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Sample records for accessory cell function

  1. Deleterious effect of ultraviolet-B radiation on accessory function of human blood adherent mononuclear cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rich, E.A.; Elmets, C.A.; Fujiwara, H.; Wallis, R.S.; Ellner, J.J.

    1987-01-01

    The effects of ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B) on accessory function of human blood adherent mononuclear cells (ADH) for antigen and mitogen-induced responses, and production by ADH of the amplifying cytokine interleukin 1 (IL-1) were examined. Responder lymphocytes were rendered accessory cell dependent by treatment of nonadherent cells with OKIal + complement. UV-B depressed accessory function of ADH in a dose-dependent manner. UV-B decreased accessory function of ADH for tetanus toxoid-induced responses and phytohaemagglutinin-induced responses. UV-B also decreased accessory activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells but not Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B cells for a PPD-reactive T cell line. Interleukin 1 (IL-1) activity of supernatants of ADH was assayed on C3H/HeJ mouse thymocytes. Pretreatment of ADH with UV-B decreased lipopolysaccharide-stimulated IL-1 activity. Lysates of UV-B irradiated, LPS-stimulated ADH had no discernible IL-1 activity. Addition of IL-1 partially restored accessory activity of UV-B irradiated ADH for lymphocyte responses to TT. Exposure of ADH to TT or PHA for 30 min before irradiation blocked the inhibitory effect of UV-B on accessory activity. Thus, low doses of UV-B are deleterious to accessory function and to production of IL-1 by ADH. Interference with production of cytokines and with initial interactions of accessory cells with antigen and mitogen may be critical to the effects of UV-B on immunoregulatory function of ADH. (author)

  2. Dietary n-3 PUFA affect TcR-mediated activation of purified murine T cells and accessory cell function in co-cultures

    Science.gov (United States)

    CHAPKIN, R S; ARRINGTON, J L; APANASOVICH, T V; CARROLL, R J; MCMURRAY, D N

    2002-01-01

    Diets enriched in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) suppress several functions of murine splenic T cells by acting directly on the T cells and/or indirectly on accessory cells. In this study, the relative contribution of highly purified populations of the two cell types to the dietary suppression of T cell function was examined. Mice were fed diets containing different levels of n-3 PUFA; safflower oil (SAF; control containing no n-3 PUFA), fish oil (FO) at 2% and 4%, or 1% purified docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for 2 weeks. Purified (>90%) T cells were obtained from the spleen, and accessory cells (>95% adherent, esterase-positive) were obtained by peritoneal lavage. Purified T cells or accessory cells from each diet group were co-cultured with the alternative cell type from every other diet group, yielding a total of 16 different co-culture combinations. The T cells were stimulated with either concanavalin A (ConA) or antibodies to the T cell receptor (TcR)/CD3 complex and the costimulatory molecule CD28 (αCD3/αCD28), and proliferation was measured after four days. Suppression of T cell proliferation in the co-cultures was dependent upon the dose of dietary n-3 PUFA fed to mice from which the T cells were derived, irrespective of the dietary treatment of accessory cell donors. The greatest dietary effect was seen in mice consuming the DHA diet (P = 0·034 in the anova; P = 0·0053 in the Trend Test), and was observed with direct stimulation of the T cell receptor and CD28 costimulatory ligand, but not with ConA. A significant dietary effect was also contributed accessory cells (P = 0·033 in the Trend Test). We conclude that dietary n-3 PUFA affect TcR-mediated by T cell activation by both direct and indirect (accessory cell) mechanisms. PMID:12296847

  3. Isoform-specific functions of Mud/NuMA mediate binucleation of Drosophila male accessory gland cells.

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    Taniguchi, Kiichiro; Kokuryo, Akihiko; Imano, Takao; Minami, Ryunosuke; Nakagoshi, Hideki; Adachi-Yamada, Takashi

    2014-12-20

    In standard cell division, the cells undergo karyokinesis and then cytokinesis. Some cells, however, such as cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes, can produce binucleate cells by going through mitosis without cytokinesis. This cytokinesis skipping is thought to be due to the inhibition of cytokinesis machinery such as the central spindle or the contractile ring, but the mechanisms regulating it are unclear. We investigated them by characterizing the binucleation event during development of the Drosophila male accessory gland, in which all cells are binucleate. The accessory gland cells arrested the cell cycle at 50 hours after puparium formation (APF) and in the middle of the pupal stage stopped proliferating for 5 hours. They then restarted the cell cycle and at 55 hours APF entered the M-phase synchronously. At this stage, accessory gland cells binucleated by mitosis without cytokinesis. Binucleating cells displayed the standard karyokinesis progression but also showed unusual features such as a non-round shape, spindle orientation along the apico-basal axis, and poor assembly of the central spindle. Mud, a Drosophila homolog of NuMA, regulated the processes responsible for these three features, the classical isoform Mud(PBD) and the two newly characterized isoforms Mud(L) and Mud(S) regulated them differently: Mud(L) repressed cell rounding, Mud(PBD) and Mud(S) oriented the spindle along the apico-basal axis, and Mud(S) and Mud(L) repressed central spindle assembly. Importantly, overexpression of Mud(S) induced binucleation even in standard proliferating cells such as those in imaginal discs. We characterized the binucleation in the Drosophila male accessory gland and examined mechanisms that regulated unusual morphologies of binucleating cells. We demonstrated that Mud, a microtubule binding protein regulating spindle orientation, was involved in this binucleation. We suggest that atypical functions exerted by three structurally different isoforms of Mud regulate

  4. The Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxic Function Is Modulated by HIV-1 Accessory Proteins

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    Edward Barker

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Natural killer (NK cells’ major role in the control of viruses is to eliminate established infected cells. The capacity of NK cells to kill virus-infected cells is dependent on the interactions between ligands on the infected cell and receptors on the NK cell surface. Because of the importance of ligand-receptor interactions in modulating the NK cell cytotoxic response, HIV has developed strategies to regulate various NK cell ligands making the infected cell surprisingly refractory to NK cell lysis. This is perplexing because the HIV-1 accessory protein Vpr induces expression of ligands for the NK cell activating receptor, NKG2D. In addition, the accessory protein Nef removes the inhibitory ligands HLA-A and -B. The reason for the ineffective killing by NK cells despite the strong potential to eliminate infected cells is due to HIV-1 Vpu’s ability to down modulate the co-activation ligand, NTB-A, from the cell surface. Down modulation of NTB-A prevents efficient NK cell degranulation. This review will focus on the mechanisms through which the HIV-1 accessory proteins modulate their respective ligands, and its implication for NK cell killing of HIV-infected cells.

  5. Evaluation of accessory cell heterogeneity. III. Role of dendritic cells in the in vitro activation of the antibody response to soluble antigens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erb, P; Ramila, G; Sklenar, I; Kennedy, M; Sunshine, G H

    1985-05-01

    Dendritic cells and macrophages obtained from spleen and peritoneal exudate were tested as accessory cells for the activation of lymphokine production by T cells, for supporting T-B cooperation and for the induction of antigen-specific T helper cells. Dendritic cells as well as macrophages were able to activate T cells for interleukin-2 secretion and functioned as accessory cells in T-B cooperation, but only macrophages induced T helper cells, which cooperate with B cells by a linked recognition interaction, to soluble antigens. Dendritic cell- and antigen-activated T cells also did not help B cells in the presence of Con A supernatants which contained various T cell- and B cell-stimulatory factors. The failure of dendritic cells to differentiate memory into functional T helper cells, but their efficient accessory cell function in T-B cooperation, where functional T helper cells are already present, can be best explained by a differential accessory cell requirement for T helper cell activation dependent on the differentiation stage of the T helper cell.

  6. Chloroquine inhibits accessory cell presentation of soluble natural and synthetic protein antigens

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Buus, S; Werdelin, O

    1984-01-01

    We have studied the in vitro effect of the lysosomotrophic agent, chloroquine, on the presentation of soluble protein antigens by guinea pig accessory cells. Chloroquine inhibited the capacity of antigen-pulsed accessory cells to stimulate proliferation in appropriately primed T cells. The effect...... was time- and dose-dependent. A brief treatment solely of the accessory cells with the drug compromised their ability to stimulate primed T cells in a subsequent culture provided the accessory cells were treated with chloroquine before their exposure to the antigen. These results suggest that chloroquine...... acts on an early event in the antigen handling by accessory cells. Chloroquine is a well known inhibitor of lysosomal proteolysis, and it is likely that its effect on antigen presentation is caused by an inhibition of antigen degradation....

  7. Accessory stimulus modulates executive function during stepping task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe, Tatsunori; Koyama, Soichiro; Tanabe, Shigeo; Nojima, Ippei

    2015-07-01

    When multiple sensory modalities are simultaneously presented, reaction time can be reduced while interference enlarges. The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of task-irrelevant acoustic accessory stimuli simultaneously presented with visual imperative stimuli on executive function during stepping. Executive functions were assessed by analyzing temporal events and errors in the initial weight transfer of the postural responses prior to a step (anticipatory postural adjustment errors). Eleven healthy young adults stepped forward in response to a visual stimulus. We applied a choice reaction time task and the Simon task, which consisted of congruent and incongruent conditions. Accessory stimuli were randomly presented with the visual stimuli. Compared with trials without accessory stimuli, the anticipatory postural adjustment error rates were higher in trials with accessory stimuli in the incongruent condition and the reaction times were shorter in trials with accessory stimuli in all the task conditions. Analyses after division of trials according to whether anticipatory postural adjustment error occurred or not revealed that the reaction times of trials with anticipatory postural adjustment errors were reduced more than those of trials without anticipatory postural adjustment errors in the incongruent condition. These results suggest that accessory stimuli modulate the initial motor programming of stepping by lowering decision threshold and exclusively under spatial incompatibility facilitate automatic response activation. The present findings advance the knowledge of intersensory judgment processes during stepping and may aid in the development of intervention and evaluation tools for individuals at risk of falls. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

  8. Mitogenic activation of B cells in vitro: the properties of adherent accessory cells as revealed by partition analysis

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    Kettman, J.R.; Soederberg, A.; Lefkovits, I.

    1986-08-15

    The requirement of B cells activated by mitogen (dextran sulfate plus lipopolysaccharide) for accessory cells was studied by partition analysis. Small numbers of splenic B cells were activated to clonal growth, as determined by visual inspection, and to immunoglobulin (Ig) synthesis, as determined by release of Ig into the culture fluid. By placing irradiated adherent cells in the periphery of the microculture wells and forcing responding cells to different areas of the well (slant experiments), it was observed that no cell contact was necessary for B cell activation, and that promoted contact (Rock and Roll experiments) does not increase the efficiency of activation. Sequential microcultures suggest that only some irradiated adherent cells act as accessory cells, but they can perform this function to more than one B cell. Attempts to perform limiting dilution analysis by varying irradiated adherent cell input showed non-single-hit behavior. When the data were rearranged, taking into account the distribution of irradiated adherent cells, then single-hit behavior with about 1 to 5% of irradiated adherent cells acting as an accessory cells for B cell clonal activation was observed. The evidence suggests that an uncommon irradiated adherent cell releases a soluble factor necessary for B cell activation and/or clonal proliferation.

  9. Mitogenic activation of B cells in vitro: the properties of adherent accessory cells as revealed by partition analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kettman, J.R.; Soederberg, A.; Lefkovits, I.

    1986-01-01

    The requirement of B cells activated by mitogen (dextran sulfate plus lipopolysaccharide) for accessory cells was studied by partition analysis. Small numbers of splenic B cells were activated to clonal growth, as determined by visual inspection, and to immunoglobulin (Ig) synthesis, as determined by release of Ig into the culture fluid. By placing irradiated adherent cells in the periphery of the microculture wells and forcing responding cells to different areas of the well (slant experiments), it was observed that no cell contact was necessary for B cell activation, and that promoted contact (Rock and Roll experiments) does not increase the efficiency of activation. Sequential microcultures suggest that only some irradiated adherent cells act as accessory cells, but they can perform this function to more than one B cell. Attempts to perform limiting dilution analysis by varying irradiated adherent cell input showed non-single-hit behavior. When the data were rearranged, taking into account the distribution of irradiated adherent cells, then single-hit behavior with about 1 to 5% of irradiated adherent cells acting as an accessory cells for B cell clonal activation was observed. The evidence suggests that an uncommon irradiated adherent cell releases a soluble factor necessary for B cell activation and/or clonal proliferation

  10. Evaluation of accessory cell heterogeneity. I. Differential accessory cell requirement for T helper cell activation and for T-B cooperation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramila, G; Studer, S; Kennedy, M; Sklenar, I; Erb, P

    1985-01-01

    Several Ia+ tumor cell lines and peritoneal exudate macrophages were tested as accessory cells (AC) for the activation of antigen-specific T cells and for T-B cooperation. The macrophages and all the Ia+ tumor lines tested induced the release of lymphokines from T cells in a major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted fashion and reconstituted the antibody responses of AC-depleted spleen cells or of purified T and B cells. However, only the normal macrophages but none of the tumor lines induced carrier-specific T helper (Th) cells which help B cells for specific antihapten antibody responses by linked recognition. For T-B cooperation accessory cells were also required, but in contrast to Th cell activation any type of Ia+ AC (e.g. macrophage or tumor line) was effective. Strong MHC-restriction between the lymphocytes and the AC was seen if antigen-pulsed AC were added into the AC-depleted T-B cooperation cultures. If the AC and antigen were concomitantly added to the AC-depleted T-B cultures, MHC-restriction was less obvious. Concanavalin A supernatant reconstituted the response of AC-depleted T-B cultures provided antigen-specific Th cells and the hapten-carrier conjugate were present. If, however, tumor line-activated T cells were added instead of macrophage-induced Th cells, no cooperation with B cells took place even in the presence of Con A supernatant. The results obtained demonstrate a differential AC requirement for the induction of Th cells depending on the differentiation stage of the Th cells.

  11. Oligopeptide antigens of the angiotensin lineage compete for presentation by paraformaldehyde-treated accessory cells to T cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Buus, S; Werdelin, O

    1986-01-01

    series are highly susceptible to proteolytic destruction in cultures containing prefixed accessory cells. The proteases responsible for the destruction of these peptides are apparently located in the plasma membrane of accessory cells. These enzymes represent a methodologic problem in studies...

  12. WNK1 and p38-MAPK distribution in ionocytes and accessory cells of euryhaline teleost fish implies ionoregulatory function

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    W. S. Marshall

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Ionocytes of euryhaline teleost fish secrete NaCl, under regulation by serine and threonine kinases, including with-no-lysine kinase (WNK1 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK. Mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus L. were acclimated to freshwater (FW, full strength seawater (SW and hypersaline conditions (2SW. Immunocytochemistry of ionocytes in opercular epithelia of fish acclimated to SW and 2SW revealed that WNK1-anti-pT58 phosphoantibody localized strongly to accessory cells and was present in the cytosol of ionocytes, close to cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR in the apical membrane and the sodium potassium 2 chloride cotransporter (NKCC in the basolateral membrane. In FW acclimated fish, WNK1 localized to a sub-apical zone, did not colocalize with apical membrane-located sodium chloride cotransporter (NCC, and typically was present in one cell of paired ionocytes and in some single ionocytes. Forskolin treatment (10 μM, 30 min increased WNK1 immunofluorescence in SW ionocytes only, while hypertonicity had little effect, compared to controls. Anti-p38-MAPK antibody localized to the cytosolic compartment. The distribution of WNK1 and p38MAPK is consistent with a proximal position in regulatory cascades, rather than directly affecting transporters. The strong staining of accessory cells by WNK1 phosphoantibody infers an osmoregulatory function for WNK.

  13. Rhabdovirus accessory genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Peter J; Dietzgen, Ralf G; Joubert, D Albert; Blasdell, Kim R

    2011-12-01

    The Rhabdoviridae is one of the most ecologically diverse families of RNA viruses with members infecting a wide range of organisms including placental mammals, marsupials, birds, reptiles, fish, insects and plants. The availability of complete nucleotide sequences for an increasing number of rhabdoviruses has revealed that their ecological diversity is reflected in the diversity and complexity of their genomes. The five canonical rhabdovirus structural protein genes (N, P, M, G and L) that are shared by all rhabdoviruses are overprinted, overlapped and interspersed with a multitude of novel and diverse accessory genes. Although not essential for replication in cell culture, several of these genes have been shown to have roles associated with pathogenesis and apoptosis in animals, and cell-to-cell movement in plants. Others appear to be secreted or have the characteristics of membrane-anchored glycoproteins or viroporins. However, most encode proteins of unknown function that are unrelated to any other known proteins. Understanding the roles of these accessory genes and the strategies by which rhabdoviruses use them to engage, divert and re-direct cellular processes will not only present opportunities to develop new anti-viral therapies but may also reveal aspects of cellar function that have broader significance in biology, agriculture and medicine. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Major histocompatibility complex-restricted self-recognition in responses to trinitrophenyl-Ficoll. A novel cell interaction pathway requiring self-recognition of accessory cell H-2 determinants by both T cells and B cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hodes, R.J.; Hathcock, K.S.; Singer, A.

    1983-01-01

    In vitro primary antibody responses to limiting concentrations of trinitrophenyl (TNP)-Ficoll were shown to be T cell dependent, requiring the cooperation of T helper (TH) cells, B cells, and accessory cells. Under these conditions, TH cells derived from long-term radiation bone marrow chimeras were major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restricted in their ability to cooperate with accessory cells expressing host-type MHC determinants. The requirement for MHC-restricted self-recognition by TNP-Ficoll-reactive B cells was assessed under these T-dependent conditions. In the presence of competent TH cells, chimeric B cells were found to be MHC restricted, cooperating only with accessory cells that expressed host-type MHC products. In contrast, the soluble products of certain monoclonal T cell lines were able to directly activate B cells in response to TNP-Ficoll, bypassing any requirement for MHC-restricted self-recognition. These findings demonstrate the existence of a novel cell interaction pathway in which B cells as well as TH cells are each required to recognize self-MHC determinants on accessory cells, but are not required to recognize each other. They further demonstrate that the requirement for self-recognition by B cells may be bypassed in certain T-dependent activation pathways

  15. Reactive Hypertrophy of an Accessory Spleen Mimicking Tumour Recurrence of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

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    Christin Tjaden

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available De novo occurrence of an accessory spleen after splenectomy is worth noting for two reasons. First, it is known that splenectomy can cause reactive hypertrophy of initially inactive and macroscopically invisible splenic tissue. Second, it can mimic tumour recurrence in situations in which splenectomy has been performed for oncological reasons. This might cause difficulties in differential diagnosis and the clinical decision for reoperation. We report the case of a patient with suspected recurrence of renal cell carcinoma after total pancreatectomy and splenectomy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma, which finally revealed an accessory spleen as the morphological correlate of the newly diagnosed mass in the left retroperitoneum.

  16. Isolated spinal accessory neuropathy and intracisternal schwannomas of the spinal accessory nerve

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    Abdullah M. Al-Ajmi

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available We report a 40-year-old female patient presenting with isolated left spinal accessory neuropathy that developed insidiously over 6 years. She complained of ill-defined deep neck and shoulder pain. On examination, prominent sternocleidomastoid and trapezoid muscle weakness and atrophy, shoulder instability, and lateral scapular winging were observed. MRI identified a small mass of the cisternal portion of the spinal accessory nerve. Its appearance was typical of schwannoma. Surgical treatment was not offered because of the small tumor size, lack of mass effect and the questionable functional recovery in the presence of muscular atrophy.

  17. Functional restoration of the paralyzed diaphragm in high cervical quadriplegia via phrenic nerve neurotization utilizing the functional spinal accessory nerve.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Ming-liang; Li, Jian-jun; Zhang, Shao-cheng; Du, Liang-jie; Gao, Feng; Li, Jun; Wang, Yu-ming; Gong, Hui-ming; Cheng, Liang

    2011-08-01

    The authors report a case of functional improvement of the paralyzed diaphragm in high cervical quadriplegia via phrenic nerve neurotization using a functional spinal accessory nerve. Complete spinal cord injury at the C-2 level was diagnosed in a 44-year-old man. Left diaphragm activity was decreased, and the right diaphragm was completely paralyzed. When the level of metabolism or activity (for example, fever, sitting, or speech) slightly increased, dyspnea occurred. The patient underwent neurotization of the right phrenic nerve with the trapezius branch of the right spinal accessory nerve at 11 months postinjury. Four weeks after surgery, training of the synchronous activities of the trapezius muscle and inspiration was conducted. Six months after surgery, motion was observed in the previously paralyzed right diaphragm. The lung function evaluation indicated improvements in vital capacity and tidal volume. This patient was able to sit in a wheelchair and conduct outdoor activities without assisted ventilation 12 months after surgery.

  18. Newborn Interneurons in the Accessory Olfactory Bulb Promote Mate Recognition in Female Mice

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    Livio eOboti

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available In the olfactory bulb of adult rodents, local interneurons are constantly replaced by immature precursors derived from the subventricular zone. Whether any olfactory sensory process specifically relies on this cell renewal remains largely unclear. By using the well-known model of mating-induced imprinting, we demonstrate that this olfactory memory formation critically depends on the presence of newborn granule neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb. Accordingly, we show that, in adult female mice, exposure to male pheromones increases the number of new granule cells surviving in the accessory olfactory bulb. This neuronal addition depends on the detection of sensory cues by the vomeronasal organ and requires centrifugal feedback activity from the amygdala. The stimuli affecting neuronal survival are contained in the low molecular weight fraction of urine and are implied in pheromonal recognition during mating. By chemical depletion of newly generated bulbar interneurons, we show a direct role of renewed granule cells in the accessory olfactory bulb in preventing pregnancy block by mating male odours. Taken together, our results indicate that adult neurogenesis is essential for specific brain functions such as persistent odour learning and mate recognition.

  19. Ventricular Dyssynchrony and Function Improve following Catheter Ablation of Nonseptal Accessory Pathways in Children

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    Sylvia Abadir

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Paradoxical or hypokinetic interventricular septal motion has been described in patients with septal or paraseptal accessory pathways. Data regarding nonseptal pathways is limited. Methods and Results. We quantified left ventricular dyssynchrony and function in 16 consecutive children, 14.2±3.7 years, weighing 53 ± 17 kg, prior to and following catheter ablation of bidirectional septal (N=6 and nonseptal (N=10 accessory pathways. Following ablation, the left ventricular ejection fraction increased by 4.9±2.1% (P=0.038 from a baseline value of 57.0%±7.8%. By tissue Doppler imaging, the interval between QRS onset and peak systolic velocity (Ts decreased from a median of 33.0 ms to 18.0 ms (P=0.013. The left ventricular ejection fraction increased to a greater extent following catheter ablation of nonseptal (5.9%±2.6%, P=0.023 versus septal (2.5%±4.1%, P=0.461 pathways. The four patients with an ejection fraction 50% after ablation. Similarly, the improvement in dyssynchrony was more marked in patients with nonseptal versus septal pathways (difference between septal and lateral wall motion delay before and after ablation 20.6±7.1 ms (P=0.015 versus 1.4±11.4 ms (P=0.655. Conclusion. Left ventricular systolic function and dyssynchrony improve after ablation of antegrade-conducting accessory pathways in children, with more pronounced changes noted for nonseptal pathways.

  20. Imaging diagnosis of accessory and cavitated uterine mass, a rare mullerian anomaly

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    Nishchint Jain

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Accessory and Cavitated Uterine Mass (ACUM is a rare form of developmental Mullerian anomaly seen in young females, which presents as chronic recurrent pelvic pain and severe dysmenorrhea. It is an accessory cavity lying within an otherwise normal uterus. It is lined by functional endometrium and surrounded by myometrium-like smooth muscle cells; hence, it bears striking macroscopic and microscopic resemblance to the uterus. Hysterosalpingography (HSG, Ultrasonography (USG, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI form the mainstay of diagnostic imaging. The entity is often under diagnosed; therefore, a high index of suspicion combined with HSG and MRI imaging can help in making an accurate diagnosis.

  1. Imaging diagnosis of accessory and cavitated uterine mass, a rare mullerian anomaly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jain, Nishchint; Verma, Ritu

    2014-01-01

    Accessory and Cavitated Uterine Mass (ACUM) is a rare form of developmental Mullerian anomaly seen in young females, which presents as chronic recurrent pelvic pain and severe dysmenorrhea. It is an accessory cavity lying within an otherwise normal uterus. It is lined by functional endometrium and surrounded by myometrium-like smooth muscle cells; hence, it bears striking macroscopic and microscopic resemblance to the uterus. Hysterosalpingography (HSG), Ultrasonography (USG), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) form the mainstay of diagnostic imaging. The entity is often under diagnosed; therefore, a high index of suspicion combined with HSG and MRI imaging can help in making an accurate diagnosis

  2. Giant Accessory Right-Sided Suprarenal Spleen in Thalassaemia

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    A. Arra

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available An accessory spleen is defined as ectopic splenic tissue that develops due to failure of fusion of cells during embryonic development as they migrate from the midline to the left upper quadrant. While benign, complications may arise which include trauma, torsion, or infarction of the ectopic tissue. Additionally, patients who have had a splenectomy secondary to treatment for previous pathology such as a haematological malignancy or idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura may experience persistent symptoms due to the accessory splenic tissue. The presence of an accessory spleen is therefore of significant diagnostic and therapeutic importance. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this case is the second and largest reported case of a giant right suprarenal accessory spleen and highlights the difficulty in differentiation of these masses from malignant adrenal tumours.

  3. Accessory Proteins at ERES

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Klinkenberg, Rafael David

    membrane targeting and association with ERES. We determine the localization of Sec16B by transient expression in HeLa cells, and find that the protein is evenly distributed throughout the cell except the nucleus at 37°C, as is also observed with mSec16A. When the temperature is lowered to 15°C, mSec16B...... proteins. Together these components co‐operate in cargo‐selection as well as forming, loading and releasing budding vesicles from specific regions on the membrane surface of the ER. Coat components furthermore convey vesicle targeting towards the Golgi. However, not much is known about the mechanisms...... that regulate the COPII assembly at the vesicle bud site. This thesis provides the first regulatory mechanism of COPII assembly in relation to ER‐membrane lipid‐signal recognition by the accessory protein p125A (Sec23IP). The aim of the project was to characterize p125A function by dissecting two main domains...

  4. Electrophysiological mapping of the accessory olfactory bulb of the rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Groen, T; Ruardy, L; da Silva, F H

    1986-07-01

    Field potentials elicited by electrical stimulation of the vomeronasal nerve were measured in the accessory olfactory bulb of the rabbit. Maps were made of the distribution of surface field potentials and of the corresponding depth profiles. The surface maps followed closely the contours of the accessory olfactory bulb: at the frontal border the field potential tended to zero and at the center of the structure the field potential attained a maximum. Depth profiles of the field potentials through the accessory olfactory bulb presented a surface-negative wave and, in depth, a positive wave. The polarity reversal occurred at the deep part of the granule cell layer. The zero equipotential line followed closely the curvature of the granule cell layer. Current source density analysis of the depth profiles revealed a main sink at the external plexiform and granule cell layers. This indicates that the main activity in the accessory olfactory bulb is generated by the synapses between the mitral cells and the granule cells as is found in the main olfactory bulb.

  5. MERS-CoV Accessory ORFs Play Key Role for Infection and Pathogenesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Menachery, Vineet D.; Mitchell, Hugh D.; Cockrell, Adam S.; Gralinski, Lisa E.; Yount, Boyd L.; Graham, Rachel L.; McAnarney, Eileen T.; Douglas, Madeline G.; Scobey, Trevor; Beall, Anne; Dinnon, Kenneth; Kocher, Jacob F.; Hale, Andrew E.; Stratton, Kelly G.; Waters, Katrina M.; Baric, Ralph S.; Racaniello, Vincent R.

    2017-08-22

    ABSTRACT

    While dispensable for viral replication, coronavirus (CoV) accessory open reading frame (ORF) proteins often play critical roles during infection and pathogenesis. Utilizing a previously generated mutant, we demonstrate that the absence of all four Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV) accessory ORFs (deletion of ORF3, -4a, -4b, and -5 [dORF3-5]) has major implications for viral replication and pathogenesis. Importantly, attenuation of the dORF3-5 mutant is primarily driven by dysregulated host responses, including disrupted cell processes, augmented interferon (IFN) pathway activation, and robust inflammation.In vitroreplication attenuation also extends toin vivomodels, allowing use of dORF3-5 as a live attenuated vaccine platform. Finally, examination of ORF5 implicates a partial role in modulation of NF-κB-mediated inflammation. Together, the results demonstrate the importance of MERS-CoV accessory ORFs for pathogenesis and highlight them as potential targets for surveillance and therapeutic treatments moving forward.

    IMPORTANCEThe initial emergence and periodic outbreaks of MERS-CoV highlight a continuing threat posed by zoonotic pathogens to global public health. In these studies, mutant virus generation demonstrates the necessity of accessory ORFs in regard to MERS-CoV infection and pathogenesis. With this in mind, accessory ORF functions can be targeted for both therapeutic and vaccine treatments in response to MERS-CoV and related group 2C coronaviruses. In addition, disruption of accessory ORFs in parallel may offer a rapid response platform to attenuation of future emergent strains based on both SARS- and MERS-CoV accessory ORF mutants.

  6. The accessory magnocellular neurosecretory system of the rostral human hypothalamus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Morten; Busch, Johannes R.; Jacobsen, Christina

    2018-01-01

    magnocellular neurons were often located along the blood vessels and projections of some of these neurons penetrated the vascular endothelium. The accessory magnocellular cell bodies expressed either neurophysin I or neurophysin II immunoreactivity. Summarizing, the accessory magnocellular system in the human......The morphology and neurophysin expression of the magnocellular accessory neuroendocrine system located in the rostral human hypothalamus is investigated in a series of brains obtained at autopsy. The hypothalami were fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin, or after cryoprotection, frozen...

  7. PAXX Is an Accessory c-NHEJ Factor that Associates with Ku70 and Has Overlapping Functions with XLF

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Satish K. Tadi

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available In mammalian cells, classical non-homologous end joining (c-NHEJ is critical for DNA double-strand break repair induced by ionizing radiation and during V(DJ recombination in developing B and T lymphocytes. Recently, PAXX was identified as a c-NHEJ core component. We report here that PAXX-deficient cells exhibit a cellular phenotype uncharacteristic of a deficiency in c-NHEJ core components. PAXX-deficient cells display normal sensitivity to radiomimetic drugs, are proficient in transient V(DJ recombination assays, and do not shift toward higher micro-homology usage in plasmid repair assays. Although PAXX-deficient cells lack c-NHEJ phenotypes, PAXX forms a stable ternary complex with Ku bound to DNA. Formation of this complex involves an interaction with Ku70 and requires a bare DNA extension for stability. Moreover, the relatively weak Ku-dependent stimulation of LIG4/XRCC4 activity by PAXX is unmasked by XLF ablation. Thus, PAXX plays an accessory role during c-NHEJ that is largely overlapped by XLF’s function.

  8. Building iPhone OS Accessories

    CERN Document Server

    Maskrey, Ken

    2010-01-01

    This book provides a serious, in-depth look at Apple's External Accessory Framework and the iPhone Accessories API. You'll learn how to create new, integrated solutions that combine iPhone apps with dedicated hardware. The iPhone OS Accessories API expands the opportunities for innovative iPhone developers, allowing you to control and monitor external devices, whether you've built them yourself or obtained them from a third party. What you'll learn * Develop accessories and apps for the iPhone and iPod touch. * Use Apple's External Accessory Framework to create hardware/software interaction. *

  9. Altered Natural Killer Cell Function in HIV-Exposed Uninfected Infants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christiana Smith

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available ObjectivesHIV-exposed uninfected (HEU infants have higher rates of severe and fatal infections compared with HIV-unexposed (HUU infants, likely due to immune perturbations. We hypothesized that alterations in natural killer (NK cell activity might occur in HEU infants and predispose them to severe infections.DesignCase–control study using cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs at birth and 6 months from HEU infants enrolled from 2002 to 2009 and HUU infants enrolled from 2011 to 2013.MethodsNK cell phenotype and function were assessed by flow cytometry after 20-h incubation with and without K562 cells.ResultsThe proportion of NK cells among PBMCs was lower at birth in 12 HEU vs. 22 HUU (1.68 vs. 10.30%, p < 0.0001 and at 6 months in 52 HEU vs. 72 HUU (3.09 vs. 4.65%, p = 0.0005. At birth, HEU NK cells demonstrated increased killing of K562 target cells (p < 0.0001 and increased expression of CD107a (21.65 vs. 12.70%, p = 0.047, but these differences resolved by 6 months. Stimulated HEU NK cells produced less interferon (IFNγ at birth (0.77 vs. 2.64%, p = 0.008 and at 6 months (4.12 vs. 8.39%, p = 0.001, and showed reduced perforin staining at 6 months (66.95 vs. 77.30%, p = 0.0008. Analysis of cell culture supernatants indicated that lower NK cell activity in HEU was associated with reduced interleukin (IL-12, IL-15, and IL-18. Addition of recombinant human IL-12 to stimulated HEU PBMCs restored IFNγ production to that seen in stimulated HUU cultures.ConclusionNK cell proportion, phenotype, and function are altered in HEU infants. NK cell cytotoxicity and degranulation are increased in HEU at birth, but HEU NK cells have reduced IFNγ and perforin production, suggesting an adequate initial response, but decreased functional reserve. NK cell function improved with addition of exogenous IL-12, implicating impaired production of IL-12 by accessory cells. Alterations in NK cell and accessory

  10. Painful accessory navicular

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lawson, J.P.; Ogden, J.A.; Sella, E.; Barwick, K.W.

    1984-11-01

    The accessory navicular is usually considered a normal anatomic and roentgenographic variant. The term may refer to two distinct patterns. First, a sesamoid bone may be present within the posterior tibial tendon (Type 1); this is anatomically separate from the navicular. Second, an accessory ossification center may be medial to the navicular (Type 2). During postnatal development this is within a cartilaginous mass that is continuous with the cartilage of the navicular. At skeletal maturity the accessory center usually fuses with the navicular to form a curvilinear bone. The Type 2 pattern may be associated with a painful foot, particularly in the athletic adolescent, and should not be arbitrarily dismissed as a roentgenologic variant in the symptomatic patient. The clinical, radiologic, pathologic, and surgical findings in ten cases are reviewed. Roentgenographically the ossicle is triangular or heartshaped. sup(99m)Tc MDP imaging may be of value when the significance of the ossicle is uncertain. Even when the roentgenographic variant is bilateral, increased radionuclide activity occurs only on the symptomatic side. Histologic examination of surgically excised specimens reveals inflammatory chondro-osseous changes in the navicular-accessory navicular synchondrosis compatible with chronic trauma and stress fracture. Nonsurgical treatment with orthotics or cast immobilization produces variable results and resection of the accessory navicular may be the treatment of choice.

  11. Association between exposure to persistent organohalogen pollutants and epididymal and accessory sex gland function: Multicentre study in Inuit and European populations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elzanaty, Saad; Rignell-Hydbom, Anna; Jönsson, Bo A.G.

    2006-01-01

    Exposure to persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs) may have negative impact on male reproductive function. We, therefore, investigated the association between serum levels of POPs and epididymal and accessory sex gland function. Serum levels of CB-153, p,p′-DDE and seminal markers of epididy......Exposure to persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs) may have negative impact on male reproductive function. We, therefore, investigated the association between serum levels of POPs and epididymal and accessory sex gland function. Serum levels of CB-153, p,p′-DDE and seminal markers...... with the activity of NAG were found among Greenlandic men (mean difference 7.0 mU/ejaculate, 95% CI 3.0, 34), and in the aggregated cohort (mean difference 4.0 mU/ejaculate, 95% CI -0.2, 8.0). A positive association was observed between CB-153 and PSA as well as zinc among Kharkiv men. In the Swedish cohort...

  12. Regulation of macrophage accessory cell activity by mycobacteria. I. Ia expression in normal and irradiated mice infected with Mycobacterium mycroti

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaye, P.M.; Feldmann, M.

    1986-01-01

    CBA/Ca mice were infected by either the intravenous or intraperitoneal route with Mycobacterium microti and the subsequent changes in local macrophage populations examined. Following infection, the number of macrophages increased and they showed greater expression of both MHC Class II molecules. This response was not dependent on viability of the mycobacteria, in contrast to reports with other microorganisms such as Listeria. Studies in sublethally irradiated mice indicated that persistent antigen could give rise to a response after a period of host recovery which was radiation dose dependent. This procedure also highlighted differences in the regulation of different murine class II antigens in vivo, as seen by delayed re-expression of I-E antigens. Macrophage accessory cell function, as assessed by an in vitro T cell proliferation assay, correlated with Ia expression after fixation, but not after indomethacin treatment; this highlights the diverse nature of regulatory molecules produced by these cells. (author)

  13. A group-specific inhibitor of lysosomal cysteine proteinases selectively inhibits both proteolytic degradation and presentation of the antigen dinitrophenyl-poly-L-lysine by guinea pig accessory cells to T cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Buus, S; Werdelin, O

    1986-01-01

    of antigens by guinea pig accessory cells. The proteinase inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-phenylalanylalanine-diazomethyl-ketone, which selectively inhibits cysteine proteinases, was used to block this set of enzymes in cultured cells. We demonstrate that the selective inhibition of the cysteine proteinases...

  14. Small Engine & Accessory Test Area

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Small Engine and Accessories Test Area (SEATA) facilitates testaircraft starting and auxiliary power systems, small engines and accessories. The SEATA consists...

  15. V-ATPase-mediated granular acidification is regulated by the V-ATPase accessory subunit Ac45 in POMC-producing cells.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jansen, E.J.S.; Hafmans, T.G.M.; Martens, G.J.

    2010-01-01

    The vacuolar (H(+))-ATPase (V-ATPase) is an important proton pump, and multiple critical cell-biological processes depend on the proton gradient provided by the pump. Yet, the mechanism underlying the control of the V-ATPase is still elusive but has been hypothesized to involve an accessory subunit

  16. Wongabel Rhabdovirus Accessory Protein U3 Targets the SWI/SNF Chromatin Remodeling Complex

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joubert, D. Albert; Rodriguez-Andres, Julio; Monaghan, Paul; Cummins, Michelle; McKinstry, William J.; Paradkar, Prasad N.; Moseley, Gregory W.

