growth rate was observed in treatments with dietary glycyrrhizin than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Shrimp fed a diet with 200 mg/kg of glycyrrhizin had significant higher THC, PO activity, respiratory burst a...
Abstract Background- Cyclosporine is used for treatment of transplanted patients and for immune-mediated diseases. Cyclosporine is known to cause a combination of metabolic side effects including hypertension, hyperkalemia, hypercalciuria and hypomagnesemia. These side effects except for hypomagnesemia are the cardinal features of familial hyperkalemia and hypertension (FHHt), also called pseudohypoaldosteronism type II (PHA II). FHHt is caused by mutations in the kinases WNK1 and WNK4 resulting in an increase in renal Na-Cl cotransporter (NCC) apical distribution and function. Therefore, we studied whether cyclosporine-s metabolic side effects are mediated by WNK4 and NCC. Design- Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were treated by cyclosporine 25-mg-kg-1 subcutaneously for 14-days. Blood pressure, ...
Several challenges currently exist for rational design of functional tissue engineering constructs within the host, which include appropriate cellular integration, avoidance of bacterial infections, and low inflammatory stimulation. This work describes a novel class of biodegradable, amphiphilic polyanhydrides with many desirable protein-material and cell-material attributes capable of confronting these challenges. The biocompatible amphiphilic polymer films were shown to release laminin in a stable and controlled manner, promote neural cell adhesion and differentiation, and evade inflammatory responses of the immune system. Using high-throughput approaches, it was shown that polymer chemistry plays an integral role in controlling cell?film interactions, which suggests that these polyanhyd...
The optically stimulated luminescent (OSL) radiation dosimeter technically surveys a wide dynamic measurement range and a high sensitivity. Optical fiber dosimeters provide capability for remote monitoring of the radiation in the locations which are difficult-to-access and hazardous. In addition, optical fiber dosimeters are immune to electrical and radio-frequency interference. In this paper, a novel remote optical fiber radiation dosimeter is described. The optical fiber dosimeter takes advantage of the charge trapping materials CaS:Ce, Sm that exhibit OSL. The measuring range of the dosimeter is from 0.1 to 100 Gy. The equipment is relatively simple and small in size, and has low power consumption. This device is suitable for measuring the space radiation dose and also can be used in high radiation dose condition and other dangerous radiation occasions. (authors)
This paper presents some results of lightning induced over voltages for a typical high voltage transmission line configuration. The authors developed an elaborated electromagnetic coupling between the lightning channel and characteristics and the resulting induced overvoltage. The lightning current parameters, for local data, in order to determine the occurrence severity for high voltage transmission lines. (author)
The constituent phases and associated deformed microstructure of the quenched Ti-xNb-(0.5-1.5) at.% Si alloy consisting of non-cytotoxicity elements, where x = 24-30 at.%, were investigated to provide pseudoelasticity for biomedical and sensor applications. Optical microscopy revealed that stress-induced martensitic transformation takes place during the deformation in the present alloys. It is confirmed from the X-ray diffraction results of the deformed specimens that the crystal structure of the stress-induced martensite phase is the orthorhombic so-called #alpha#'' structure. Within the alloys having #beta#(bcc) phase studied Nb-poor region appeared to exhibit a dominant behavior for stress-induced martensitic transformation than Nb-rich region. This result suggests that metastable #beta# phase is superior to stable #beta# phase for the occurrence of stress-induced martensitic transformation in the ...
Calibration-Free Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) has been proposed several years ago as an approach for quantitative analysis of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy spectra. Recently developed refinement of the spectral processing method is described in the present work. Accurate quantitative results have been demonstrated for several metallic alloys. However, the degree of accuracy that can be achieved with Calibration-Free Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy analysis of generic samples still needs to be thoroughly investigated. The authors have undertaken a systematic study of errors and biasing factors affecting the calculation in the Calibration-Free Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy spectra processing. These factors may be classified in three main groups: 1) experi...
In situ fracture studies on thin-film NiTi intermetallic compounds have been carried out in the high-voltage electron microscope at Argonne National Laboratory. Local stress-induced amorphization of regions directly in front of moving crack tips has been observed under tensile loading conditions. The stress-induced amorphization at crack tips exhibits a temperature dependence similar to that of ion-induced amorphization of NiTi. The upper limiting temperature for stress-induced amorphization is the same as that for ion-induced amorphization of crystalline NiTi and for amorphous phase formation during ion-beam mixing of Ni and Ti multilayer specimens. This upper limiting temperature of 600K is also the lowest temperature at which stress-induced amorphous phase crystallizes during isothermal annealing. This isothermal crystallization temperature is nearly 200K ...
The evolution of "humanized" (i.e., free of animal sourced reagents) and ultimately chemically defined culture systems for human embryo stem cell (hESC) isolation and culture is of importance to improving their efficacy and safety in research and therapeutic applications. This can be achieved by integration of a multitude of individual approaches to replace or eliminate specific animal sourced reagents into a single comprehensive protocol. In the present study our objective was to integrate strategies obviating reliance on some of the most poorly defined and path-critical factors associated with hESC derivation, namely the use of animal immune compliment to isolate embryo inner cell mass, and animal sourced serum products and feeder cells to sustain hESC growth and attachment. As a result we report the derivation of six new hESC lines isolated by outgrowth from whole blastocysts on an extracellular matrix substrate of purified human laminin (Ln) with transitional ...