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Wongabel virus (WONV) is an arthropod-borne rhabdovirus that infects birds. It is one of the growing array of rhabdoviruses with complex genomes that encode multiple accessory proteins of unknown function. In addition to the five canonical rhabdovirus structural protein genes (N, P, M, G, and L), the 13.2-kb negative-sense single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) WONV genome contains five uncharacterized accessory genes, one overlapping the N gene (Nx or U4), three located between the P and M genes (U1 to U3), and a fifth one overlapping the G gene (Gx or U5). Here we show that WONV U3 is expressed during infection in insect and mammalian cells and is required for efficient viral replication. A yeast two-hybrid screen against a mosquito cell cDNA library identified that WONV U3 interacts with the 83-amino-acid (aa) C-terminal domain of SNF5, a component of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex. The interaction was confirmed by affinity chromatography, and nuclear colocalization was established by confocal microscopy. Gene expression studies showed that SNF5 transcripts are upregulated during infection of mosquito cells with WONV, as well as West Nile virus (Flaviviridae) and bovine ephemeral fever virus (Rhabdoviridae), and that SNF5 knockdown results in increased WONV replication. WONV U3 also inhibits SNF5-regulated expression of the cytokine gene CSF1. The data suggest that WONV U3 targets the SWI/SNF complex to block the host response to infection. IMPORTANCE The rhabdoviruses comprise a large family of RNA viruses infecting plants, vertebrates, and invertebrates. In addition to the major structural proteins (N, P, M, G, and L), many rhabdoviruses encode a diverse array of accessory proteins of largely unknown function. Understanding the role of these proteins may reveal much about host-pathogen interactions in infected cells. Here we examine accessory protein U3 of Wongabel virus, an arthropod-borne rhabdovirus that infects birds. We show that U3 enters the

  17. The painful accessory navicular

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lawson, J.P.; Ogden, J.A.; Sella, E.; Barwick, K.W.

    1984-01-01

    The accessory navicular is usually considered a normal anatomic and roentgenographic variant. The term may refer to two distinct patterns. First, a sesamoid bone may be present within the posterior tibial tendon (Type 1); this is anatomically separate from the navicular. Second, an accessory ossification center may be medial to the navicular (Type 2). During postnatal development this is within a cartilaginous mass that is continuous with the cartilage of the navicular. At skeletal maturity the accessory center usually fuses with the navicular to form a curvilinear bone. The Type 2 pattern may be associated with a painful foot, particularly in the athletic adolescent, and should not be arbitrarily dismissed as a roentgenologic variant in the symptomatic patient. The clinical, radiologic, pathologic, and surgical findings in ten cases are reviewed. Roentgenographically the ossicle is triangular or heartshaped. sup(99m)Tc MDP imaging may be of value when the significance of the ossicle is uncertain. Even when the roentgenographic variant is bilateral, increased radionuclide activity occurs only on the symptomatic side. Histologic examination of surgically excised specimens reveals inflammatory chondro-osseous changes in the navicular-accessory navicular synchondrosis compatible with chronic trauma and stress fracture. Nonsurgical treatment with orthotics or cast immobilization produces variable results and resection of the accessory navicular may be the treatment of choice. (orig.)

  18. A long slanted transseptal accessory pathway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hui-Min Wang

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available A 63-year-old male with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome was admitted for ablation of accessory pathway. Intracardiac electrogram revealed a left-side accessory pathway during tachycardia, which was successfully ablated from the right posterior tricuspid annulus because of a long slanted transseptal accessory pathway (2.2 cm.

  19. Human T cell colony formation in microculture: analysis of growth requirements and functional activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gelfand, E W; Lee, J W; Dosch, H M; Price, G B

    1981-03-01

    A microculture method in methylcellulose has been developed for the study of human T cell colony formation. The technique is simple, reliable, does not require preincubation with lectin and requires small numbers of cells. Colony formation was dependent on the presence of phytohemagglutin-conditioned medium, a T colony precursor cell (TCPC), and a "helper" or accessory T cell. Plating efficiency was increased 10-fold in the presence of irradiated feeder cells. Progenitors of the T colony cells were identified in peripheral blood, tonsil, and spleen but not in thymus or thoracic duct. They were isolated in the E-rosetting, theophylline-resistant, Fc-IgG-negative cell populations. In peripheral blood the frequency of TCPC and accessory cells, the T colony forming unit, was estimated to be 8 X 10(-3). Colony cells proliferated in response to lectins and allogeneic cells. Forty to 80% of the cells were Ia-positive and stimulated both autologous and allogeneic mixed lymphocyte responses. They were incapable of mediating antibody-dependent cytotoxicity. In contrast, they were effective in assays of spontaneous cytotoxicity but only against certain target cells. This method for the analysis of T colony formation should prove valuable in the functional analysis of T cell subsets in immunodeficiency states or the transplant recipient.

  20. Isolation and killing of candidate chronic myeloid leukemia stem cells by antibody targeting of IL-1 receptor accessory protein

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Järås, Marcus; Johnels, Petra; Hansen, Nils Gunder

    2010-01-01

    Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is genetically characterized by the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome, formed through a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22 and giving rise to the constitutively active tyrosine kinase P210 BCR/ABL1. Therapeutic strategies aiming for a cure of CML...... will require full eradication of Ph chromosome-positive (Ph(+)) CML stem cells. Here we used gene-expression profiling to identify IL-1 receptor accessory protein (IL1RAP) as up-regulated in CML CD34(+) cells and also in cord blood CD34(+) cells as a consequence of retroviral BCR/ABL1 expression. To test...

  1. Forward Genetics Approach Reveals Host Genotype-Dependent Importance of Accessory Chromosomes in the Fungal Wheat Pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Habig

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The fungal wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici possesses a large complement of accessory chromosomes showing presence/absence polymorphism among isolates. These chromosomes encode hundreds of genes; however, their functional role and why the chromosomes have been maintained over long evolutionary times are so far not known. In this study, we addressed the functional relevance of eight accessory chromosomes in reference isolate IPO323. We induced chromosome losses by inhibiting the β-tubulin assembly during mitosis using carbendazim and generated several independent isogenic strains, each lacking one of the accessory chromosomes. We confirmed chromosome losses by electrophoretic karyotyping and whole-genome sequencing. To assess the importance of the individual chromosomes during host infection, we performed in planta assays comparing disease development results in wild-type and chromosome mutant strains. Loss of the accessory chromosomes 14, 16, 18, 19, and 21 resulted in increased virulence on wheat cultivar Runal but not on cultivars Obelisk, Titlis, and Riband. Moreover, some accessory chromosomes affected the switch from biotrophy to necrotrophy as strains lacking accessory chromosomes 14, 18, 19, and 21 showed a significantly earlier onset of necrosis than the wild type on the Runal cultivar. In general, we observed that the timing of the lifestyle switch affects the fitness of Z. tritici. Taking the results together, this study was the first to use a forward-genetics approach to demonstrate a cultivar-dependent functional relevance of the accessory chromosomes of Z. tritici during host infection.

  2. MR imaging of accessory muscles of the ankle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mondello, Eduardo; Nazar, Miguel E.; Martin, Eduardo

    2001-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this work is to describe the normal anatomy and the characteristics in MRI of the accessory muscles of the posterior ankle: the accessory soleus, accessory flexor digitorum longus, peroneus quartus, tibiocalcaneus internus and peroneocalcaneus internus. Material and methods: There were evaluated 280 symptomatic patients between 18 and 40 years old (85 % males). MR was performed in High Field Magnetic Resonance Units (1.5 T y 1.0 T) and multiplanar sequences. Results: We found 2 peroneus quartus (0.7%), 2 accessory soleus muscles (0.7%), 3 accessory flexor digitorum longus (1.07%) and 1 peroneocalcaneus internus (0.35%). Conclusion: The knowledge of the accessory muscles of the posterior ankle allow to explain different painful pathologies with instability or tendinous tears, which are difficult to diagnose if the muscle are not adequately recognized. (author)

  3. Accessory hepatic vein: MR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Chang Hee; Rho, Tack Soo; Cha, Sang Hoon; Park, Cheol Min; Cha, In Ho

    1995-01-01

    To evaluate the MR appearance of the accessory hepatic veins. The study included 87 consecutive patients for whom abdominal MR images were obtained. The subjects who had liver lesion or hepatic vascular abnormalities were excluded. Couinaud classified accessory hepatic veins into inferior and middle right hepatic veins. Our major interests were evaluation of the incidence, morphology, and location of the accessory hepatic vein. Inferior right hepatic vein was demonstrated in 43 out of 87 patients (49%). The morphology was linear in 35 patients (80.5%), and V-shaped in 8 patients (19.5%). In 40 patients (93%), the inferior right hepatic vein was located in the posteroinferior aspect of the right lobe. Middle right hepatic vein was demonstrated in 7 out of 87 patients (8%). All were single linear in morphology, combined with the inferior right hepatic vein, and located between the right hepatic vein and inferior right hepatic vein. The accessory hepatic vein was demonstrated in 49% among the Korean adult population, and was located in posteroinferior portion of the liver, in 93%

  4. Scintigraphic diagnosis and computed tomographic localization of an accessory spleen following relapse of chronic immune thrombocytopaenia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cardaci, G.T.; Blake, M.P.

    1992-01-01

    Chronic immune thrombocytopaenia is an immunologically mediated disorder resulting in disordered platelet kinetics and potentially life-threatening disease. Failure of medical therapy is an indication for splenectomy, and responses are seen in 80% of patients following this procedure. An important cause of relapse following splenectomy is the presence of an accessory spleen. A patient with Hodgkin's Disease developed chronic immune thrombocytopaenia despite previous splenectomy. A remission was induced with immunosuppressive therapy, but he later relapsed. An accessory spleen was detected using 99 m Tc denatured red blood cells and localized using computed tomography. Resection of the accessory spleen resulted in clinical remission. As accessory spleens are often small in size, combined modality imaging is recommended in the evaluation of this disorder. 15 refs., 2 figs

  5. 21 CFR 872.3980 - Endosseous dental implant accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Endosseous dental implant accessories. 872.3980... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES DENTAL DEVICES Prosthetic Devices § 872.3980 Endosseous dental implant accessories. (a) Identification. Endosseous dental implant accessories are manually powered devices intended...

  6. Antigen-specific T8+ human clone of cells with a nonspecific augmenting function on the T4 cell-B cell helper interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brines, R.D.; Sia, D.Y.; Lehner, T.

    1987-01-01

    The authors isolated a T8 + T3 + Ia + clone of cells from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a healthy subject. The clone was expanded and maintained with autologous feed cells, interleukin 2, and a streptococcal antigen. The T8 + clone of cells responded specifically to the streptococcal antigen, in the absence of accessory cells,and released a soluble factor. Both the cloned cells and the corresponding soluble factor expressed augmenting helper but not suppressor activity. The augmenting helper activity for B cell antibody synthesis was demonstrable only in the presence of autologous T 4 cells. Radioimmunoassay was used to measure antibodies. Although stimulation of the T8 + cloned cells was antigen-specific, the resulting soluble factor elicited nonspecific antibody synthesis in the presence of T4 and B cells. The T8 + cloned cell-derived factor was adsorbed by B cells but not by T4 cells. Preliminary studies suggest that the factor has the properties of a B cell growth factor. They suggest that the T8 + population consists of functionally heterogeneous cell subsets, some that have suppressor function and others that augment the T4 + helper-inducer activity in B cell antibody synthesis

  7. Melanocortin receptor accessory proteins in adrenal gland physiology and beyond.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novoselova, T V; Jackson, D; Campbell, D C; Clark, A J L; Chan, L F

    2013-04-01

    The melanocortin receptor (MCR) family consists of five G-protein-coupled receptors (MC1R-MC5R) with diverse physiological roles. MC1R controls pigmentation, MC2R is a critical component of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, MC3R and MC4R have a vital role in energy homeostasis and MC5R is involved in exocrine function. The melanocortin receptor accessory protein (MRAP) and its paralogue MRAP2 are small single-pass transmembrane proteins that have been shown to regulate MCR expression and function. In the adrenal gland, MRAP is an essential accessory factor for the functional expression of the MC2R/ACTH receptor. The importance of MRAP in adrenal gland physiology is demonstrated by the clinical condition familial glucocorticoid deficiency, where inactivating MRAP mutations account for ∼20% of cases. MRAP is highly expressed in both the zona fasciculata and the undifferentiated zone. Expression in the undifferentiated zone suggests that MRAP could also be important in adrenal cell differentiation and/or maintenance. In contrast, the role of adrenal MRAP2, which is highly expressed in the foetal gland, is unclear. The expression of MRAPs outside the adrenal gland is suggestive of a wider physiological purpose, beyond MC2R-mediated adrenal steroidogenesis. In vitro, MRAPs have been shown to reduce surface expression and signalling of all the other MCRs (MC1,3,4,5R). MRAP2 is predominantly expressed in the hypothalamus, a site that also expresses a high level of MC3R and MC4R. This raises the intriguing possibility of a CNS role for the MRAPs.

  8. 21 CFR 876.5820 - Hemodialysis system and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... system and accessories. (a) Identification. A hemodialysis system and accessories is a device that is used as an artificial kidney system for the treatment of patients with renal failure or toxemic... system, and accessories. Blood from a patient flows through the tubing of the extracorporeal blood system...

  9. 21 CFR 868.5860 - Pressure tubing and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Pressure tubing and accessories. 868.5860 Section... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES ANESTHESIOLOGY DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 868.5860 Pressure tubing and accessories. (a) Identification. Pressure tubing and accessories are flexible or rigid devices intended to...

  10. 21 CFR 878.4700 - Surgical microscope and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Surgical microscope and accessories. 878.4700 Section 878.4700 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... microscope and accessories. (a) Identification. A surgical microscope and accessories is an AC-powered device...

  11. 21 CFR 876.5900 - Ostomy pouch and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Ostomy pouch and accessories. 876.5900 Section 876...) MEDICAL DEVICES GASTROENTEROLOGY-UROLOGY DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 876.5900 Ostomy pouch and accessories. (a) Identification. An ostomy pouch and accessories is a device that consists of a bag that is...

  12. Spinal Accessory Motor Neurons in the Mouse: A Special Type of Branchial Motor Neuron?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, Charles; Tvrdik, Petr

    2018-04-16

    The spinal accessory nerve arises from motor neurons in the upper cervical spinal cord. The axons of these motor neurons exit dorsal to the ligamentum denticulatum and form the spinal accessory nerve. The nerve ascends in the spinal subarachnoid space to enter the posterior cranial fossa through the foramen magnum. The spinal accessory nerve then turns caudally to exit through the jugular foramen alongside the vagus and glossopharyngeal nerves, and then travels to supply the sternomastoid and trapezius muscles in the neck. The unusual course of the spinal accessory nerve has long prompted speculation that it is not a typical spinal motor nerve and that it might represent a caudal remnant of the branchial motor system. Our cell lineage tracing data, combined with images from public databases, show that the spinal accessory motor neurons in the mouse transiently express Phox2b, a transcription factor that is required for development of brain stem branchial motor nuclei. While this is strong prima facie evidence that the spinal accessory motor neurons should be classified as branchial motor, the evolutionary history of these motor neurons in anamniote vertebrates suggests that they may be considered to be an atypical branchial group that possesses both branchial and somatic characteristics. Anat Rec, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Characterisation of different forms of the accessory gp3 canine coronavirus type I protein identified in cats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    d'Orengiani, Anne-Laure Pham-Hung d'Alexandry; Duarte, Lidia; Pavio, Nicole; Le Poder, Sophie

    2015-04-16

    ORF3 is a supplemental open reading frame coding for an accessory glycoprotein gp3 of unknown function, only present in genotype I canine strain (CCoV-I) and some atypical feline FCoV strains. In these latter hosts, the ORF3 gene systematically displays one or two identical deletions leading to the synthesis of truncated proteins gp3-Δ1 and gp3-Δ2. As deletions in CoV accessory proteins have already been involved in tissue or host switch, studies of these different gp3 proteins were conducted in canine and feline cell. All proteins oligomerise through covalent bonds, are N-glycosylated and are maintained in the ER in non-infected but also in CCoV-II infected cells, without any specific retention signal. However, deletions influence their level of expression. In canine cells, all proteins are expressed with similar level whereas in feline cells, the expression of gp3-Δ1 is higher than the two other forms of gp3. None of the gp3 proteins modulate the viral replication cycle of heterologous genotype II CCoV in canine cell line, leading to the conclusion that the gp3 proteins are probably advantageous only for CCoV-I and atypical FCoV strains. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Progress in the clinical imaging research of bone diseases on ankle and foot sesamoid bones and accessory ossicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiaozhong; Shi, Lenian; Liu, Taiyun; Wang, Lin

    2012-01-01

    Summary Sesamoid bones and accessory ossicles are research focuses of foot and ankle surgery. Pains of the foot and ankle are related to sesamoid bones and accessory ossicles. The specific anatomical and functional relationship of sesamoid bones and accessory ossicles can cause such bone diseases as the dislocation of sesamoid bones and accessory bones, infection, inflammation and necrosis of sesamoid bones, cartilage softening, tenosynovitis of sesamoid bones and the sesamoid bone syndrome. However, these bone diseases are often misdiagnosed or mistreated. In patients with trauma history, relevant diseases of sesamoid bones and accessory ossicles as above mentioned are highly probable to be misdiagnosed as avulsion fractures. In such cases, radiographic findings may provide a basis for clinical diagnosis. PMID:25343083

  15. The Importance of the Nurse Cells and Regulatory Cells in the Control of T Lymphocyte Responses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Guadalupe Reyes García

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available T lymphocytes from the immune system are bone marrow-derived cells whose development and activities are carefully supervised by two sets of accessory cells. In the thymus, the immature young T lymphocytes are engulfed by epithelial “nurse cells” and retained in vacuoles, where most of them (95% are negatively selected and removed when they have an incomplete development or express high affinity autoreactive receptors. The mature T lymphocytes that survive to this selection process leave the thymus and are controlled in the periphery by another subpopulation of accessory cells called “regulatory cells,” which reduce any excessive immune response and the risk of collateral injuries to healthy tissues. By different times and procedures, nurse cells and regulatory cells control both the development and the functions of T lymphocyte subpopulations. Disorders in the T lymphocytes development and migration have been observed in some parasitic diseases, which disrupt the thymic microenvironment of nurse cells. In other cases, parasites stimulate rather than depress the functions of regulatory T cells decreasing T-mediated host damages. This paper is a short review regarding some features of these accessory cells and their main interactions with T immature and mature lymphocytes. The modulatory role that neurotransmitters and hormones play in these interactions is also revised.

  16. Physician accessories: Doctor, what you carry is every patient′s worry?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pandey Anita

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: Nosocomial infections are on the rise worldwide and many a times they are carried by the health care personnel. Accessories used by physicians and healthcare personnel can be a potential source of nosocomial infection. Materials and Methods: We designed a survey with the aim to investigate the prevalence of microbial flora of accessories such as pens, stethoscopes, cell phones and white coat used by the physicians working in a tertiary care hospital. Observations: It was observed that 66% of the pens, 55% of the stethoscopes, 47.61% of the cell phones and 28.46% of the white coats used by the doctors were colonized with various microorganisms. Staphylococcus spp. was the predominant isolate followed by Escherichia coli. Methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus was also found, which was a matter of concern. Conclusions: Awareness of appropriate hand hygiene is important in order to prevent potential transmission to patients.

  17. Isolation and killing of candidate chronic myeloid leukemia stem cells by antibody targeting of IL-1 receptor accessory protein

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Järås, Marcus; Johnels, Petra; Hansen, Nils Gunder

    2010-01-01

    stem cells could be prospectively separated. In addition, by generating an anti-IL1RAP antibody, we provide proof of concept that IL1RAP can be used as a target on CML CD34(+)CD38(-) cells to induce antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. This study thus identifies IL1RAP as a unique cell...... will require full eradication of Ph chromosome-positive (Ph(+)) CML stem cells. Here we used gene-expression profiling to identify IL-1 receptor accessory protein (IL1RAP) as up-regulated in CML CD34(+) cells and also in cord blood CD34(+) cells as a consequence of retroviral BCR/ABL1 expression. To test...... whether IL1RAP expression distinguishes normal (Ph(-)) and leukemic (Ph(+)) cells within the CML CD34(+)CD38(-) cell compartment, we established a unique protocol for conducting FISH on small numbers of sorted cells. By using this method, we sorted cells directly into drops on slides to investigate...

  18. Nipple adenoma arising from axillary accessory breast: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shioi Yoshihiro

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Nipple adenoma is a relatively rare benign breast neoplasm, and cases of the disease arising from the axillary accessory breast have very seldom been reported in the English literature. We report a case of nipple adenoma arising from axillary accessory breast including clinical and pathological findings. An 82-year-old woman presented with the complaint of a small painful mass in the right axilla. Physical examination confirmed a well-defined eczematous crusted mass that was 8 mm in size. The diagnosis of nipple adenoma was made from an excisional specimen on the basis of characteristic histological findings. Microscopic structural features included a compact proliferation of small tubules lined by epithelial and myoepithelial cells, and the merging of glandular epithelial cells of the adenoma into squamous epithelial cells in the superficial epidermal layer. Because clinically nipple adenoma may resemble Paget’s disease and pathologically can be misinterpreted as tubular carcinoma, the correct identification of nipple adenoma is an important factor in the differential diagnosis for axillary tumor neoplasms. Virtual slides The virtual slide(s for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1186821489769063

  19. 21 CFR 872.4120 - Bone cutting instrument and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Bone cutting instrument and accessories. 872.4120... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES DENTAL DEVICES Surgical Devices § 872.4120 Bone cutting instrument and accessories. (a) Identification. A bone cutting instrument and accessories is a metal device intended for use...

  20. 21 CFR 878.3925 - Plastic surgery kit and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Plastic surgery kit and accessories. 878.3925... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES GENERAL AND PLASTIC SURGERY DEVICES Prosthetic Devices § 878.3925 Plastic surgery kit and accessories. (a) Identification. A plastic surgery kit and accessories is a device intended to...

  1. [Excision of accessory navicular with reconstruction of posterior tibial tendon insertion on navicular for treatment of flatfoot related with accessory navicular].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Honghui; Tang, Kanglai; Deng, Yinshuan; Tan, Xiaokang; Zhou, Binghua; Tao, Xu; Chen, Lei; Chen, Qianbo

    2012-06-01

    To analyze the excision of accessory navicular with reconstruction of posterior tibial tendon insertion on navicular for the treatment of flatfoot related with accessory navicular and to evaluate its effectiveness. Between May 2006 and June 2011, 33 patients (40 feet) with flatfoot related with accessory navicular were treated. There were 14 males (17 feet) and 19 females (23 feet) with an average age of 30.1 years (range, 16-56 years). All patients had bilateral accessory navicular; 26 had unilateral flatfoot and 7 had bilateral flatfeet. The disease duration ranged from 7 months to 9 years (median, 24 months). The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-midfoot score was 47.9 +/- 7.3. The X-ray films showed type II accessory navicular, the arch height loss, and heel valgus in all patients. All of them received excision of accessory navicular and reconstruction of posterior tibial tendon insertion on navicular with anchor. All patients got primary wound healing without any complication. Thirty patients (36 feet) were followed up 6-54 months with an average of 23 months. All patients achieved complete pain relief at 6 months after surgery and had good appearance of the feet. The AOFAS ankle-midfoot score was 90.4 +/- 2.0 at last follow-up, showing significant difference when compared with preoperative score (t=29.73, P=0.00). X-ray films showed that no screw loosening or breakage was observed. There were significant differences in the arch height, calcaneus inclination angle, talocalcaneal angle, and talar-first metatarsal angle between pre-operation and last follow-up (P < 0.01). The excision of accessory navicular with reconstruction of posterior tibial tendon insertion on navicular is a good choice for the treatment of flatfoot related with accessory navicular, with correction of deformity, excellent effectiveness, and less complications.

  2. Prolonged Intracellular Na+ Dynamics Govern Electrical Activity in Accessory Olfactory Bulb Mitral Cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asaph Zylbertal

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Persistent activity has been reported in many brain areas and is hypothesized to mediate working memory and emotional brain states and to rely upon network or biophysical feedback. Here, we demonstrate a novel mechanism by which persistent neuronal activity can be generated without feedback, relying instead on the slow removal of Na+ from neurons following bursts of activity. We show that mitral cells in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB, which plays a major role in mammalian social behavior, may respond to a brief sensory stimulation with persistent firing. By combining electrical recordings, Ca2+ and Na+ imaging, and realistic computational modeling, we explored the mechanisms underlying the persistent activity in AOB mitral cells. We found that the exceptionally slow inward current that underlies this activity is governed by prolonged dynamics of intracellular Na+ ([Na+]i, which affects neuronal electrical activity via several pathways. Specifically, elevated dendritic [Na+]i reverses the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger activity, thus modifying the [Ca2+]i set-point. This process, which relies on ubiquitous membrane mechanisms, is likely to play a role in other neuronal types in various brain regions.

  3. 19 CFR 10.537 - Accessories, spare parts, or tools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... parts, or tools will be taken into account as originating or non-originating materials, as the case may... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Accessories, spare parts, or tools. 10.537 Section... Free Trade Agreement Rules of Origin § 10.537 Accessories, spare parts, or tools. Accessories, spare...

  4. Zolpidem, a selective GABA(A) receptor alpha1 subunit agonist, induces comparable Fos expression in oxytocinergic neurons of the hypothalamic paraventricular and accessory but not supraoptic nuclei in the rat

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kiss, Alexander; Søderman, Andreas; Bundzikova, Jana

    2006-01-01

    Functional activation of oxytocinergic (OXY) cells in the hypothalamic paraventricular (PVN), supraoptic (SON), and accessory (ACC) nuclei was investigated in response to acute treatment with Zolpidem (a GABA(A) receptor agonist with selectivity for alpha(1) subunits) utilizing dual Fos/OXY immun...

  5. Modulation of macrophage Ia expression by lipopolysaccharide: Stem cell requirements, accessory lymphocyte involvement, and IA-inducing factor production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wentworth, P.A.; Ziegler, H.K.

    1989-01-01

    The mechanism of induction of murine macrophage Ia expression by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was studied. Intraperitoneal injection of 1 microgram of LPS resulted in a 3- to 10-fold increase in the number of IA-positive peritoneal macrophages (flow cytometry and immunofluorescence) and a 6-to 16-fold increase by radioimmunoassay. The isolated lipid A moiety of LPS was a potent inducer of macrophage Ia expression. Ia induction required a functional myelopoietic system as indicated by the finding that the response to LPS was eliminated in irradiated (900 rads) mice and reinstated by reconstitution with bone marrow cells. Comparison of LPS-induced Ia expression in normal and LPS-primed mice revealed a faster secondary response to LPS. The memory response could be adoptively transferred to normal mice with nonadherent spleen cells prepared 60 days after LPS injection. Spleen cells prepared 5 days after LPS injection caused Ia induction in LPS-nonresponder mice; such induction was not observed in irradiated (900 rads) recipients. The cell responsible for this phenomenon was identified as a Thy-1+, immunoglobulin-negative nonadherent cell. The biosynthesis and expression of Ia were not increased by direct exposure of macrophages to LPS in vitro. Small amounts of LPS inhibited Ia induction by gamma interferon. LPS showed positive regulatory effects on Ia expression by delaying the loss of Ia expression on cultured macrophages and by stimulating the production of Ia-inducing factors. Supernatants from cultured spleen cells stimulated with LPS in vitro contained antiviral and Ia-inducing activity that was acid labile, indicating that the active factor is gamma interferon. We conclude that induction of Ia expression by LPS in vivo is a bone-marrow-dependent, radiation-sensitive process which involves the stimulation of a gamma interferon-producing accessory lymphocyte and a delay in Ia turnover

  6. Distinct accessory cell requirements define two types of rat T cell hybridomas specific for unique determinants in the encephalitogenic 68-86 region of myelin basic protein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mannie, M.D.; Paterson, P.Y.; Thomas, D.W.; Nairn, R.

    1990-01-01

    Six clonotypically unique T cell hybridomas from Lewis rats were used to study accessory cell activities required for class II MHC restricted T cell responses to the 68-86 encephalitogenic sequence of myelin basic protein (MBP). T cell hybrids which were cultured with GP68-86 68-86 sequence of guinea pig MBP (GPMBP) and naive splenocytes (SPL) were induced to produce IL-2 as measured by the CTLL indicator cell line. The hybrids were categorized into two subsets (designated THYB-1 and THYB-2), because two distinct subset-specific pathways of communication between accessory cells and T cells were involved in GPMBP-induced IL-2 production. These pathways were distinguished by the following six observations. First, when the duration of a pulse of SPL with GPMBP was lengthened from 1 to 4 h, these SPL lost their ability to induce IL-2 production by THYB-2 hybrids yet nevertheless retained full stimulatory activity for THYB-1 hybrids. Second, paraformaldehyde fixation of GPMBP-pulsed SPL abrogated an activity necessary for Ag-induced IL-2 production by THYB-2 hybrids. These fixed SPL were nevertheless able to stimulate THYB-1 hybrids, albeit to a lesser extent than viable unfixed SPL. Third, the addition of either cycloheximide, cytochalasin B, or 2-deoxyglucose to an Ag pulse of SPL with GPMBP dramatically inhibited the subsequent responses of THYB-2 hybrids yet had little or no effect upon the reactivity of THYB-1 hybrids. Fourth, thymocytes lacked necessary activities for GPMBP evoked IL-2 production by THYB-2 hybrids yet strongly promoted THYB-1 hybrid responses. Fifth, exposure of SPL to as little as 500 rad of gamma-irradiation markedly attenuated THYB-2 hybrid response to GPMBP but did not affect THYB-1 responses. Sixth, anti-GPMBP responses by THYB-2 hybrids were observed only in the presence of both radioresistant adherent SPL and a distinct population of radiosensitive nonadherent SPL

  7. Electric accessory drives in automobiles. Elektrische Hilfsantriebe in Kraftfahrzeugen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1981-01-01

    Ten lectures were presented on the conference ''Electric accessory drives in automobiles'' subjects: - Survey on electric accessory drives in automobiles; cooperation of generator, battery and starter; technical solution of accessory drives, considerations on a system; comparison of various solutions for drives by viewing the example of a headlight vertical aim control; wiper motors and their control; blowers for heating, ventilation and air conditioning in automobiles; criteria for dimensioning of blower motors; drives in heating and air-conditioning applicances; permanent magnets for engine excitation; systematic quality assurance of electric accessory drives from car-development to serial production. Numerous illustrations and formulas are supplied which illustrate and explain the lectures. Each lecture is abstracted individually.

  8. Estradiol-induced neurogenesis in the female accessory olfactory bulb is required for the learning of the male odor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brus, Maïna; Trouillet, Anne-Charlotte; Hellier, Vincent; Bakker, Julie

    2016-08-01

    Odors processed by the main and accessory olfactory bulbs (MOB, AOB) are important for sexual behavior. Interestingly, both structures continue to receive new neurons during adulthood. A role for olfactory neurogenesis in sexual behavior in female mice has recently been shown and gonadal hormones such as estradiol can modulate adult neurogenesis. Therefore, we wanted to determine the role of estradiol in learning the odors of sexual partners and in the adult neurogenesis of female aromatase knockout mice (ArKO), unable to produce estradiol. Female wild-type (WT) and ArKO mice were exposed to male odors during 7 days, and olfactory preferences, cell proliferation, cell survival and functional involvement of newborn neurons were analyzed, using BrdU injections, in combination with a marker of cell activation (Zif268) and neuronal fate (doublecortin, NeuN). Behavioral tasks indicated that both WT and ArKO females were able to discriminate between the odors of two different males, but ArKO mice failed to learn the familiar male odor. Proliferation of newborn cells was reduced in ArKO mice only in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Olfactory exposure decreased cell survival in the AOB in WT females, suggesting a role for estradiol in a structure involved in sexual behavior. Finally, newborn neurons do not seem to be functionally involved in the AOB of ArKO mice compared with WT, when females were exposed to the odor of a familiar male, suggesting that estradiol-induced neurogenesis in the AOB is required for the learning of the male odor in female mice. Aromatase knockout mice (ArKO) presented deficits in olfactory preferences without affecting their olfactory discrimination abilities, and showed no functional involvement of newborn neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) in response to the odor of a familiar male. These results suggest that estradiol-induced neurogenesis in the female AOB is required for the learning of the male odor. © 2016 International

  9. Cone-beam computed tomography analysis of accessory maxillary ostium and Haller cells: Prevalence and clinical significance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ali, Ibrahim K.; Sansare, Kaustubh; Karjodkar, Freny R.; Vanga, Kavita; Salve, Prashant [Dept. of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Nair Hospital Dental College, Mumbai (India); Pawar, Ajinkya M. [Dept. of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Nair Hospital Dental College, Mumbai (India)

    2017-03-15

    This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of Haller cells and accessory maxillary ostium (AMO) in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images, and to analyze the relationships among Haller cells, AMO, and maxillary sinusitis. Volumetric CBCT scans from 201 patients were retrieved from our institution's Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine archive folder. Two observers evaluated the presence of Haller cells, AMO, and maxillary sinusitis in the CBCT scans. AMO was observed in 114 patients, of whom 27 (23.7%) had AMO exclusively on the right side, 26 (22.8%) only on the left side, and 61 (53.5%) bilaterally. Haller cells were identified in 73 (36.3%) patients. In 24 (32.9%) they were present exclusively on the right side, in 17 (23.3%) they were only present on the left side, and in 32 (43.8%) they were located bilaterally. Of the 73 (36.3%) patients with Haller cells, maxillary sinusitis was also present in 50 (68.5%). On using chi-square test, a significant association was observed between AMO and maxillary sinusitis in the presence of Haller cells. Our results showed AMO and Haller cells to be associated with maxillary sinusitis. This study provides evidence for the usefulness of CBCT in imaging the bony anatomy of the sinonasal complex with significantly higher precision and a smaller radiation dose.

  10. Shoulder complaints after neck dissection; is the spinal accessory nerve involved?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Wilgen, C.P.; Dijkstra, P.U.; van der Laan, B.F.; Plukker, J.T.; Roodenburg, J.L.

    The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relation between shoulder morbidity (pain and range of motion), and the function of the spinal accessory nerve after neck dissection. Identifying dysfunction of the nerve gives insight in the mechanisms of post-operative shoulder complaints. In

  11. Identification and subcellular localization of porcine deltacoronavirus accessory protein NS6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fang, Puxian; Fang, Liurong; Liu, Xiaorong; Hong, Yingying; Wang, Yongle; Dong, Nan; Ma, Panpan; Bi, Jing; Wang, Dang; Xiao, Shaobo

    2016-01-01

    Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging swine enteric coronavirus. Accessory proteins are genus-specific for coronavirus, and two putative accessory proteins, NS6 and NS7, are predicted to be encoded by PDCoV; however, this remains to be confirmed experimentally. Here, we identified the leader-body junction sites of NS6 subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) and found that the actual transcription regulatory sequence (TRS) utilized by NS6 is non-canonical and is located upstream of the predicted TRS. Using the purified NS6 from an Escherichia coli expression system, we obtained two anti-NS6 monoclonal antibodies that could detect the predicted NS6 in cells infected with PDCoV or transfected with NS6-expressing plasmids. Further studies revealed that NS6 is always localized in the cytoplasm of PDCoV-infected cells, mainly co-localizing with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and ER-Golgi intermediate compartments, as well as partially with the Golgi apparatus. Together, our results identify the NS6 sgRNA and demonstrate its expression in PDCoV-infected cells. -- Highlights: •The leader-body fusion site of NS6 sgRNA is identified. •NS6 sgRNA uses a non-canonical transcription regulatory sequence (TRS). •NS6 can be expressed in PDCoV-infected cell. •NS6 predominantly localize to the ER complex and ER-Golgi intermediate compartment.

  12. Identification and subcellular localization of porcine deltacoronavirus accessory protein NS6

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fang, Puxian; Fang, Liurong; Liu, Xiaorong; Hong, Yingying; Wang, Yongle; Dong, Nan; Ma, Panpan [State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070 (China); The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070 (China); Bi, Jing [State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070 (China); Department of Immunology and Aetology, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430065 (China); Wang, Dang [State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070 (China); The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070 (China); Xiao, Shaobo, E-mail: vet@mail.hzau.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070 (China); The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070 (China)

    2016-12-15

    Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging swine enteric coronavirus. Accessory proteins are genus-specific for coronavirus, and two putative accessory proteins, NS6 and NS7, are predicted to be encoded by PDCoV; however, this remains to be confirmed experimentally. Here, we identified the leader-body junction sites of NS6 subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) and found that the actual transcription regulatory sequence (TRS) utilized by NS6 is non-canonical and is located upstream of the predicted TRS. Using the purified NS6 from an Escherichia coli expression system, we obtained two anti-NS6 monoclonal antibodies that could detect the predicted NS6 in cells infected with PDCoV or transfected with NS6-expressing plasmids. Further studies revealed that NS6 is always localized in the cytoplasm of PDCoV-infected cells, mainly co-localizing with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and ER-Golgi intermediate compartments, as well as partially with the Golgi apparatus. Together, our results identify the NS6 sgRNA and demonstrate its expression in PDCoV-infected cells. -- Highlights: •The leader-body fusion site of NS6 sgRNA is identified. •NS6 sgRNA uses a non-canonical transcription regulatory sequence (TRS). •NS6 can be expressed in PDCoV-infected cell. •NS6 predominantly localize to the ER complex and ER-Golgi intermediate compartment.

  13. Incidence and characteristics of mandibular accessory canals: A radiographic investigation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borgonovo, Andrea Enrico; Taschieri, Silvio; Vavassori, Virna; Re, Dino; Francetti, Luca; Corbella, Stefano

    2017-11-01

    The aim of the present study was to explore, through tridimensional reconstructions of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans, the presence and the characteristics of mandibular accessory canals. For each included participant, the presence of accessory canals was recorded. The diameter of the canal, as well as the distance between the canal walls and the walls of the mandibular bone (lingual, buccal, cranial and caudal), were measured and recorded. Mandibular accessory canals could be found in 8.8% of participants. Retromolar canals were the most frequently found accessory mandibular canals. Accessory mandibular canals were found in a relatively high number of participants through the examination of CBCT scans and tridimensional reconstruction. The presence of such structures should be considered cautiously when planning and performing surgical interventions in mandibular area. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  14. 21 CFR 870.4200 - Cardiopulmonary bypass accessory equipment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... Cardiopulmonary bypass accessory equipment. (a) Identification. Cardiopulmonary bypass accessory equipment is a... mounting bracket or system-priming equipment. (b) Classification. (1) Class I. The device is classified as class I if it does not involve an electrical connection to the patient. The device is exempt from the...

  15. 21 CFR 884.4100 - Endoscopic electrocautery and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Endoscopic electrocautery and accessories. 884... Surgical Devices § 884.4100 Endoscopic electrocautery and accessories. (a) Identification. An endoscopic electrocautery is a device used to perform female sterilization under endoscopic observation. It is designed to...

  16. 21 CFR 884.4120 - Gynecologic electrocautery and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Gynecologic electrocautery and accessories. 884... Surgical Devices § 884.4120 Gynecologic electrocautery and accessories. (a) Identification. A gynecologic electrocautery is a device designed to destroy tissue with high temperatures by tissue contact with an...

  17. Accessory spleen presenting as acute abdomen: A case report and operative management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Landmann

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Accessory spleens are found in 10–30% of patients and are asymptomatic. Rarely, torsion of an accessory spleen can cause abdominal pain and acute abdomen. We present the case of an 8-year-old girl who arrives to the emergency room with left upper quadrant abdominal pain. CT scan revealed a non-enhancing soft tissue mass and multiple small splenules. Laparoscopy revealed a torsed accessory spleen and malrotation. Accessory spleen is a common congenital anomaly that is frequently asymptomatic. Rarely, an accessory spleen may become torsed around its vascular pedicle resulting in severe abdominal pain. Treatment is surgical resection. Torsion of accessory splenic tissue is a rare cause of acute abdomen in pediatric patients.

  18. Antagonism of Innate Immunity by Paramyxovirus Accessory Proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raychel Chambers

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Paramyxovirinae, a subfamily of Paramyxoviridae, are negative strand RNA viruses comprised of many important human and animal pathogens, which share a high degree of genetic and structural homology. The accessory proteins expressed from the P/V/C gene are major factors in the pathogenicity of the viruses, because of their ability to abrogate various facets of type I interferon (IFN induction and signaling. Most of the paramyxoviruses exhibit a commonality in their ability to antagonize innate immunity by blocking IFN induction and the Jak/STAT pathway. However, the manner in which the accessory proteins inhibit the pathway differs among viruses. Similarly, there are variations in the capability of the viruses to counteract intracellular detectors (RNA helicases, mda-5 and RIG-I. Furthermore, a functional specificity in the antagonism of the IFN response has been reported, suggesting that specificity in the circumvention of innate immunity restricts viral host range. Available evidence indicates that paramyxoviruses employ specific strategies to antagonize the IFN response of their specific hosts, which is one of the major factors that determine viral pathogenicity and host range.

  19. Value of transoperative scintigraphy in the detection of accessory spleens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sezeur, A.; Goujard, F.; Labriolle-Vaylet, C.L. de; Wioland, M.; Douay, L.; Desmarquet, J.

    1990-01-01

    A case of accessory spleen, 1 cm in diameter, responsible for recurrence of an idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura after splenectomy is reported. This case is original in that the accessory spleen could only be detected by transoperative scintigraphy. Transoperative scintigraphy is a simple method to be used when one or several unrecognized accessory spleens are responsible for recurrence of a blood disease after excision of the principal spleen [fr

  20. In the ovary of Ciona intestinalis (Type A), immune-related galectin and phenoloxidase genes are differentially expressed by the follicle accessory cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parrinello, Daniela; Sanfratello, Maria Antonietta; Parisi, Maria Giovanna; Vizzini, Aiti; Cammarata, Matteo

    2018-01-01

    Riboprobes (in situ hybridization) and antibodies (immunohistochemistry), previously used to show the upregulation of Ciona intestinalis (Type A) galectins (CiLgals-a, CiLgals-b) and phenoloxidase (CinPO2) immune-related genes, were tested on histological sections of the ovary. The ovarian follicles are composed of oocytes encased by follicular cells (FCs) and test cells (TCs). Results show the transcription upregulation of both CiLgals and CinPO2 genes in the vitellogenic FCs, conversely distinct cytolocalization of the proteins are shown. At vitellogenic stage, the CiLgals are localized in the FCs, in the oocyte cytoplasm, and close to the germinal vesicle (GV), whereas the CinPO2 was never identified in the FCs. In a presumptive advanced phase and at the post-vitellogenic stage the TCs appear to be labelled by the CinPO2 riboprobe, and the protein identified by the antibody suggesting an mRNA transcytosis process from FCs. At post-vitellogenic stage the CiLgals mainly enrich the GV nucleoplasm, whereas the CinPO2 is contained in TCs and in the ooplasm but never found in the GV. This finding sheds new light on a former paper in which TCs were reported to be the only CinPO2-producing cells in the ovarian follicle. Finally, CiLgals and CinPO2 genes transcription and proteins production seem to be associated with accessory cells during their differentiation from vitellogenic to post-vitellogenic stage. The present findings promote further research on the early upregulation of immune-related genes, and the potential multifunctional role of the produced proteins. In addition further insight on the accessory cells involvement in ascidian oogenesis are reported. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Multiple functional roles of the accessory I-domain of bacteriophage P22 coat protein revealed by NMR structure and CryoEM modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rizzo, Alessandro A; Suhanovsky, Margaret M; Baker, Matthew L; Fraser, LaTasha C R; Jones, Lisa M; Rempel, Don L; Gross, Michael L; Chiu, Wah; Alexandrescu, Andrei T; Teschke, Carolyn M

    2014-06-10

    Some capsid proteins built on the ubiquitous HK97-fold have accessory domains imparting specific functions. Bacteriophage P22 coat protein has a unique insertion domain (I-domain). Two prior I-domain models from subnanometer cryoelectron microscopy (cryoEM) reconstructions differed substantially. Therefore, the I-domain's nuclear magnetic resonance structure was determined and also used to improve cryoEM models of coat protein. The I-domain has an antiparallel six-stranded β-barrel fold, not previously observed in HK97-fold accessory domains. The D-loop, which is dynamic in the isolated I-domain and intact monomeric coat protein, forms stabilizing salt bridges between adjacent capsomers in procapsids. The S-loop is important for capsid size determination, likely through intrasubunit interactions. Ten of 18 coat protein temperature-sensitive-folding substitutions are in the I-domain, indicating its importance in folding and stability. Several are found on a positively charged face of the β-barrel that anchors the I-domain to a negatively charged surface of the coat protein HK97-core. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. An Accessory Protein Required for Anchoring and Assembly of Amyloid Fibers in B. subtilis Biofilms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romero, Diego; Vlamakis, Hera; Losick, Richard; Kolter, Roberto

    2011-01-01

    Cells within Bacillus subtilis biofilms are held in place by an extracellular matrix that contains cell-anchored amyloid fibers, composed of the amyloidogenic protein TasA. As biofilms age they disassemble because the cells release the amyloid fibers. This release appears to be the consequence of incorporation of D-tyrosine, D-leucine, D-tryptophan and D-methionine into the cell wall. Here, we characterize the in vivo roles of an accessory protein TapA (TasA anchoring/assembly protein; previously YqxM) that serves both to anchor the fibers to the cell wall and to assemble TasA into fibers. TapA is found in discrete foci in the cell envelope and these foci disappear when cells are treated with a mixture of D-amino acids. Purified cell wall sacculi retain a functional form of this anchoring protein such that purified fibers can be anchored to the sacculi in vitro. In addition, we show that TapA is essential for the proper assembly of the fibers. Its absence results in a dramatic reduction in TasA levels and what little TasA is left produces only thin fibers that are not anchored to the cell. PMID:21477127

  3. MRI findings of spinal accessory neuropathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, A.E.; Greditzer, H.G.; Melisaratos, D.P.; Wolfe, S.W.; Feinberg, J.H.; Sneag, D.B.

    2016-01-01

    Aim: To characterise the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearance of patients with spinal accessory nerve (SAN) denervation. Material and methods: Twelve patients who had SAN denervation on electromyography (EMG) were included. The sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles and the SAN were assessed using MRI. Results: Trapezius muscle atrophy was seen in 11 (92%), and of those patients, T2/short tau inversion recovery (STIR) signal hyperintensity was also demonstrated in seven (58%). All three patients with prior neck surgery had scarring around the SAN, and one of these patients demonstrated a neuroma, which was confirmed surgically. Conclusion: Features of SAN neuropathy on MRI include atrophy and T2/STIR signal hyperintensity of the trapezius, and in patients who have had posterior triangle neck surgery, scarring may be seen around the nerve. - Highlights: • Spinal accessory nerve injury is most commonly the result of neck surgery. • MRI findings include trapezius muscle atrophy and T2 signal hyperintensity. • In cases of suspected injury, the course of the spinal accessory nerve should be assessed on MRI.

  4. Spinal Accessory Nerve Duplication: A Case Report and Literature Review

    OpenAIRE

    Papagianni, Eleni; Kosmidou, Panagiota; Fergadaki, Sotiria; Pallantzas, Athanasios; Skandalakis, Panagiotis; Filippou, Dimitrios

    2018-01-01

    Aim of the present study is to expand our knowledge of the anatomy of the 11th cranial nerve and discuss the clinical importance and literature pertaining to accessory nerve duplication. We present one case of duplicated spinal accessory nerve in a patient undergoing neck dissection for oral cavity cancer. The literature review confirms the extremely rare diagnosis of a duplicated accessory nerve. Its clinical implication is of great importance. From this finding, a further extension to our k...

  5. Accessory bones of the feet: Radiological analysis of frequency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vasiljević Vladica

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aim. Accessory bones are most commonly found on the feet and they represent an anatomic variant. They occur when there is a failure in the formation of a unique bone from separated centre of ossification. The aim of this study was to establish their frequency and medical significance. Methods. Anteroposterior and lateral foot radiography was performed in 270 patients aged of 20-80 years with a history of trauma (180 and rheumatology disease (90. The presence and distribution of accessory bones was analysed in relation to the total number of patients and their gender. The results are expressed in numeric values and in terms of percentage. Results. Accessory bones were identified in 62 (22.96% patients: 29 (10.74% of them were found in female patients and 33 (12.22% in males. The most common accessory bones were as follows: os tibiale externum 50%, os peroneum 29.03%, ostrigonum 11.29%, os vaselianum 9.68%. Conclusion. Accessory bones found in 23% of patients with trauma and some of rheumatological diseases. Their significance is demonstrated in the differential diagnosis among degenerative diseases, avulsion fractures, muscle and tendon trauma and other types of injuries which can cause painful affection of the foot, as well as in forensic practice.

  6. 26 CFR 48.4161(a)-3 - Parts and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ....4161(a)-3 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS EXCISE TAXES MANUFACTURERS AND RETAILERS EXCISE TAXES Sporting Goods § 48.4161(a)-3 Parts and accessories. (a) In general. The tax attaches with respect to parts and accessories for articles specified in...

  7. Complete Spinal Accessory Nerve Palsy From Carrying Climbing Gear.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coulter, Jess M; Warme, Winston J

    2015-09-01

    We report an unusual case of spinal accessory nerve palsy sustained while transporting climbing gear. Spinal accessory nerve injury is commonly a result of iatrogenic surgical trauma during lymph node excision. This particular nerve is less frequently injured by blunt trauma. The case reported here results from compression of the spinal accessory nerve for a sustained period-that is, carrying a load over the shoulder using a single nylon rope for 2.5 hours. This highlights the importance of using proper load-carrying equipment to distribute weight over a greater surface area to avoid nerve compression in the posterior triangle of the neck. The signs and symptoms of spinal accessory nerve palsy and its etiology are discussed. This report is particularly relevant to individuals involved in mountaineering and rock climbing but can be extended to anyone carrying a load with a strap over one shoulder and across the body. Copyright © 2015 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Evaluation of Accessory Lacrimal Gland in Muller's Muscle Conjunctival Resection Specimens for Precursor Cell Markers and Biological Markers of Dry Eye Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Marwan; Shah, Dhara; Pasha, Zeeshan; Jassim, Sarmad H; Jassim Jaboori, Assraa; Setabutr, Pete; Aakalu, Vinay K

    2017-04-01

    The accessory lacrimal glands (ALGs) are an understudied component of the tear functional unit, even though they are important in the development of dry eye syndrome (DES). To advance our understanding of aging changes, regenerative potential, and histologic correlates to human characteristics, we investigated human ALG tissue from surgical samples to determine the presence or absence of progenitor cell markers and lacrimal epithelial markers and to correlate marker expression to relevant patient characteristics. ALG tissues obtained from Muller's muscle conjunctival resection (MMCR) specimens were created using tissue microarrays (TMAs). Immunofluorescence staining of MMCR sections was performed using primary antibodies specific to cell protein markers. Cell marker localization in TMAs was then assessed by two blinded observers using a standardized scoring system. Patient characteristics including age, race, and status of ocular surface health were then compared against expression of stem cell markers. Human ALG expressed a number of epithelial markers, and in particular, histatin-1 was well correlated with the expression of epithelial markers and was present in most acini. In addition, we noted the presence of precursor cell markers nestin, ABCG2, and CD90 in ALG tissue. There was a decrease in precursor cell marker expression with increasing age. Finally, we noted that a negative association was present between histatin-1 expression and DES. Thus, we report for the first time that human ALG tissues contain precursor marker-positive cells and that this marker expression may decrease with increasing age. Moreover, histatin-1 expression may be decreased in DES. Future studies will be performed to use these cell markers to isolate and culture lacrimal epithelial cells from heterogeneous tissues, determine the relevance of histatin-1 expression to DES, and isolate candidate precursor cells from ALG tissue.

  9. Cancer of the accessory breast - a case report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madej, B.; Balak, B.; Winkler, I.; Burdan, F.

    2009-01-01

    Breast neoplasm may develop in ectopically located glandular tissue. This paper presents an interesting and rare case of a 50-year-old female who despite regular mammography screening examination developed an invasive accessory breast cancer. Clinical examination revealed a 2 cm - tumour localized 4 cm below the left infra mammary fold. The lesion was immobile, the skin and the atrophic nipple were retracted, the tumour infiltrated the thoracic wall. Oligo biopsy and additional examinations showed an invasive stage IIIB ductal breast cancer (Bloom II, G-2). The receptor status was: ER(+), PGR(+), HER2(-). The increased level of cancer antigen 15.3 was found. The patient was submitted to pre-operative chemotherapy. She also underwent surgery and subsequently post-operative chemotherapy and radiotherapy. On the basis of the presented case, it could be concluded that the accessory mammary glands are out of the image of screening breast examinations. Accessory breast cancer is usually diagnosed by clinical examination and ultrasonography. Preventive resection of accessory breast in women at high risk of developing breast cancer can be considered as the treatment of choice in most patients. (authors)

  10. A rare nasal cavity mass in a child: Accessory middle turbinate

    OpenAIRE

    Chang, Andrew; Ulualp, Seckin O; Koral, Korgun; Veling, Maria

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: The accessory middle turbinate, a rare anatomical variation of the nasal cavity, have been systematically studied in adults. Presence of accessory middle turbinate and its clinical significance in a child has not been reported. We describe clinical appearance and radiologic features of accessory middle turbinate in a child. Methods: Retrospective chart review. Results: A 3-year-old boy presented to the otolaryngology clinic for evaluation of recurrent epistaxis. Anterior rhinoscop...

  11. 19 CFR 10.600 - Accessories, spare parts, or tools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ...-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Rules of Origin § 10.600 Accessories, spare parts, or... parts, or tools are customary for the good. (a) Regional value content. If the good is subject to a regional value content requirement, the value of the accessories, spare parts, or tools is taken into...

  12. Intervention of D-glucose ameliorates the toxicity of streptozotocin in accessory sex organs of rat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vikram, A.; Tripathi, D.N.; Ramarao, P.; Jena, G.B.

    2008-01-01

    Streptozotocin (STZ) is a naturally occurring compound isolated from Streptomyces achromogens. It is used extensively for inducing diabetes in experimental animals. Diabetes mellitus is known to have proven adverse effects on male sexual organs and their reproductive functions. The atrophy of prostate gland and other organs of the genitourinary tract were observed in experimental diabetic animals. STZ exhibits a structural resemblance to D-glucose due to the presence of sugar moiety in its structure. Pancreatic β-cells mainly contain GLUT1 and GLUT2 glucose transporters. Possibly due to structural resemblance, STZ and D-glucose, share a common recognition site for entry into the β-cells. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effect of D-glucose on STZ-induced toxicity in accessory sex organs of male rats. Animals were kept on overnight fasting. One group received vehicle and served as negative control, while all other groups were given STZ (45 mg/kg). Animals that received only STZ served as positive control. The effect of D-glucose was studied on STZ treated animals with different dosage of D-glucose (250, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg). Restoration of body weight, plasma glucose and plasma insulin was evident only at 1000 and 2000 mg/kg of D-glucose. The protective effect of D-glucose is evident only when it is administered simultaneously with STZ. In the present investigation, we report that simultaneous administration of D-glucose along with STZ ameliorates STZ-induced toxicity. This is evident from the restoration of accessory sex organ's weight, cellular morphology as well as insulin level

  13. Type i CD20 antibodies recruit the B cell receptor for complement-dependent lysis of malignant B cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Engelberts, P. J.; Voorhorst, M.; Schuurman, J.

    2016-01-01

    . We hypothesized that CD20 Ab-induced clustering of the IgM or IgG BCR was involved in accessory CDC. Indeed, accessory CDC was consistently observed in B cell lines expressing an IgM BCR and in some cell lines expressing an IgG BCR, but it was absent in BCR- B cell lines. A direct relationship...... between BCR expression and accessory CDC was established by transfecting the BCR into CD20+ cells: OFA-F(ab')2 fragments were able to induce CDC in the CD20+BCR+ cell population, but not in the CD20+BCR- population. Importantly, OFA-F(ab')2 fragments were able to induce CDC ex vivo in malignant B cells...... isolated from patients with mantle cell lymphoma and Waldenström macroglobulinemia. In summary, accessory CDC represents a novel effector mechanism that is dependent on type I CD20 Ab-induced BCR clustering. Accessory CDC may contribute to the excellent capacity of type I CD20 Abs to induce CDC...

  14. Macaque accessory optic system: II. Connections with the pretectum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baleydier, C.; Magnin, M.; Cooper, H.M.

    1990-01-01

    Connections of the accessory optic system (AOS) with the pretectum are described in the macaque monkey. Injections of tritiated amino acids in the pretectum demonstrate a major contralateral projection to the dorsal (DTN), lateral (LTN), and medial (MTN) terminal nuclei of the AOS and a sparser projection to the ipsilateral LTN. Injections of retrograde tracers, Fast Blue (FB), or wheat germ agglutinin horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) plus nonconjugated horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in the LTN show that the pretectal-LTN projection originates from two nuclei. The main source of pretectal efferents to the LTN is from the pretectal olivary nucleus (OPN) and is entirely contralateral. This projection, which appears unique to primates, originates from the large multipolar cells of the OPN. In addition to this projection, the nucleus of the optic tract (NOT) projects to the ipsilateral LTN, as in nonprimates. Injection of WGA-HRP in the pretectum shows a reciprocal predominantely ipsilateral projection from the LTN to the pretectum. Retinas were observed after injection of FB in the LTN. The retinal ganglion cells projecting to the AOS are mainly distributed near the fovea and in the nasal region of the contralateral eye, suggesting a nasotemporal pattern of decussation. The demonstration of a direct connection between LTN and OPN forces to a reconsideration of the functional role of the AOS. Previous descriptions of luminance responsive cells in the LTN support a possible participation of this nucleus in the control of the pupillary light reflex

  15. 21 CFR 884.6190 - Assisted reproductive microscopes and microscope accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Assisted reproductive microscopes and microscope... Devices § 884.6190 Assisted reproductive microscopes and microscope accessories. (a) Identification. Assisted reproduction microscopes and microscope accessories (excluding microscope stage warmers, which are...

  16. Characterization of the β-barrel assembly machine accessory lipoproteins from Borrelia burgdorferi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunn, Joshua P; Kenedy, Melisha R; Iqbal, Henna; Akins, Darrin R

    2015-03-24

    Like all diderm bacteria studied to date, Borrelia burgdorferi possesses a β-barrel assembly machine (BAM) complex. The bacterial BAM complexes characterized thus far consist of an essential integral outer membrane protein designated BamA and one or more accessory proteins. The accessory proteins are typically lipid-modified proteins anchored to the inner leaflet of the outer membrane through their lipid moieties. We previously identified and characterized the B. burgdorferi BamA protein in detail and more recently identified two lipoproteins encoded by open reading frames bb0324 and bb0028 that associate with the borrelial BamA protein. The role(s) of the BAM accessory lipoproteins in B. burgdorferi is currently unknown. Structural modeling of B. burgdorferi BB0028 revealed a distinct β-propeller fold similar to the known structure for the E. coli BAM accessory lipoprotein BamB. Additionally, the structural model for BB0324 was highly similar to the known structure of BamD, which is consistent with the prior finding that BB0324 contains tetratricopeptide repeat regions similar to other BamD orthologs. Consistent with BB0028 and BB0324 being BAM accessory lipoproteins, mutants lacking expression of each protein were found to exhibit altered membrane permeability and enhanced sensitivity to various antimicrobials. Additionally, BB0028 mutants also exhibited significantly impaired in vitro growth. Finally, immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that BB0028 and BB0324 each interact specifically and independently with BamA to form the BAM complex in B. burgdorferi. Combined structural studies, functional assays, and co-immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed that BB0028 and BB0324 are the respective BamB and BamD orthologs in B. burgdorferi, and are important in membrane integrity and/or outer membrane protein localization. The borrelial BamB and BamD proteins both interact specifically and independently with BamA to form a tripartite BAM complex in B

  17. An accessory protein required for anchoring and assembly of amyloid fibres in B. subtilis biofilms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romero, Diego; Vlamakis, Hera; Losick, Richard; Kolter, Roberto

    2011-06-01

    Cells within Bacillus subtilis biofilms are held in place by an extracellular matrix that contains cell-anchored amyloid fibres, composed of the amyloidogenic protein TasA. As biofilms age they disassemble because the cells release the amyloid fibres. This release appears to be the consequence of incorporation of D-tyrosine, D-leucine, D-tryptophan and D-methionine into the cell wall. Here, we characterize the in vivo roles of an accessory protein TapA (TasA anchoring/assembly protein; previously YqxM) that serves both to anchor the fibres to the cell wall and to assemble TasA into fibres. TapA is found in discrete foci in the cell envelope and these foci disappear when cells are treated with a mixture of D-amino acids. Purified cell wall sacculi retain a functional form of this anchoring protein such that purified fibres can be anchored to the sacculi in vitro. In addition, we show that TapA is essential for the proper assembly of the fibres. Its absence results in a dramatic reduction in TasA levels and what little TasA is left produces only thin fibres that are not anchored to the cell. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  18. Case report: accessory head of the deep forearm flexors

    Science.gov (United States)

    JONES, M.; ABRAHAMS, P. H.; SAÑUDO, J. R.

    1997-01-01

    In 1813 Gantzer described 2 accessory muscles in the human forearm which bear his name (Wood, 1868; Macalister, 1875) and these have subsequently been reported with variable attachments (Wood, 1868; Macalister, 1875; Turner, 1879; Schäfer & Thane, 1894; Le Double, 1897; Dykes & Anson, 1944; Mangini, 1960; Malhotra et al. 1982; Kida, 1988; Tountas & Bergman, 1993). The accessory heads of the deep flexors of the forearm (Gantzer's muscles) have been described as 2 different small bellies which insert either into FPL or FDP. There are no previous reports which have mentioned the existence of an accessory muscle which inserts into both of the 2 deep flexors of the forearm as in the case presented here. PMID:9306208

  19. 21 CFR 888.3030 - Single/multiple component metallic bone fixation appliances and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... appliances and accessories. 888.3030 Section 888.3030 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT....3030 Single/multiple component metallic bone fixation appliances and accessories. (a) Identification. Single/multiple component metallic bone fixation appliances and accessories are devices intended to be...

  20. Evaluation of Accessory Lacrimal Gland in Muller’s Muscle Conjunctival Resection Specimens for Precursor Cell Markers and Biological Markers of Dry Eye Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Marwan; Shah, Dhara; Pasha, Zeeshan; Jassim, Sarmad H.; Jaboori, Assraa Jassim; Setabutr, Pete; Aakalu, Vinay K.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose The accessory lacrimal glands (ALG) are an understudied component of the tear functional unit, even though they are important in the development of dry eye syndrome (DES). To advance our understanding of aging changes, regenerative potential and histologic correlates to human characteristics, we investigated human ALG tissue from surgical samples to determine the presence or absence of progenitor cell markers and lacrimal epithelial markers and to correlate marker expression to relevant patient characteristics. Materials and Methods ALG tissues obtained from Muller’s Muscle Conjunctival Resection (MMCR) specimens were created using tissue microarrays (TMAs). Immunofluorescence staining of MMCR sections was performed using primary antibodies specific to cell protein markers. Cell marker localization in TMAs was then assessed by two blinded observers using a standardized scoring system. Patient characteristics including age, race, and status of ocular surface health were then compared against expression of stem cell markers. Results Human ALG expressed a number of epithelial markers, and in particular, histatin-1 was well correlated with the expression of epithelial markers and was present in most acini. In addition, we noted the presence of precursor cell markers nestin, ABCG2 and CD90 in ALG tissue. There was a decrease in precursor cell marker expression with increasing age. Finally, we noted that a negative association was present between histatin-1 expression and DES. Conclusions Thus, we report for the first time that human ALG tissues contain precursor marker positive cells and that this marker expression may decrease with increasing age. Moreover, histatin-1 expression may be decreased in DES. Future studies will be performed to use these cell markers to isolate and culture lacrimal epithelial cells from heterogeneous tissues, determine the relevance of histatin-1 expression to DES and isolate candidate precursor cells from ALG tissue. PMID:27612554

  1. Snapping wrist due to multiple accessory tendon of first extensor compartment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Dhiyaneswaran Subramaniyam

    2018-01-01

    Conclusion: There are various causes for snapping wrist syndrome. Multiple accessory tendon can also cause snapping as shown in this case report. Moreover am presenting this case to highlight the diagnostic failure with non dynamic radiological investigation and to consider multiple accessory tendon as differential diagnosis for snapping wrist syndrome. Also suggest dynamic study could be a better choice of investigation to diagnosis snapping syndrome. First compartment tunnel release with few accessory tendon slip tenotomy gives good result.

  2. Evolution of the CT imaging findings of accessory spleen infarction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mendi, Resham; Abramson, Lisa P.; Pillai, Srikumar B.; Rigsby, Cynthia K.

    2006-01-01

    We report the case of a 12-year-old girl presenting with multiple episodes of left upper-quadrant pain caused by torsion of an accessory spleen. We present the CT findings of progression of accessory spleen infarction over the course of 7 days. (orig.)

  3. B-mode and contrast-enhanced sonographic assessment of accessory spleen in the dog.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossi, Federica; Rabba, Silvia; Vignoli, Massimo; Haers, Hendrik; Terragni, Rossella; Saunders, Jimmy H

    2010-01-01

    Four dogs with an accessory spleen are described. The accessory spleens appeared as a round-to-triangular structure located in the perisplenic area. They were homogeneous and isoechoic with the adjacent spleen. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound was performed using a second generation microbubble contrast medium (sulfur hexafluoride). The type and timing of enhancement of the accessory spleen was similar to that of the parent spleen. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound is a noninvasive modality useful in distinguishing an accessory spleen from a mass of another origin.

  4. Accessory mineral records of tectonic environments? (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Storey, C.; Marschall, H. R.; Enea, F.; Taylor, J.; Jennings, E. S.

    2010-12-01

    Accessory mineral research continues to gather momentum as we seek to unleash their full potential. It is now widely recognised that robust accessory minerals, such as zircon, rutile, titanite, allanite and monazite, are archives of important trace elements that can help deduce metamorphic reaction history in metapelites, metabasites and other rock types. Moreover, they are important carriers of certain trace elements and govern or influence the products of partial melting and of fluid-rock interaction (e.g. magmas and mineralisation) in settings like subduction zones and hydrothermal systems. Perhaps most importantly, they can often be dated using the U-Th-Pb system. More recently, radiogenic (Lu-Hf, Sm-Nd, Rb-Sr) and stable (O) isotope systems have been applied and have further pushed the utility of accessory mineral research. In this talk I will discuss some of these advances towards one particular aim: the use of detrital accessory minerals for fingerprinting tectonic environments. This is a particularly laudable aim in Precambrian rocks, for which the preservation potential of orogenic belts and fossil subduction zones and their diagnostic metamorphic rocks is low. The implication is that our understanding of plate tectonics, particularly in the Archaean, is biased by the preserved in-tact rock record. An analogy is that Jack Hills zircons record evidence of Earth’s crust some 400 Ma before the preserved rock record begins. I will focus on some recent advances and new data from rutile and also the mineral inclusion record within zircon, which shows great promise for petrologic interpretation.

  5. A rare nasal cavity mass in a child: Accessory middle turbinate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew Chang

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The accessory middle turbinate, a rare anatomical variation of the nasal cavity, have been systematically studied in adults. Presence of accessory middle turbinate and its clinical significance in a child has not been reported. We describe clinical appearance and radiologic features of accessory middle turbinate in a child. Methods: Retrospective chart review. Results: A 3-year-old boy presented to the otolaryngology clinic for evaluation of recurrent epistaxis. Anterior rhinoscopy revealed moist nasal mucosa without inflammation and bilateral prominent blood vessels on the anterior nasal septum. Nasal endoscopy showed turbinate like protuberances in bilateral middle meatus. CT images documented accessory middle turbinate in the bilateral nasal cavity. Conclusion: Otolaryngologists should be cognizant of anatomical variations of middle turbinate to achieve correct diagnosis and avoid potential complications during surgical management.

  6. Sexual activity increases the number of newborn cells in the accessory olfactory bulb of male rats.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wendy ePortillo

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available In rodents, sexual behavior depends on the adequate detection of sexually relevant stimuli. The olfactory bulb (OB is a region of the adult mammalian brain undergoing constant cell renewal by continuous integration of new granular and periglomerular neurons in the accessory (AOB and main (MOB olfactory bulbs. The proliferation, migration, survival, maturation, and integration of these new cells to the OB depend on the stimulus that the subjects received. We have previously shown that 15 days after females control (paced the sexual interaction an increase in the number of cells is observed in the AOB. No changes are observed in the number of cells when females are not allowed to control the sexual interaction. In the present study we investigated if in male rats sexual behavior increases the number of new cells in the OB. Male rats were divided in five groups: 1 males that did not receive any sexual stimulation, 2 males that were exposed to female odors, 3 males that mated for 1 h and could not pace their sexual interaction, 4 males that paced their sexual interaction and ejaculated 1 time and 5 males that paced their sexual interaction and ejaculated 3 times. All males received three injections of the DNA synthesis marker bromodeoxyuridine at 1h intervals, starting 1h before the beginning of the behavioral test. Fifteen days later, males were sacrificed and the brains were processed to identify new cells and to evaluate if they differentiated into neurons. The number of newborn cells increased in the granular cell layer (also known as the internal cell layer of the AOB in males that ejaculated one or three times controlling (paced the rate of the sexual interaction. Some of these new cells were identified as neurons. In contrast, no significant differences were found in the mitral cell layer (also known as the external cell layer and glomerular cell layer of the AOB. In addition, no significant differences were found between groups in the MOB in

  7. The role of accessory proteins in the replication of feline infectious peritonitis virus in peripheral blood monocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dedeurwaerder, Annelike; Desmarets, Lowiese M; Olyslaegers, Dominique A J; Vermeulen, Ben L; Dewerchin, Hannah L; Nauwynck, Hans J

    2013-03-23

    The ability to productively infect monocytes/macrophages is the most important difference between the low virulent feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) and the lethal feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV). In vitro, the replication of FECV in peripheral blood monocytes always drops after 12h post inoculation, while FIPV sustains its replication in the monocytes from 45% of the cats. The accessory proteins of feline coronaviruses have been speculated to play a prominent role in virulence as deletions were found to be associated with attenuated viruses. Still, no functions have been ascribed to them. In order to investigate if the accessory proteins of FIPV are important for sustaining its replication in monocytes, replication kinetics were determined for FIPV 79-1146 and its deletion mutants, lacking either accessory protein open reading frame 3abc (FIPV-Δ3), 7ab (FIPV-Δ7) or both (FIPV-Δ3Δ7). Results showed that the deletion mutants FIPV-Δ7 and FIPV-Δ3Δ7 could not maintain their replication, which was in sharp contrast to wt-FIPV. FIPV-Δ3 could still sustain its replication, but the percentage of infected monocytes was always lower compared to wt-FIPV. In conclusion, this study showed that ORF7 is crucial for FIPV replication in monocytes/macrophages, giving an explanation for its importance in vivo, its role in the development of FIP and its conservation in field strains. The effect of an ORF3 deletion was less pronounced, indicating only a supportive role of ORF3 encoded proteins during the infection of the in vivo target cell by FIPVs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Accessory spleen compromising response to splenectomy for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ambriz, P.; Munoz, R.; Quintanar, E.; Sigler, L.; Aviles, A.; Pizzuto, J.

    1985-01-01

    Accessory spleens were sought in 28 patients who had undergone splenectomy for chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), using a variety of techniques. Abdominal scintigraphy with autologous erythrocytes labeled with Tc-99m and opsonized with anit-D IgG (radioimmune method) proved to be most useful, clearly demonstrating one or more accessory spleens in 12 cases (43%). Computed tomography (CT) was also helpful. Four out of five patients demonstrated an increased platelet count following surgery, the effectiveness of which was illustrated by the radioimmune scan. Patients who have had splenectomy for chronic ITP should be scanned using radioimmune techniques and CT to determine whether an accessory spleen is present

  9. [Evaluation of iatrogenic accessory nerve injury in forensic medical practice].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Somogyi, E; Irányi, J

    1996-04-14

    The authors give a survey of the clinical and medical-legal characteristics of the accessory nerve injury. In the past two decades the conception of the successfulness of the surgical treatment of the accessory nerve injury became prevailing. About the medical-legal aspects of the iatrogenic injury of the nerve reported in connection of the reconstructive surgery chiefly also departments of neurosurgery, orthopedics and traumatology. In the case of the authors a 70 year old patient suffered 10 years ago a iatrogenic accessory nerve injury. The mild trapezius palsy recovered spontaneously practically with cosmetic disadvantage. In connection with the development of extreme dorso-lumbal scoliosis associated with torsion the trapezius atrophy worsened. Physical therapy was partly successful. But the patient became unfit for manual work. Their observations sustain the data of authors who established that in the case of accessory nerve injury not only the surgical but also conservative treatment is usually successful. In opposite to certain data of the literature the authors establish that the iatrogenic injuries of the accessory nerve may lead to significant lifelong disability. The diagnosis is not always made in time with consequent delay in repair. This may be regarded as an unfavorable issue during medical-legal discussions. The authors recommend in interest to prevent nerve injury in the posterior triangle of the neck to perform operation in special department.

  10. TOXICOPATHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF CADMIUM CHLORIDE ON THE ACCESSORY RESPIRATORY ORGAN OF THE AIR-BREATHING CATFISH HETEROPNEUSTES FOSSILIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Susithra, N. Jothivel, P. Jayakumar, V. I. Paul

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Sublethal cadmium chloride (0.3 ppm toxicity induced stress related morphopathological alterations in the accessory respiratory organ of the air-breathing catfish Heteropneustes fossilis (Siluriformes; Heteropneustidae have been investigated at various intervals of exposure. The histopathological manifestation of the cadmium toxicity includes bulging of the hyperemic secondary lamellae into the lumen of the accessory respiratory organ, necrosis and sloughing of the respiratory epithelium leading to haemorrhage and fusion of SL at various stages of the exposure. Periodic alterations in the densities of epithelial cells and mucous cells along with the development of non-tissue spaces have also been noticed at different exposure periods leading to alterations in the thickness of the respiratory epithelia. The heavy metal salt exposure has affected the mucogenic activity of the respiratory epithelium not only quantitatively but qualitatively also, indicating the probable ameliorative role fish mucus in cadmium toxicity.

  11. Secretory activity and endocrine regulation of male accessory glands in the blood-sucking bug Panstrongylus megistus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lêda Regis

    1987-01-01

    Full Text Available The epithelial cells of Panstrongylus megistus male accessory glands (MAG present ultrastructural characteristics of a secretory cell. Their secretory products are accumulated in the lumen of the four MAG lobes. During the first 8 days of adult life a strong secretion activity occurs, accumulating enough material to produce the first spermatophore. Cerebral neurosecretions as well as juvenile hormone are both involved in MAG secretory activity regulation. Juvenile hormone seems to be the responsible for the stimulation of most protein synthesis in male accessory glands. Cerebral neurosecretion seems to be necessary to stimulate juvenile hormone production and release by the corpus allatum. Furthermore, neurosecretion is required for some polypeptides synthesis by MAG. Although topic application of precocene II to adult males does not reproduce the same effects on MAG as does allatectomy, this compound causes strong reduction on male reproductive capacity.

  12. Regulation of NKG2D-Dependent NK Cell Functions: The Yin and the Yang of Receptor Endocytosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosa Molfetta

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Natural-killer receptor group 2, member D (NKG2D is a well characterized natural killer (NK cell activating receptor that recognizes several ligands poorly expressed on healthy cells but up-regulated upon stressing stimuli in the context of cancer or viral infection. Although NKG2D ligands represent danger signals that render target cells more susceptible to NK cell lysis, accumulating evidence demonstrates that persistent exposure to ligand-expressing cells causes the decrease of NKG2D surface expression leading to a functional impairment of NKG2D-dependent NK cell functions. Upon ligand binding, NKG2D is internalized from the plasma membrane and sorted to lysosomes for degradation. However, receptor endocytosis is not only a mechanism of receptor clearance from the cell surface, but is also required for the proper activation of signalling events leading to the functional program of NK cells. This review is aimed at providing a summary of current literature relevant to the molecular mechanisms leading to NKG2D down-modulation with particular emphasis given to the role of NKG2D endocytosis in both receptor degradation and signal propagation. Examples of chronic ligand-induced down-regulation of NK cell activating receptors other than NKG2D, including natural cytotoxicity receptors (NCRs, DNAX accessory molecule-1 (DNAM1 and CD16, will be also discussed.