Autoreactive cytotoxic CD8 T-cells (CTLs) play a key pathogenic role in the destruction of insulin-producing beta-cells resulting in type 1 diabetes. However, knowledge regarding their targets is limited, restricting the ability to monitor the course of the disease and immune interventions. In a multi-step discovery process to identify novel CTL epitopes in human preproinsulin (PPI), PPI was digested with purified human proteasomes, and resulting COOH-fragments aligned with algorithm-predicted HLA-binding peptides to yield nine potential HLA-A1, -A2, -A3 or -B7-restricted candidates. An UV-exchange method allowed the generation of a repertoire of multimers including low-affinity HLA-binding peptides. These were labeled with quantum dot-fluorochromes and encoded in a combinatorial fashion, allowing parallel and sensitive detection of specific, low-avidity T-cells. Significantly increased frequencies of T-cells against four novel PPI epitopes (PPI(4-13)/B7, ...
The disruption of primary innate immune function of the epidermal layer of the skin accounts for the susceptibility of individuals using bleaching agents to localized or systemic infections. This subverted innate immunity in these people may lead to other pathological conditions. The resultant effects of skin bleaching and phagocytes activation in response to infections have not been studied in Nigerians using bleaching agents. The present study therefore assessed the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, total antioxidant potential (TAP), total plasma peroxides (TPP), oxidative stress index (OSI) and malonaldehyde (MDA) in the users bleaching agents. Thirty (30) people who had used bleaching agents for average of 4.9 + 1.2 years participated in this study. They were recruited from various schools and markets within the city of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Thirty apparently healthy staffs of University College Hospital Ibadan, Ibaadan, ...
We evaluated the similarities between ozone-induced and mite-induced emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from lima beans, and tested the response of the natural enemies of herbivores to these emissions using trophic system of two-spotted spider mites and predatory mites. The acute ozone-exposure and spider mite-infestation induced the emission of two homoterpenes, (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene and (E,E)-4,8,12-trimethyl-1,3,7,11-tridecatetraene, and (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate. Only plants with spider mite-infestation emitted the monoterpene (E)-{beta}-ocimene. Predatory mites were equally attracted to ozone-exposed and unexposed plants, but discriminated between spider mite-infested and uninfested plants, when both were exposed to ozone. The similarities between ozone and herbivore-induced VOCs suggest that plant defence against phytotoxic ozone and the production of VOCs for attraction of the ...
Mass distribution in 28.5 MeV alpha particle induced fission of "2"3"2Th has been determined using gamma spectrometric technique. The chain yields of 24 different fission products covering both symmetric and asymmetric mass divisions were determined. The mass distribution was found to be asymmetric with peak positions at mass numbers 96 and 136 respectively while the peak to valley ratio was 3.86. The results are compared with the available literature on 14 MeV neutron induced fission of "2"3"5U. (orig.).
Mass distribution in 28.5 MeV alpha particle induced fission of {sup 232}Th has been determined using gamma spectrometric technique. The chain yields of 24 different fission products covering both symmetric and asymmetric mass divisions were determined. The mass distribution was found to be asymmetric with peak positions at mass numbers 96 and 136 respectively while the peak to valley ratio was 3.86. The results are compared with the available literature on 14 MeV neutron induced fission of {sup 235}U. (orig.).
Argon ion laser induced fluorescence measurements were carried out in a multipolar filament discharge with a broadband diode laser centered on 668 nm, which stimulated a transition from the metastable state in Ar(II) 3d4F7/2 to 4p4D05/2. The intensity of the induced fluorescence at 442 nm was maximized by the optimization of the discharge parameters and the laser power. From the recovery of the background fluorescence after the laser was turned off, the ion diffusion coefficient was deduced and compared with the result inferred from the experiments of ion acoustic wave (IAW) damping.
The effectiveness of the acridines ethidium bromide (EB) and acriflavine in inducing plasmon mutations was compared with the alkylating agents ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) and diethyl sulphate and to #gamma#-rays. The growth habit (trailing versus bunch) of peanuts (A. hypogaea), controlled by genic-cytoplasmic interactions, was utilized. Breeding tests distinguishing nuclear from plasmon mutations were developed and are described in detail. Plasmon mutations were induced, but there were differences in mutation yields between the cultivars and the mutagens. (Auth.).
In the present study, a subcooled boiling loop with an annular flow on the electrically heated rod was used to make an experimental approach to investigate the effects of induced instability by the subcooled boiling on vibration of the rod in different subcooled conditions. The results show the intensive subcooled-boiling-induced vibration (SBIV) which is highly depend on dynamic force generated by fast vapor bubbles growth and collapse whilst they still attach to, or slide along, the heating surface at high loading heat fluxes. These behaviors were strongly influenced by the conditions of subcooling temperature, flow rate and linear power density. (author)
Nucleosynthesis and energy production in stellar environments depend critically on nuclear reaction cross sections. Reactions induced by alpha particles are important in the helium burning stage of stars, novae, and supernovae events. They involve light to medium weight nuclei up to about Z=32, and center-of-mass energies up to about 20 MeV. We are working on a project to compile and evaluate cross section data for alpha-induced reactions. These data will eventually be used to derive #alpha#-nucleus potential parameters. (author)
Summary - Hydraulic traits were studied in temperate, woody evergreens in a high-elevation heath community to test for trade-offs between the delivery of water to canopies at rates sufficient to sustain photosynthesis and protection against disruption to vascular transport caused by freeze-thaw-induced embolism. - Freeze-thaw-induced loss in hydraulic conductivity was studied in relation to xylem anatomy, leaf- and sapwood-specific hydraulic conductivity and gas exchange characteristics of leaves. - We found evidence that a trade-off between xylem transport capacity and safety from freeze-thaw-induced embolism affects photosynthetic activity in overwintering evergreens. The mean hydraulically weighted xylem vessel diameter and sapwood-specific conductivity correlated with susceptibility to...
Genomic instability can be produced by ionising radiation, so-called radiation-induced genomic instability, and chemical mutagens. Radiation-induced genomic instability occurs in both germinal and somatic cells and also in the offspring of irradiated individuals, and it is characterised by genetic changes including chromosomal rearrangements. The majority of studies of trans-generational, radiation-induced genomic instability have been described in the male germ line, whereas the authors who have chosen the female as a model are scarce. The aim of this work is to find out the radiation-induced effects in the foetal offspring of X-ray-treated female rats and, at the same time, the possible impact of this radiation-induced genomic instability on the action of a chemical mutagen. In order to achieve both goals, the quantity and quality of chromosomal damage were analysed. In order to ...
SUMMARYSmokers are more susceptible than non-smokers to persistent infection by Porphyromonas gingivalis, a causative agent of periodontitis. Patients who smoke...Full Text Available
In response to stress, cells start transcriptional and transcription-independent programs that can lead to adaptation or death. Here, we show that multiple inducers of autophagy, including nutrient...Full Text Available
Telomere maintenance is essential for cellular immortality, and most cancer cells maintain their telomeres through the enzyme telomerase. Telomeres and telomerase represent promising anticancer...Full Text Available
In previous studies we have demonstrated that prion protein (PrP) interacts with tubulin and disrupts microtubular cytoskeleton by inducing tubulin oligomerization. These observations may explain the molecular mechanism of toxicity of cytoplasmic PrP in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Here, we check whether microtubule associated proteins (MAPs) that regulate microtubule stability, influence the PrP-induced oligomerization of tubulin. We show that tubulin preparations depleted of MAPs are more prone to oligomerization by PrP than those containing traces of MAPs. Tau protein, a major neuronal member of the MAPs family, reduces the effect of PrP. Importantly, phosphorylation of Tau abolishes its ability to affect the PrP-induced oligomerization of tubulin. We propose that t...
Pulsed atomic beams produced in vacuum by laser induced ablation from a lithium target are analyzed by laser induced fluorescence (LIF). The 1-mixing processes induced in the n = 9, 10 Li Rydberg states by collisions with CO_2 molecules illustrate the application of the method. Resolution is limited by the 1 mm diameter of the probe laser beam. Combining LIF and absorption measurements gives n_L_i as a function of time at various distances from the target surface. The investigation of the Li-C0_2 1-mixing process in a heat pipe oven proved impossible due to the high reactivity of Li with C0_2. This problem was solved by renewing the Li atoms at each laser shot. Values obtained for n = 9, n = 10 are k = 17 x 10"-"8 and 15 x 10"-"8 cc/sec, respectively.
Sensory systems must form stable representations of the external environment in the presence of self-induced variations in sensory signals. It is also possible that the variations themselves may provide...Full Text Available
The Federal Panel on Formaldehyde concluded that definitive experiments exist which demonstrate the mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of formaldehyde under laboratory conditions. Formaldehyde induces...Full Text Available
BackgroundPhotorhabdus luminescens is a Gram-negative luminescent enterobacterium and a symbiote to soil nematodes belonging to the species Heterorhabditis...Full Text Available
indicated for the phase spectral density measurements; how- ever, Ref. 7 provides a very tentative estimate of : ORW ~ 2 ><10"'(RW); Ta = 1000 seconds ...
BackgroundBisphenol A (BPA) is widely used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics, including infant formula bottles.ObjectivesBased on the...Full Text Available
Background and PurposeHemodynamic insults at arterial bifurcations are hypothesized to play a key role in intracranial aneurysm formation. This study investigates...Full Text Available
Since it was introduced in the early 1940's, mutation breeding has been tested on many crops as modern plant breeding. Until now, more than seven hundred varieties have been developed by means of induced mutation, and many of them officially released and approved for registration. Hundreds of papers report the results of mutation breeding, and the characteristics of induced mutation in different kinds of crops were discussed for review purposes (Blixt and Gottschalk 1975, Gottschalk and Wolff 1983). Considering the results already obtained, it can be concluded that the kinds of induced mutation and their utilization vary from crop to crop. This paper summarizes and discusses the mutation characteristics and kinds on the induced mutants of leguminous plants that have been released.
AIMSTo develop a population pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic model to describe the occurrence and severity of bleeding or bruising as a function of enoxaparin exposure.METHODSData...Full Text Available
SUMMARYThe aim of this study was to determine middle ear pressure changes during the operation performed under anaesthesia induced by isoflurane or desflurane. This was a prospective,...Full Text Available
By applying lock-in thermography imaging, light-beam-induced current imaging, electron-beam-induced current imaging at different stages of sample preparation, and infrared light microscopy in transmission mode, the physical nature of the dominant material-induced shunts in multicrystalline solar cells made from p-type silicon material has been investigated. It turns out that these shunts are due to silicon carbide (SiC) filaments, which grow preferentially in grain boundaries and cross the whole cell. These filaments are highly n-type doped, like the emitter layer on the surface of the cells. They are electrically connected both with the emitter and with the back contact, thereby producing internal shunts in the solar cell.
By applying lock-in thermography imaging, light-beam-induced current imaging, electron-beam-induced current imaging at different stages of sample preparation, and infrared light microscopy in transmission mode, the physical nature of the dominant material-induced shunts in multicrystalline solar cells made from p-type silicon material has been investigated. It turns out that these shunts are due to silicon carbide (SiC) filaments, which grow preferentially in grain boundaries and cross the whole cell. These filaments are highly n-type doped, like the emitter layer on the surface of the cells. They are electrically connected both with the emitter and with the back contact, thereby producing internal shunts in the solar cell.