  13. Implementation of immobilization accessories for positioning of small animals for radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vettorato, M.C.; Girotto, C.H.; Fogaça, J.L.; Vulcano, L.C.; Fernandes, M.A.R.

    2017-01-01

    Radiation therapy is a modality that is presenting great advances in veterinary medicine worldwide. In Brazil, this therapeutic option is underachieved. The success of this method depends on several factors, including the use of appropriate accessories for protection and immobilization of patients. For the immobilization of small animals during treatment, in addition to sedation and anesthesia, immobilizing accessories, similar to those used in human radiotherapy, are used. This study aimed to present proposals for immobilizing accessories adapted to the positioning of small animals in order to be used in radiotherapy planning. In order to achieve results, accessories were made and tested in a living animal simulating a radiotherapy planning, which proved to be favorable to use in positioning small animals undergoing radiotherapy and for implementation processes. (author)

  14. Implementation of immobilization accessories for positioning of small animals for radiation therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vettorato, M.C.; Girotto, C.H.; Fogaça, J.L.; Vulcano, L.C.; Fernandes, M.A.R., E-mail: m_vettorato@hotmail.com [Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Botucatu, SP (Brazil)

    2017-11-15

    Radiation therapy is a modality that is presenting great advances in veterinary medicine worldwide. In Brazil, this therapeutic option is underachieved. The success of this method depends on several factors, including the use of appropriate accessories for protection and immobilization of patients. For the immobilization of small animals during treatment, in addition to sedation and anesthesia, immobilizing accessories, similar to those used in human radiotherapy, are used. This study aimed to present proposals for immobilizing accessories adapted to the positioning of small animals in order to be used in radiotherapy planning. In order to achieve results, accessories were made and tested in a living animal simulating a radiotherapy planning, which proved to be favorable to use in positioning small animals undergoing radiotherapy and for implementation processes. (author)

  15. Simultaneous regulation of CD2 adhesion and signaling functions by a novel CD2 monoclonal antibody

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Kemenade, F. J.; Tellegen, E.; Maurice, M. M.; Lankester, A. C.; Kuijpers, T. W.; Brouwer, M.; de Jong, R.; Miedema, F.; van Lier, R. A.

    1994-01-01

    Accessory molecules on T cells can support adhesion and transduce agonistic signals that facilitate Ag receptor-induced T cell activation. The T cell differentiation Ag CD2 may exert both functions, as has been amply demonstrated in studies with CD2 mAbs. In addition, experiments in which either

  16. Mfa4, an Accessory Protein of Mfa1 Fimbriae, Modulates Fimbrial Biogenesis, Cell Auto-Aggregation, and Biofilm Formation in Porphyromonas gingivalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikai, Ryota; Hasegawa, Yoshiaki; Izumigawa, Masashi; Nagano, Keiji; Yoshida, Yasuo; Kitai, Noriyuki; Lamont, Richard J; Yoshimura, Fuminobu; Murakami, Yukitaka

    2015-01-01

    Porphyromonas gingivalis, a gram-negative obligate anaerobic bacterium, is considered to be a key pathogen in periodontal disease. The bacterium expresses Mfa1 fimbriae, which are composed of polymers of Mfa1. The minor accessory components Mfa3, Mfa4, and Mfa5 are incorporated into these fimbriae. In this study, we characterized Mfa4 using genetically modified strains. Deficiency in the mfa4 gene decreased, but did not eliminate, expression of Mfa1 fimbriae. However, Mfa3 and Mfa5 were not incorporated because of defects in posttranslational processing and leakage into the culture supernatant, respectively. Furthermore, the mfa4-deficient mutant had an increased tendency to auto-aggregate and form biofilms, reminiscent of a mutant completely lacking Mfa1. Notably, complementation of mfa4 restored expression of structurally intact and functional Mfa1 fimbriae. Taken together, these results indicate that the accessory proteins Mfa3, Mfa4, and Mfa5 are necessary for assembly of Mfa1 fimbriae and regulation of auto-aggregation and biofilm formation of P. gingivalis. In addition, we found that Mfa3 and Mfa4 are processed to maturity by the same RgpA/B protease that processes Mfa1 subunits prior to polymerization.

  17. Accessory renal arteries: Prevalence in resistant hypertension and an important role in nonresponse to radiofrequency renal denervation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    VonAchen, Paige [Minneapolis Heart Institute and Foundation at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis, MN (United States); Hamann, Jason [Boston Scientific Corporation, Maple Grove, MN (United States); Houghland, Thomas; Lesser, John R.; Wang, Yale; Caye, David; Rosenthal, Kristi; Garberich, Ross F. [Minneapolis Heart Institute and Foundation at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis, MN (United States); Daniels, Mary [Vital Images/Toshiba, Minnetonka, MN (United States); Schwartz, Robert S., E-mail: rss@rsschwartz.com [Minneapolis Heart Institute and Foundation at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis, MN (United States)

    2016-10-15

    Objective: The aim of this study was to understand the role of accessory renal arteries in resistant hypertension, and to establish their role in nonresponse to radiofrequency renal denervation (RDN) procedures. Background: Prior studies suggest a role for accessory renal arteries in hypertensive syndromes, and recent clinical trials of renal denervation report that these anomalies are highly prevalent in resistant hypertension. This study evaluated the relationships among resistant hypertension, accessory renal arteries, and the response to radiofrequency (RF) renal denervation. Methods: Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from 58 patients with resistant hypertension undergoing RF renal denervation (RDN) were evaluated. Results were compared with CT scans in 57 healthy, normotensive subjects undergoing screening as possible renal transplant donors. All scans were carefully studied for accessory renal arteries, and were correlated with long term blood pressure reduction. Results: Accessory renal arteries were markedly more prevalent in the hypertensive patients than normotensive renal donors (59% vs 32% respectively, p = 0.004). RDN had an overall nonresponse rate of 29% (response rate 71%). Patients without accessory vessels had a borderline higher response rate to RDN than those with at least one accessory vessel (83% vs 62% respectively, p = 0.076) and a higher RDN response than patients with untreated accessory arteries (83% vs 55%; p = 0.040). For accessory renal arteries and nonresponse, the sensitivity was 76%, specificity 49%, with positive and negative predictive values 38% and 83% respectively. Conclusions: Accessory renal arteries were markedly over-represented in resistant hypertensives compared with healthy controls. While not all patients with accessory arteries were nonresponders, nonresponse was related to both the presence and non-treatment of accessory arteries. Addressing accessory renal arteries in

  18. Accessory renal arteries: Prevalence in resistant hypertension and an important role in nonresponse to radiofrequency renal denervation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    VonAchen, Paige; Hamann, Jason; Houghland, Thomas; Lesser, John R.; Wang, Yale; Caye, David; Rosenthal, Kristi; Garberich, Ross F.; Daniels, Mary; Schwartz, Robert S.

    2016-01-01

    Objective: The aim of this study was to understand the role of accessory renal arteries in resistant hypertension, and to establish their role in nonresponse to radiofrequency renal denervation (RDN) procedures. Background: Prior studies suggest a role for accessory renal arteries in hypertensive syndromes, and recent clinical trials of renal denervation report that these anomalies are highly prevalent in resistant hypertension. This study evaluated the relationships among resistant hypertension, accessory renal arteries, and the response to radiofrequency (RF) renal denervation. Methods: Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from 58 patients with resistant hypertension undergoing RF renal denervation (RDN) were evaluated. Results were compared with CT scans in 57 healthy, normotensive subjects undergoing screening as possible renal transplant donors. All scans were carefully studied for accessory renal arteries, and were correlated with long term blood pressure reduction. Results: Accessory renal arteries were markedly more prevalent in the hypertensive patients than normotensive renal donors (59% vs 32% respectively, p = 0.004). RDN had an overall nonresponse rate of 29% (response rate 71%). Patients without accessory vessels had a borderline higher response rate to RDN than those with at least one accessory vessel (83% vs 62% respectively, p = 0.076) and a higher RDN response than patients with untreated accessory arteries (83% vs 55%; p = 0.040). For accessory renal arteries and nonresponse, the sensitivity was 76%, specificity 49%, with positive and negative predictive values 38% and 83% respectively. Conclusions: Accessory renal arteries were markedly over-represented in resistant hypertensives compared with healthy controls. While not all patients with accessory arteries were nonresponders, nonresponse was related to both the presence and non-treatment of accessory arteries. Addressing accessory renal arteries in

  19. The nonstructural protein 8 (nsp8) of the SARS coronavirus interacts with its ORF6 accessory protein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, Purnima; Gunalan, Vithiagaran; Liu Boping; Chow, Vincent T.K.; Druce, Julian; Birch, Chris; Catton, Mike; Fielding, Burtram C.; Tan, Yee-Joo; Lal, Sunil K.

    2007-01-01

    Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (SARS-CoV) caused a severe outbreak in several regions of the world in 2003. The SARS-CoV genome is predicted to contain 14 functional open reading frames (ORFs). The first ORF (1a and 1b) encodes a large polyprotein that is cleaved into nonstructural proteins (nsp). The other ORFs encode for four structural proteins (spike, membrane, nucleocapsid and envelope) as well as eight SARS-CoV-specific accessory proteins (3a, 3b, 6, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b and 9b). In this report we have cloned the predicted nsp8 gene and the ORF6 gene of the SARS-CoV and studied their abilities to interact with each other. We expressed the two proteins as fusion proteins in the yeast two-hybrid system to demonstrate protein-protein interactions and tested the same using a yeast genetic cross. Further the strength of the interaction was measured by challenging growth of the positive interaction clones on increasing gradients of 2-amino trizole. The interaction was then verified by expressing both proteins separately in-vitro in a coupled-transcription translation system and by coimmunoprecipitation in mammalian cells. Finally, colocalization experiments were performed in SARS-CoV infected Vero E6 mammalian cells to confirm the nsp8-ORF6 interaction. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the interaction between a SARS-CoV accessory protein and nsp8 and our findings suggest that ORF6 protein may play a role in virus replication

  20. [Enhanced lymphocyte proliferation in the presence of epidermal cells of HIV-infected patients in vitro].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kappus, R P; Berger, S; Thomas, C A; Ottmann, O G; Ganser, A; Stille, W; Shah, P M

    1992-07-01

    Clinical observations show that the HIV infection is often associated with affections of the skin. In order to examine the involvement of the epidermal immune system in the HIV infection, we determined accessory cell function of epidermal cells from HIV-1-infected patients. For this we measured the proliferative response of enriched CD(4+)-T-lymphocytes from HIV-infected patients and noninfected controls to stimulation with anti-CD3 and IL-2 in the presence of epidermal cells; the enhancement of the response is dependent on the presence of functionally intact accessory cells. The capacity of epidermal cells to increase the anti-CD3-stimulated T-cell proliferative response was significantly enhanced in HIV patients (CDC III/IVA) as compared with noninfected donors. It is discussed, whether the increased activity of epidermal cells from HIV-infected patients may be responsible for several of the dermal lesions in the course of an HIV infection as due to an enhanced production and release of epidermal cell-derived cytokines.

  1. Accessory pathway location affects brain natriuretic peptide level in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakatani, Yosuke; Kumagai, Koji; Naito, Shigeto; Nakamura, Kohki; Minami, Kentaro; Nakano, Masahiro; Sasaki, Takehito; Kinugawa, Koichiro; Oshima, Shigeru

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the accessory pathway location and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome. We divided 102 WPW syndrome patients with normal left ventricular systolic function into four groups: those with manifest right (MR, n = 14), manifest septal (MS, n = 11), manifest left (ML, n = 30), and concealed (C, n = 47) accessory pathways. BNP level and electrophysiological properties, including difference in timing of the ventricular electrogram between the His bundle area and the distal coronary sinus area (His-CS delay), which indicate intraventricular dyssynchrony, were compared. BNP levels (pg/dl) were higher in the MR and MS groups than in the ML and C groups (MR, 64 ± 58; MS, 55 ± 45; ML, 17 ± 15; C, 25 ± 21; P syndrome patients with normal cardiac function.

  2. 26 CFR 48.4061(b)-2 - Definition of parts or accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    .... Examples of articles which are taxable as parts or accessories are: Automobile air conditioners; baby seats...) MISCELLANEOUS EXCISE TAXES MANUFACTURERS AND RETAILERS EXCISE TAXES Motor Vehicles, Tires, Tubes, Tread Rubber... motors, and other automobile parts or accessories. (c) Materials of a general use—(1) General rule. The...

  3. Electrophysiology of Cranial Nerve Testing: Spinal Accessory and Hypoglossal Nerves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stino, Amro M; Smith, Benn E

    2018-01-01

    Multiple techniques have been developed for the electrodiagnostic evaluation of cranial nerves XI and XII. Each of these carries both benefits and limitations, with more techniques and data being available in the literature for spinal accessory than hypoglossal nerve evaluation. Spinal accessory and hypoglossal neuropathy are relatively uncommon cranial mononeuropathies that may be evaluated in the outpatient electrodiagnostic laboratory setting. A review of available literature using PubMed was conducted regarding electrodiagnostic technique in the evaluation of spinal accessory and hypoglossal nerves searching for both routine nerve conduction studies and repetitive nerve conduction studies. The review provided herein provides a resource by which clinical neurophysiologists may develop and implement clinical and research protocols for the evaluation of both of these lower cranial nerves in the outpatient setting.

  4. 47 CFR 15.27 - Special accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... manual is provided only in a form other than paper, such as on a computer disk or over the Internet, the... requiring special accessories is installed by or under the supervision of the party marketing the device, it...

  5. Accessory renal arteries: Prevalence in resistant hypertension and an important role in nonresponse to radiofrequency renal denervation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    VonAchen, Paige; Hamann, Jason; Houghland, Thomas; Lesser, John R; Wang, Yale; Caye, David; Rosenthal, Kristi; Garberich, Ross F; Daniels, Mary; Schwartz, Robert S

    The aim of this study was to understand the role of accessory renal arteries in resistant hypertension, and to establish their role in nonresponse to radiofrequency renal denervation (RDN) procedures. Prior studies suggest a role for accessory renal arteries in hypertensive syndromes, and recent clinical trials of renal denervation report that these anomalies are highly prevalent in resistant hypertension. This study evaluated the relationships among resistant hypertension, accessory renal arteries, and the response to radiofrequency (RF) renal denervation. Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from 58 patients with resistant hypertension undergoing RF renal denervation (RDN) were evaluated. Results were compared with CT scans in 57 healthy, normotensive subjects undergoing screening as possible renal transplant donors. All scans were carefully studied for accessory renal arteries, and were correlated with long term blood pressure reduction. Accessory renal arteries were markedly more prevalent in the hypertensive patients than normotensive renal donors (59% vs 32% respectively, p=0.004). RDN had an overall nonresponse rate of 29% (response rate 71%). Patients without accessory vessels had a borderline higher response rate to RDN than those with at least one accessory vessel (83% vs 62% respectively, p=0.076) and a higher RDN response than patients with untreated accessory arteries (83% vs 55%; p=0.040). For accessory renal arteries and nonresponse, the sensitivity was 76%, specificity 49%, with positive and negative predictive values 38% and 83% respectively. Accessory renal arteries were markedly over-represented in resistant hypertensives compared with healthy controls. While not all patients with accessory arteries were nonresponders, nonresponse was related to both the presence and non-treatment of accessory arteries. Addressing accessory renal arteries in future clinical trials may improve RDN therapeutic efficacy

  6. Role of the Accessory Parotid Gland in the Etiology of Parotitis: Statistical Analysis of Sialographic Features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Wangyong; Hu, Fengchun; Liu, Xingguang; Guo, Songcan; Tao, Qian

    2016-01-01

    This retrospective study aimed to identify if the existence of the accessory parotid gland correlated with the etiology of parotitis. This may aid the development of better treatment strategies in the future. Sialographic features of cases with parotitis and healthy subjects were reviewed. The chi-square test was used to compare the incidence of accessory parotid gland between the groups. The Student's t test was used to compare the length of Stensen's duct, the length from the orifice to the confluence of the accessory duct, and the angle between the accessory duct and Stensen's duct between the groups. The incidence of accessory parotid gland in patients with parotitis was 71.8% (28/39), which was significantly higher than that in healthy subjects (P = 0.005). Patients with parotitis had a longer Stensen's duct than healthy subjects (P = 0.003). There was no significant difference in the length from the orifice to the confluence of the accessory duct or the angle between the accessory duct and Stensen's duct (P = 0.136 and 0.511, respectively) between the groups. The accessory parotid gland might play a role in the pathogenesis of parotitis. The existence of an accessory parotid gland is likely to interfere with salivary flow. Computational fluid dynamics analysis of salivary flow in the ductal system would be useful in future etiologic studies on parotitis.

  7. Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Activation Reduces Dendritic Cell Function during Influenza Virus Infection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Guang-Bi; Moore, Amanda J.; Head, Jennifer L.; Neumiller, Joshua J.; Lawrence, B. Paige

    2010-01-01

    It has long been known that activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) by ligands such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) suppresses T cell–dependent immune responses; however, the underlying cellular targets and mechanism remain unclear. We have previously shown that AhR activation by TCDD reduces the proliferation and differentiation of influenza virus–specific CD8+ T cells through an indirect mechanism; suggesting that accessory cells are critical AhR targets during infection. Respiratory dendritic cells (DCs) capture antigen, migrate to lymph nodes, and play a key role in activating naive CD8+ T cells during respiratory virus infection. Herein, we report an examination of how AhR activation alters DCs in the lung and affects their trafficking to and function in the mediastinal lymph nodes (MLN) during infection with influenza virus. We show that AhR activation impairs lung DC migration and reduces the ability of DCs isolated from the MLN to activate naive CD8+ T cells. Using novel AhR mutant mice, in which the AhR protein lacks its DNA-binding domain, we show that the suppressive effects of TCDD require that the activated AhR complex binds to DNA. These new findings suggest that AhR activation by chemicals from our environment impacts DC function to stimulate naive CD8+ T cells and that immunoregulatory genes within DCs are critical targets of AhR. Moreover, our results reinforce the idea that environmental signals and AhR ligands may contribute to differential susceptibilities and responses to respiratory infection. PMID:20498003

  8. Torsion of the accessory spleen with infarction : CT features in a case report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yun, Jung Kyung; Lee, Jun Sik; Kim, Mee Eun; Pyun, Hae Wook; Lee, Il Gi; Lee, Jong Gil; Kim, Hee Jin; Kim, Ik Su [Fatima Hospital, Taegu (Korea, Republic of)

    2000-05-01

    Torsion of the accessory spleen is a rare entity that can have variable clinical presentations. We report case involving an 11-year-old boy with severe abdominal pain and a mass that was found to be due to infarction of the accessory spleen, which was twisted on its pedicle. CT revealed a low-attenuating mass with peripheral inflammatory changes in the left upper abdomen. The mass was pathologically confirmed as torsion of the accessory spleen with infarction. (author)

  9. An Accessory Muscle of Pectoral Region: A Case Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bannur, B.M.; Mallashetty, Nagaraj; Endigeri, Preetish

    2013-01-01

    Among the variations of pectoral muscles, this case appears to be unique in the literature. This was a case of an accessory pectoral muscle which was located between pectoralis major and pectoralis minor muscles, which was discovered during a routine anatomy dissection. The accessory muscle originated from 6th and 7th ribs at costo-chondral junction, which travelled supero-laterally and inserted by fusing with fibres of pectoralis minor. This unusual muscle holds importance for surgeons while they perform dissectomies, in avoiding complications. PMID:24179919

  10. Modeling and Simulation of Two Wheelchair Accessories for Pushing Doors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdullah, Soran Jalal; Shaikh Mohammed, Javeed

    2017-03-27

    Independent mobility is vital to individuals of all ages, and wheelchairs have proven to be great personal mobility devices. The tasks of opening and navigating through a door are trivial for healthy people, while the same tasks could be difficult for some wheelchair users. A wide range of intelligent wheelchair controllers and systems, robotic arms, or manipulator attachments integrated with wheelchairs have been developed for various applications, including manipulating door knobs. Unfortunately, the intelligent wheelchairs and robotic attachments are not widely available as commercial products. Therefore, the current manuscript presents the modeling and simulation of a novel but simple technology in the form of a passive wheelchair accessory (straight, arm-like with a single wheel, and arc-shaped with multiple wheels) for pushing doors open from a wheelchair. From the simulations using different wheel shapes and sizes, it was found that the arc-shaped accessory could push open the doors faster and with almost half the required force as compared to the arm-like accessory. Also, smaller spherical wheels were found to be best in terms of reaction forces on the wheels. Prototypes based on the arc-shaped accessory design will be manufactured and evaluated for pushing doors open and dodging or gliding other obstacles.

  11. Natural Killer Cells Improve Hematopoietic Stem Cell Engraftment by Increasing Stem Cell Clonogenicity In Vitro and in a Humanized Mouse Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escobedo-Cousin, Michelle; Jackson, Nicola; Laza-Briviesca, Raquel; Ariza-McNaughton, Linda; Luevano, Martha; Derniame, Sophie; Querol, Sergio; Blundell, Michael; Thrasher, Adrian; Soria, Bernat; Cooper, Nichola; Bonnet, Dominique; Madrigal, Alejandro; Saudemont, Aurore

    2015-01-01

    Cord blood (CB) is increasingly used as a source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) for transplantation. Low incidence and severity of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and a robust graft-versus-leukemia (GvL) effect are observed following CB transplantation (CBT). However, its main disadvantages are a limited number of HSC per unit, delayed immune reconstitution and a higher incidence of infection. Unmanipulated grafts contain accessory cells that may facilitate HSC engraftment. Therefore, the effects of accessory cells, particularly natural killer (NK) cells, on human CB HSC (CBSC) functions were assessed in vitro and in vivo. CBSC cultured with autologous CB NK cells showed higher levels of CXCR4 expression, a higher migration index and a higher number of colony forming units (CFU) after short-term and long-term cultures. We found that CBSC secreted CXCL9 following interaction with CB NK cells. In addition, recombinant CXCL9 increased CBSC clonogenicity, recapitulating the effect observed of CB NK cells on CBSC. Moreover, the co-infusion of CBSC with CB NK cells led to a higher level of CBSC engraftment in NSG mouse model. The results presented in this work offer the basis for an alternative approach to enhance HSC engraftment that could improve the outcome of CBT.

  12. Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome and Accessory Pathways

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... the American Heart Association Cardiology Patient Page Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome and Accessory Pathways James Kulig , Bruce ... rate, which can be dangerous. What is Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome? Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) is ...

  13. Decontamination of minimally invasive surgical endoscopes and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayliffe, G

    2000-08-01

    lung function testing by spirometry. (7) Possible alternative disinfectants to glutaraldehyde include peracetic acid (0.2-0.35%), chlorine dioxide (700-1100 ppm) and superoxidized water. These are very effective, killing vegetative bacteria, including mycobacteria, and viruses in 5 min and bacterial spores in 10 min. An endorsement of compatibility with endoscopes, accessories and processing equipment is required from both the solution/device manufacturer and the endoscope manufacturer. Other important considerations are stability, cost and safety from the user and environmental standpoints. (8) Cleaning and disinfection or sterilization should be undertaken by trained staff in a dedicated area, e.g., SSD or TSSU. A suitable training programme is described. (9) If endoscopes are processed by immersion in disinfectants, harmful residues must be removed by thorough rinsing. Sterile or bacteria free water is essential for rinsing all invasive endoscopes and accessories to prevent recontamination. (10) If an automated washer disinfector is used it must be effective, non-damaging, reliable, easy to use and its performance regularly monitored. (11) If used, washer disinfectors and other processing equipment should be disinfected on a regular basis, i.e., between patients or at the start of each session. This will prevent biofilm formation and recontamination of instruments during rinsing. Disinfection should include the water treatment system, if present. (12) To comply with the Medical Devices Directive, manufacturers are obliged to provide full details on how to decontaminate the reusable devices they supply. This should include details of compatibility with heat, pressure, moisture, processing chemicals and ultrasonics. (13) The Infection Control Team should always be involved in the formulation and implementation of decontamination policies. Wherever possible, the national good practice guidelines produced by the Medical Devices Agency and/or professional societies shoul

  14. ACCESSORIES OF FISCAL OBLIGATION. LEGAL REGIME

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    RADA POSTOLACHE

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available The interest – which is an institution typical to private law, has been taken over by the fiscal field and adapted to the specific features of fiscal obligation – being defined by its imperative legal regime, which has at the least the following characteristic elements: unitary character, imposed legal percentage, compulsory demand of interest, automatic application. In order to render responsible fiscal debtors, the lawmaker has reintroduced, as an accessory of fiscal obligation, delayed payment penalties, which have a distinct nature and legal regime, but without the principle non bis in idem being transgressed. Our study aims to establish the legal regime ofaccessories typical to fiscal obligation, from the perspective of special normative acts, but also of the common law within the field – Civil Code and Government Ordinance No. 13/2011 – by pointing out at the same time both the particular circumstances and procedural ones regulated by the Fiscal Procedure Code, shedding light upon the controversial legal nature of accessories.

  15. KNOW-BLADE Task-2 report: Aerodynamic accessories

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansen, J.; Sørensen, Niels N.; Zahle, Frederik

    2004-01-01

    In the EC project KNOW-BLADE a work package has been defined to investigate the possibility to numerically model aerodynamic accessories in existing Navier-Stokes solvers. Four different aerodynamic accessories have been investigated. Firstly, thepotential of applying active flow control by means...... of the stall strip. Finally, the effect of surface roughness was modelled by either modifying the boundary condition of the turbulence model or by modifying the airfoil geometry. Using the roughness model gave relatively good agreement withmeasurements and it must be concluded that the effect of using...... to increase the oscillation amplitude, which is not very attractive for load control on wind turbines. Secondly, the effect of vortex generators hasbeen modelled using two phenomenological vortex generator models. The models have been applied to three airfoil configurations. For all cases investigated...

  16. Headgear Accessories Classification Using an Overhead Depth Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos A. Luna

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we address the generation of semantic labels describing the headgear accessories carried out by people in a scene under surveillance, only using depth information obtained from a Time-of-Flight (ToF camera placed in an overhead position. We propose a new method for headgear accessories classification based on the design of a robust processing strategy that includes the estimation of a meaningful feature vector that provides the relevant information about the people’s head and shoulder areas. This paper includes a detailed description of the proposed algorithmic approach, and the results obtained in tests with persons with and without headgear accessories, and with different types of hats and caps. In order to evaluate the proposal, a wide experimental validation has been carried out on a fully labeled database (that has been made available to the scientific community, including a broad variety of people and headgear accessories. For the validation, three different levels of detail have been defined, considering a different number of classes: the first level only includes two classes (hat/cap, and no hat/cap, the second one considers three classes (hat, cap and no hat/cap, and the last one includes the full class set with the five classes (no hat/cap, cap, small size hat, medium size hat, and large size hat. The achieved performance is satisfactory in every case: the average classification rates for the first level reaches 95.25%, for the second one is 92.34%, and for the full class set equals 84.60%. In addition, the online stage processing time is 5.75 ms per frame in a standard PC, thus allowing for real-time operation.

  17. Does the presence of accessory renal arteries affect the efficacy of renal denervation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Id, Dani; Kaltenbach, Benjamin; Bertog, Stefan C; Hornung, Marius; Hofmann, Ilona; Vaskelyte, Laura; Sievert, Horst

    2013-10-01

    This study sought to assess the efficacy of catheter-based renal sympathetic denervation in patients with accessory renal arteries and to compare the blood pressure (BP)-lowering effect with that observed in patients with bilateral single renal arteries after renal denervation. Catheter-based renal sympathetic denervation causes significant BP reductions in patients with resistant hypertension. Seventy-four patients were included in this study. Patients were assigned to 2 main groups: a bilateral single renal arteries group I (n = 54) and an accessory renal arteries group II (n = 20). Group II consisted of 9 patients whose accessory renal arteries were all denervated (group IIa), and 11 patients whose accessory renal arteries were not, or only incompletely, denervated (group IIb). The primary endpoint was the change in office systolic BP after 6 months. The procedure was successful in all patients. Group I: mean BP at baseline was 166.2/89.4 ± 20.5/14.6 mm Hg and decreased by -16.6 (p renal denervation in patients with accessory renal arteries is less pronounced than in patients with bilateral single renal arteries. Copyright © 2013 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Accessory tragi in three successive generations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vora N

    1996-01-01

    Full Text Available A 40-year-old man presented with clinical and histopathological features of accessory tragi. His father and 3 sons and 1 daughter had similar lesions. In view of this vertical transmission through 3 successive generations involving both the sexes, an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance is suggested.

  19. 29 CFR 1919.28 - Unit proof tests-cranes and gear accessory thereto.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 7 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Unit proof tests-cranes and gear accessory thereto. 1919.28... Loads; Heat Treatment; Competent Persons § 1919.28 Unit proof tests—cranes and gear accessory thereto. (a) Except as noted in paragraph (e) of this section, cranes and other hoisting machines, together...

  20. Innovative usage of accessory auricles as full-thickness skin graft

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elankumar Subbarayan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Accessory auricles are relatively rare malformations arising from the first branchial arch which contains skin, fat and cartilage. The treatment is usually surgical removal for the cosmetic purpose. We are sharing our experience of utilising the accessory auricle skin as full thickness graft for post.burn reconstruction of the fingers contracture of a child. Even though this type of association is rare, it is an innovative idea following Sir Harold Gilles’ principle ‘Never throw anything away’.

  1. Bilateral Tensor Fasciae Suralis Muscles in a Cadaver with Unilateral Accessory Flexor Digitorum Longus Muscle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Logan S. W. Bale

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Muscle variants are routinely encountered in the dissection laboratory and in clinical practice and therefore anatomists and clinicians need to be aware of their existence. Here we describe two different accessory muscles identified while performing educational dissection of a 51-year-old male cadaver. Tensor fasciae suralis, a rare muscle variant, was identified bilaterally and accessory flexor digitorum longus, a more common muscle variant, was present unilaterally. Tensor fasciae suralis and accessory flexor digitorum longus are clinically relevant muscle variants. To our knowledge, the coexistence of tensor fasciae suralis and accessory flexor digitorum longus in the same individual has not been reported in either cadaveric or imaging studies.

  2. In vitro atrazine exposure affects the phenotypic and functional maturation of dendritic cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pinchuk, Lesya M.; Lee, Sang-Ryul; Filipov, Nikolay M.

    2007-01-01

    Recent data suggest that some of the immunotoxic effects of the herbicide atrazine, a very widely used pesticide, may be due to perturbations in dendritic cell (DC) function. As consequences of atrazine exposure on the phenotypic and functional maturation of DC have not been studied, our objective was, using the murine DC line, JAWSII, to determine whether atrazine will interfere with DC maturation. First, we characterized the maturation of JAWSII cells in vitro by inducing them to mature in the presence of growth factors and selected maturational stimuli in vitro. Next, we exposed the DC cell line to a concentration range of atrazine and examined its effects on phenotypic and functional maturation of DC. Atrazine exposure interfered with the phenotypic and functional maturation of DC at non-cytotoxic concentrations. Among the phenotypic changes caused by atrazine exposure was a dose-dependent removal of surface MHC-I with a significant decrease being observed at 1 μM concentration. In addition, atrazine exposure decreased the expression of the costimulatory molecule CD86 and it downregulated the expression of the CD11b and CD11c accessory molecules and the myeloid developmental marker CD14. When, for comparative purposes, we exposed primary thymic DC to atrazine, MHC-I and CD11c expression was also decreased. Phenotypic changes in JAWSII DC maturation were associated with functional inhibition of maturation as, albeit at higher concentrations, receptor-mediated antigen uptake was increased by atrazine. Thus, our data suggest that atrazine directly targets DC maturation and that toxicants such as atrazine that efficiently remove MHC-I molecules from the DC surface are likely to contribute to immune evasion

  3. Accessory Axillary Breast Excision with Liposuction Using Minimal Incision: A Preliminary Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, Seong Bae; Choi, Byung Seo; Byun, Geon Young; Koo, Bum Hwan; Lee, Sung Ryul

    2017-02-01

    Accessory breasts have received little attention in the surgical fields, although the condition is quite common in the female population, with 2-6% of women suffering from it. Its convexity and cyclic pain make women feel embarrassed and uncomfortable, so patients often desire surgical excision to improve their appearances and to remove the pain. A total of 967 patients who had been treated by an excision of accessory breast tissue with liposuction using minimal incision from September 2013 to Dec 2015 at the Damsoyu Hospital were analyzed for clinical factors retrospectively. All 967 patients were female. There were 514 (53.2%) unmarried patients and 453 (46.8%) married patients. The major clinical manifestation was the problem in the appearance with cyclic pain in both unmarried and married groups (82.7 vs. 87.9%). Three types of accessory breasts were observed: 779 (80.6%) breast tissue only in axillae, 182 (18.8%) breast tissue with accessory nipple, and 6 (0.6%) breast tissue with accessory nipple-areolar complex. The mean operation time was 58 min. All cyclic axillar pain in our cases was resolved after the operation. Postoperative complications developed in 160 patients (16.55%). Among them, seroma after operation was the most common (11.27%). In our study, 95.65% of the patients were satisfied with the cosmetic outcomes. The surgical excision of accessory breasts with liposuction through the minimal incision is a safe and effective method to make women feel comfortable in clinical manifestations and be satisfied with their cosmetic axillar line. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

  4. Expression of a male accessory gland peptide of Leptinotarsa decemlineata in insect cells infected with a recombinant baculovirus.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smid, H.M.; Schooneveld, H.; Deserno, M.L.L.G.; Put, B.; Vlak, J.M.

    1998-01-01

    The male accessory glands (MAGs) of Leptinotarsa decemlineata produce an 8kDa peptide, designated Led-MAGP, that is recognized by monoclonal antibody MAC-18. The site of synthesis, amino acid sequence and the gene encoding this peptide have been documented (). The primary structure is homologous to

  5. Postsplenectomy recurrence of idiopathic thrombocitopenic purpura: role of laparoscopic splenectomy in the treatment of accessory spleen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leo, C A; Pravisani, R; Bidinost, S; Baccarani, U; Bresadola, V; Risaliti, A; Terrosu, G

    2015-01-01

    Idiopatic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is the most common indication for splenectomy. The failure rate of surgery is about 8% and the failure rate after splenectomy is approximately 28% for all patients. When the presence of an accessory spleen is diagnosed, splenectomy is recommended. Laparoscopic approach is considered the first choice. At our Department, between July and November 2011 two patients underwent laparoscopic accessory splenectomy for recurrence of ITP. Both patients had a previously laparoscopic splenectomy. Preoperative Magnetic Resonance (MR) was performed in both the cases revealing the presence of an accessory spleen. The operative time was 105 and 100 minutes respectively. No perioperative complications occured. Hospital stay was four days in both cases. The first patient had a disease free period of two months; the second one of one month. Both patients restarted immunosuppressive therapy. The relapse of thrombocytopenia post-splenectomy can be associated with the presence of an accessory spleen. The laparoscopic accessory splenectomy should be considered the first choice approach. Surgical accessory splenectomy allows a transitory remission of the disease.

  6. Role of nuclear medicine imaging in differential diagnosis of accessory spleens in patients after splenectomy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    D’Amico, Andrea; Cofalik, Anna; Przeorek, Cesary; Gawlik, Tomasz; Olczyk, Tomasz; Kalemba, Michał; Modorowska, Alicja; Turska-d’Amico, Maria; Bobek-Billewicz, Barbara; Jarzab, Barbara

    2012-01-01

    More than 10% of healthy population has one or more accessory spleens. The most common location is the hilum of the spleen or area near the tail of the pancreas. The radiological appearance of accessory spleens in oncologic patients who underwent splenectomy can be misinterpreted as a recurrence, especially in the case of compensatory growth of an accessory spleen in successive radiological examinations. We present the cases of three patients who underwent splenectomy for gastric carcinoid, gastric adenocarcinoma and cancer of the left adrenal gland, respectively. CT examination and/or PET-CT scan revealed suspicious findings in the left upper abdomen. In one patient, the dimensional increase of this finding in successive examinations was initially considered suggestive for cancer recurrence. Scintigraphy with 99m Tc-nanocolloid was able to confirm the presence of an accessory spleen in all these patients. Splenic scintigraphy is an economical, accessible and accurate tool in differential diagnosis of accessory spleens in patients after splenectomy

  7. Pre-excitation pattern associated with accessory pathway related tachycardia: Case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Burazor Mirko

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Pre-excitation is based on an accessory conduction pathway between the atrium and ventricle. The term Wolff- Parkinson-White (WPW syndrome is used for patients with the pre-excitation/WPW pattern associated with AP-related tachycardia. Case Outline. We present a 52-year-old man with severe palpitation, fatigue, lightheadedness and difficulty breathing. The initial ECG showed tachyarrhythmia with heart rate between 240 and 300/min. He was treated with antiarrhythmics (Digitalis, Verapamil, Lidocaine with no response. Then, the patient was treated with electrical cardioversion and was referred to our Clinic for further evaluation with the diagnosis: “Ventricular tachycardia”. During in-hospital stay, the previously undiagnosed WPW pattern had been seen. Additional diagnostic tests confirmed permanent pre-excitacion pattern (ECG Holter recording, exercises test. The patient was referred to an electrophysiologist for further evaluation. Mapping techniques provided an accurate assessment of the position of the accessory pathway which was left lateral. The elimination of the accessory pathway by radiofrequent catheter ablation is highly effective in termination and elimination of tacchyarrhythmias. Conclusion. Symptomatic, life-threatening arrhythmia, first considered as ventricular tachycardia, reflected atrial fibrillation with ventricular pre-excitation over an accessory pathway in a patient with previously undiagnosed WPW syndrome.

  8. Accessories for detention and protection used in small animals radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vettorato, Michel Campos; Vulcano, Luiz Carlos; Fernandes, Marco Antonio Rodrigues

    2016-01-01

    Radiation therapy is a medical method well established in the treatment of cancer in veterinary medicine worldwide. The radiotherapy protocols applied in animals vary according to several factors. In most procedures require sedation or anesthesia of the animal and this fact imposes the use of immobilization accessories specially developed for the different species of animals and treated as their specified procedures. Therefore, this study aims to describe the types of accessories used for immobilization and for the protection of small animals undergoing radiotherapy. For its development a literature search was performed by search sites like Google Scholar, Scielo, Bireme, PubMed, and consultations in books campus library Botucatu UNESP. Despite the limitations of each accessory rated this review, it was possible to identify the use of each and how this can be advantageous for the treatment of animals undergoing radiation therapy. (author)

  9. Regulation of T cell activation by HIV-1 accessory proteins: Vpr acts via distinct mechanisms to cooperate with Nef in NFAT-directed gene expression and to promote transactivation by CREB

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lahti, Anna L.; Manninen, Aki; Saksela, Kalle

    2003-01-01

    Nef and Vpr are lentiviral accessory proteins that have been implicated in regulation of cellular gene expression. We noticed that Vpr can potentiate Nef-induced activation of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)-dependent transcription. Unlike Nef, which stimulated calcium signaling to activate NFAT, Vpr functioned farther downstream. Similar to the positive effects of Vpr on most of the transcriptional test systems that we used, potentiation of NFAT-directed gene expression was relatively modest in magnitude (two- to threefold) and depended on the cell cycle-arresting capacity of Vpr. By contrast, we found that Vpr could cause more than fivefold upregulation of cyclic AMP response element (CRE)-directed transcription via a mechanism that did not require Vpr-induced G2/M arrest. This effect, however, was only evident under suboptimal conditions known to lead to serine phosphorylation of the CRE binding factor (CREB) but not to CREB-dependent gene expression. This suggested that Vpr may act by stabilizing interactions with CREB and its transcriptional cofactor CREB binding protein (CBP). Indeed, this effect could be blocked by cotransfection of the adenoviral CBP inhibitor E1A. These results provide additional evidence for cell cycle-independent regulation of gene expression by Vpr and implicate CREB as a potentially important target for Vpr action in HIV-infected host cells

  10. Successful catheter ablation of a left anterior accessory pathway from the non-coronary cusp of the aortic valve.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laranjo, Sérgio; Oliveira, Mário; Trigo, Conceição

    2015-08-01

    Left anterior accessory pathways are considered to be rare findings. Catheter ablation of accessory pathways in this location remains a challenging target, and few reports about successful ablation of these accessory pathways are available. We describe our experience regarding a case of a manifest left anterior accessory pathway ablation using radiofrequency energy at the junction of the left coronary cusp with the non-coronary cusp.

  11. Partial discharge testing of in-situ power cable accessories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Orban, H. E.

    2002-07-01

    An overview of commercially available diagnostic methods for in-situ power cable accessories is given and relevant field experiences with these diagnostics are described. The discussion includes both PILC and polymeric insulated cables. Two major types of degradation are most frequently involved in cable systems. One is an overall condition caused by chemical aging and /or water treeing. Diagnostics for this type of aging include dissipation factor (loss angle), harmonic analysis, return voltage, isothermal relaxation current, dielectric response, or dc leakage current. The second type of degradation is discrete or incremental; condition assessment utilizes dissipation factor measurements or partial discharge (PD) level measurements. The focus in this paper is on PD diagnostics, especially off-line methods such as the 60 Hz test, the combined AC and VLF diagnostic, and the oscillating wave test system test. Among on-line diagnostics, ultrasonic detection of partial discharge and measurement of partial discharge by installing direct, capacitive or inductive couplers near cable accessories, are described. Overall, partial discharge detection and location in cable accessories is considered inadequate, since interpretation of results is difficult due to the number of variables involved. 28 refs., 1 tab.

  12. Accessory minerals of Permian volcanites of South Gemeric Unit and Borka Nappe

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Smelko, M; Vozarova, A [Comenius University in Bratislava, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Mineralogy and Petrology, 84215 Bratislava (Slovakia)

    2010-04-28

    The goal of this study was to summarize and complete the results from the study of metavolcanites and their accessory minerals (Zircon Zr{sub 2}SiO{sub 4}, Monazite CePO{sub 4} and Xenotime YPO{sub 4}) from the Southern Gemericum Unit and from the Borka Nappe. The acid metavolcanites and their accessory minerals were observed of the modern analytical methods.

  13. Proteomic identification of Drosophila melanogaster male accessory gland proteins, including a pro-cathepsin and a soluble γ-glutamyl transpeptidase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sajid Mohammed

    2006-05-01

    Full Text Available Background In Drosophila melanogaster, the male seminal fluid contains proteins that are important for reproductive success. Many of these proteins are synthesised by the male accessory glands and are secreted into the accessory gland lumen, where they are stored until required. Previous studies on the identification of Drosophila accessory gland products have largely focused on characterisation of male-specific accessory gland cDNAs from D. melanogaster and, more recently, Drosophila simulans. In the present study, we have used a proteomics approach without any sex bias to identify proteins in D. melanogaster accessory gland secretions. Results Thirteen secreted accessory gland proteins, including seven new accessory gland proteins, were identified by 2D-gel electrophoresis combined with mass spectrometry of tryptic fragments. They included protein-folding and stress-response proteins, a hormone, a lipase, a serpin, a cysteine-rich protein and two peptidases, a pro-enzyme form of a cathepsin K-like cysteine peptidase and a γ-glutamyl transpeptidase. Enzymatic studies established that accessory gland secretions contain a cysteine peptidase zymogen that can be activated at low pH. This peptidase may have a role in the processing of female and other male-derived proteins, but is unlikely to be involved in the processing of the sex peptide. γ-Glutamyl transpeptidases are type II integral membrane proteins; however, the identified AG γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT-1 is unusual in that it is predicted to be a soluble secreted protein, a prediction that is supported by biochemical evidence. GGT-1 is possibly involved in maintaining a protective redox environment for sperm. The strong γ-glutamyl transpeptidase activity found in the secretions provides an explanation for the observation that glutamic acid is the most abundant free amino acid in accessory gland secretions of D. melanogaster. Conclusion We have applied biochemical approaches, not used

  14. Proteomic identification of Drosophila melanogaster male accessory gland proteins, including a pro-cathepsin and a soluble gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Michael J; Rylett, Caroline M; Keen, Jeff N; Audsley, Neil; Sajid, Mohammed; Shirras, Alan D; Isaac, R Elwyn

    2006-05-02

    In Drosophila melanogaster, the male seminal fluid contains proteins that are important for reproductive success. Many of these proteins are synthesised by the male accessory glands and are secreted into the accessory gland lumen, where they are stored until required. Previous studies on the identification of Drosophila accessory gland products have largely focused on characterisation of male-specific accessory gland cDNAs from D. melanogaster and, more recently, Drosophila simulans. In the present study, we have used a proteomics approach without any sex bias to identify proteins in D. melanogaster accessory gland secretions. Thirteen secreted accessory gland proteins, including seven new accessory gland proteins, were identified by 2D-gel electrophoresis combined with mass spectrometry of tryptic fragments. They included protein-folding and stress-response proteins, a hormone, a lipase, a serpin, a cysteine-rich protein and two peptidases, a pro-enzyme form of a cathepsin K-like cysteine peptidase and a gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. Enzymatic studies established that accessory gland secretions contain a cysteine peptidase zymogen that can be activated at low pH. This peptidase may have a role in the processing of female and other male-derived proteins, but is unlikely to be involved in the processing of the sex peptide. gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidases are type II integral membrane proteins; however, the identified AG gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT-1) is unusual in that it is predicted to be a soluble secreted protein, a prediction that is supported by biochemical evidence. GGT-1 is possibly involved in maintaining a protective redox environment for sperm. The strong gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity found in the secretions provides an explanation for the observation that glutamic acid is the most abundant free amino acid in accessory gland secretions of D. melanogaster. We have applied biochemical approaches, not used previously, to characterise

  15. 21 CFR 864.3600 - Microscopes and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... enlarge images of specimens, preparations, and cultures for medical purposes. Variations of microscopes... light. (3) Inverted stage microscopes, which permit examination of tissue cultures or other biological... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Microscopes and accessories. 864.3600 Section 864...

  16. 21 CFR 884.6120 - Assisted reproduction accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Assisted reproduction accessories. 884.6120 Section 884.6120 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES..., and maintain gametes and/or embryos at an appropriate freezing temperature. (b) Classification. Class...

  17. 49 CFR 390.17 - Additional equipment and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... equipment and accessories, not inconsistent with or prohibited by this subchapter, provided such equipment... are used. [53 FR 18052, May 19, 1988, as amended at 60 FR 38744, July 28, 1995. Redesignated at 65 FR...

  18. Male accessory gland secretory protein polymorphism in natural ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    [Ravi Ram K. and Ramesh S. R. 2007 Male accessory gland secretory protein polymorphism in natural ..... quence of species-specific genetic responses to variations in .... Eberhard W. G. 1996 Female control: sexual selection by cryptic.

  19. Design of a marine sediment trap and accessories

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Janakiraman, G.; Fernando, V.; Venkatesan, R.; Rajaraman, V.S.

    The marine sediment trap and the mooring accessories were developed indigenously and were used successfully for the collection of settling sediments in the Arabian Sea The experience gained in using sediment trap and further improvements...

  20. Accessory tragus: a dentist's perspective

    OpenAIRE

    Khandelwal, Vishal; Banda, Naveen Reddy; Nayak, Ullal Anand; Banda, Vanaja Reddy

    2013-01-01

    Accessory tragus (AT) also referred as preauricular tag is a rudimentary tag of ear tissue This paper presents two specific cases: one hereditary and another sporadic case of AT. A general clinical description of AT, its associated syndromes, embryology aetiopathogenesis and management is discussed. A dentist can play an important role in spotting the AT during their head and neck examination. The presence of this defect can be correlated to other congenital defects of first branchial arch. O...

  1. Accessory left atrial diverticulae: contractile properties depicted with 64-slice cine-cardiac CT.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Killeen, Ronan P

    2012-02-01

    To assess the contractility of accessory left atrial appendages (LAAs) using multiphasic cardiac CT. We retrospectively analyzed the presence, location, size and contractile properties of accessory LAAs using multiphasic cardiac 64-slice CT in 102 consecutive patients (63 males, 39 females, mean age 57). Multiplanar reformats were used to create image planes in axial oblique, sagittal oblique and coronal oblique planes. For all appendages with an orifice diameter >or= 10 mm, axial and sagittal diameters and appendage volumes were recorded in atrial diastole and systole. Regression analysis was performed to assess which imaging appearances best predicted accessory appendage contractility. Twenty-three (23%) patients demonstrated an accessory LAA, all identified along the anterior LA wall. Dimensions for axial oblique (AOD) and sagittal oblique (SOD) diameters and sagittal oblique length (SOL) were 6.3-19, 3.4-20 and 5-21 mm, respectively. All appendages (>or=10 mm) demonstrated significant contraction during atrial systole (greatest diameter reduction was AOD [3.8 mm, 27%]). Significant correlations were noted between AOD-contraction and AOD (R = 0.57, P < 0.05) and SOD-contraction and AOD, SOD and SOL (R = 0.6, P < 0.05). Mean diverticulum volume in atrial diastole was 468.4 +\\/- 493 mm(3) and in systole was 171.2 +\\/- 122 mm(3), indicating a mean change in volume of 297.2 +\\/- 390 mm(3), P < 0.0001. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed SOL to be the strongest independent predictor of appendage contractility (R(2) = 0.86, P < 0.0001) followed by SOD (R(2) = 0.91, P < 0.0001). Accessory LAAs show significant contractile properties on cardiac CT. Those accessory LAAs with a large sagittal height or depth should be evaluated for contractile properties, and if present should be examined for ectopic activity during electrophysiological studies.

  2. An epidermoid cyst of accessory spleen simulating tumors of the tail of pancreas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amit Kumar Sinha

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available An epidermoid cyst of accessory spleen, a rare condition may present as pseudocyst of pancreas and other cystic tumors of the pancreas. This case report along with the review of literature attributes some clinical features and investigative pattern to differentiate between epidermoid cyst of accessory spleen and other cystic tumor of pancreas.

  3. A novel method of lengthening the accessory nerve for direct coaptation during nerve repair and nerve transfer procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tubbs, R Shane; Maldonado, Andrés A; Stoves, Yolanda; Fries, Fabian N; Li, Rong; Loukas, Marios; Oskouian, Rod J; Spinner, Robert J

    2018-01-01

    OBJECTIVE The accessory nerve is frequently repaired or used for nerve transfer. The length of accessory nerve available is often insufficient or marginal (under tension) for allowing direct coaptation during nerve repair or nerve transfer (neurotization), necessitating an interpositional graft. An attractive maneuver would facilitate lengthening of the accessory nerve for direct coaptation. The aim of the present study was to identify an anatomical method for such lengthening. METHODS In 20 adult cadavers, the C-2 or C-3 connections to the accessory nerve were identified medial to the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle and the anatomy of the accessory nerve/cervical nerve fibers within the SCM was documented. The cervical nerve connections were cut. Lengths of the accessory nerve were measured. Samples of the cut C-2 and C-3 nerves were examined using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS The anatomy and adjacent neural connections within the SCM are complicated. However, after the accessory nerve was "detethered" from within the SCM and following transection, the additional length of the accessory nerve increased from a mean of 6 cm to a mean of 10.5 cm (increase of 4.5 cm) after cutting the C-2 connections, and from a mean of 6 cm to a mean length of 9 cm (increase of 3.5 cm) after cutting the C-3 connections. The additional length of accessory nerve even allowed direct repair of an infraclavicular target (i.e., the proximal musculocutaneous nerve). The cervical nerve connections were shown not to contain motor fibers. CONCLUSIONS An additional length of the accessory nerve made available in the posterior cervical triangle can facilitate direct repair or neurotization procedures, thus eliminating the need for an interpositional nerve graft, decreasing the time/distance for regeneration and potentially improving clinical outcomes.

  4. Phosphorylation regulates human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 Rex function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ward Michael

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1 is a pathogenic complex deltaretrovirus, which is the causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis. In addition to the structural and enzymatic viral gene products, HTLV-1 encodes the positive regulatory proteins Tax and Rex along with viral accessory proteins. Tax and Rex proteins orchestrate the timely expression of viral genes important in viral replication and cellular transformation. Rex is a nucleolar-localizing shuttling protein that acts post-transcriptionally by binding and facilitating the export of the unspliced and incompletely spliced viral mRNAs from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. HTLV-1 Rex (Rex-1 is a phosphoprotein and general protein kinase inhibition correlates with reduced function. Therefore, it has been proposed that Rex-1 function may be regulated through site-specific phosphorylation. Results We conducted a phosphoryl mapping of Rex-1 over-expressed in transfected 293 T cells using a combination of affinity purification and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. We achieved 100% physical coverage of the Rex-1 polypeptide and identified five novel phosphorylation sites at Thr-22, Ser-36, Thr-37, Ser-97, and Ser-106. We also confirmed evidence of two previously identified residues, Ser-70 and Thr-174, but found no evidence of phosphorylation at Ser-177. The functional significance of these phosphorylation events was evaluated using a Rex reporter assay and site-directed mutational analysis. Our results indicate that phosphorylation at Ser-97 and Thr-174 is critical for Rex-1 function. Conclusion We have mapped completely the site-specific phosphorylation of Rex-1 identifying a total of seven residues; Thr-22, Ser-36, Thr-37, Ser-70, Ser-97, Ser-106, and Thr-174. Overall, this work is the first to completely map the phosphorylation sites in Rex-1 and provides important insight into

  5. Cellular aspects of tolerance. V. The in vivo cooperative role of acceessory and thymus derived cells in responsiveness and unresponsiveness of SJL mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujiwara, M.; Cinader, B.

    1974-01-01

    Adult (8-week-old) SJL mice reach a relatively low degree of tolerance when injected with aggregate free rabbit γ-globulin (RGG). To analyze this phenomenon, we first examined indirect plaque-forming responses (PFC) in terms of participation of accessory and thymus-derived cells. Double transfer experiments were used; accessory cells were removed from donor cells by filtration over glasswool and their capacity reduced in recipients by 3 day preirradiation or by horse erythrocyte-mediated blockage. Using this type of experimental arrangement we found that the antibody response to RGG required the cooperation of accessory and thymus-derived cells. The induction of tolerance was affected by the presence of accessory cells. Preirradiated secondary recipients were reconstituted with spleen cells from accessory cell-deprived donors which had received thymus and bone marrow cells. In some experiments, the thymus and bone marrow cells were passed over glasswool. The primary recipients were left untreated or were given tolerogen. A more profound state of tolerance (reduction in plaque forming response) was the consequence of the incapacitation or removal of accessory cells. The magnitude of the reduction in PFC was directly related to the completeness of accessory cell removal and incapacitation. Responsiveness could be restored by administration of irradiated spleen cells as a source of accessory cells. The need for thymus-derived (T) cells in the antibody response was demonstrated by double transfer experiments in which the primary recipient was restored with thymus cells alone, bone marrow cells alone, or with a mixture of cell types

  6. Transcriptional activation of melanocortin 2 receptor accessory protein by PPARγ in adipocytes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Nam Soo; Kim, Yoon-Jin [Department of Biology, Research Institute for Basic Science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701 (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Si Young [R and D Center, Amore Pacific Corporation, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 446-729 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Tae Ryong, E-mail: trlee@amorepacific.com [R and D Center, Amore Pacific Corporation, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 446-729 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Sang Hoon, E-mail: shkim@khu.ac.kr [Department of Biology, Research Institute for Basic Science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701 (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-09-27

    Highlights: •MRAP enhanced HSL expression. •ACTH-mediated MRAP reduced glycerol release. •PPARγ induced MRAP expression. •PPARγ bound to the MRAP promoter. -- Abstract: Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in rodents decreases lipid accumulation and body weight. Melanocortin receptor 2 (MC2R) and MC2R accessory protein (MRAP) are specific receptors for ACTH in adipocytes. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) plays a role in the transcriptional regulation of metabolic pathways such as adipogenesis and β-oxidation of fatty acids. In this study we investigated the transcriptional regulation of MRAP expression during differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells. Stimulation with ACTH affected lipolysis in murine mature adipocytes via MRAP. Putative peroxisome proliferator response element (PPRE) was identified in the MRAP promoter region. In chromatin immunoprecipitation and reporter assays, we observed binding of PPARγ to the MRAP promoter. The mutagenesis experiments showed that the −1209/−1198 region of the MRAP promoter could function as a PPRE site. These results suggest that PPARγ is required for transcriptional activation of the MRAP gene during adipogenesis, which contributes to understanding of the molecular mechanism of lipolysis in adipocytes.

  7. Transcriptional activation of melanocortin 2 receptor accessory protein by PPARγ in adipocytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Nam Soo; Kim, Yoon-Jin; Cho, Si Young; Lee, Tae Ryong; Kim, Sang Hoon

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: •MRAP enhanced HSL expression. •ACTH-mediated MRAP reduced glycerol release. •PPARγ induced MRAP expression. •PPARγ bound to the MRAP promoter. -- Abstract: Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in rodents decreases lipid accumulation and body weight. Melanocortin receptor 2 (MC2R) and MC2R accessory protein (MRAP) are specific receptors for ACTH in adipocytes. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) plays a role in the transcriptional regulation of metabolic pathways such as adipogenesis and β-oxidation of fatty acids. In this study we investigated the transcriptional regulation of MRAP expression during differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells. Stimulation with ACTH affected lipolysis in murine mature adipocytes via MRAP. Putative peroxisome proliferator response element (PPRE) was identified in the MRAP promoter region. In chromatin immunoprecipitation and reporter assays, we observed binding of PPARγ to the MRAP promoter. The mutagenesis experiments showed that the −1209/−1198 region of the MRAP promoter could function as a PPRE site. These results suggest that PPARγ is required for transcriptional activation of the MRAP gene during adipogenesis, which contributes to understanding of the molecular mechanism of lipolysis in adipocytes

  8. Incidence and morphology of accessory heads of flexor pollicis longus and flexor digitorum profundus (Gantzer's muscles)

    Science.gov (United States)

    JONES, M.; ABRAHAMS, P. H.; SAÑUDO, J. R.; CAMPILLO, M.

    1997-01-01

    In 1813 Gantzer described 2 accessory muscles in the human forearm which bear his name (Wood, 1868; Macalister, 1875; Testut, 1884; Le Double, 1897). The more frequent of the 2 accessory muscles or ‘accessorius ad pollicem’ was found to arise from the coronoid process of the ulna, coursing distally to attach into the flexor pollicis longus muscle (flexor pollicis longus accessory head, FPLah). The less frequently observed or ‘accessorius ad flexorem profundum digitorum’ was again found to arise from the coronoid process and course to join into the flexor digitorum profundus (flexor digitorum profundus accessory head, FDPah). Since their initial description, they have been examined in further detail by a number of authors (Wood, 1868; Macalister, 1875; Le Double, 1897; Dykes & Anson, 1944; Mangini, 1960; Malhotra et al. 1982; Dellon & McKinnon, 1987; Kida, 1988). These studies, most of them focusing on the FPLah, all show different results of prevalence, origin, insertion, relations and nerve supply. We undertook this study with the aim of providing a more accurate account of the detailed morphology of both accessory muscles because of the above-mentioned inconsistent anatomical descriptions and the lack of information as to important aspects such as vascular supply, morphology (shape and length) and the coexistence of both accessory heads. PMID:9419002

  9. Accessories modifying based on plastic waste of shampoo bottle as home economic product

    Science.gov (United States)

    Setyowati, Erna; Sukesi, Siti

    2018-03-01

    Plastic is a waste that can not decompose by the soil and if its left without a good handling can pollute the environment. Plastic waste needs processing by the recycle bottles principle. Shampoo bottle is one of plastic waste with high density polyethylene type (HDPE). One of the innovation to recycling shampoo bottles waste into the new products whichbeneficially and aestheticallyform by engineered the buns accesories. Accessories are one of the tools used by most women, in the form of trinkets or ornaments which ajusted to the trend to beautify the look. Accessories from shampoo bottle waste can be obtained from household waste, beauty salon and the beauty program study by inculcating human beings' behavior by transforming waste into blessing while also increasing family income. Technique of making its by compiling through improvement of panelist team. The goal of this research is to engineering theaccessories based on shampoo bottle waste as home economics. The method are using experiment, observation and documentation, analysis using descriptive. The results obtained from the overall sensory test averaged at 93%, while the favored test averaged at 85.5%. The product can be ordered according to the desired design, but it takes a long time. Therefore accessories engineering from shampoo bottles waste-based can be used as home economics. The production of shampoo bottles waste-based accessories should improved its quality and quantity, to be marketed through the community, by the cooperation with accessories and bun craftsmen.

  10. 21 CFR 886.1930 - Tonometer and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Tonometer and accessories. 886.1930 Section 886.1930 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED... type) or to measure intraocular tension by applanation (applying a small flat disk to the cornea...

  11. Accessory caudal axial and pelvic ribs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bohutova, J.; Kolar, J.; Vitovec, J.; Vyhnanek, L.

    1980-01-01

    Accessory caudal ribs are reported as an extremely curious anomaly in five patients. Once the fracture of this rib was a source of pains after injury. The different shapes of the ribs are documented in this clinical survey which is the most extensive in the present literature. Anomalous ribs arise due to inappropriate segmentation during the embryonal development of the axial skeleton. (orig.) [de

  12. Formation of accessory mineral bed layers during erosion of bentonite buffer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schatz, Timothy; Kanerva, Noora

    2012-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. dilute groundwater at a transmissive fracture interface, accessory phases within bentonite, such as quartz, feldspar, etc., might remain behind and form a filter bed or cake. As more and more montmorillonite is lost, the thickness of the accessory mineral bed increases and the continued transport of montmorillonite slows and possibly stops if the porosity of the filter bed is sufficiently compressed. Alternatively or concurrently, as the accessory mineral filter bed retains montmorillonite colloids, a filter cake composed of montmorillonite itself may be formed. Ultimately, depending on their extent, properties, and durability, such processes may provide the bentonite buffer system with an inherent, self-filtration mechanism which serves to limit the effects of colloidal erosion. A conceptual view of bentonite buffer extrusion and erosion in an intersecting fracture with formation of an accessory mineral filter bed and montmorillonite filter cake is presented in Figure 1. Due to the swelling pressure of the bentonite buffer, the situation described in Figure 1 may be analogous to that of the case of pressure filtration where a filter cake is formed by pressing a suspension through a filter medium and, by a mechanism known as expression, the filter cake is compressed by direct contact with a solid surface resulting in a reduction of its porosity. In order to examine whether the erosion of bentonite material through contact with dilute groundwater at a transmissive fracture interface could intrinsically result in 1) the formation of an accessory mineral filter bed and cake and/or 2) filter caking of montmorillonite itself, a series of laboratory tests were performed in a flow-through, horizontal, 1 mm aperture, artificial fracture system. Bentonite buffer material was simulated by using mixtures (75/25 weight percent ratio) of purified sodium montmorillonite and various additives serving as accessory mineral proxies

  13. Three-dimensional finite element analysis on canine teeth distalization by different accessories of bracket-free invisible orthodontics technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Nuo; Lei, Xue; Yang, Xiaoli; Li, Xinhui; Ge, Zhenlin

    2018-04-01

    Objective: to compare canine tooth stress distribution condition during maxillary canine tooth distalization by different accessories of bracket-free invisible orthodontics technology after removal of maxillary first premolar, and provide basis for clinical design of invisible orthodontics technology. Method: CBCT scanning image of a patient with individual normal occlusion was adopted, Mimics, Geomagic and ProlE software were used for establishing three-dimensional models of maxilla, maxillary dentition, parodontium, invisible orthodontics appliance and accessories, ANSYS WORKBENCH was utilized as finite element analysis tools for analyzing stress distribution and movement pattern of canine tooth and parodontium when canine tooth was equipped with power arm and vertical rectangle accessory. Meanwhile, canine tooth none-accessory design group was regarded as a control. Result: teeth had even bistal surface stress distribution in the power arm group; stress was concentrated on distal tooth neck, and the stress was gradually deviated to mesial-labial side and distal lingual side in vertical rectangle group and none-accessory group. Conclusion: teeth tend to move as a whole in the Power arm group, vertical rectangle group has lower tooth gradient compared with the none-accessory group, teeth are inclined for movement in the none-accessory group, and canine teeth tend to rotate to the distal lingual side.

  14. Impaired mastication reduced newly generated neurons at the accessory olfactory bulb and pheromonal responses in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Utsugi, Chizuru; Miyazono, Sadaharu; Osada, Kazumi; Matsuda, Mitsuyoshi; Kashiwayanagi, Makoto

    2014-12-01

    A large number of neurons are generated at the subventricular zone (SVZ) even during adulthood. In a previous study, we have shown that a reduced mastication impairs both neurogenesis in the SVZ and olfactory functions. Pheromonal signals, which are received by the vomeronasal organ, provide information about reproductive and social states. Vomeronasal sensory neurons project to the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) located on the dorso-caudal surface of the main olfactory bulb. Newly generated neurons at the SVZ migrate to the AOB and differentiate into granule cells and periglomerular cells. This study aimed to explore the effects of changes in mastication on newly generated neurons and pheromonal responses. Bromodeoxyuridine-immunoreactive (BrdU-ir; a marker of DNA synthesis) and Fos-ir (a marker of neurons excited) structures in sagittal sections of the AOB after exposure to urinary odours were compared between the mice fed soft and hard diets. The density of BrdU-ir cells in the AOB in the soft-diet-fed mice after 1 month was essentially similar to that of the hard-diet-fed mice, while that was lower in the soft-diet-fed mice for 3 or 6 months than in the hard-diet-fed mice. The density of Fos-ir cells in the soft-diet-fed mice after 2 months was essentially similar to that in the hard-diet-fed mice, while that was lower in the soft-diet-fed mice for 4 months than in the hard-diet-fed mice. The present results suggest that impaired mastication reduces newly generated neurons at the AOB, which in turn impairs olfactory function at the AOB. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. MR imaging findings of painful type II accessory navicular bone: correlation with surgical and pathologic studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Yun Sun; Lee, Kyung Tai; Kim, Eun Kyung; Kang, Heung Sik

    2004-01-01

    To evaluate the MR imaging findings of painful type II accessory navicular bone and to correlate these with the surgical and pathologic findings. The MR images of 17 patients with medial foot pain and surgically proven type II accessory navicular abnormalities were reviewed. The changes of signal intensity in the accessory navicular, synchondrosis and adjacent soft tissue, the presence of synchondrosis widening, and posterior tibial tendon (PTT) pathology on the T1-weighted and fat-suppressed T2-weighted images were analyzed. The MR imaging findings were compared with the surgical and pathologic findings. The fat-suppressed T2-weighted images showed high signal intensity in the accessory navicular bones and synchondroses in all patients, and in the soft tissue in 11 (64.7%) of the 17 patients, as well as synchondrosis widening in 3 (17.6%) of the 17 patients. The MR images showed tendon pathology in 12 (75%) of the 16 patients with PTT dysfunction at surgery. The pathologic findings of 16 surgical specimens included areas of osteonecrosis with granulomatous inflammation, fibrosis and destruction of the cartilage cap. The MR imaging findings of painful type II accessory navicular bone are a persistent edema pattern in the accessory navicular bone and within the synchondrosis, indicating osteonecrosis, inflammation and destruction of the cartilage cap. Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction was clinically evident in most patients

  16. Clinical Experiences in the Surgical Treatment of Accessory Tragus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Uğur Horoz

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Tragus is a part of the external ear that develops from the first branchial arch. Accessory ear is a congenital external ear anomaly and has skin elevation containing remnant cartilage. The auricle develops between the 4th and 12th week of the embryonic stage, which groove the tissue from the 1st and 2nd branchial arches. Histologically, the lesions include a rugated epidermis with a thin layer stratum corneum, tiny mature hair follicles, fat lobules, and connective tissue framework that may include a central cartilage core. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accessory tragus lesions with our clinical surgical treatment results. Material and Methods: Lesions usually located anterior to the tragus and along an imaginary line drawn from the tragus to the angle of the mouth. Twelve patients admitted to our clinic between October 2011 and November 2014 were included in this study. Results: Seven boys and five girls between two–13 years old underwent operation. In total, 28 accessory ears were excised. No complications were observed during the procedure, and no complaints were noted in the postoperative period. Conclusion: Generally, limited anomaly is associated with the first and second branchial arch anomalies. Surgical excision is the standard treatment for the lesions which usually due to the esthetic concerns.

  17. Accessory genes confer a high replication rate to virulent feline immunodeficiency virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Troyer, Ryan M; Thompson, Jesse; Elder, John H; VandeWoude, Sue

    2013-07-01

    Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a lentivirus that causes AIDS in domestic cats, similar to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS in humans. The FIV accessory protein Vif abrogates the inhibition of infection by cat APOBEC3 restriction factors. FIV also encodes a multifunctional OrfA accessory protein that has characteristics similar to HIV Tat, Vpu, Vpr, and Nef. To examine the role of vif and orfA accessory genes in FIV replication and pathogenicity, we generated chimeras between two FIV molecular clones with divergent disease potentials: a highly pathogenic isolate that replicates rapidly in vitro and is associated with significant immunopathology in vivo, FIV-C36 (referred to here as high-virulence FIV [HV-FIV]), and a less-pathogenic strain, FIV-PPR (referred to here as low-virulence FIV [LV-FIV]). Using PCR-driven overlap extension, we produced viruses in which vif, orfA, or both genes from virulent HV-FIV replaced equivalent genes in LV-FIV. The generation of these chimeras is more straightforward in FIV than in primate lentiviruses, since FIV accessory gene open reading frames have very little overlap with other genes. All three chimeric viruses exhibited increased replication kinetics in vitro compared to the replication kinetics of LV-FIV. Chimeras containing HV-Vif or Vif/OrfA had replication rates equivalent to those of the virulent HV-FIV parental virus. Furthermore, small interfering RNA knockdown of feline APOBEC3 genes resulted in equalization of replication rates between LV-FIV and LV-FIV encoding HV-FIV Vif. These findings demonstrate that Vif-APOBEC interactions play a key role in controlling the replication and pathogenicity of this immunodeficiency-inducing virus in its native host species and that accessory genes act as mediators of lentiviral strain-specific virulence.

  18. Accessory Renal Artery Stenosis and Hypertension: Are These Correlated? Evaluation Using Multidetector-Row Computed Tomographic Angiography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saba, L.; Sanfilippo, R.; Montisci, R.; Conti, M.; Mallarini, G. (Dept. of Imaging Science and Dept. of Vascular Surgery, Policlinico Universitario, Cagliari (Italy))

    2008-04-15

    Background: Renal artery stenosis may produce hypertension, and this condition is referred to as renovascular hypertension (RVH). Purpose: To evaluate, by using multidetector-row spiral computed tomographic angiography (MDCTA), whether a relationship between accessory renal artery stenosis and hypertension may be hypothesized. Material and Methods: 214 patients (142 males, 72 females; mean age 66 years) who had previously undergone an MDCTA to study the abdominal vasculature were retrospectively studied. Patients with renal artery stenosis (RAS) were excluded from this analysis. The patients were studied by means of a four-detector-row CT, and scans were obtained after intravenous bolus administration of 110-140 ml of a nonionic contrast material with a 3-6 ml/s flow rate. As a second step, by means of statistical analysis, hypertension data were compared with findings of accessory artery stenosis. Two radiologists first independently reviewed the MDCTA images and then, in case of disagreement, in consensus. Interobserver agreement was calculated for all measurements. Results: The overall number of detected accessory renal arteries was 74 in 56 of the 214 patients. Accessory renal artery stenosis was detected in 21 of the 56 patients. There was a difference in the prevalence of hypertension between patients with (n = 21) and without (n = 35) accessory renal artery stenosis (P = 0.0187). Interobserver agreement was good (kappa value 0.733). Conclusion: Any statistical association between the presence of accessory renal artery stenosis and hypertension could not be disclosed. However, accessory renal artery stenosis, detected by MDCTA, is an important pathological sign that the radiologist has to assess in the light of its possible association with hypertension

  19. Accessory Renal Artery Stenosis and Hypertension: Are These Correlated? Evaluation Using Multidetector-Row Computed Tomographic Angiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saba, L.; Sanfilippo, R.; Montisci, R.; Conti, M.; Mallarini, G.

    2008-01-01

    Background: Renal artery stenosis may produce hypertension, and this condition is referred to as renovascular hypertension (RVH). Purpose: To evaluate, by using multidetector-row spiral computed tomographic angiography (MDCTA), whether a relationship between accessory renal artery stenosis and hypertension may be hypothesized. Material and Methods: 214 patients (142 males, 72 females; mean age 66 years) who had previously undergone an MDCTA to study the abdominal vasculature were retrospectively studied. Patients with renal artery stenosis (RAS) were excluded from this analysis. The patients were studied by means of a four-detector-row CT, and scans were obtained after intravenous bolus administration of 110-140 ml of a nonionic contrast material with a 3-6 ml/s flow rate. As a second step, by means of statistical analysis, hypertension data were compared with findings of accessory artery stenosis. Two radiologists first independently reviewed the MDCTA images and then, in case of disagreement, in consensus. Interobserver agreement was calculated for all measurements. Results: The overall number of detected accessory renal arteries was 74 in 56 of the 214 patients. Accessory renal artery stenosis was detected in 21 of the 56 patients. There was a difference in the prevalence of hypertension between patients with (n = 21) and without (n = 35) accessory renal artery stenosis (P = 0.0187). Interobserver agreement was good (kappa value 0.733). Conclusion: Any statistical association between the presence of accessory renal artery stenosis and hypertension could not be disclosed. However, accessory renal artery stenosis, detected by MDCTA, is an important pathological sign that the radiologist has to assess in the light of its possible association with hypertension

  20. Impact of infection on the secretory capacity of the male accessory glands

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Marconi

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Studies that compare the impact of different infectious entities of the male reproductive tract (MRT on the male accessory gland function are controversial. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Semen analyses of 71 patients with proven infections of the MRT were compared with the results of 40 healthy non-infected volunteers. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to their diagnosis: chronic prostatitis NIH type II (n = 38, chronic epididymitis (n = 12, and chronic urethritis (n = 21. RESULTS: The bacteriological analysis revealed 9 different types of microorganisms, considered to be the etiological agents, isolated in different secretions, including: urine, expressed prostatic secretions, semen and urethral smears: E. Coli (n = 20, Klebsiella (n = 2, Proteus spp. (n = 1, Enterococcus (n = 20, Staphylococcus spp. (n = 1, M. tuberculosis (n = 2, N. gonorrhea (n = 8, Chlamydia tr. (n = 16 and, Ureaplasma urealyticum (n = 1. The infection group had significantly (p < 0.05 lower: semen volume, alpha-glucosidase, fructose, and zinc in seminal plasma and, higher pH than the control group. None of these parameters was sufficiently accurate in the ROC analysis to discriminate between infected and non-infected men. CONCLUSION: Proven bacterial infections of the MRT impact negatively on all the accessory gland function parameters evaluated in semen, suggesting impairment of the secretory capacity of the epididymis, seminal vesicles and prostate. These findings were associated with an infectious related significant increase of semen pH. None of the semen parameters evaluated can be suggested as a diagnostic tool for infection.

  1. Accessory muscle of the flexor digitorum superficialis and its clinical implications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edie Benedito Caetano

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Anatomical variations of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS muscle and tendon unit are frequently reported by anatomists and clinicians. Anatomical muscle variations of the FDS and its tendons may include variations of muscle belly, presence of accessory or duplicate tendons, abnormal tendon connections, and absence of muscle or tendon components. Such variations may or may not have clinical implications. This report presents a case not described previously: a unilateral accessory muscle of the flexor digitorum superficialis which was connected by a thick tendon to the flexor digitorum superficialis muscle; it was directed proximally to the insertion of the medial epicondyle of the humerus, next to the superficialis head of the pronator teres muscle. The belly of the accessory muscle was positioned anterior to the median and anterior interosseous nerve. This anatomical variation is known as type V in the classification of Elliot et al. The knowledge of these anatomical variations helps hand surgeons interpret the clinical examination, particularly in the evaluation of patients who have suffered tendon injuries or show sign s of possible peripheral nerve entrapment.