By applying lock-in thermography imaging, light-beam-induced current imaging, electron-beam-induced current imaging at different stages of sample preparation, and infrared light microscopy in transmission mode, the physical nature of the dominant material-induced shunts in multicrystalline solar cells made from p-type silicon material has been investigated. It turns out that these shunts are due to silicon carbide (SiC) filaments, which grow preferentially in grain boundaries and cross the whole cell. These filaments are highly n-type doped, like the emitter layer on the surface of the cells. They are electrically connected both with the emitter and with the back contact, thereby producing internal shunts in the solar cell.
Synthesis of wild-type Neurospora crassa assimilatory nitrate reductase is induced in the presence of nitrate ions and repressed in the presence of ammonium ions. Effects of several...Full Text Available
Microcalcifications are an important diagnostic marker for breast cancer on mammograms, yet the mechanism of their formation is poorly understood. Indeed, there is presently no short-latency,...Full Text Available
Objective: : Evaluate expression of inducible negative regulators of JAK/STAT pathway and their target proteins during the course of ligature-induced experimental periodontal disease in rats. Design: : Rats were sacrificed 07, 15 and 30days after disease induction for histological evaluation of periodontal inflammation and macroscopic analysis of alveolar bone loss. SOCS expression and the activation status of STAT1 and STAT3 were evaluated in gingival biopsies by real time PCR and Western blot. Results: : Ligature-induced model presented significant progressive bone loss from 7 to 30days. Inflammation was evident and similar for 07 and 15days; however, a decrease on severity at the end of the experimental period was observed. There was a significant (p<0.05) increase on SOCS1 and SOCS3 ge...
Black pepper, white pepper, red pepper, ginger and turmeric were irradiated with 10 MeV electrons from a linear accelerator to a dose of 100 kGy and radioactivity was measured in order to estimate induced radioactivity in the irradiated foods. Induced radioactivity could not be detected significantly by #gamma#-ray spectrometry in the irradiated samples except for spiked samples which contain some photonuclear target nuclides in the list of photonuclear reactions which could produce radioactivity below 10 MeV. From the amount of observed radioactivities of short-lived photonuclear products in the spiked samples and calculation of H_5_0 according to ICRP Publication 30, it was concluded that the induced radioactivity and its biological effects in the 10 MeV electron-irradiated natural samples were negligible in comparison with natural radioactivity from "4"0K contained in the samples. (author).
Jan 22, 2011 ... dc.description.abstract, The progress in the development of a surface analysis tool based on the excitation of characteristic luminescence ...
AbstractThe efficacy of tilmicosin administered in the feed to control Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae infections in pigs was evaluated through a multisite, multitrial...Full Text Available
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Extracts of the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Labiatae) have been widely used to relieve fever related to bacterial infection and inflammatory diseases in traditional Korean medicine and have been reported to be effective in brain diseases. These experiments were conducted to examine the effects of oral administration of Scutellaria baicalensis extracts on the rescue of memory impairments induced by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion or chronic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) infusion. In addition, the underlying mechanisms of these effects were investigated. Materials and methods: In the first experiment, chronic cerebral hypoperfusion was induced in male Wister rats by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAo). Daily administration of Scutellaria b...
We have analyzed the MHD flow of a conducting couple stress fluid in a slit channel with rhythmically contracting walls. In this analysis we are taking into account the induced magnetic field. Analytical expressions for the stream function, the magnetic force function, the axial pressure gradient, the axial induced magnetic field and the distribution of the current density across the channel are obtained using long wavelength approximation. The results for the pressure rise, the frictional force per wave length, the axial induced magnetic field and distribution of the current density across the channel have been computed numerically and the results were studied for various values of the physical parameters of interest, such as the couple stress parameter ?, the Hartmann number M, the magnetic Reynolds number R and the time averaged mean flow rate ?. Contour plots for the stream and magnetic force functions are obtained and ...
The chemopreventive efficacy of turmeric has been established in experimental systems. However, its mechanism(s) of action are not fully elucidated in vivo. The present study investigates the mechanism of turmeric-mediated chemoprevention in 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced hamster buccal pouch (HBP) carcinogenesis at 2, 4, 6, 10 and 12?weeks. Dietary turmeric (1%) led to decrease in DMBA-induced tumor burden and multiplicity, and enhanced the latency period in parallel, to its modulatory effects on oncogene products and various cellular responses during HBP tumorigenesis. DMBA-induced expression of ras oncogene product, p21 and downstream target, the mitogen-activated protein kinases were significantly decreased by turmeric during HBP carcinogenesis. Turmeric also diminished ...
Pro-inflammatory cytokines may directly influence the viability and metabolic function of colonic epithelial cells (CEC) as an early event in the development of inflammatory bowel disease. We report here that TNF-alpha+IFN-gamma induced a synergistic, concentration-dependent decline in butyrate oxidation, an essential energy supply, in HT-29 and DLD-1 cells. TNF-alpha+IFN-gamma induced a parallel profound decline in cell viability in HT-29 cells, but not in DLD-1 cells, where impairment of butyrate oxidation seemed to precede later occurrence of cell damage. TNF-alpha+INF-gamma induced CEC damage was independent on NO formation and involved the IFN-gamma signalling pathway as well as induction of apoptosis. If cytokines have similar effects in vivo, these may lead to energy deficiency and thus contribute to CEC damage and disturbance of the epithelial integrity.