  2. An exploration study to find important factors influencing on brand in car accessory market

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naser Azad

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Supplying car accessory is one of the most important growing industries in the world. Every year, millions of cars are produced and people need to have the access to necessary car accessory. In this paper, we present an exploration study to detect important factors influencing car accessory market. The proposed study designs a questionnaire in Likert scale consists of 16 questions, distributes it among 200 experts and analyses it using factor analysis. Cronbach alpha and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy are calculated as 0.823 and 0.863, which validate the overall questionnaire. The results indicate that there are three influencing factors including brand capability, brand characteristics and consumers’ believe.

  3. Special servicing equipment for reactor pressurized vessel stud hole and stud accessories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Jianglian

    1999-01-01

    The author briefly introduces the design and manufacture of nuclear island special servicing equipment of Nuclear Power Institute of China. Maintenance process of reactor pressurized vessel (RPV) stud hold and stud accessories the special servicing equipment include RPV flange dummy, closed-circuit television (CCTV) inspection equipment, RPV stud hole expandable comb, RPV stud hole polisher, RPV stud hold thread lubricating equipment, RPV stud hole thread miller and RPV stud hole camera. It is presented how eight kinds of special servicing equipment perform the maintenance process concerning their function, structure, and characteristics, their practical use on site is also introduced

  4. The Role of B Cells for in Vivo T Cell Responses to a Friend Virus-Induced Leukemia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultz, Kirk R.; Klarnet, Jay P.; Gieni, Randall S.; Hayglass, Kent T.; Greenberg, Philip D.

    1990-08-01

    B cells can function as antigen-presenting cells and accessory cells for T cell responses. This study evaluated the role of B cells in the induction of protective T cell immunity to a Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MuLV)-induced leukemia (FBL). B cell-deficient mice exhibited significantly reduced tumor-specific CD4^+ helper and CD8^+ cytotoxic T cell responses after priming with FBL or a recombinant vaccinia virus containing F-MuLV antigens. Moreover, these mice had diminished T cell responses to the vaccinia viral antigens. Tumor-primed T cells transferred into B cell-deficient mice effectively eradicated disseminated FBL. Thus, B cells appear necessary for efficient priming but not expression of tumor and viral T cell immunity.

  5. 21 CFR 876.4300 - Endoscopic electrosurgical unit and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... Endoscopic electrosurgical unit and accessories. (a) Identification. An endoscopic electrosurgical unit and... device includes the electrosurgical generator, patient plate, electric biopsy forceps, electrode, flexible snare, electrosurgical alarm system, electrosurgical power supply unit, electrical clamp, self...

  6. 21 CFR 890.3025 - Prosthetic and orthotic accessory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES PHYSICAL MEDICINE DEVICES Physical Medicine Prosthetic Devices § 890.3025... intended for medical purposes to support, protect, or aid in the use of a cast, orthosis (brace), or prosthesis. Examples of prosthetic and orthotic accessories include the following: A pelvic support band and...

  7. ISO and EIGA standards for cryogenic vessels and accessories

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2016-01-01

    The EIGA/WG 6’s scope is cryogenic vessels and accessories, including their design, material compatibility, operational requirements and periodical inspection. The specific responsibilities include monitoring international standardization (ISO, CEN) and regulations (UN, TPED, PED...

  8. Preoperative computed tomography and scintigraphy to facilitate the detection of accessory spleen in patients with hematologic disorders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koyanagi, Nobuhiro; Kanematsu, Takashi; Sugimachi, Keizo

    1988-01-01

    Accessory spleens of 1.5 cm in size were preoperatively identified by the combined use of computerized tomography and splenic scintigraphy in two patients with hematologic diseases. After the accessory spleen had been removed from the first patient, who had persistent hereditary spherocytosis and had undergone a splenectomy 15 months before, a postoperative decrease in hyperbilirubinemia was noted. In the other patient who had idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, a successful accessory splenectomy was done at the same time as her splenectomy, and was followed by 6 months' complete remission. These events indicate that preoperative investigations using computerized tomography and scintigraphy are indispensable for ruling out an accessory spleen in those patients for whom splenectomy needs to be done in order to alleviate hematologic disorders. (author)

  9. VPAC receptors: structure, molecular pharmacology and interaction with accessory proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Couvineau, Alain; Laburthe, Marc

    2012-05-01

    The vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a neuropeptide with wide distribution in both central and peripheral nervous systems, where it plays important regulatory role in many physiological processes. VIP displays a large biological functions including regulation of exocrine secretions, hormone release, fetal development, immune responses, etc. VIP appears to exert beneficial effect in neuro-degenerative and inflammatory diseases. The mechanism of action of VIP implicates two subtypes of receptors (VPAC1 and VPAC2), which are members of class B receptors belonging to the super-family of GPCR. This article reviews the current knowledge regarding the structure and molecular pharmacology of VPAC receptors. The structure-function relationship of VPAC1 receptor has been extensively studied, allowing to understand the molecular basis for receptor affinity, specificity, desensitization and coupling to adenylyl cyclase. Those studies have clearly demonstrated the crucial role of the N-terminal ectodomain (N-ted) of VPAC1 receptor in VIP recognition. By using different approaches including directed mutagenesis, photoaffinity labelling, NMR, molecular modelling and molecular dynamic simulation, it has been shown that the VIP molecule interacts with the N-ted of VPAC1 receptor, which is itself structured as a 'Sushi' domain. VPAC1 receptor also interacts with a few accessory proteins that play a role in cell signalling of receptors. Recent advances in the structural characterization of VPAC receptor and more generally of class B GPCRs will lead to the design of new molecules, which could have considerable interest for the treatment of inflammatory and neuro-degenerative diseases. © 2011 The Authors. British Journal of Pharmacology © 2011 The British Pharmacological Society.

  10. Potential role of Arabidopsis PHP as an accessory subunit of the PAF1 transcriptional cofactor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Sunchung; Ek-Ramos, Maria Julissa; Oh, Sookyung; van Nocker, Steven

    2011-08-01

    Paf1C is a transcriptional cofactor that has been implicated in various transcription-associated mechanisms spanning initiation, elongation and RNA processing, and is important for multiple aspects of development in Arabidopsis. Our recent studies suggest Arabidopsis Paf1C is crucial for proper regulation of genes within H3K27me3-enriched chromatin, and that a protein named PHP may act as an accessory subunit of Paf1C that promotes this function.

  11. Correction of accessory axillary breast tissue without visible scar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Young Soo

    2004-01-01

    Various methods for correction of accessory axillary breast tissue have been proposed, including simple excision, diamond-shaped excision, a Y-V technique, and lipoplasty. We present an effective method for correction of a prominent axillary mound that combines lipoplasty with excision of accessory breast tissue along the axillary transverse line. Preoperative markings included an incision within the natural wrinkle line in the axillary fold, and demarcation of areas in which lipoplasty and excision were to be performed. After lipoplasty, deep dissection was performed to isolate and remove accessory breast tissue and excess fat tissue. A compression dressing was applied for 1 to 2 weeks postoperatively, and the patient was instructed to wear a sports bra for 1 to 2 months after removal of the dressing. We treated 7 patients using this procedure between October 1999 and March 2003. No major postoperative complications were detected and recurrence was not noted during the follow-up periods. Aesthetic results were satisfactory. We believe that a procedure that combines lipoplasty and excision provides numerous advantages as a surgical option in treating a prominent axillary mound. The main advantage is that the final scar is laid in the natural axillary fold, rendering scars less conspicuous and eliminating the need to remove excess skin. The one disadvantage was that elevation of the skin flap via small, remote incisions initially produced surgical difficulties, but these were overcome with experience.

  12. Spinal accessory nerve schwannomas masquerading as a fourth ventricular lesion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shyam Sundar Krishnan

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Schwannomas are benign lesions that arise from the nerve sheath of cranial nerves. The most common schwannomas arise from the 8 th cranial nerve (the vestibulo-cochlear nerve followed by trigeminal and facial nerves and then from glossopharyngeal, vagus, and spinal accessory nerves. Schwannomas involving the oculomotor, trochlear, abducens and hypoglossal nerves are very rare. We report a very unusual spinal accessory nerve schwannoma which occupied the fourth ventricle and extended inferiorly to the upper cervical canal. The radiological features have been detailed. The diagnostic dilemma was due to its midline posterior location mimicking a fourth ventricular lesion like medulloblastoma and ependymoma. Total excision is the ideal treatment for these tumors. A brief review of literature with tabulations of the variants has been listed.

  13. Ablation of an atriofascicular accessory pathway with a zero-fluoroscopy procedure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Riccardo Proietti, MD, PhD

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available A 16-year-old patient with recurrent palpitations and documented left bundle branch block superior axis wide complex tachycardia underwent an electrophysiological study and ablation with a zero-fluoroscopy procedure. The electrophysiological study showed a decremental antegrade conducting atriofascicular pathway. Three-dimensional CARTO-guided mapping of the tricuspid annulus in sinus rhythm was performed, and a distinct signal corresponding to the accessory pathway potential of the atriofascicular pathway was found in the posterolateral region. By using an SR0 sheath and a 4-mm-tip catheter, radiofrequency application was delivered at this point on the annulus and successfully eliminated conduction through the accessory pathway.

  14. The Online Marketing Research on the Factors of Competitiveness of Enterprises in the Computer Accessory Market

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yashkina Oksana I.

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The article is aimed at identifyng the factors of competitiveness of enterprises in the market for computer accessories (on the example of the «ZONA51» store and suggesting certain actions as to creating and strengthening competitive advantages. The main competitors of the enterprise, which offer computer accessories, as well as the basic preferences of consumers in choosing the game-oriented computer accessories, have been explored. The study has found that price and active Internet communications are the main factors in the competitiveness of enterprises in the market for computer accessories. It is also important to use communicative channels such as «word-of-mouth marketing» for specific types of goods. The target audience of the products analyzed is young people, so it is also important to advertise resources near the places of youth gatherings to provide active communications. Further studies should consider the factors of competitiveness of Internet shops with different orientation.

  15. The need to accessorize: Molecular roles of HTLV-1 p30 and HTLV-2 p28 accessory proteins in the viral life cycle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rajaneesh eAnupam

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Extensive studies of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 over the last three decades have provided detailed knowledge on viral transformation, host-viral interactions and pathogenesis. HTLV-1 is the etiological agent of adult T cell leukemia (ATL and multiple neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases while HTLV-2 disease association remains elusive, with few infected individuals displaying neurodegenerative diseases similar to HTLV-1. The HTLV group of oncoretroviruses has a genome that encodes structural and enzymatic proteins Gag, Pro and Env, regulatory proteins Tax and Rex, and several accessory proteins from the pX region. Of these proteins, HTLV-1 p30 and HTLV-2 p28 are encoded by the open reading frame (ORF II of the pX region. Like most other accessory proteins, p30 and p28 are dispensable for in vitro viral replication and transformation but are required for efficient viral replication and persistence in vivo. Both p30 and p28 regulate viral gene expression at the post-transcriptional level whereas p30 can also function at the transcriptional level. Recently, several reports have implicated p30 and p28 in multiple cellular processes, which provide novel insight into HTLV spread and survival and ultimately pathogenesis. In this review we summarize and compare what is known about p30 and p28, highlighting their roles in viral replication and viral pathogenesis.

  16. The accessory coracobrachialis muscle: ultrasound and MR features

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bauones, Salem [Centre hospitalier de l' Universite de Montreal (CHUM), Department of Radiology, Hopital Saint-Luc, Montreal, Quebec (Canada); Moraux, Antoine [Imagerie Medicale Jacquemars Gielee, Lille (France)

    2015-09-15

    To present the prevalence, clinical relevance, and ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearances of the accessory coracobrachialis (ACB) muscle. We present an US prospective study of the ACB muscle over a 2-year period. Five of the eight patients with suspected ACB on US were subsequently examined by MRI. An ACB muscle was demonstrated by US in eight patients (eight shoulders), including seven females, one male, with mean age 39 years, over 770 (664 patients) consecutive shoulder US examinations referred to our institution yielding a prevalence of 1.04 %. In dynamic US assessment, one case of subcoracoid impingement secondary to a bulky ACB was diagnosed. No thoracic outlet syndrome was encountered in the remaining cases. MRI confirmed the presence of the accessory muscle in five cases. ACB muscle is a rarely reported yet not uncommon anatomic variation of the shoulder musculature encountered only in eight of 664 patients referred for shoulder US study. Its US and MRI appearance is described. One of our patients presented with subcoracoid impingement related to the presence of an ACB. (orig.)

  17. Accessory enzymes influence cellulase hydrolysis of the model substrate and the realistic lignocellulosic biomass.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Fubao Fuebiol; Hong, Jiapeng; Hu, Jinguang; Saddler, Jack N; Fang, Xu; Zhang, Zhenyu; Shen, Song

    2015-11-01

    The potential of cellulase enzymes in the developing and ongoing "biorefinery" industry has provided a great motivation to develop an efficient cellulase mixture. Recent work has shown how important the role that the so-called accessory enzymes can play in an effective enzymatic hydrolysis. In this study, three newest Novozymes Cellic CTec cellulase preparations (CTec 1/2/3) were compared to hydrolyze steam pretreated lignocellulosic substrates and model substances at an identical FPA loading. These cellulase preparations were found to display significantly different hydrolytic performances irrelevant with the FPA. And this difference was even observed on the filter paper itself when the FPA based assay was revisited. The analysis of specific enzyme activity in cellulase preparations demonstrated that different accessory enzymes were mainly responsible for the discrepancy of enzymatic hydrolysis between diversified substrates and various cellulases. Such the active role of accessory enzymes present in cellulase preparations was finally verified by supplementation with β-glucosidase, xylanase and lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases AA9. This paper provides new insights into the role of accessory enzymes, which can further provide a useful reference for the rational customization of cellulase cocktails in order to realize an efficient conversion of natural lignocellulosic substrates. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Unilateral and bilateral cryptorchidism and its effect on the testicular morphology, histology, accessory sex organs, and sperm count in laboratory mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soumita Dutta

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Experimental unilateral cryptorchidism (ULC and bilateral cryptorchidism (BLC are excellent methods to study undescended testis in relation to spermatogenesis against a temperature gradient. Objectives: In case of ULC, it is possible to compare the testicular functions between normal condition and cryptorchidism in the same animal, whereas BLC shows the necessity of testicular androgens for proper maintenance of reproductive structures and functions. Materials and Methods: In the present study, experimental ULC and BLC was done on same-aged adult mature male mice and kept for 15 days and 30 days, respectively, to observe the changes due to the induced cryptorchidism on the different reproductive organs, viz., the testis and accessory sex organs along with epididymal sperm count. Reproductive tissues were collected from individual animals and histopathological studies of testis were done to investigate different cytological changes. Results: The size of the testes and accessory sex organs were found to be significantly reduced in BLC mice, whereas only testicular weight reduction was observed in ULC mice. Histopathological studies showed degenerative changes throughout the seminiferous tubules. Conclusion: Thus, the present investigation showed compensatory androgen production in ULC mice, whereas absence of androgen mediated reproductive functions in BLC animals.

  19. Surface Layer Fluorination-Modulated Space Charge Behaviors in HVDC Cable Accessory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin Li

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Space charges tend to accumulate on the surface and at the interface of ethylene–propylene–diene terpolymer (EPDM, serving as high voltage direct current (HVDC cable accessory insulation, which likely induces electrical field distortion and dielectric breakdown. Direct fluorination is an effective method to modify the surface characteristics of the EPDM without altering the bulk properties too much. In this paper, the surface morphology, hydrophobic properties, relative permittivity, and DC conductivity of the EPDM before and after fluorination treatment were tested. Furthermore, the surface and interface charge behaviors in the HVDC cable accessory were investigated by the pulsed electroacoustic (PEA method, and explained from the point of view of trap distribution. The results show that fluorination helps the EPDM polymer obtain lower surface energy and relative permittivity, which is beneficial to the interface match in composite insulation systems. The lowest degree of space charge accumulation occurs in EPDM with 30 min of fluorination. After analyzing the results of the 3D potentials and the density of states (DOS behaviors in EPDM before and after fluorination, it can be found that fluorination treatment introduces shallower electron traps, and the special electrostatic potential after fluorination can significantly suppress the space charge accumulation at the interface in the HVDC cable accessory.

  20. Mechanical accessories for mobile teleoperators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feldman, M.J.; Herndon, J.N.

    1985-01-01

    The choice of optimum mechanical accessories for mobile teleoperators involves matching the criteria for emergency response with the available technology. This paper presents a general background to teleoperations, a potpourri of the manipulator systems available, and an argument for force reflecting manipulation. The theme presented is that the accomplishment of humanlike endeavors in hostile environments will be most successful when man model capabilities are utilized. The application of recent electronic technology to manipulator development has made new tools available to be applied to emergency response activities. The development activities described are products of the Consolidated Fuel Reprocessing Program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 13 refs., 7 figs

  1. Digital dermatitis of the accessory digits of dairy cows

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Celso A. Rodrigues

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available This report characterizes the digital dermatitis (DD lesions in the accessory digits of dairy cows and presents data on the applied therapy. Fifteen Holstein cattle with DD affecting the accessory digits of the hindlimbs from four dairy farms with previous history of DD were evaluated. Lesions were excised, the wounds were sutured, and a topical application of oxytetracycline powder covered by bandaging was associated with a single parenteral administration of long acting oxytetracycline IM (20mg/kg. Tissue samples were obtained for histopathology and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM. Lesions from all the animals were recuperated 15 days after surgical procedure. Overal, most DD lesions were papillomatous epidermal projections or wartlike verrucous lesions. Histopathologically, samples revealed hyperplasia of epidermis with hyperkeratosis, several mitoses in the stratum basale and elongated rete ridges in the superficial and middle dermis. TEM revealed long, thin spirochete-like bacteria. Morphologic features of lesions and its response to therapy were comparable to those described for DD.

  2. Structure and chemical organization of the accessory olfactory bulb in the goat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mogi, Kazutaka; Sakurai, Katsuyasu; Ichimaru, Toru; Ohkura, Satoshi; Mori, Yuji; Okamura, Hiroaki

    2007-03-01

    The structure and chemical composition of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) were examined in male and female goats. Sections were subjected to either Nissl staining, Klüver-Barrera staining, lectin histochemistry, or immunohistochemistry for nitric oxide synthase (NOS), neuropeptide Y (NPY), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH), and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). The goat AOB was divided into four layers: the vomeronasal nerve layer (VNL), glomerular layer (GL), mitral/tufted (M/T) cell layer (MTL), and granule cell layer (GRL). Quantitative and morphometric analyses indicated that a single AOB contained 5,000-8,000 putative M/T cells with no sex differences, whereas the AOB was slightly larger in males. Of the 21 lectins examined, 7 specifically bound to the VNL and GL, and 1 bound not only to the VNL, but also to the MTL and GRL. In either of these cases, no heterogeneity of lectin staining was observed in the rostrocaudal direction. NOS-, TH-, DBH-, and GAD-immunoreactivity (ir) were observed in the MTL and GRL, whereas NPY-ir was present only in the GRL. In the GL, periglomerular cells with GAD-ir were found in abundance, and a subset of periglomerular cells containing TH-ir was also found. Double-labeling immunohistochemistry revealed that virtually all periglomerular cells containing TH-ir were colocalized with GAD-ir.

  3. Design of Fashion Accessories Using Akwa-Ocha Motifs and Symbols

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Nneka Umera-Okeke

    Nkpopu: holes. 16. Osikapa na ... accessories anchors in both social semiotics and archetypal theories. Social semiotics theory as ... the two earrings incorporate the Onwa (moon) motif in spherical shape and in black colour. They are held ...

  4. Neurotization of the phrenic nerve with accessory nerve for high cervical spinal cord injury with respiratory distress: an anatomic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ce; Zhang, Ying; Nicholas, Tsai; Wu, Guoxin; Shi, Sheng; Bo, Yin; Wang, Xinwei; Zhou, Xuhui; Yuan, Wen

    2014-01-01

    High cervical spinal cord injury is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Traditional treatments carry various complications such as infection, pacemaker failure and undesirable movement. Thus, a secure surgical strategy with fewer complications analogous to physiological ventilation is still required. We hope to offer one potential method to decrease the complications and improve survival qualities of patients from the aspect of anatomy. The purpose of the study is to provide anatomic details on the accessory nerve and phrenic nerve for neurotization in patients with high spinal cord injuries. 38 cadavers (76 accessory and 76 phrenic nerves) were dissected in the study. The width, length and thickness of each accessory nerve and phrenic nerve above clavicle were measured. The distances from several landmarks on accessory nerve to the origin and the end of the phrenic nerve above clavicle were measured too. Then, the number of motor nerve fibers on different sections of the nerves was calculated using the technique of immunohistochemistry. The accessory nerves distal to its sternocleidomastoid muscular branches were 1.52 ± 0.32 mm ~1.54 ± 0.29 mm in width, 0.52 ± 0.18 mm ~ 0.56 ± 0.20mm in thickness and 9.52 ± 0.98 cm in length. And the phrenic nerves above clavicle were 1.44 ± 0.23 mm ~ 1.45 ± 0.24 mm in width, 0.47 ± 0.15 mm ~ 0.56 ± 0.25 mm in thickness and 6.48 ± 0.78 cm in length. The distance between the starting point of accessory nerve and phrenic nerve were 3.24 ± 1.17 cm, and the distance between the starting point of accessory nerve and the end of the phrenic nerve above clavicle were 8.72 ± 0.84 cm. The numbers of motor nerve fibers in accessory nerve were 1,038 ± 320~1,102 ± 216, before giving out the sternocleidomastoid muscular branches. The number of motor nerve fibers in the phrenic nerve was 911 ± 321~1,338 ± 467. The accessory nerve and the phrenic were similar in width, thickness and the number of motor nerve fibers. And

  5. Acquired cavo-varus deformity caused by an accessory calcaneus: a case report and literature review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh Baghla, Davinder Paul; Shariff, Sajid; Bashir, Waseem A.

    2010-01-01

    We describe an unusual cause of an acquired cavo-varus foot deformity produced by progressive enlargement of an accessory calcaneal ossicle. A 13-year-old boy with constitutional plano-valgus flat feet noted a gradual change in foot shape associated with lateral ankle pain on ambulation following an inversion injury 2 years earlier. CT and MRI scans confirmed a large accessory calcaneal ossicle lying within the sinus tarsi, with associated marrow oedema. Following surgical excision of the ossicle, the foot returned to its original shape and the symptoms were alleviated. This is the fifth reported case of an accessory calcaneal ossicle, but the only case that has occurred in a flatfooted individual. We also present the first reported MRI images of the lesion confirming pathological marrow oedema as a response to mechanical stress. (orig.)

  6. Value of local electrogram characteristics predicting successful catheter ablation of left-versus right-sided accessory atrioventricular pathways by radiofrequency current.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, J L; Schie, J T; Tseng, C D; Chen, W J; Cheng, T F; Tsou, S S; Chen, J J; Tseng, Y Z; Lien, W P

    1995-01-01

    Despite similar guidance by local electrogram criteria, catheter ablation of right-sided accessory atrioventricular (AV) pathways by radiofrequency current has been less effective than that of left-sided ones. In order to elucidate the possible diversities in local electrosignal criteria, we systematically analyzed the morphological and timing characteristics of 215 bipolar local electrograms from catheter ablation sites of 65 left-sided accessory AV pathways and of 356 from those of 37 right-sided ones in 92 consecutive patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome or AV reentrant tachycardia incorporating concealed accessory AV pathways. After stepwise multivariate analysis, we selected the presence of a possible accessory pathway potential, local ventricular activation preceding QRS complex for 20 ms or more during ventricular insertion mapping, and the local retrograde ventriculoatrial (VA) continuity, local retrograde VA interval right-sided targets only) during atrial insertion mapping, as independent local electrogram predictors for successful ablation of left- and right-sided accessory AV pathways. Combination of all local electrogram predictors could have moderate chance of success (80 and 51%) for the ventricular and atrial insertion ablation of left-sided accessory AV pathways, but only low probability of success (40% in ventricular insertion ablation) or very low sensitivity (12.5% in atrial insertion ablation) for right-sided ones. In conclusion, with the present approach, successful catheter ablation of right-sided accessory AV pathways, compared to left-sided ones, still necessitate a breakthrough in the precision mapping and the efficiency of energy delivery.

  7. PHEROMONAL MODULATION OF REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTION IN MAMMALS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthieu Keller

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Social olfactory signals, often known as pheromones, are powerful regulators of reproductive function. These chemosignals can be detected by two olfactory systems, namely the main or the accessory olfactory systems. While initially anatomically segregated, both systems converge functionally as they can detect and process overlapping sets of chemosignals. This convergence also takes place at the level of their central projections in the hypothalamus. It is probably at this level that future investigations will be needed. Indeed, if the physiology of both olfactory system and reproductive function are now quite well characterized, the interrelation between both systems is unclear. Among the many cell populations that can serve as targets or relays for the pheromonal information in the hypothalamus are GnRH cells or the recently discovered Kispeptin population which have been showed to be activated after pheromonal activation. However, many works will be needed before having a definitive picture.

  8. Instruments and accessories for neutron scattering research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishii, Yoshinobu; Morii, Yukio

    2000-04-01

    This report describes neutron scattering instruments and accessories installed by four neutron scattering research groups at the ASRC (Advanced Science Research Center) of the JAERI and the recent topics of neutron scattering research using these instruments. The specifications of nine instruments (HRPD, BIX-I, TAS-1 and PNO in the reactor hall, RESA, BIX-II, TAS-2, LTAS and SANS-J in the guide hall of the JRR-3M) are summarized in this booklet. (author)

  9. Ultrastructure and synaptic organization of the spinal accessory nucleus of the rat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayakawa, Tetsu; Takanaga, Akinori; Tanaka, Koichi; Maeda, Seishi; Seki, Makoto

    2002-06-01

    The accessory nucleus is composed of neurons in the medial column that innervate the sternocleidomastoid muscle, and neurons in the lateral column that innervate the trapezius muscle. We retrogradely labeled these neurons by injection of cholera toxin conjugated horseradish peroxidase into the sternomastoid (SM) or the clavotrapezius (CT) muscles, and investigated fine structure and synaptology of these neurons. Almost all SM and CT motoneurons had the appearance of alpha-motoneurons, i.e., large, oval or polygonal cells containing well-developed organelles, Nissl bodies, and a prominent spherical nucleus. More than 60% of the somatic membrane was covered with terminals. The SM motoneurons (34.4 x 52.2 microm, 1,363.1 microm(2) in a section) were slightly larger than the CT motoneurons (32.8 x 54.2 microm, 1,180.8 microm(2)). The average number of axosomatic terminals in a section was 52.2 for the SM, and 54.2 for the CT motoneurons. More than half of them (58.0%) contained pleomorphic vesicles and made symmetric synaptic contacts (Gray's type II) with the SM motoneurons, while 57.9% of them contained round vesicles and made asymmetric synaptic contacts (Gray's type I) with the CT motoneurons. A few C-terminals were present on the SM (3.5) and the CT (3.7) motoneurons. About 60% of the axodendritic terminals were Gray's type I in both the SM and the CT motoneurons. A few labeled small motoneurons were also found among the SM and the CT motoneurons. They were small (19.2 x 26.2 microm, 367.0 microm(2)), round cells containing poorly developed organelles with a few axosomatic terminals (9.3). Only 20% of the somatic membrane was covered with the terminals. Thus, these neurons were presumed to be gamma-motoneurons. These results indicate that the motoneurons in the medial and the lateral column of the accessory nucleus have different ultrastructural characteristics.

  10. Accessory enzymes from Aspergillus involved in xylan and pectin degradation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vries, de R.P.

    1999-01-01

    The xylanolytic and pectinolytic enzyme systems from Aspergillus have been the subject of study for many years. Although the main chain cleaving enzymes and their encoding genes have been studied in detail, little information is available about most of the accessory

  11. Validated Competency Task Lists for Apparel and Accessories Marketing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selke-Kern, Barbara E.

    Developed by a project that validated task lists by a variety of teachers and apparel marketing business persons, this guide contains task lists for occupations in the field of apparel and accessories marketing. The guide is organized in three sections. Section 1 includes the following: (1) notes on using the information in the guide; (2) a…

  12. Comparison of the accuracy of three algorithms in predicting accessory pathways among adult Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maden, Orhan; Balci, Kevser Gülcihan; Selcuk, Mehmet Timur; Balci, Mustafa Mücahit; Açar, Burak; Unal, Sefa; Kara, Meryem; Selcuk, Hatice

    2015-12-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of three algorithms in predicting accessory pathway locations in adult patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome in Turkish population. A total of 207 adult patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome were retrospectively analyzed. The most preexcited 12-lead electrocardiogram in sinus rhythm was used for analysis. Two investigators blinded to the patient data used three algorithms for prediction of accessory pathway location. Among all locations, 48.5% were left-sided, 44% were right-sided, and 7.5% were located in the midseptum or anteroseptum. When only exact locations were accepted as match, predictive accuracy for Chiang was 71.5%, 72.4% for d'Avila, and 71.5% for Arruda. The percentage of predictive accuracy of all algorithms did not differ between the algorithms (p = 1.000; p = 0.875; p = 0.885, respectively). The best algorithm for prediction of right-sided, left-sided, and anteroseptal and midseptal accessory pathways was Arruda (p algorithms were similar in predicting accessory pathway location and the predicted accuracy was lower than previously reported by their authors. However, according to the accessory pathway site, the algorithm designed by Arruda et al. showed better predictions than the other algorithms and using this algorithm may provide advantages before a planned ablation.

  13. Accessory papillary muscles and papillary muscle hypertrophy are associated with sudden cardiac arrest of unknown cause.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uhm, Jae-Sun; Youn, Jong-Chan; Lee, Hye-Jeong; Park, Junbeom; Park, Jin-Kyu; Shim, Chi Young; Hong, Geu-Ru; Joung, Boyoung; Pak, Hui-Nam; Lee, Moon-Hyoung

    2015-10-15

    The present study was performed for elucidating the associations between the morphology of the papillary muscles (PMs) and sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). We retrospectively reviewed history, laboratory data, electrocardiography, echocardiography, coronary angiography, and cardiac CT/MRI for 190 patients with SCA. The prevalence of accessory PMs and PM hypertrophy in patients with SCA of unknown cause was compared with that in patients with SCA of known causes and 98 age- and sex-matched patients without SCA. An accessory PM was defined as a PM with origins separated from the anterolateral and posteromedial PMs, or a PM that branched into two or three bellies at the base of the anterolateral or posteromedial PM. PM hypertrophy was defined as at least one of the two PMs having a diameter of ≥1.1cm. In 49 patients (age 49.9±15.9years; 38 men) the cause of SCA was unknown, whereas 141 (age 54.2±16.6years; 121 men) had a known cause. The prevalence of accessory PMs was significantly higher in the unknown-cause group than in the known-cause group (24.5% and 7.8%, respectively; p=0.002) or the no-SCA group (7.1%, p=0.003). The same was true for PM hypertrophy (unknown-cause 12.2%, known-cause 2.1%, p=0.010; no SCA group 1.0%, p=0.006). By logistic regression, accessory PM and PM hypertrophy were independently associated with sudden cardiac arrest of unknown cause. An accessory PM and PM hypertrophy are associated with SCA of unknown cause. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Accessory hepatic lobe simulating a left hemidiaphragmatic tumor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuroiwa, Toshiro; Hirata, Hitoshi; Iwashita, Akinori; Yasumori, Kotaro; Mogami, Hiroshi; Teraoka, Hiroaki

    1984-01-01

    A 72-year-old woman with a 20-year history of neuralgia was confirmed at surgery to have a tumor in the left hemidiaphragmatic region which was connected with the left lobe of the liver. Reassessment of radiological diagnosis after surgery revealed that hepatobiliary scintigraphy and computed tomography using left anterior oblique scanning are useful in differentiating the accessory hepatic lobe of the liver from a tumor and in confirming the diagnosis, respectively. (Namekawa, K.)

  15. Prophylactic accessory-pathway ablation in asymptomatic patients with a Wolff-Parkinson-White electrocardiographic pattern.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozenc, S; Iscen, S; Kibrisli, E; Tok, D; Parlak, A; Altinel, O; Altinel, S

    2014-01-01

    The optimal approach is controversial in asymptomatic patients who are coincidentally found to have evidence of an accessory pathway (AP) on an ECG. The risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) is low, and the risk of developing symptoms also appears to be low, although a wide range of incidences have been reported. In our trial, we tested the hypothesis that if prophylactic accessory-pathway ablation performed at the time of the initial electrophysiological testing would improve the long-term outcome in asymptomatic patients with a Wolff-Parkinson-White electrocardiographic pattern. Recruitment of patients began on February 1, 2004, and ended on February 5, 2009. All 110 asymptomatic patients were hospitalized and underwent electrophysiological testing the same day to assess the inducibility of atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia. The anterograde effective refractory period of the accessory pathway was defined as the longest coupling interval at which anterograde block in the bypass tract was observed. For the statistical analysis, the statistical software SPSS version 15.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Of 110 asymptomatic patients with a Wolff-Parkinson-White electrocardiographic pattern, 80 patients were ablated. Ablation group consisted of these patients. Control group consisted of remaining 30 and were divided into two groups according to the anterograde effective refractory period of the accessory pathway. There was no significant difference between three groups in terms of arrhythmic events (p: 0.58). Asymptomatic patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome do not require prophylactic ablation, since they remain asymptomatic for many years.

  16. 21 CFR 876.4730 - Manual gastroenterology-urology surgical instrument and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Manual gastroenterology-urology surgical... OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES GASTROENTEROLOGY-UROLOGY DEVICES Surgical Devices § 876.4730 Manual gastroenterology-urology surgical instrument and accessories. (a) Identification...

  17. Hypoalgesic effect of a passive accessory mobilisation technique in patients with lateral ankle pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeo, Hwee Koon; Wright, Anthony

    2011-08-01

    A randomised, double blind, repeated measures study was conducted to investigate the initial effects of an accessory mobilisation technique applied to the ankle joint in 13 patients with a unilateral sub-acute ankle supination injury. Ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, pressure pain threshold, visual analogue scale rating of pain during functional activity and ankle functional scores were assessed before and after application of treatment, manual contact control and no contact control conditions. There were significant improvements in ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (p = 0.000) and pressure pain threshold (p = 0.000) during the treatment condition. However no significant effects were observed for the other measures. These findings demonstrate that mobilisation of the ankle joint can produce an initial hypoalgesic effect and an improvement in ankle dorsiflexion range of motion. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. An Asymptomatic Case of Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome with Right-sided Free-wall Accessory Pathway and Left Ventricular Dysfunction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takanao Mine, MD

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available A 16-year-old girl with a known history of asymptomatic Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome exhibited signs of left ventricular (LV septal akinesia and LV dysfunction during routine follow-up. A 12-lead surface ECG showed pre-excitation, a predominantly negative delta wave in V1 and left axis deviation, which was consistent with the presence of a right free-wall accessory pathway. Radiofrequency ablation of the anterolateral right atrium around the local shortest atrium-to-ventricle interval created the accessory pathway block. An echocardiogram taken one month after the procedure revealed that LV septal wall motion had normalized and that LV ejection fraction had improved from 50% before the ablation to 64% after the ablation. Most previous reports of asymptomatic patients of WPW with LV septal dyskinesia and dysfunction have described right septal or posteroseptal accessory pathways. This patient reported here represents a rare case with right free-wall accessory pathway and LV dysfunction without tachycardia.

  19. Morphological and clinical aspects of the occurrence of accessory (multiple) renal arteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gulas, Ewelina; Wysiadecki, Grzegorz; Szymański, Jacek; Majos, Agata; Stefańczyk, Ludomir; Topol, Mirosław

    2016-01-01

    Renal vascularization variants vastly differ between individuals due to the very complex embryogenesis of the kidneys. Moreover, each variant may have implications for clinical and surgical interventions. The number of operating procedures continues to grow, and includes renal transplants, aneurysmorrhaphy and other vascular reconstructions. In any surgical technique, unawareness of the presence of multiple renal arteries may result in a fatal outcome, especially if laparoscopic methods are used. The aim of this review is to comprehensively identify the variation within multiple renal arteries and to highlight the connections between the presence of accessory renal arteries and the coexistence of other variants of vascularization. Another aim is to determine the potential clinical implications of the presence of accessory renal arteries. This study is of particular importance for surgeons, intervention radiologists, nephrologists and vascular surgeons. PMID:29593819

  20. Successful Ablation of Antero-septal Accessory Pathway in the Non-Coronary Cusp in a Child

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daisuke Kobayashi, MD

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available A 15-year-old boy with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome underwent an electrophysiology study for symptoms of palpitations and persistence of pre-excitation during peak exercise. He was detected to have right antero-septal accessory pathway with relatively long effective refractory period and no inducible tachycardia. He had only transient normalization with cryoablation. Eight months later, he presented again with two episodes of seizures with preceding palpitations. Neurology evaluation was unremarkable with a normal electroencephalogram. In view of his symptoms in association with evidence of pre-excitation, he underwent a second electrophysiology study with ablation. Cryoablation in the anterior septum again achieved only transient normalization. Mapping in the non-coronary cusp identified an earliest accessory pathway potential. RF ablation was performed in the non- coronary cusp with immediate normalization of his electrocardiogram. At 6 month follow-up, he continues to have no pre-excitation on his EKG. Ablation of the anteroseptal accessory pathway in the non-coronary cusp can be safely performed in patients’ refractory to conventional ablation sites and techniques.

  1. 49 CFR 398.5 - Parts and accessories necessary for safe operation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... REGULATIONS TRANSPORTATION OF MIGRANT WORKERS § 398.5 Parts and accessories necessary for safe operation. (a... not be of welded construction. The installation shall be such as not to cause cracking, warping, or... high, by attachment of sideboards to the permanent body construction if necessary. Stake body...