A field study of 89 refrigerator repairmen was carried out to ascertain whether occupational exposure to fluorocarbons induces cardiac arrhythmia. The concentrations of fluorocarbons in the breathing...Full Text Available
Hamed, A. and A. Mohamed, "Assessment of Shock Induced Flow Separation and ...... AGARD Symposium on Combined Cycle Propulsion for Hypersonic Application, ...
AMPA receptors (AMPARs) are critical for synaptic plasticity, and are subject to alterations based on subunit composition and receptor trafficking to and from the plasma membrane. One of the...Full Text Available
AbstractOBJECTIVETo provide an overview of the 2009 edition of the Rourke Baby Record (RBR), which incorporates recent research in the literature relating to preventive health care for children aged 0 to 5 years.QUALITY OF EVIDENCERecommendations are identified as supported by good, fair, or consensus evidence, according to the classification of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care.MAIN MESSAGENew information and recommendations are given for growth monitoring, nutrition, developmental surveillance, physical examination maneuvers, immunization schedules, and advice for parents. Anticipatory guidance updates relate to injury prevention, infant swaddling, literacy facilitation, nonparental child care, parenting skills programs, serum lead levels, over-the-counter cough and cold medications, pacifiers, antipyretics, insect repellents, and dental care and oral health. The 2009 RBR is available in English and French in both National and Ontario versions and ...
Because of the equivalence principle, a global measurement is necessary to distinguish gravity from acceleration of the reference frame. A gravity gradiometer is therefore an essential instrument needed for precision tests of gravity laws and for applications in gravity survey and inertial navigation. Superconductivity and SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) technology can be used to obtain a gravity gradiometer with very high sensitivity and stability. A superconducting gravity gradiometer has been developed for a null test of the gravitational inverse-square law and space-borne geodesy. Here we present a complete theoretical model of this instrument. Starting from dynamical equations for the device, we derive transfer functions, a common mode rejection characteristic, and an error model of the superconducting instrument. Since a gradiometer must detect a very weak differential gravity signal in the midst of large platform accelerations and other environmental ...
Lectin is a generic name of sugar binding protein in living organisms. With an objective to clarify physiological functions of lectin in marine invertebrates and utilize it as a useful material in the bio-chemical industry, studies were carried out on the chemical structure, distribution in living organisms and structural changes of lectin. Lectin is involved with such physiological actions as immunity reactions, generation and differentiation, Ca fixation and symbiosis. Lectin is one of the main components of lymph fluid in shellfish and crustacean, and is a multi-functional polymer that is related with foreign substance recognition, Ca transport, and shell formation. Lectin of a certain kind shows strong actions to accelerate cell division. Organs and cells were cultivated for lectin producing organs and lectin producing cells to verify the production thereof. Elucidation was attempted in a molecular level on such physiological functions as foreign substance ...
A rickettsia related to but distinct from the spotted fever agent, Rickettsia rickettsii, has been detected in 167 (18.9%) of 884 Rhipicephalus sanguineus taken off dogs in central and northern Mississippi. The organisms could readily be isolated in male meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus), where it produced massive infections in the tissues of tunica vaginalis. It was practically nonpathogenic for male guinea pigs, although inoculation of these animals with infected tunica vaginalis of voles afforded in 30 of 38 instances solid immunity to challenge with virulent R. rickettsii. The Rhipicephalus rickettsia grew well in monolayers of chicken embryo fibroblast, Vero, mouse L, and HeLa cells. Cytopathogenic effects were minimal unless large concentrations of rickettsiae were used as inocula. It also could be established in embryonated hen eggs but only after injection of massive doses of L cell-propagated organisms. Serological tests (complement fixation, ...
SRS high-level radioactive waste tanks will not experience erosion corrosion to any significant degree during slurry pump operations. Erosion corrosion in carbon steel structures at reported pump discharge velocities is dominated by electrochemical (corrosion) processes. Interruption of those processes, as by the addition of corrosion inhibitors, sharply reduces the rate of metal loss from erosion corrosion. The well-inhibited SRS waste tanks have a near-zero general corrosion rate, and therefore will be essentially immune to erosion corrosion. The experimental data on carbon steel erosion corrosion most relevant to SRS operations was obtained at the Hanford Site on simulated Purex waste. A metal loss rate of 2.4 mils per year was measured at a temperature of 102 C and a slurry velocity comparable to calculated SRS slurry velocities on ground specimens of the same carbon steel used in SRS waste tanks. Based on these data and the much lower expected temperatures, ...
Pitting corrosion of Inconel 600 was examined in chloride and sulfate solutions through usage of potentiodynamic polarization techniques. The effects of chloride and sulfate concentration were investigated in the range of 0.0001 to 0.1 M. Increasing chloride concentrations resulted in active shifts of the pit nucleation potential. Immunity to pitting corrosion was evident at a chloride level below 0.005 M. Increasing sulfate concentrations resulted in improved pitting resistance of Inconel 600 in chloride solutions. Detrimental effects associated with pitting were evident with low-level sulfate being added to dilute chloride media. The density of pits increased with increasing chloride concentrations or temperature between room temperature and 70 C. Systematic trends for the depth of pits were not evident. The observations of pitting corrosion in open immersion were consistent with those in polarization methods. Corrosion products contained in the pits were ...
Cholera vaccine candidate Peru-15 was derived from a Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor Inaba strain by deleting the cholera toxin genetic element, introducing the gene encoding cholera toxin B subunit into recA, and screening for nonmotility. In a controlled study, Peru-15 (2 x 10(8) cfu) was administered to 11 volunteers. No vaccinee developed diarrhea, and 10 of 11 had > 4-fold rises in vibriocidal antibody titers. One month later, 5 vaccinees and 5 control volunteers were challenged with wild type V. cholerae O1. Four of 5 controls developed diarrhea (mean, 1.9 L). Two Peru-15 vaccinees developed diarrhea, 1 with < 0.3 L and 1 with approximately 1.0 L; this latter volunteer had not developed a significant vibriocidal immune response to vaccination. Peru-15 shows promise as a single-dose, oral cholera vaccine that is safe, immunogenic, and protective. PMID:7561195
The term {open_quotes}hazardous{close_quotes} waste is used primarily in reference to potential hazards to human health and, to a lesser decree, hazards to wildlife and the ecosystem. Many of the chemicals associated with hazardous waste sites are also widely distributed throughout the environment; therefore, the health hazards associated with hazardous waste sites are not different from those associated with general environmental contamination. Until recently, it was generally assumed that cancer was the human disease of greatest concern associated with toxic chemicals. In fact, most governmental regulations related to exposure are designed on the basis of presumed cancer risks. Since the evidence that hazardous chemicals can cause cancer is strong, it is appropriate to be concerned about cancer risk. Recent evidence, however, has triggered a reevaluation of the assumption that only cancer is of concern. New evidence suggests that noncancer endpoints may occur more frequently than ...
Lytic activity and recovery of natural killer (NK) cells was monitored in pediatric patients with leukemias (ALL, AML, CML, JMML) and myelodysplastic syndromes after transplantation of T cell depleted stem cells from matched unrelated (n = 18) and mismatched related (haploidentical, n = 29) donors. CD34 + selection with magnetic microbeads resulted in 8 x 10^3/kg residual T cells. No post-transplant immune suppression was given. NK cells recovered rapidly after transplantation (300 CD56+/@mL at day 30, median), whereas T cell recovery was delayed (median: 12 CD3+/@mL at day 90). NK activity was measured as specific lysis of K 562 targets several times (mean: 3 assays per patient). Four temporal patterns of lytic activity could be differentiated: consistently low, consistently high, decreas...
1. Gamma globulin metabolism and distribution were studied employing rabbit gamma globulin (RGG)I(131) 24 times in 13 control rabbits. Similar studies were performed before and during the ananmestic response in 4 rabbits previously sensitized with a polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine. 2. During the ananmestic response, gamma-globulin levels increased from 1.0 to 6.0 gm/100 ml, and the gamma-globulin pool increased from 0.7 to 4.7 gm/kg. There was no change in the intravascular-extravascular partition of gamma globulin. 3. Gamma globulin degradation increased from 0.06 to 0.33 gm/kg/day during the 28 days of the immunization period while gamma globulin synthesis increased even further to average 0.47 gm/kg/day. Following the attainment of elevated gamma globulin levels the fractional rate of RGG-I(131) turnover increased from 8.0 to 12.5 per cent/day. 4. No differences were noted in the metabolism of homologous or autologous gamma globulin regardless of the allotypic ...
Epidemiologic studies suggest a weak link between occupational or residential exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields and cancer, especially tumors of the central nervous and hematopoietic systems. This report discusses these studies with reference to basic research on ELF EMF bioeffects relevant to cancer-promoting mechanisms. Many of the studies suggest a possible interaction of ELF EMF with the immune system, endocrine system, or growth-regulatory signals and morphogenic movements that involve calcium flux through cell membranes. Many bioeffects have been reported only with certain specific combinations of frequency, amplitude, and orientation of the EMF signal with respect to the geomagnetic field. The possibility of signal-specific effects raises a complication in dosimetry for both epidemiologic and experimental studies since ELF EMF effects may not be directly related to field strength. The report concludes with a discussion of design ...
Separate effect of impurities and alloying additions of phosphorus, silicon, boron, carbon, sulphur, magnesium, copper, aluminium and molybdenum on the tendency to intergranular corrosion (IGC) of quenched highly pure steel Fe-20% Cr-20Ni in boiling solution 27% HNO_3+40 g/l Cr"6"+, as well as in sulphuric and nitric acids mainly at potentials, corresponding to repassivation range, has been studied. It is shown that steel susceptibility to IGC depends on impurity nature and to a high extent is determined by the potential value independent of the way of its achieving. The most unfavourable effect on stability of grain boundaries is produced by microadditions of boron as well as by impurities of phosphorus and silicon. To ensure increased corrosion resistance of the investigated steel against IGC in highly oxidative media the pontent of phosphorus and silicon impurities unit should not exceed 0.01 and 0.2% respectively. At that, boron introduction into steel as a modifying addition is ...
This Spanish-language master's thesis presents a study which measured special education teachers' knowledge of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) virus transmission and their attitudes toward children with AIDS in schools. Attitudes were then related to social variables such as sex, teacher's age, and knowing someone with AIDS. A survey of 101 Oswego County, New York, special education teachers found that 52 percent had a moderate knowledge about AIDS transmission, and 48 percent of respondents had a positive perception of children with AIDS. Findings also indicated that teachers had received effective training and information about AIDS; teachers seemed to feel insecure about applying that knowledge to particular situations of possible risk; knowing people with AIDS provoked negative or inadequate perceptions of that population; and age, sex, and teaching experience were not related to teachers' perceptions or AIDS knowledge. Several recommendations are ...