  2. 41 CFR 101-39.304 - Modification or installation of accessory equipment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ..., TRANSPORTATION, AND MOTOR VEHICLES 39-INTERAGENCY FLEET MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS 39.3-Use and Care of GSA Interagency Fleet Management System Vehicles § 101-39.304 Modification or installation of accessory equipment. The modification of a GSA Interagency Fleet Management System (IFMS) vehicle or the permanent installation of...

  3. Online monitoring of Accessories for Underground Electrical Installations through Acoustics Emissions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Casals-Torrens P.

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available The acoustic waves caused by Partial Discharges inside the dielectric materials, can be detected by acoustic emission (AE sensors and analyzed in the time domain. The experimental results presented, show the online detection capability of these sensors in the environment near a cable accessory, such as a splice or terminal. The AE sensors are immune to electromagnetic interference and constitute a detection method non-intrusive and non-destructive, which ensures a galvanic decoupling with respect to electric networks, this technique of partial discharge detection can be applied as a test method for preventive or predictive maintenance (condition-based maintenance to equipments or facilities of medium and high voltage in service and represents an alternative method to electrical detection systems, conventional or not, that continue to rely on the detection of current pulses. This paper presents characterization tests of the sensors AE through comparative tests of partial discharge on accessories for underground power cables.

  4. Accessory Breast Cancer Occurring Concurrently with Bilateral Primary Invasive Breast Carcinomas: A Report of Two Cases and Literature Review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hao, Jin-yan; Yang, Cui-cui; Liu, Fang-fang; Yang, Yi-ling; Li, Shuai; Li, Wei-dong; Li, Ya-qing; Lang, Rong-gang; Fan, Yu; Paulos, Estifanos; Zhang, Xin-min; Fu, Li

    2012-01-01

    The development of accessory breast tissue, which is found anywhere along the milk line, is attributed to the failure of milk line remnants to regress during embryogenesis. Primary tumors may arise from any ectopic breast tissue. Accessory breast cancer occurring concurrently with primary invasive breast cancer is extremely rare. Two such cases were reported in this article. One was a 43-year-old Chinese female who exhibited bilateral breast cancer (invasive ductal carcinoma, not otherwise specified, IDC-NOS) and an accessory breast carcinoma (IDC-NOS) incidentally identified in her left axilla. The ectopic breast tissue in her right axilla presented with adenosis. The patient was surgically treated, followed by postoperative docetaxel epirubicin (TE) chemotherapy. The second case was a 53-year-old Chinese female with bilateral breast cancer (apocrine carcinoma) accompanied by an accessory breast carcinoma (IDC-NOS) in her right axilla that was also incidentally identified. The patient was surgically treated after three doses of cyclophosphamide epirubicin docetaxel (CET) neoadjuvant chemotherapy, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy of the same regimen

  5. Properties of Phase Transition of Traffic Flow on Urban Expressway Systems with Ramps and Accessory Roads

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mei Chaoqun; Liu Yejin

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, we develop a cellular automaton model to describe the phase transition of traffic flow on urban expressway systems with on-off-ramps and accessory roads. The lane changing rules are given in detailed, the numerical results show that the main road and the accessory road both produce phase transitions. These phase transitions will often be influenced by the number of lanes, lane changing, the ramp flow, the input flow rate, and the geometry structure. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

  6. Assessment of exposure to manganese in welding operations during the assembly of heavy excavation machinery accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smargiassi, A; Baldwin, M; Savard, S; Kennedy, G; Mergler, D; Zayed, J

    2000-10-01

    Welder exposure to metals in various industrial sectors is poorly characterized. We had the opportunity to carry out an exploratory study to characterize manganese exposure in welding operations in a recently established Quebec factory that assembled accessories for heavy excavation machinery. Ten workers were sampled for total manganese for at least two consecutive days out of three followed by two consecutive days for respirable manganese (with a size selective sampler with a median cut-off of 4 microns), during a typical week in the summer of 1998. Parts being welded were characterized as large or small. Small parts were those being welded on tables during subassembly. Workers were divided into two groups according to the parts they were welding. Seventy-eight percent of the total manganese exposure levels of welding operations during the assembly of large accessories of heavy excavation machinery exceeded the manganese American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) threshold limit value (TLV) of 0.20 mg/m3 (GM 0.24 mg/m3, n = 14) while none exceeded the TLV during the assembly of small pieces (GM 0.06 mg/m3, n = 8). Welding operations during the assembly of large heavy excavation machinery accessories may pose a significant health hazard. Considering the importance of task-related variables affecting exposure among workers, further studies are needed to better characterize exposure determinants of welding operations during the assembly of heavy excavation machinery accessories.

  7. Human Pol ζ purified with accessory subunits is active in translesion DNA synthesis and complements Pol η in cisplatin bypass.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Young-Sam; Gregory, Mark T; Yang, Wei

    2014-02-25

    DNA polymerase ζ (Pol ζ) is a eukaryotic B-family DNA polymerase that specializes in translesion synthesis and is essential for normal embryogenesis. At a minimum, Pol ζ consists of a catalytic subunit Rev3 and an accessory subunit Rev7. Mammalian Rev3 contains >3,000 residues and is twice as large as the yeast homolog. To date, no vertebrate Pol ζ has been purified for biochemical characterization. Here we report purification of a series of human Rev3 deletion constructs expressed in HEK293 cells and identification of a minimally catalytically active human Pol ζ variant. With a tagged form of an active Pol ζ variant, we isolated two additional accessory subunits of human Pol ζ, PolD2 and PolD3. The purified four-subunit Pol ζ4 (Rev3-Rev7-PolD2-PolD3) is much more efficient and more processive at bypassing a 1,2-intrastrand d(GpG)-cisplatin cross-link than the two-subunit Pol ζ2 (Rev3-Rev7). We show that complete bypass of cisplatin lesions requires Pol η to insert dCTP opposite the 3' guanine and Pol ζ4 to extend the primers.

  8. Accessory mental foramen: A rare anatomical variation detected by cone-beam computed tomography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Torres, Marianna Guanaes Gomes; De Faro Valverde, Ludmila; Vidal, Manuela Torres Andion; Crusoe-Rebello, Ieda Margarida [Dept. of Oral Radiology, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador (Brazil)

    2015-03-15

    The mental foramen is a bilateral opening in the vestibular portion of the mandible through which nerve endings, such as the mental nerve, emerge. In general, the mental foramen is located between the lower premolars. This region is a common area for the placement of dental implants. It is very important to identify anatomical variations in presurgical imaging exams since damage to neurovascular bundles may have a direct influence on treatment success. In the hemimandible, the mental foramen normally appears as a single structure, but there are some rare reports on the presence and number of anatomical variations; these variations may include accessory foramina. The present report describes the presence of accessory mental foramina in the right mandible, as detected by cone-beam computed tomography before dental implant placement.

  9. Mast Cell Function

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Silva, Elaine Zayas Marcelino; Jamur, Maria Célia

    2014-01-01

    Since first described by Paul Ehrlich in 1878, mast cells have been mostly viewed as effectors of allergy. It has been only in the past two decades that mast cells have gained recognition for their involvement in other physiological and pathological processes. Mast cells have a widespread distribution and are found predominantly at the interface between the host and the external environment. Mast cell maturation, phenotype and function are a direct consequence of the local microenvironment and have a marked influence on their ability to specifically recognize and respond to various stimuli through the release of an array of biologically active mediators. These features enable mast cells to act as both first responders in harmful situations as well as to respond to changes in their environment by communicating with a variety of other cells implicated in physiological and immunological responses. Therefore, the critical role of mast cells in both innate and adaptive immunity, including immune tolerance, has gained increased prominence. Conversely, mast cell dysfunction has pointed to these cells as the main offenders in several chronic allergic/inflammatory disorders, cancer and autoimmune diseases. This review summarizes the current knowledge of mast cell function in both normal and pathological conditions with regards to their regulation, phenotype and role. PMID:25062998

  10. Dendritic Cell Stimulation by IFN-β Alters T Cell Function via Modulation of Cytokine Secretion in Diabetes Type 1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abediankenari Saeid

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available During antigen capture and processing, mature dendritic cells (DC express large amounts of peptide-MHC complexes and accessory molecules on their surface. We investigated the role of IFN-β in induction HLA-G expression on the monocyte derived DC and cytokine profile in diabetes type 1. We accomplished secretary pattern and total cytokine production of the Th1 cytokine (IL-2, γIFN and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-10 before and after mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR of 30 diabetic patients and 30 normal subjects.   In this study a significant increase of IL-10 and γIFN reduction after IFN-β Therapy in culture in presence of HLA-G bearing DC as compared to control were seen. It is seen that dendritic cell causes IL-10 production of T cell in vitro that reduce T cell activation from diabetes patients and normal subjects resulted to the production and expression of HLA-G on these cells from both groups. Using mixed leukocyte reaction, it was found that IFN-β-treated dendritic cell mediated the inhibition of autologous T cell activation via IL-10 production and level of HLA-G on dendritic cell may be correlated to disease activity in diabetes patients and it could also serve as a useful marker for disease progress and treatment.

  11. Preparation and Dielectric Properties of SiC/LSR Nanocomposites for Insulation of High Voltage Direct Current Cable Accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shang, Nanqiang; Chen, Qingguo; Wei, Xinzhe

    2018-03-08

    The conductivity mismatch in the composite insulation of high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable accessories causes electric field distribution distortion and even insulation breakdown. Therefore, a liquid silicone rubber (LSR) filled with SiC nanoparticles is prepared for the insulation of cable accessories. The micro-morphology of the SiC/LSR nanocomposites is observed by scanning electron microscopy, and their trap parameters are characterized using thermal stimulated current (TSC) tests. Moreover, the dielectric properties of SiC/LSR nanocomposites with different SiC concentrations are tested. The results show that the 3 wt % SiC/LSR sample has the best nonlinear conductivity, more than one order of magnitude higher than that of pure LSR with improved temperature and nonlinear conductivity coefficients. The relative permittivity increased 0.2 and dielectric loss factor increased 0.003, while its breakdown strength decreased 5 kV/mm compared to those of pure LSR. Moreover, the TSC results indicate the introduction of SiC nanoparticles reduced the trap level and trap density. Furthermore, the SiC nanoparticles filling significantly increased the sensitivity of LSR to electric field stress and temperature changes, enhancing the conductivity and electric field distribution within the HVDC cable accessories, thus improving the reliability of the HVDC cable accessories.

  12. Electrophysiological evidence for a direct link between the main and accessory olfactory bulbs in the adult rat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victor eVargas-Barroso

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available It is accepted that the main- and accessory- olfactory systems exhibit overlapping responses to pheromones and odorants. We performed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in adult rat olfactory bulb slices to define a possible interaction between the first central relay of these systems: the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB and the main olfactory bulb (MOB. This was tested by applying electrical field stimulation in the dorsal part of the MOB while recording large principal cells (LPCs of the anterior AOB (aAOB. Additional recordings of LPCs were performed at either side of the plane of intersection between the aAOB and posterior-AOB (pAOB halves, or linea alba, while applying field stimulation to the opposite half. A total of 92 recorded neurons were filled during whole-cell recordings with biocytin and studied at the light microscope. Neurons located in the aAOB (n = 6, 8% send axon collaterals to the MOB since they were antidromically activated in the presence of glutamate receptor antagonists (APV and CNQX. Recorded LPCs evoked orthodromic excitatory post-synaptic responses (n = 6, aAOB; n = 1, pAOB or antidromic action potentials (n = 8, aAOB; n = 7, pAOB when applying field stimulation to the opposite half of the recording site (e.g. recording in aAOB; stimulating in pAOB and vice-versa. Observation of the filled neurons revealed that indeed, LPCs send axon branches that cross the linea alba to resolve in the internal cellular layer. Additionally, LPCs of the aAOB send axon collaterals to dorsal-MOB territory. Notably, while performing AOB recordings we found a sub-population of neurons (24 % of the total that exhibited voltage-dependent bursts of action potentials. Our findings support the existence of: 1. a direct projection from aAOB LPCs to dorsal-MOB, 2. physiologically active synapses linking aAOB and pAOB, and 3. pacemaker-like neurons in both AOB halves. This work was presented in the form of an Abstract on SfN 2014 (719.14/EE17.

  13. Protein Tunnels: The Case of Urease Accessory Proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Musiani, Francesco; Gioia, Dario; Masetti, Matteo; Falchi, Federico; Cavalli, Andrea; Recanatini, Maurizio; Ciurli, Stefano

    2017-05-09

    Transition metals are both essential micronutrients and limited in environmental availability. The Ni(II)-dependent urease protein, the most efficient enzyme known to date, is a paradigm for studying the strategies that cells use to handle an essential, yet toxic, metal ion. Urease is a virulence factor of several human pathogens, in addition to decreasing the efficiency of soil organic nitrogen fertilization. Ni(II) insertion in the urease active site is performed through the action of three essential accessory proteins: UreD, UreF, and UreG. The crystal structure of the UreD-UreF-UreG complex from the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori (HpUreDFG) revealed the presence of tunnels that cross the entire length of both UreF and UreD, potentially able to deliver Ni(II) ions from UreG to apo-urease. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations performed on the HpUreDFG complex in explicit solvent and at physiological ionic conditions demonstrate the stability of these protein tunnels in solution and provide insights on the trafficking of water molecules inside the tunnels. The presence of different alternative routes across the identified tunnels for Ni(II) ions, water molecules, and carbonate ions, all involved in urease activation, is highlighted here, and their potential role in the urease activation mechanism is discussed.

  14. Egg cell signaling by the secreted peptide ZmEAL1 controls antipodal cell fate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krohn, Nadia Graciele; Lausser, Andreas; Juranić, Martina; Dresselhaus, Thomas

    2012-07-17

    Unlike in animals, female gametes of flowering plants are not the direct products of meiosis but develop from a functional megaspore after three rounds of free mitotic divisions. After nuclei migration and positioning, the eight-nucleate syncytium differentiates into the embryo sac, which contains two female gametes as well as accessory cells at the micropylar and chalazal pole, respectively. We report that an egg-cell-specific gene, ZmEAL1, is activated at the micropylar pole of the eight-nucleate syncytium. ZmEAL1 translation is restricted to the egg cell, resulting in the generation of peptide-containing vesicles directed toward its chalazal pole. RNAi knockdown studies show that ZmEAL1 is required for robust expression of the proliferation-regulatory gene IG1 at the chalazal pole of the embryo sac in antipodal cells. We further show that ZmEAL1 is required to prevent antipodal cells from adopting central cell fate. These findings show how egg cells orchestrate differentiation of the embryo sac. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. A hybrid of cells and pancreatic islets toward a new bioartificial pancreas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuji Teramura

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Cell surface engineering using single-stranded DNA–poly(ethylene glycol-conjugated phospholipid (ssDNA–PEG-lipid is useful for inducing cell–cell attachment two and three dimensionally. In this review, we summarize our recent techniques for cell surface engineering and their applications to islet transplantation. Because any DNA sequence can be immobilized onto the cell surface by hydrophobic interactions between ssDNA–PEG-lipid and the cellular membrane without impairing cell function, a cell–cell hybrid can be formed through the DNA hybridization. With this technique, it would be possible to create three-dimensional hybrid structures of pancreatic islets coated with various accessory cells, such as patients’ own cells, mesenchymal and adipose-derived stem cells, endothelial progenitor cells, neural crest stem cells or regulatory T cells, which might significantly improve the outcome of islet transplantation in diabetic patients.

  16. Distinguishing HIV-1 drug resistance, accessory, and viral fitness mutations using conditional selection pressure analysis of treated versus untreated patient samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee Christopher

    2006-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background HIV can evolve drug resistance rapidly in response to new drug treatments, often through a combination of multiple mutations 123. It would be useful to develop automated analyses of HIV sequence polymorphism that are able to predict drug resistance mutations, and to distinguish different types of functional roles among such mutations, for example, those that directly cause drug resistance, versus those that play an accessory role. Detecting functional interactions between mutations is essential for this classification. We have adapted a well-known measure of evolutionary selection pressure (Ka/Ks and developed a conditional Ka/Ks approach to detect important interactions. Results We have applied this analysis to four independent HIV protease sequencing datasets: 50,000 clinical samples sequenced by Specialty Laboratories, Inc.; 1800 samples from patients treated with protease inhibitors; 2600 samples from untreated patients; 400 samples from untreated African patients. We have identified 428 mutation interactions in Specialty dataset with statistical significance and we were able to distinguish primary vs. accessory mutations for many well-studied examples. Amino acid interactions identified by conditional Ka/Ks matched 80 of 92 pair wise interactions found by a completely independent study of HIV protease (p-value for this match is significant: 10-70. Furthermore, Ka/Ks selection pressure results were highly reproducible among these independent datasets, both qualitatively and quantitatively, suggesting that they are detecting real drug-resistance and viral fitness mutations in the wild HIV-1 population. Conclusion Conditional Ka/Ks analysis can detect mutation interactions and distinguish primary vs. accessory mutations in HIV-1. Ka/Ks analysis of treated vs. untreated patient data can distinguish drug-resistance vs. viral fitness mutations. Verification of these results would require longitudinal studies. The result

  17. Alloactivated HLA class II-positive T-cell lines induce IL-2 reactivity but lack accessory cell function in mixed leukocyte culture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Odum, N; Dickmeiss, E; Hofmann, B

    1989-01-01

    in the primary mixed leukocyte reaction (median counts per minute (cpm) 5.5 x 10(3] was significantly lower than that of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (cpm: 44.0 x 10(3]. The stimulation by Ta was almost only seen when the Ta were specifically directed against the class II antigens of the responder...... peripheral blood mononuclear cells (i.e., in combinations with "backstimulation") (median cpm: 21,000). In mixed leukocyte reaction combinations without backstimulation, significantly weaker reactions were seen (median cpm: 1,000). This observation may explain previous controversies concerning...

  18. Accessory minerals and subduction zone metasomatism: a geochemical comparison of two mélanges (Washington and California, U.S.A.)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sorensen, Sorena S.; Grossman, Jeffrey N.

    1993-01-01

    The ability of a subducted slab or subducted sediment to contribute many incompatible trace elements to arc source regions may depend on the stabilities of accessory minerals within these rocks, which can only be studied indirectly. In contrast, the role of accessory minerals in lower-T and -P metasomatic processes within paleo-subduction zones can be studied directly in subduction-zone metamorphic terranes.

  19. Bilateral axillary masses mimicking as accessory breast with multiple fibroadenoma and bilateral gigantomastia in HIV-positive patient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Saumya; Mishra, Anand K; Tewari, S; Kumar, Sanjeev

    2013-06-24

    Accessory breast is a rare entity that can present as asymptomatic masses or can cause symptoms like heaviness, pain, restriction of arm movement and limitation in daily pursuits with allied apprehension and anxiety for the patient. We present a case of bilateral axillary masses mimicking as accessory breast with multiple fibroadenoma in a 28 years, nulliparous, Indian woman who is HIV positive, which proves to be a diagnostic dilemma. Excisional biopsy was diagnostic. The rarity of such cases imposes challenges on the management in terms of diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic options.

  20. Accessory ossicles and sesamoid bones of the ankle and foot: imaging findings, clinical significance and differential diagnosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mellado, J.M.; Ramos, A.; Salvado, E.; Camins, A.; Sauri, A.; Danus, M.

    2003-01-01

    Accessory ossicles and sesamoid bones are frequent findings in routine radiographs of the ankle and foot. They are commonly considered fortuitous and unrelated to the patient's complaint; however, they may eventually cause painful syndromes or degenerative changes in response to overuse and trauma. They may also suffer or simulate fractures. Our aim was to review, illustrate and discuss the imaging findings of some of the more frequent accessory ossicles and sesamoid bones of the ankle and foot region, with particular emphasis on those that may be of clinical significance or simulate fractures. (orig.)

  1. Chemosensory function of the amygdala.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutiérrez-Castellanos, Nicolás; Martínez-Marcos, Alino; Martínez-García, Fernando; Lanuza, Enrique

    2010-01-01

    The chemosensory amygdala has been traditionally divided into two divisions based on inputs from the main (olfactory amygdala) or accessory (vomeronasal amygdala) olfactory bulbs, supposedly playing different and independent functional roles detecting odors and pheromones, respectively. Recently, there has been increased anatomical evidence of convergence inputs from the main and accessory bulbs in some areas of the amygdala, and this is correlated with functional evidence of interrelationships between the olfactory and the vomeronasal systems. This has lead to the characterization of a third division of the chemosensory amygdala, the mixed chemosensory amygdala, providing a new perspective of how chemosensory information is processed in the amygdaloid complex, in particular in relation to emotional behaviors. In this chapter, we analyze the anatomical and functional organization of the chemosensory amygdala from this new perspective. Finally, the evolutionary changes of the chemosensory nuclei of the mammalian amygdala are discussed, paying special attention to the case of primates, including humans. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Langerhans cells from human oral epithelium are more effective at stimulating allogeneic T cells in vitro than Langerhans cells from skin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasséus, B; Jontell, M; Bergenholtz, G; Dahlgren, U I

    2004-06-01

    This report is focused on the functional capacity of Langerhans cells (LC) in the epithelium of skin and oral mucosa, which both meet different antigenic challenges. The capacity of LC from human oral and skin epithelium to provide co-stimulatory signals to T cells in vitro was compared. LC in a crude suspension of oral epithelial cells had a significantly enhanced T cell co-stimulatory capacity compared to skin epithelial cells. This applied both to cultures with concanavalin A (con-A)-stimulated syngeneic T cells and to a mixed epithelial cell lymphocyte reaction involving allogeneic T cells. The co-stimulatory capacity of oral and skin epithelial cells was reduced by >70% if monoclonal antibodies against HLA-DR, -DP and -DQ were added to the cultures with allogeneic T cells, indicating the involvement of HLA class II expressing LC. Immunohistochemistry revealed that 6% of the epithelial cells were CD1a + LC in sections from both oral and skin epithelium. Interleukin (IL)-8 production was higher in cultures of oral epithelial cells and con-A stimulated T cells than in corresponding cultures with skin epithelial cells as accessory cells. The results suggest that LC in human oral epithelium are more efficient at stimulating T cells than those of skin.

  3. U-TH-REE mobility and diffusion in granitic environments during alteration of accessory minerals and U-ores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cathelineau, M.; Vergneaud, M.

    1989-01-01

    U, Th and REE concentrations and distributions have been studied in granitic rocks, using a multidisciplinary approach involving micromapping of cracks in oriented samples, together with mineralogical and geochemical studies of the different U-Th-REE bearing phases. The behavior of U, Th and Nd, considered as chemical analogue elements of the radiotoxic nuclides, was investigated either in the vicinity of microsites (accessory mineral enviornment) or along plurimetric sections around U-ore bodies. The different granite minerals, especially the accessory minerals (uraninite, monazite, thorite, apatite, xeonotime), as well as U-ores, present different initial concentrations of U, Th and REE. Limitations to the analogy between these U-Th-REE concentrations and the radwastes is discussed as a function of their mineralogical features, chemical compostion, size and solubilities. These primary concentrations present different behavior when subjected to hydrothermal alteration, such as propylitization, phyllite type alteration, or clay alteration. Results show that in reduced media, in the temperature range 80-2000 0 C, the rate of mobilization of U, Th, REE is relatively moderate. However, fluids enriched in flourides, phosphates or carbonates may significantly solubilize and transport U and REE under specific conditions. In addition, the degree of opening of the microcracks and faults, as well as the oxidation-reduction processes, are critical parameters for the efficiency of the granitic geological barrier

  4. Effect of Gamma Irradiation on Male Sterilization and Structure of the Male Reproductive Accessory Glands of the Khapra Beetle Trogoderma Granarium Everts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdel-Kawy, F.K.; El-Naggar, S.E.

    2000-01-01

    Changes in the male reproductive ability of Trogoderma Granarium Everts as regards to sterilization and structural changes in the accessory glands due to gamma radiation were studied. The reproductive ability of males irradiated as full grown pupae and mated with normal females was dose-dependent. A dose 100 Gy increased sterility of males to about 61.1%, while 200 Gy dose sterilized males completely. The number of eggs per mated female was significantly different from the control. The number of eggs decreased from 51.1 at 50 Gy to 5.9 at 200 Gy. Eclosion and deformity of males irradiated from 50 to 200 Gy seemed to be less affected as compared to the reproductive ability. When full grown male pupae were irradiated with the sterilizing dose, a considerable effect on the structure of accessory glands was observed. The dose 200 Gy caused lysis and damage of all type of secretory cells. The secretory epithelial cells showed abnormal appearance and became separated from each other. The cytoplasm was often shrunk, leaving spaces. The muscular sheaths surrounding the gland and lining its lumen were shrunk and damaged in some parts. The mitochondria and golgi bodies were completely lost. The multi microvilli lining the lumen of the gland disappeared. The basement membrane became loose and acquired irregular appearance in most parts. Intercellular microtubules disappeared completely. The gland generally was greatly damaged and lost its normal structure

  5. Infrared Imaging of Cotton Fiber Bundles Using a Focal Plane Array Detector and a Single Reflectance Accessory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Santiago Cintrón

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Infrared imaging is gaining attention as a technique used in the examination of cotton fibers. This type of imaging combines spectral analysis with spatial resolution to create visual images that examine sample composition and distribution. Herein, we report on the use of an infrared instrument equipped with a reflection accessory and an array detector system for the examination of cotton fiber bundles. Cotton vibrational spectra and chemical images were acquired by grouping pixels in the detector array. This technique reduced spectral noise and was employed to visualize cell wall development in cotton fibers bundles. Fourier transform infrared spectra reveal band changes in the C–O bending region that matched previous studies. Imaging studies were quick, relied on small amounts of sample and provided a distribution of the cotton fiber cell wall composition. Thus, imaging of cotton bundles with an infrared detector array has potential for use in cotton fiber examinations.

  6. Apoptosis-Inducing-Factor-Dependent Mitochondrial Function Is Required for T Cell but Not B Cell Function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milasta, Sandra; Dillon, Christopher P; Sturm, Oliver E; Verbist, Katherine C; Brewer, Taylor L; Quarato, Giovanni; Brown, Scott A; Frase, Sharon; Janke, Laura J; Perry, S Scott; Thomas, Paul G; Green, Douglas R

    2016-01-19

    The role of apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) in promoting cell death versus survival remains controversial. We report that the loss of AIF in fibroblasts led to mitochondrial electron transport chain defects and loss of proliferation that could be restored by ectopic expression of the yeast NADH dehydrogenase Ndi1. Aif-deficiency in T cells led to decreased peripheral T cell numbers and defective homeostatic proliferation, but thymic T cell development was unaffected. In contrast, Aif-deficient B cells developed and functioned normally. The difference in the dependency of T cells versus B cells on AIF for function and survival correlated with their metabolic requirements. Ectopic Ndi1 expression rescued homeostatic proliferation of Aif-deficient T cells. Despite its reported roles in cell death, fibroblasts, thymocytes and B cells lacking AIF underwent normal death. These studies suggest that the primary role of AIF relates to complex I function, with differential effects on T and B cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Terminal phalangeal accessory ossification center of the thumb: an additional radiographic finding in Larsen syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alanay, Yasemin; Utine, Gulen E.; Tuncbilek, Ergul; Lachman, Ralph S.; Krakow, Deborah

    2006-01-01

    Larsen syndrome is an autosomal-dominant disorder characterized by multiple joint dislocations, vertebral anomalies and dysmorphic facies. Both autosomal-dominant and autosomal-recessive forms of the disorder have been proposed. Individuals with autosomal-dominant Larsen syndrome have characteristic ''cylindrical-shape'' thumbs caused by broad, shortened phalanges. Autosomal-dominant Larsen syndrome results from heterozygosity for mutations in filamin B, a cytoskeletal protein involved in multicellular processes. We report here a patient with a duplicated or accessory distal thumb phalanx and multiple large joint dislocations who was shown to be heterozygous for a filamin B mutation predicting the amino acid substitution G1691S. This adds a new radiographic finding, duplicated or accessory distal phalanx, to the radiographic abnormalities seen in this rare dominant disorder. (orig.)

  8. 26 CFR 48.4063-2 - Tax-free sales of parts or accessories sold for resale on or in connection with the first retail...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... must be adhered to in substance. Exemption Certificate (For use by ultimate purchaser who purchase... furnished to vendee. A vendor (including the manufacturer) selling light-duty truck parts and accessories... vendor. A manufacturer or vendor selling light-duty truck parts or accessories tax free under section...

  9. Case report 376: Accessory (anomalous) soleus muscle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Apple, J.S.; Khoury, M.B.; Martinez, S.; Nunley, J.A.

    1986-01-01

    In summary, a case has been presented of a 24-year-old woman who developed pain in the left lower extremity while jogging. Physical examination showed a soft, palpable mass medial and anterior to the Achilles tendon in the left lower extremity. Although a lipoma was suspected, plain films and CT studies indicated clearly that the mass was not of fatty density. In fact, the density of the mass was equivalent to adjacent muscles. The mass itself was lying in the soft tissues of the left ankle tissue. An open biopsy showed a normal muscle which represented an accessory soleus muscle - a muscle known to be anomalous on accoasion and reported as being symptomatic or asymptomatic in different individuals. (orig./SHA)

  10. Sclerotic fibroma (storiform collagenoma)-like stroma in a fibroadenoma of axillary accessory breast tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Val-Bernal, José Fernando; González-Vela, María Carmen; De Grado, Mauricio; Garijo, María Francisca

    2012-08-01

    Accessory breast tissue is a subcutaneous remnant persisting after normal embryological development of the breast. It occurs most frequently in the axilla. Fibroadenomas in axillary breast tissue are rare. We report the case of a 29-year-old female patient who presented a fibroadenoma arising in the accessory breast tissue of the right axillary fossa. The neoplasm showed foci of sclerotic fibroma-like stroma. The patient had no signs of Cowden's syndrome. To the best of our knowledge, a lesion of this kind has not been previously reported. This stromal change suggests an uncommon involutional phase of the fibroadenoma with production of sclerotic and hypocellular collagen. The lesion should be differentiated from extraneural perineuroma, from the changes in fibroadenomas in Cowden's syndrome, from sclerosing lobular hyperplasia (fibroadenomatoid mastopathy) and from pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  11. The influence of axle position and the use of accessories on the activity of upper limb muscles during manual wheelchair propulsion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertolaccini, Guilherme da Silva; Carvalho Filho, Idinei Francisco Pires de; Christofoletti, Gustavo; Paschoarelli, Luis Carlos; Medola, Fausto Orsi

    2018-06-01

    Wheelchair configuration is an important factor influencing the ergonomics of the user-device interface and, from a biomechanical point of view, small changes in chair setup may have a positive influence on the demand on the upper limbs during manual propulsion. This study aimed to investigate the influence of the position of the rear wheels' axle and the use of accessories on the activity of upper limb muscles during manual wheelchair propulsion. Electromyography signals of the biceps, triceps, anterior deltoids and pectoralis major were collected for 11 able-bodied subjects in a wheelchair propulsion protocol with four different wheelchair configurations (differing in axle position and the use of accessories) on a straightforward sprint and a slalom course. With accessories, moving the axle forward led to a decrease in the activity of all muscles in both the straightforward sprint (significant differences in triceps, anterior deltoids and biceps) and the slalom course (significant difference in anterior deltoids and biceps). However, when propelling the chair without accessories, no difference was found related to axle position. Changes in wheelchair configuration can influence the ergonomics of manual wheelchair propulsion. Reducing the biomechanical loads may benefit users' mobility, independence and social participation.

  12. GSM accessories now available from the CERN Stores

    CERN Multimedia

    Labo Telecom

    2001-01-01

    As of 1st October you can order and receive GSM accessories from the CERN stores like any other article. The CERN stores also manage GSM telephones but, for technical reasons, only the Labo Telecom shop (Building 31, Room S026) is able to make the standard sales, repairs and exchanges for authorised persons with a CERN subscription. Labo Telecom will thus become a specialist shop, open from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m., and will apply the usual rules and authorisation procedures of the stores. The paper form for requests for GSM subscriptions is being computerized and will be available on EDH in the near future.

  13. Accessory atrioventricular myocardial connections in the developing human heart: relevance for perinatal supraventricular tachycardias

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hahurij, Nathan D.; Gittenberger-de Groot, Adriana C.; Kolditz, Denise P.; Bökenkamp, Regina; Schalij, Martin J.; Poelmann, Robert E.; Blom, Nico A.

    2008-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Fetal and neonatal atrioventricular (AV) reentrant tachycardias can be life-threatening but resolve in most cases during the first year of life. The transient presence of accessory AV myocardial connections during annulus fibrosus development may explain this phenomenon. METHODS AND

  14. Oxygen isotopes in garnet and accessory minerals to constrain fluids in subducted crust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubatto, Daniela; Gauthiez-Putallaz, Laure; Regis, Daniele; Rosa Scicchitano, Maria; Vho, Alice; Williams, Morgan

    2017-04-01

    Fluids are considered a fundamental agent for chemical exchanges between different rock types in the subduction system. Constraints on the sources and pathways of subduction fluids thus provide crucial information to reconstruct subduction processes. Garnet and U-Pb accessory minerals constitute some of the most robust and ubiquitous minerals in subducted crust and can preserve multiple growth zones that track the metamorphic evolution of the sample they are hosted in. Microbeam investigation of the chemical (major and trace elements) and isotopic composition (oxygen and U-Pb) of garnet and accessory minerals is used to track significant fluid-rock interaction at different stages of the subduction system. This approach requires consideration of the diffusivity of oxygen isotopes particularly in garnet, which has been investigated experimentally. The nature of the protolith and ocean floor alteration is preserved in relict accessory phases within eclogites that have been fully modified at HP conditions (e.g. Monviso and Dora Maira units in the Western Alps). Minerals in the lawsonite-blueschists of the Tavsanli zone in Turkey record pervasive fluid exchange between mafic and sedimentary blocks at the early stage of subduction. High pressure shear zones and lithological boundaries show evidence of intense fluid metasomatism at depth along discontinuities in Monviso and Corsica. In the UHP oceanic crust of the Zermatt-Saas Zone, garnet oxygen isotopes and tourmaline boron isotopes indicate multistage fluid infiltration during prograde metamorphism. Localized exchanges of aqueous fluids are also observed in the subducted continental crust of the Sesia-Lanzo Zone. In most cases analyses of distinct mineral zones enable identification of multiple pulses of fluids during the rock evolution.

  15. Activation of GABA(A) receptors in the accessory olfactory bulb does not prevent the formation of an olfactory memory in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otsuka, T; Hashida, M; Oka, T; Kaba, H

    2001-07-01

    When female mice are mated, they form a memory to the pheromonal signal of their male partner. The neural mechanisms underlying this memory involve changes at the reciprocal dendrodendritic synapses between glutamatergic mitral cells and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic granule cells in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). Blockade of GABA(A) receptors in the AOB leads to the formation of an olfactory memory. In an attempt to disrupt memory formation at mating, we used local infusions of the GABA(A) receptor agonist muscimol into the AOB during the critical period for memory formation. Muscimol across a wide range of doses (1-1000 pmol) did not prevent memory formation. The resistance of this memory to GABA(A) receptor activation may reflect the complexity of synaptic microcircuits in the AOB.

  16. Synergistic action of recombinant accessory hemicellulolytic and pectinolytic enzymes to Trichoderma reesei cellulase on rice straw degradation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laothanachareon, Thanaporn; Bunterngsook, Benjarat; Suwannarangsee, Surisa; Eurwilaichitr, Lily; Champreda, Verawat

    2015-12-01

    Synergism between core cellulases and accessory hydrolytic/non-hydrolytic enzymes is the basis of efficient hydrolysis of lignocelluloses. In this study, the synergistic action of three recombinant accessory enzymes, namely GH62 α-l-arabinofuranosidase (ARA), CE8 pectin esterase (PET), and GH10 endo-1,4-beta-xylanase (XYL) from Aspergillus aculeatus expressed in Pichia pastoris to a commercial Trichoderma reesei cellulase (Accellerase® 1500; ACR) on hydrolysis of alkaline pretreated rice straw was studied using a mixture design approach. Applying the full cubic model, the optimal ratio of quaternary enzyme mixture was predicted to be ACR:ARA:PET:XYL of 0.171:0.079:0.100:0.150, which showed a glucose releasing efficiency of 0.173 gglc/FPU, higher than the binary ACR:XYL mixture (0.122 gglc/FPU) and ACR alone (0.081 gglc/FPU) leading to a 47.3% increase in glucose yield compared with that from ACR at the same cellulase dosage. The result demonstrates the varying degree of synergism of accessory enzymes to cellulases useful for developing tailor-made enzyme systems for bio-industry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Terminal phalangeal accessory ossification center of the thumb: an additional radiographic finding in Larsen syndrome

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alanay, Yasemin [Hacettepe University, Clinical Genetics Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara (Turkey); Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Medical Genetics Institute, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Utine, Gulen E.; Tuncbilek, Ergul [Hacettepe University, Clinical Genetics Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara (Turkey); Lachman, Ralph S. [Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Medical Genetics Institute, Los Angeles, CA (United States); David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Department of Radiological Sciences, Los Angeles, CA (United States); David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Department of Pediatrics, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Krakow, Deborah [Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Medical Genetics Institute, Los Angeles, CA (United States); David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

    2006-09-15

    Larsen syndrome is an autosomal-dominant disorder characterized by multiple joint dislocations, vertebral anomalies and dysmorphic facies. Both autosomal-dominant and autosomal-recessive forms of the disorder have been proposed. Individuals with autosomal-dominant Larsen syndrome have characteristic ''cylindrical-shape'' thumbs caused by broad, shortened phalanges. Autosomal-dominant Larsen syndrome results from heterozygosity for mutations in filamin B, a cytoskeletal protein involved in multicellular processes. We report here a patient with a duplicated or accessory distal thumb phalanx and multiple large joint dislocations who was shown to be heterozygous for a filamin B mutation predicting the amino acid substitution G1691S. This adds a new radiographic finding, duplicated or accessory distal phalanx, to the radiographic abnormalities seen in this rare dominant disorder. (orig.)