The study of chemoattractant receptors on human monocytes had been limited by the lack of a radioligand suitable for use with the small numbers of cells routinely available from human donors. A new synthetic oligopeptide radioligand f(/sup 35/S)Met-leu-phe, with a higher specific radioactivity than was available with the tritiated compound, was used to characterize a chemoattractant receptor on freshly isolated human blood monocytes. These cells bind f(/sup 35/)met-leu-phe with a dissociation constant (KD) of 30.2 +/- 5.6 nM and contain 84,000 +/- 11,300 receptors per cell. f(/sup 35/)met-leu-phe does not bind specifically to blood lymphocytes. The specificity of the oligopeptide receptor on monocytes is indistinguishable from the oligopeptide chemoattractant receptor on human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Using f(/sup 35/)met-leu-phe, it will now be feasible to study the chemotactic peptide receptor on small numbers of partially purified peripheral blood monocytes from patients with ...
Elevated nuclear factor kappa B (NF-@kB) activity and interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion participates in the pathology of several age and inflammatory-related diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), in which retinal pigment epithelial cells are the key target. Recent findings reveal that heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) may affect regulation of NF-@kB. In the current study, effects of Hsp70 expression on NF-@kB RelA/p65 activity were evaluated in human retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19) by using celastrol, a novel anti-inflammatory compound. Anti-inflammatory properties of celastrol were determined by measuring expression levels of IL-6 and endogenous NF-@kB levels during lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Cell viabil...
In May 1990 a group of scientists representing several federal agencies, the International Society of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, the private sector, and academia met to develop a strategy to encourage the study of the biological effects of low level exposures (BELLE) to chemical agents and radioactivity. A workshop was held in 1991 with seven invited speakers focusing on the toxicological implications of biological adaptations. The selection of topics and speakers was designed to consider critically the concept of hormesis, not only in a broad, conceptual manner, but also at the molecular and biochemical levels. These presentations offered a complementary perspective on the diverse range of molecular mechanisms that can become activated at low levels of toxicant exposure. In addition to chemical toxicology research, an overview of current research on 'Effects of low-dose radiation on the immune response' was presented as well as 'Cellular adaptation as ...
This report is a survey of the English language literature of radiation biology between 1947 and 1987, for the purpose of compiling a literature base on the effects of radiation on animals, which have yielded results that can expand our knowledge about similar radiation effects on human beings. Articles were sought that reported exposure of adult mammals to external sources of ionizing radiation, having endpoints that included effects on the brain, the spinal cord, and behavior of the gastrointestinal, endocrine, and cardiovascular systems and the hematopoietic and immune systems. Effects of interest were those that occurred within the first 12 months after exposure. The survey does not include articles reporting chronic or long term delayed effects of radiation unless they provided insight into mechanisms of morphological and/or functional derangement. Information presented in the report is divided into subtopics (i.e., Brain-Morphological Changes). The brief ...
The optically stimulated luminescent (OSL) radiation dosimeter technically surveys a wide dynamic measurement range and a high sensitivity. Optical fiber dosimeters provide capability for remote monitoring of the radiation in the locations which are difficult-to-access and hazardous. In addition, optical fiber dosimeters are immune to electrical and radio-frequency interference. In this paper, a novel remote optical fiber radiation dosimeter is described. The optical fiber dosimeter takes advantage of the charge trapping materials CaS:Ce, Sm that exhibit OSL. The measuring range of the dosimeter is from 0.1 to 100 Gy. The equipment is relatively simple and small in size, and has low power consumption. This device is suitable for measuring the space radiation dose and also can be used in high radiation dose condition and other dangerous radiation occasions. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (10475112), Western Light Foundation of Chinese ...
In t(15;17) acute promyelocytic leukemia, all-trans retinoic acid (RA) induces leukemic cell maturation in vitro and remission in acute promyelocytic leukemia patients, but in vivo treatments invariably...Full Text Available
We reported previously that Fas-induced hepatic failure in normal mice was attenuated or prevented by exogenous transferrin (Tf), particularly apoTf. Here we show in C57BL6J/129 mice with genetic...Full Text Available
Metabotropic glutamate receptor 2/3 (mGluR2/3) agonists were shown previously to nonselectively decrease both cocaine- and food-maintained responding in rats. mGluR2 positive allosteric modulators (PAMs)...Full Text Available
The Myc oncoprotein is a potent inducer of cell growth, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis. While many direct Myc target genes have been identified, the molecular determinants of Myc’s transcriptional...Full Text Available
Autophagy is a regulated catabolic process triggered in cells deprived of nutrients or growth factors that govern nutrient uptake. Here we report that autophagy is induced by cetuximab, a therapeutic...Full Text Available
(E)-α-Bisabolene synthase is one of two wound-inducible sesquiterpene synthases of grand fir (Abies grandis), and the olefin product of this cyclization reaction...Full Text Available
The sunlight-induced photocatalytic oxidation of aqueous benzene on TiO(2)-supported gold nanoparticles was considerably improved when the reaction was conducted under a CO(2) atmosphere. 13% yield and 89% selectivity of phenol was obtained on P25-supported gold nanoparticles under 230 kPa of CO(2). PMID:21952312
Stromal cells from DBA/2 mouse bone marrow have been shown to be susceptible to cytotoxicity induced by several redox-active metabolites of benzene, including hydroquinone (HQ). Treatment with HQ also...Full Text Available
We have studied the self-association reactions of purified GDP-liganded tubulin into double rings and taxoid-induced microtubules, employing synchrotron time-resolved x-ray solution scattering. The...Full Text Available
In calculating the strengths of depolarizing resonances it may be convenient to reformulate the equations of spin motion in a coordinate system based on the actual trajectory of the particle, as introduced by Kondratenko, rather than the conventional one based on a reference orbit. It is shown that resonance strengths calculated by the conventional and the revised formalisms are identical. Resonances induced by radiofrequency dipoles or solenoids are also treated; with rf dipoles it is essential to consider not only the direct effect of the dipole but also the contribution from oscillations induced by it.
The nuclear power plants with WWER type reactors are characterized by horizontally situated steam generators (SG). During seismic event the horizontal and vertical ground accelerations induce fluid motion in directions of longitudinal and transversal axis. Resulting dynamic forces act on the SG attachment and could cause the failure of screws. In obvious PSA scenarios, these phenomena are classified as a indirect induced LOCA. In this paper the effects of transversal sloshing of fluid are analyzed.
The aim of this study is to determine the effects of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NP) on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β)-induced vascular permeability, and...Full Text Available
A quantitative description is proposed for the depletion-induced slip thickness and velocity profile of a polymer solution near the wall-fluid interface in simple shear flow. The inhomogeneous polymer density profile at a flat wall is inserted into the equations of motion for the flow of a polymer solution near the flat wall. The theory is in quantitative agreement with simulation results. (letter to the editor)
γ-Radiation-induced tumors of Arabidopsis thaliana L. have been produced as a novel approach to isolation of genes that regulate plant development. Tumors excised from irradiated...Full Text Available
Plantago ovata Forsk - an economically important medicinal plant - was analyzed for trace elements and chlorophyll in a study of the effects of gamma radiation on physiological responses of the seedlings. Proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique was used to quantify trace elements in unirradiated and gamma-irradiated plants at the seedling stage. The experiments revealed radiation-induced changes in the trace element and chlorophyll concentrations.
The initiation and progression of several forms of retinal degenerations involve excessive, repetitive, and/or sustained oxidative stress that, in turn, mediate photoreceptor cell damage and...Full Text Available
Muon captures by nucleon pairs via meson-exchange currents produce a high energy excitation tail in heavy nuclei. The muon induced fission by these excitations is calculated in several subactinide nuclei with high threshold fission barriers. The probability for delayed fission ranges from 4 x 10"-"5 to 4 x 10"-"3 for the isotopes considered. (orig.).
We have developed a set of modeled nuclear reaction cross sections for use in radiochemical diagnostics. Systematics for the input parameters required by the Hauser-Feshbach statistical model were developed and used to calculate neutron induced nuclear reaction cross sections for targets ranging from osmium (Z = 76) to gold (Z = 79). Of particular interest are the cross sections on Ir and Au including reactions on isomeric targets.
Time resolved light scattering from laser-induced electrostrictive gratings was used for the determination of flow velocities in air at room temperature. By measuring the velocity profile across the width of a slit nozzle we demonstrated the high spatial resolution (about 200 mm) of this novel technique. (author) 3 figs., 1 ref.
During the period covered by this report research has been concerned with the study of photo-induced electron transfer reactions from porphyrins to acceptor molecules with time-resolved Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) methods. Excited-state electron transfer reactions are of importance from a fundamental point of view and in connection with applications in homogeneous and heterogeneous photosensitization, photopolymerization, and solar energy conversions. For this reason, the study of photo-induced electron transfer reactions is of considerable interest.
We report on measurements of the mixing of fuel oil with air at atmospheric pressure in an industrial premixed gas turbine burner. The concentration of the vaporized fuel oil was measured with laser induced fluorescence. We reason that the fuel oil concentration can be considered with good accuracy as proportional to the fluorescence intensity. (author) 6 fig., 3 refs.
In scattering of channeled particles by point defects and in emission of gamma rays in the spontaneous-radiation spectral region conditions are attained where the momentum transferred to the defect is taken up by the crystal as a whole. This leads to coherent and interference effects in the radiation from the crystal defects. When the longitudinal momentum transferred is zero, an induced radiation effect appears in the transitions between the states of transverse motion.
Previous studies reveal that dark-induced closure of Samanea leaflets is accompanied by H+ secretion from flexor motor cells. We now report that flexor tissue excised in...Full Text Available
PurposeCurcumin (Cur) has been reported to induce apoptosis in human renal carcinoma Caki cells. Dimethoxycurcumin (DMC), one of several synthetic Cur analogues, has been reported...Full Text Available
The myocardial infarct induced by isoproterenol in spontaneously hypertensive rats accumulates higher activities of /sup 99/sup(m)Tc-PM tetracycline compared with the cardiac infarct in normotensive rats caused by the same method. The isoproterenol model of the myocardial necrosis was induced in intact rats without opening the thorax and is a convenient method for experimental radioisotope studies.
Cell death after irradiation occurs by apoptosis in certain cell populations in tissues. The phenomenon also occurs after high linear energy transfer (LET) irradiation, and the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) is 3 to 4 (with respect to low-LET radiation and apoptosis in intestinal crypts) for neutrons with energies of 14 MeV and up to 600 MeV. It is thought that p53 plays a role in the phenomenon, as radiation-induced apoptosis is not observed in p53-null animals. (orig.).
Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a key proapoptotic factor in fibrotic tissue diseases. However, the mechanism of Ang-II-induced cell death in endothelial cells has not been previously elucidated....Full Text Available
Arsenic trioxide (As2O3), used to treat promyelocytic leukemia, triggers cell death via unknown mechanisms. To further our understanding of As2O3-induced...Full Text Available
Apoptosis and Proliferation During DicWoroacetic Acid (DCA) Induced Hepatocellular Carcinogenesis in the F344 Male Rat Chlorine, introduced into public drinking \\\\'ater supplies for disinfection, can react with organic compounds in surface waters to form toxic by-prod...