  18. Regulation of satellite cell function in sarcopenia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephen E Alway

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The mechanisms contributing to sarcopenia include reduced satellite cell (myogenic stem cell function that is impacted by the environment (niche of these cells. Satellite cell function is affected by oxidative stress, which is elevated in aged muscles, and this along with changes in largely unknown systemic factors, likely contribute to the manner in which satellite cells respond to stressors such as exercise, disuse or rehabilitation in sarcopenic muscles. Nutritional intervention provides one therapeutic strategy to improve the satellite cell niche and systemic factors, with the goal of improving satellite cell function in aging muscles. Although many elderly persons consume various nutraceuticals with the hope of improving health, most of these compounds have not been thoroughly tested, and the impacts that they might have on sarcopenia, and satellite cell function are not clear. This review discusses data pertaining to the satellite cell responses and function in aging skeletal muscle, and the impact that three compounds: resveratrol, green tea catechins and β-Hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate have on regulating satellite cell function and therefore contributing to reducing sarcopenia or improving muscle mass after disuse in aging. The data suggest that these nutraceutical compounds improve satellite cell function during rehabilitative loading in animal models of aging after disuse (i.e., muscle regeneration. While these compounds have not been rigorously tested in humans, the data from animal models of aging provide a strong basis for conducting additional focused work to determine if these or other nutraceuticals can offset the muscle losses, or improve regeneration in sarcopenic muscles of older humans via improving satellite cell function.

  19. Regulation of Satellite Cell Function in Sarcopenia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alway, Stephen E.; Myers, Matthew J.; Mohamed, Junaith S.

    2014-01-01

    The mechanisms contributing to sarcopenia include reduced satellite cell (myogenic stem cell) function that is impacted by the environment (niche) of these cells. Satellite cell function is affected by oxidative stress, which is elevated in aged muscles, and this along with changes in largely unknown systemic factors, likely contribute to the manner in which satellite cells respond to stressors such as exercise, disuse, or rehabilitation in sarcopenic muscles. Nutritional intervention provides one therapeutic strategy to improve the satellite cell niche and systemic factors, with the goal of improving satellite cell function in aging muscles. Although many elderly persons consume various nutraceuticals with the hope of improving health, most of these compounds have not been thoroughly tested, and the impacts that they might have on sarcopenia and satellite cell function are not clear. This review discusses data pertaining to the satellite cell responses and function in aging skeletal muscle, and the impact that three compounds: resveratrol, green tea catechins, and β-Hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate have on regulating satellite cell function and therefore contributing to reducing sarcopenia or improving muscle mass after disuse in aging. The data suggest that these nutraceutical compounds improve satellite cell function during rehabilitative loading in animal models of aging after disuse (i.e., muscle regeneration). While these compounds have not been rigorously tested in humans, the data from animal models of aging provide a strong basis for conducting additional focused work to determine if these or other nutraceuticals can offset the muscle losses, or improve regeneration in sarcopenic muscles of older humans via improving satellite cell function. PMID:25295003

  20. Spleen: development and functional evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sty, J.R.; Conway, J.J.

    1985-01-01

    Despite the fact that the spleen has multiple functions, only one has been widely used for evaluation of the organ by imaging techniques (phagocytosis of /sup 99m/Tc sulfur colloid). The usual splenic uptake of this radiocolloid can by used to determine the size, location, and integrity of the organ. A major use of splenic radiocolloid imaging has been in the study of congenital defects. Thus, eventration of the diaphragm, accessory spleens, splenogonadal fusion, the asplenia and polysplenia syndromes, and the wandering spleen are amenable to study by means of intravenously administered radiocolloid. Interference with the splenic uptake of radiocolloid can be either focal or generalized (as in functional asplenia). Imaging of the spleen has a major role in evaluating suspected trauma of the organ and in following its clinical course. The return of splenic function after splenectomy (splenosis or accessory spleens) can be documented by radionuclide imaging, and likely by hematologic techniques when the volume of tissue is sufficiently large. The detection of intrasplenic lesions is important in tumor staging and as an alerting sign to an ongoing process. 96 references

  1. Improving the supply chain agility of a fashion accessories company

    OpenAIRE

    Rosenlund, Kristian

    2015-01-01

    This thesis aims to improve the supply chain agility of a case company that is engaged in the design, development and worldwide marketing and selling of fashion accessories and design services. This thesis explores agility in context of supply chain management and in fashion industry where the typical challenges are that demand is highly volatile and hard to predict, the number of products per sales season is large and products have a fairly short life-cycles. In this study, the research ...

  2. Induction of Functional Hair-Cell-Like Cells from Mouse Cochlear Multipotent Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Quanwen Liu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we developed a two-step-induction method of generating functional hair cells from inner ear multipotent cells. Multipotent cells from the inner ear were established and induced initially into progenitor cells committed to the inner ear cell lineage on the poly-L-lysine substratum. Subsequently, the committed progenitor cells were cultured on the mitotically inactivated chicken utricle stromal cells and induced into hair-cell-like cells containing characteristic stereocilia bundles. The hair-cell-like cells exhibited rapid permeation of FM1-43FX. The whole-cell patch-clamp technique was used to measure the membrane currents of cells differentiated for 7 days on chicken utricle stromal cells and analyze the biophysical properties of the hair-cell-like cells by recording membrane properties of cells. The results suggested that the hair-cell-like cells derived from inner ear multipotent cells were functional following differentiation in an enabling environment.

  3. Behaviour of bentonite accessory minerals during the thermal stage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arcos, David; Bruno, Jordi; Benbow, Steven; Takase, Hiro

    2000-03-01

    This report discusses in a quantitative manner the evolution of the accessory minerals in the bentonite as a result of the thermal event exerted by the spent fuel in the near field. Three different modelling approaches have been used and the results compared between them. The three different approaches have been calculated using two Differential Algebraic Equation (DAE) solver: DYLAN (Model-1) and the Nag DAE solver, d02ngf (Model-2) and the third approach (Model-3) using the last version of PHREEQC. The results from these calculations indicate the feasibility of the modelling approach to model the migration of bentonite accessory minerals and relevant aqueous species throughout the thermal gradient. These calculations indicate that the migration of quartz and quartz polymorphs is a lesser problem. The aqueous speciation of Ca in the bentonite pore water is fundamental in order to define the potential migration of anhydrite during the thermal stage. If CaSO 4 (aq) is the predominant aqueous species, then anhydrite dissolves at the initial groundwater migration times through bentonite. However, if Ca 2+ is considered to be the dominant Ca species at the bentonite pore water, then anhydrite migrates towards the clay/granite interface. This is the main difference in the chemical systems considered in the three model approaches used in this work. The main process affecting the trace mineral behaviour in bentonite is cation exchange. This process controls the concentration of calcium, which results in a direct control of the calcite precipitation-dissolution

  4. Membrane elastic properties and cell function.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruno Pontes

    Full Text Available Recent studies indicate that the cell membrane, interacting with its attached cytoskeleton, is an important regulator of cell function, exerting and responding to forces. We investigate this relationship by looking for connections between cell membrane elastic properties, especially surface tension and bending modulus, and cell function. Those properties are measured by pulling tethers from the cell membrane with optical tweezers. Their values are determined for all major cell types of the central nervous system, as well as for macrophage. Astrocytes and glioblastoma cells, which are considerably more dynamic than neurons, have substantially larger surface tensions. Resting microglia, which continually scan their environment through motility and protrusions, have the highest elastic constants, with values similar to those for resting macrophage. For both microglia and macrophage, we find a sharp softening of bending modulus between their resting and activated forms, which is very advantageous for their acquisition of phagocytic functions upon activation. We also determine the elastic constants of pure cell membrane, with no attached cytoskeleton. For all cell types, the presence of F-actin within tethers, contrary to conventional wisdom, is confirmed. Our findings suggest the existence of a close connection between membrane elastic constants and cell function.

  5. [Case report: Iatrogenic shoulder pain syndrome following spinal accessory nerve injury during lateral cervical neck dissection for tongue cancer: the role of rehabilitation and ethical-deontological issues].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ronconi, Gianpaolo; Spagnolo, Antonio Gioacchino; Ferriero, Giorgio; Giovannini, Silvia; Amabile, Eugenia; Maccauro, Giulio; Ferrara, Paola Emilia

    2017-01-01

    The shoulder pain syndrome is the most frequent complication of lateral cervical neck dissection and may be caused by iatrogenic injury to the spinal accessory nerve, causing pain and functional limitation of the upper limb and of the cervical spine. Interdisciplinary collaboration and early rehabilitation can reduce the consequences of disability and the possible issues that can arise due to inadequate management of the problem.

  6. Tetralogy of Fallot with restrictive ventricular septal defect by accessory tricuspid leaflet tissue

    OpenAIRE

    Mahipat Raj Soni; Deepak A. Bohara; Ajay U. Mahajan; Pratap J. Nathani

    2012-01-01

    In tetralogy of Fallot septal defect is usually large because of malalignment of outlet septum, restrictive defect has been reported rarely. We present a case of tetralogy of Fallot with accessory tricuspid leaflet tissue restricting ventricular septal defect. The report includes echocardiographic and catheter images of this rare presentation of tetralogy of Fallot.

  7. Cognate antigen stimulation generates potent CD8+ inflammatory effector T cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hsueh-Cheng eSung

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Inflammatory reactions are believed to be triggered by innate signals and have a major protective role by recruiting innate immunity cells, favoring lymphocyte activation and differentiation, and thus contributing to the sequestration and elimination of the injurious stimuli. Although certain lymphocyte types such as TH17 cells co-participate in inflammatory reactions, their generation from the naïve pool requires the pre-existence of an inflammatory milieu. In this context, inflammation is always regarded as beginning with an innate response that may be eventually perpetuated and amplified by certain lymphocyte types. In contrast, we here show that even in sterile immunizations or in MyD88 deficient mice, CD8 T cells produce a burst of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. These functions follow opposite rules to the classic CD8 effector functions since they are generated prior to cell expansion and decline before antigen elimination. As few as 56 CD8+ inflammatory effector cells in a lymph node can mobilize 107 cells in 24h, including lymphocytes, natural killer cells and several accessory cell types involved in inflammatory reactions. Thus, although inflammation modulates cognate responses, CD8 cognate responses also initiate local inflammatory reactions.

  8. A neonate with mitral stenosis due to accessory mitral valve, ventricular septal defect, and patent ductus arteriosus: changes in echocardiographical findings during the neonatal period.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, Tadahiko; Okubo, Tadashi

    2002-12-01

    A female neonate with mitral stenosis due to accessory mitral valve with ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus is described. She was referred to our hospital because of neonatal asphyxia. Asphyxia was improved by ventilator support, but rapid deterioration of respiration with pulmonary congestion and hemorrhage appeared 8 days after birth. Echocardiography revealed an accessory mitral valve attached to the anterior mitral leaflet with a perimembranous ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus. Although there were no echocardiographical findings indicating mitral stenosis on admission, the mitral stenosis blood flow patterns were detected by color and pulsed Doppler examination performed on the eighth day after admission. Transaortic resection of accessory mitral valve tissue was performed with patch closure of the ventricular septal defect and ligation of the ductus arteriosus 35 days after birth. After operation, pulmonary congestion and hemorrhage were improved. Postoperative echocardiography showed complete resection of the accessory mitral valve and no mitral insufficiency. We concluded that the combination of the accessory mitral valve and left-to-right shunt due to ventricular septal defect or patent ducturs arteriosus might have led to a critical hemodynamic condition due to relative mitral stenosis in the neonatal period with the decrease in pulmonary vascular resistance.

  9. Localization of accessory pathway in patients with wolff-parkinson-white syndrome from surface ecg using arruda algorithm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saidullah, S.; Shah, B.

    2016-01-01

    Background: To ablate accessory pathway successfully and conveniently, accurate localization of the pathway is needed. Electrophysiologists use different algorithms before taking the patients to the electrophysiology (EP) laboratory to plan the intervention accordingly. In this study, we used Arruda algorithm to locate the accessory pathway. The objective of the study was to determine the accuracy of the Arruda algorithm for locating the pathway on surface ECG. Methods: It was a cross-sectional observational study conducted from January 2014 to January 2016 in the electrophysiology department of Hayat Abad Medical Complex Peshawar Pakistan. A total of fifty nine (n=59) consecutive patients of both genders between age 14-60 years presented with WPW syndrome (Symptomatic tachycardia with delta wave on surface ECG) were included in the study. Patient's electrocardiogram (ECG) before taking patients to laboratory was analysed on Arruda algorithm. Standard four wires protocol was used for EP study before ablation. Once the findings were confirmed the pathway was ablated as per standard guidelines. Results: A total of fifty nine (n=59) patients between the age 14-60 years were included in the study. Cumulative mean age was 31.5 years ± 12.5 SD. There were 56.4% (n=31) males with mean age 28.2 years ± 10.2 SD and 43.6% (n=24) were females with mean age 35.9 years ± 14.0 SD. Arruda algorithm was found to be accurate in predicting the exact accessory pathway (AP) in 83.6% (n=46) cases. Among all inaccurate predictions (n=9), Arruda inaccurately predicted two third (n=6; 66.7%) pathways towards right side (right posteroseptal, right posterolateral and right antrolateral). Conclusion: Arruda algorithm was found highly accurate in predicting accessory pathway before ablation. (author)

  10. Brief communication: Population variation in human maxillary premolar accessory ridges (MxPAR).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burnett, Scott E; Hawkey, Diane E; Turner, Christy G

    2010-02-01

    The purpose of this brief communication is to report the results of an analysis of maxillary premolar accessory ridges (MxPAR), a common but understudied accessory ridge that may occur both mesial and distal to the central ridge of the buccal cusp of upper premolars. We developed a new five-grade scoring plaque to better categorize MxPAR variation. Subsequently, we conducted a population analysis of MxPAR frequency in 749 dental casts of South African Indian, American Chinese, Alaskan Eskimo, Tohono O'odham (Papago), Akimel O'odham (Pima), Solomon Islander, South African Bantu, and both American and South African Whites. Northeast Asian and Asian-derived populations exhibited the highest MxPAR frequencies while Indo-European samples (South African Indians, American and South African Whites) exhibited relatively low frequencies. The Solomon Islanders and South African Bantu samples exhibited intermediate frequencies. Our analysis indicates that statistically significant differences in MxPAR frequency exist between major geographic populations. As a result, the MxPAR plaque has now been added to the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System, an important contribution as maxillary premolar traits are underrepresented in analyses of dental morphology. 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  11. Activated NKT cells imprint NK-cell differentiation, functionality and education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riese, Peggy; Trittel, Stephanie; May, Tobias; Cicin-Sain, Luka; Chambers, Benedict J; Guzmán, Carlos A

    2015-06-01

    NK cells represent a vital component of the innate immune system. The recent discoveries demonstrating that the functionality of NK cells depends on their differentiation and education status underscore their potential as targets for immune intervention. However, to exploit their full potential, a detailed understanding of the cellular interactions involved in these processes is required. In this regard, the cross-talk between NKT cells and NK cells needs to be better understood. Our results provide strong evidence for NKT cell-induced effects on key biological features of NK cells. NKT-cell activation results in the generation of highly active CD27(high) NK cells with improved functionality. In this context, degranulation activity and IFNγ production were mainly detected in the educated subset. In a mCMV infection model, we also demonstrated that NKT-cell stimulation induced the generation of highly functional educated and uneducated NK cells, crucial players in viral control. Thus, our findings reveal new fundamental aspects of the NKT-NK cell axis that provide important hints for the manipulation of NK cells in clinical settings. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Intra-cardiac echocardiography guided catheter ablation of a right posterior accessory pathway in a patient with Ebstein׳s anomaly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akira Shimane, MD

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available We report a case of Ebstein׳s anomaly in which radiofrequency catheter ablation of an accessory pathway was successfully performed under intra-cardiac echocardiography. A 50-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for radiofrequency catheter ablation of a paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. A 12-lead surface electrocardiogram revealed ventricular pre-excitation associated with type B Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome. In the baseline electrophysiological study, an orthodromic atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia with a right posterior accessory pathway was induced. A phased-array intra-cardiac echo probe was positioned in the right atrium to visualize the atrioventricular junction. The key structures for catheter ablation, such as the atrialized right ventricle, atrioventricular junction, and tricuspid valve, were clearly visualized on intra-cardiac echocardiography. Radiofrequency current was successfully delivered at the atrioventricular junction, where a Kent potential was recorded. During a 6-month follow-up period, the patient was free from arrhythmias. The findings in this case suggest that phased-array intra-cardiac echocardiography is useful for ablation of right-sided accessory pathways in patients with Ebstein׳s anomaly.

  13. Congenital tri-cavernous hemangiomas of the right buccal region, right accessory parotid gland, and masseter muscle region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Tao; Gu, Yongchun; Zhang, Li; Hua, Zequan

    2014-03-01

    We report a rare case of congenital tri-cavernous hemangiomas of the right buccal region, right accessory parotid gland, and masseter muscle region in an adult. The patient, a 25-year-old woman, complained of 3 masses in her right midcheek. Ultrasonographic and computed tomographic findings showed an irregular-shaped mass (multiple calcifications) with a well-defined margin in the masseter muscle region, an ellipse-shaped mass (multiple calcifications) with a well-defined margin in the right buccal region, and a comma-shaped mass (no calcifications) with a well-defined margin separate from the parotid gland in the right accessory parotid gland region. These iconographic findings suggested that the masses were all hemangiomas separately originating from the parotid gland, accessory parotid gland, and masseter muscle. The masses were completely removed through a standard parotid incision without postoperative facial palsy, skin deformity, and difficulty in secreting saliva. Findings from histologic examination of the tumor revealed multiple, thin-walled, and dilated blood vessels, confirming the diagnosis of cavernous hemangiomas. Ultrasonographic and computed tomographic findings were extremely useful in diagnosing the mass/masses as hemangioma before surgery, clarifying relationships between the mass and adjacent structures, and determining the surgical approach to the mass/masses.

  14. Transcription Factors Encoded on Core and Accessory Chromosomes of Fusarium oxysporum Induce Expression of Effector Genes

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Does, H. Charlotte; Schmidt, Sarah M.; Langereis, Léon; Hughes, Timothy R.

    2016-01-01

    Proteins secreted by pathogens during host colonization largely determine the outcome of pathogen-host interactions and are commonly called ‘effectors’. In fungal plant pathogens, coordinated transcriptional up-regulation of effector genes is a key feature of pathogenesis and effectors are often encoded in genomic regions with distinct repeat content, histone code and rate of evolution. In the tomato pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol), effector genes reside on one of four accessory chromosomes, known as the ‘pathogenicity’ chromosome, which can be exchanged between strains through horizontal transfer. The three other accessory chromosomes in the Fol reference strain may also be important for virulence towards tomato. Expression of effector genes in Fol is highly up-regulated upon infection and requires Sge1, a transcription factor encoded on the core genome. Interestingly, the pathogenicity chromosome itself contains 13 predicted transcription factor genes and for all except one, there is a homolog on the core genome. We determined DNA binding specificity for nine transcription factors using oligonucleotide arrays. The binding sites for homologous transcription factors were highly similar, suggesting that extensive neofunctionalization of DNA binding specificity has not occurred. Several DNA binding sites are enriched on accessory chromosomes, and expression of FTF1, its core homolog FTF2 and SGE1 from a constitutive promoter can induce expression of effector genes. The DNA binding sites of only these three transcription factors are enriched among genes up-regulated during infection. We further show that Ftf1, Ftf2 and Sge1 can activate transcription from their binding sites in yeast. RNAseq analysis revealed that in strains with constitutive expression of FTF1, FTF2 or SGE1, expression of a similar set of plant-responsive genes on the pathogenicity chromosome is induced, including most effector genes. We conclude that the Fol

  15. Undressing "health fashion": an examination of health-cause clothing and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Kandi L; Hart, Joy L; Gregg, Jennifer L; LaJoie, A Scott

    2010-09-01

    Today, fashion items such as rubber wristbands in various colors, pink ribbons, and red dresses represent different health-related causes and can be seen frequently across demographic groups. Complete with pithy slogans (e.g., "Go Red for Women"), these items are part of a larger "health fashion" trend--one that involves wearing, using, and displaying health-cause clothing and accessories. In this article, the authors explore recent interest in "health fashion," examining in particular its origins, effectiveness, and implications.

  16. Hypothesis and Theory: Revisiting Views on the Co-evolution of the Melanocortin Receptors and the Accessory Proteins, MRAP1 and MRAP2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dores, Robert M

    2016-01-01

    The evolution of the melanocortin receptors (MCRs) is closely associated with the evolution of the melanocortin-2 receptor accessory proteins (MRAPs). Recent annotation of the elephant shark genome project revealed the sequence of a putative MRAP1 ortholog. The presence of this sequence in the genome of a cartilaginous fish raises the possibility that the mrap1 and mrap2 genes in the genomes of gnathostome vertebrates were the result of the chordate 2R genome duplication event. The presence of a putative MRAP1 ortholog in a cartilaginous fish genome is perplexing. Recent studies on melanocortin-2 receptor (MC2R) in the genomes of the elephant shark and the Japanese stingray indicate that these MC2R orthologs can be functionally expressed in CHO cells without co-expression of an exogenous mrap1 cDNA. The novel ligand selectivity of these cartilaginous fish MC2R orthologs is discussed. Finally, the origin of the mc2r and mc5r genes is reevaluated. The distinctive primary sequence conservation of MC2R and MC5R is discussed in light of the physiological roles of these two MCR paralogs.

  17. Gross morphology and ultrastructure of salivary glands of the mute cicada Karenia caelatata Distant (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Hai-ying; Wei, Cong; Zhang, Ya-lin

    2013-02-01

    Salivary glands of the cicada Karenia caelatata Distant were investigated using light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The salivary glands are paired structures and consist of principal glands and accessory glands. The principal gland is subdivided into anterior lobe and posterior lobe; the former contains about 34-39 long digitate lobules, while the latter contains approximately 30-33 long digitate lobules and 13-22 short digitate lobules. These short digitate lobules, about one fifth or sixth as long as the long digitate lobules, locate at the base of the long digitate lobules of posterior lobe. All of these digitate lobules vary in size, disposition, length and shape. The anterior lobe and the posterior lobe are connected by an anterior-posterior duct. Two efferent salivary ducts, which connect with the posterior lobe, fuse to form a common duct. The accessory gland is composed of three parts: a greatly tortuous and folded accessory salivary tube, a circlet of gular gland constituting of several acini of the same size, and a non-collapsible accessory salivary duct. The digitate lobules and gular glands possess secretory cells containing abundant secretory granules vary in size, shape, and electron density, as might indicate different materials are synthesized in different secretory regions. The anterior-posterior duct lines with a player of cuticular lining, and cells beneath the cuticular lining lack of basal infoldings, as suggests the duct serves just to transport secretions. The accessory salivary duct is lined with cuticular lining; cells of the duct have well developed basal infoldings associated with abundant mitochondria, as probably suggests the duct is a reabsorptive region of ions. The cells of the accessory salivary tube possess deep basal infoldings and well developed apical dense microvilli, indicating the cells of the tube are secretory in function. Concentric lamellar structures and a peculiar structure with abundant membrane

  18. Hybrid cell adhesive material for instant dielectrophoretic cell trapping and long-term cell function assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reyes, Darwin R; Hong, Jennifer S; Elliott, John T; Gaitan, Michael

    2011-08-16

    Dielectrophoresis (DEP) for cell manipulation has focused, for the most part, on approaches for separation/enrichment of cells of interest. Advancements in cell positioning and immobilization onto substrates for cell culture, either as single cells or as cell aggregates, has benefited from the intensified research efforts in DEP (electrokinetic) manipulation. However, there has yet to be a DEP approach that provides the conditions for cell manipulation while promoting cell function processes such as cell differentiation. Here we present the first demonstration of a system that combines DEP with a hybrid cell adhesive material (hCAM) to allow for cell entrapment and cell function, as demonstrated by cell differentiation into neuronlike cells (NLCs). The hCAM, comprised of polyelectrolytes and fibronectin, was engineered to function as an instantaneous cell adhesive surface after DEP manipulation and to support long-term cell function (cell proliferation, induction, and differentiation). Pluripotent P19 mouse embryonal carcinoma cells flowing within a microchannel were attracted to the DEP electrode surface and remained adhered onto the hCAM coating under a fluid flow field after the DEP forces were removed. Cells remained viable after DEP manipulation for up to 8 d, during which time the P19 cells were induced to differentiate into NLCs. This approach could have further applications in areas such as cell-cell communication, three-dimensional cell aggregates to create cell microenvironments, and cell cocultures.

  19. Assembly and breakdown of Cajal bodies in accessory nuclei of Hymenoptera.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaglarz, Mariusz K; Bilinski, Szczepan M; Kloc, Malgorzata

    2005-03-01

    In some species of insects, oocytes have vesicular organelles, termed accessory nuclei (ANs). The ANs form by budding off from the nuclear envelope of the oocyte and are filled with translucent matrix containing dense inclusions. One type of these inclusions contains coilin and small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) and is homologous to Cajal bodies. We describe the early events in the morphogenesis of Cajal bodies in the ANs (ANCBs) of the common wasp, Vespula germanica, and show that they contain survival of motor neurons (SMN) protein. We present evidence that in the wasp, ANCBs form by the gradual accumulation of aggregates composed of SMN and small nuclear RNAs. We also show that ANCBs break down and disperse within the ANs as the ANs, which initially surround the oocyte nucleus, localize to the oocyte cortex. The components of dispersed ANCBs are retained within ANs until the end of oogenesis, which suggests that their function may be required at the onset of embryonic development. Because the morphology and behavior of ANs and their Cajal body-like inclusions are conserved in two other hymenopteran species, these features might be characteristic of all hymenopterans.

  20. Encountering the Accessory Polar Renal Artery during Laparoscopic Para-Aortic Lymphadenectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Won Moo; Choi, Joong Sub; Bae, Jaeman; Jung, Un Suk; Eom, Jeong Min

    2018-01-01

    A 60-year-old Korean woman underwent laparoscopic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and was confirmed to have high-grade serous carcinoma of both ovaries with a huge omental cake, extensive agglutinated intra-abdominal metastatic masses, extensive serosa invasion of the intestines, and mesenterial deposits. She underwent 3 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by laparoscopic interval debulking surgery, including hysterectomy, pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy, appendectomy, partial peritonectomy, and omentectomy. We encountered the right accessory polar renal artery (APRA) during the surgery and carefully preserved the right APRA from the abdominal aorta to the right kidney (Fig. 1). Postoperative computed tomography angiography showed an intact right APRA and normal-appearing kidney (Fig. 2). The patient had adjuvant chemotherapy and is alive without disease recurrence. Because APRA is a functional end artery, it is important to preserve it during surgery to prevent ischemic damage and renal failure [1]. It is very important for the gynecologic-oncologist to have knowledge of the retroperitoneal vascular anatomy, experience in laparoscopic surgery, and an accurate surgical technique to avoid vascular injury during laparoscopic para-aortic lymphadenectomy. Copyright © 2017 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Laparoscopic splenectomy for a simultaneous wandering spleen along with an ectopic accessory spleen. Case report and review of the literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonia Rizzuto

    Full Text Available Background: Wandering spleen and accessory spleen are uncommon entity occurring during embryonic development. Wandering spleen results in an excessive mobility and migration of the spleen from its normal position in the left hypochondrium while accessory spleen is characterized by ectopic splenic masses or tissue disjointed from the main body of spleen.Due to the nonspecific and multiple symptoms the clinical diagnosis of both conditions is uncertain even with imaging techniques, such as CT and MRI. The coexistence of both diseases (wandering spleen ad accessory spleen is uncommon. Case report: A 17–year old European female with a history of minor beta thalassemia and recurrent attacks of abdominal pain. Pre- operative management consisted of routine laboratory tests, ultrasound, CT scan. An ectopic spleen along with an accessory spleen were diagnosed. After a multidisciplinary board a laparoscopic splenectomy was performed. Post-operative recovery was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on the 6th post-operative day with the indication to continue the therapy with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH for 30 days Conclusions: This case represents a simultaneous condition of wandering splenomegaly along with an ectopic wandering spleen. The coexistence of these two rare conditions is peculiar such as the age of the patient, as literature reports such diseases to affect children or more commonly people in the range of 20–40 years of age. Laparoscopic treatment for this particular condition is also unusual. Keywords: Ectopic spleen, Wandering spleen, Laparoscopic splenectomy

  2. Temporal Response Properties of Accessory Olfactory Bulb Neurons: Limitations and Opportunities for Decoding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoles-Frenkel, Michal; Kahan, Anat; Ben-Shaul, Yoram

    2018-05-23

    The vomeronasal system (VNS) is a major vertebrate chemosensory system that functions in parallel to the main olfactory system (MOS). Despite many similarities, the two systems dramatically differ in the temporal domain. While MOS responses are governed by breathing and follow a subsecond temporal scale, VNS responses are uncoupled from breathing and evolve over seconds. This suggests that the contribution of response dynamics to stimulus information will differ between these systems. While temporal dynamics in the MOS are widely investigated, similar analyses in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) are lacking. Here, we have addressed this issue using controlled stimulus delivery to the vomeronasal organ of male and female mice. We first analyzed the temporal properties of AOB projection neurons and demonstrated that neurons display prolonged, variable, and neuron-specific characteristics. We then analyzed various decoding schemes using AOB population responses. We showed that compared with the simplest scheme (i.e., integration of spike counts over the entire response period), the division of this period into smaller temporal bins actually yields poorer decoding accuracy. However, optimal classification accuracy can be achieved well before the end of the response period by integrating spike counts within temporally defined windows. Since VNS stimulus uptake is variable, we analyzed decoding using limited information about stimulus uptake time, and showed that with enough neurons, such time-invariant decoding is feasible. Finally, we conducted simulations that demonstrated that, unlike the main olfactory bulb, the temporal features of AOB neurons disfavor decoding with high temporal accuracy, and, rather, support decoding without precise knowledge of stimulus uptake time. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A key goal in sensory system research is to identify which metrics of neuronal activity are relevant for decoding stimulus features. Here, we describe the first systematic

  3. Structure and function of stem cell pools in mammalian cell renewal systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fliedner, T.M.; Nothdurft, W.

    1979-01-01

    Stem cells play a key-role in the maintenance of the equilibrium between cell loss and cell production in cell renewal systems as well as in the understanding of the radiation pathophysiology of mammalian organisms. The integrity of mammalian organisms with the need to maintain a constant ''millieu interior'' is depending on the normal functioning of cell renewal systems, especially those of epithelial surfaces and blood cell forming organs. All cell renewal systems of bodies have a very similar functional structure consisting of functional, proliferative - amplifying and stem cell compartments. They differ in transit and cell cycle times and in the number of amplification division - aside from the difference in their functional and biochemical make-up. The stem cell pools are providing the cells capable of differentiation without depleting their own kind. This can be achieved by symmetrical or assymmetrical stem cell division. In normal steady state, 50% of the stem cell division remain in the stem cell pool, while the other 50% leave it to differentiate, proliferate and mature, hemopoietic system is distributed throughout bodies. This is an important factor in the radiation biology of mammalian organisms since the loss of function in one area can be compensated for by more production in other areas, and locally depleted sites can be reseeded with the stem cells migrating in from blood. (Yamashita, S.)

  4. Antegrade or Retrograde Accessory Pathway Conduction: Who Dies First?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudio Hadid, MD

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available A 36 year-old man with Wolff Parkinson White syndrome due to a left-sided accessory pathway (AP was referred for catheter ablation. Whether abolition of antegrade and retrograde AP conduction during ablation therapy occurs simultaneously, is unclear. At the ablation procedure, radiofrequency delivery resulted in loss of preexcitation followed by a short run of orthodromic tachycardia with eccentric atrial activation, demonstrating persistence of retrograde conduction over the AP after abolition of its antegrade conduction. During continued radiofrequency delivery at the same position, the fifth non-preexcitated beat failed to conduct retrogradely and the tachycardia ended. In this case, antegrade AP conduction was abolished earlier than retrograde conduction.

  5. Frequency of Syncope in Patients with Accessory Atrioventricular Connection

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    A Aslani

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Syncope in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW syndrome is related to rapid reciprocating tachycardia or rapid ventricular response over the accessory pathway during atrial fibrillation (AF. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the frequency of syncope in patients with WPW syndrome. Methods: We reviewed the records of 150 consecutive patients with WPW syndrome.Results: There were 20 patients (13.3% who reported at least one episode of syncope and 130 patients (86.7% without such a history.Conclusion: Syncope is relatively frequent in patients with WPW. Patient with WPW syndrome who has experienced this symptom should be thoroughly evaluated.

  6. Change in the collateral and accessory collateral ligament lengths of the proximal interphalangeal joint using cadaveric model three-dimensional laser scanning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandhu, S S; Dreckmann, S; Binhammer, P A

    2016-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the lengths of the index and middle finger proximal interphalangeal joint ligaments and determine the relative changes in the collateral and accessory collateral ligament lengths at 0°, 45° and 90° flexion. We generated three-dimensional scans of 16 finger (eight index and eight middle) proximal interphalangeal joints to assess relative changes in ligament length. Significant changes were found between 45°-90° and 0°-90° for the ulnar collateral ligament of the index finger and both collateral ligaments of the middle finger between 45°-90° and 0°-90°. No significant changes in length were found for the radial collateral ligament of the index finger or the accessory collateral ligaments of the index and middle fingers. Overall, it was found that the collateral ligament length changed significantly, but there was no significant change in the accessory collateral ligaments. Therapeutic IV. © The Author(s) 2015.

  7. Hybrid vehicle powertrain system with power take-off driven vehicle accessory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beaty, Kevin D.; Bockelmann, Thomas R.; Zou, Zhanijang; Hope, Mark E.; Kang, Xiaosong; Carpenter, Jeffrey L.

    2006-09-12

    A hybrid vehicle powertrain system includes a first prime mover, a first prime mover driven power transmission mechanism having a power take-off adapted to drive a vehicle accessory, and a second prime mover. The second prime mover is operable to drive the power transmission mechanism alone or in combination with the first prime mover to provide power to the power take-off through the power transmission mechanism. The invention further includes methods for operating a hybrid vehicle powertrain system.

  8. Does Accessory Ossicle Affect Management Plan in an Athlete After Ankle Sprain? A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Şerife Şeyma TORĞUTALP

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Os subfibulare is an accessory ossicle that lies at the distal part of lateral malleolus. It is typically asymptomatic and detected incidentally by the presence of ankle injuries. A case report of sixteen years old male athlete with ankle injury was presented.

  9. Influence of Telecommunication Modality, Internet Transmission Quality, and Accessories on Speech Perception in Cochlear Implant Users

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koller, Roger; Guignard, Jérémie; Caversaccio, Marco; Kompis, Martin; Senn, Pascal

    2017-01-01

    Background Telecommunication is limited or even impossible for more than one-thirds of all cochlear implant (CI) users. Objective We sought therefore to study the impact of voice quality on speech perception with voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) under real and adverse network conditions. Methods Telephone speech perception was assessed in 19 CI users (15-69 years, average 42 years), using the German HSM (Hochmair-Schulz-Moser) sentence test comparing Skype and conventional telephone (public switched telephone networks, PSTN) transmission using a personal computer (PC) and a digital enhanced cordless telecommunications (DECT) telephone dual device. Five different Internet transmission quality modes and four accessories (PC speakers, headphones, 3.5 mm jack audio cable, and induction loop) were compared. As a secondary outcome, the subjective perceived voice quality was assessed using the mean opinion score (MOS). Results Speech telephone perception was significantly better (median 91.6%, P 15%) were not superior to conventional telephony. In addition, there were no significant differences between the tested accessories (P>.05) using a PC. Coupling a Skype DECT phone device with an audio cable to the CI, however, resulted in higher speech perception (median 65%) and subjective MOS scores (3.2) than using PSTN (median 7.5%, P<.001). Conclusions Skype calls significantly improve speech perception for CI users compared with conventional telephony under real network conditions. Listening accessories do not further improve listening experience. Current Skype DECT telephone devices do not fully offer technical advantages in voice quality. PMID:28438727

  10. Left Ventricular Dysfunction Caused by Unrecognized Surgical AV block in a Patient with a Manifest Right Free Wall Accessory Pathway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rakesh Gopinathannair, MD, MA

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available A 24-year-old male with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome developed systolic cardiomyopathy and severe heart failure following membranous ventricular septal defect repair and tricuspid valve replacement. Following successful catheter ablation of a right anterolateral accessory pathway (AP, complete AV block with junctional escape rhythm was noted. Patient subsequently underwent implantation of a biventricular ICD. Heart failure symptoms significantly improved soon after and left ventricular systolic function normalized 3 months post-procedure. In this case, surgically acquired AV block likely explains development of postoperative cardiomyopathy by facilitating ventricular activation solely via the AP and thereby increasing the degree of ventricular dyssynchrony.

  11. Stenosing Tenosynovitis of the Flexor Hallucis Longus Tendon Associated with the Plantar Capsular Accessory Ossicle at the Interphalangeal Joint of the Great Toe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Song Ho Chang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This report presents a case of stenosing tenosynovitis of the flexor hallucis longus tendon associated with the plantar capsular accessory ossicle at the interphalangeal joint of the great toe, which was confirmed by intraoperative observation and was successfully treated with surgical resection of the ossicle. As the plantar capsular accessory ossicle was not visible radiographically due to the lack of ossification, ultrasonography was helpful for diagnosing this disorder.

  12. Biliary self-expandable metallic stent using single balloon enteroscopy assisted ERCP: overcoming limitations of current accessories

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rolando Pinho

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Device assisted enteroscopy (DAE techniques have been recently developed for the diagnosis and treatment of small bowel diseases. These techniques can also be used to perform endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP in patients with surgically altered anatomies. The main difficulties with DAE-ERCP are related to type of surgery, to the different dimensions and lack of frontal view of the enteroscope and to the resulting limitations with the use of standard accessories, resulting in the need of dedicated accessory devices. Although most ERCP techniques have been successfully performed with DAE-ERCP, biliary self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS have not yet been used, as dedicated biliary SEMS for the enteroscope are lacking. The authors present a case report showing a new method to place standard biliary trough-the-scope SEMS with DAE-ERCP, using a different technique of stent deployment.

  13. Accessory mammary tissue associated with congenital and hereditary nephrourinary malformations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urbani, C E; Betti, R

    1996-05-01

    The association between polythelia (supernumerary nipple) and kidney and urinary tract malformations (KUTM) is controversial. Some authors reported this association in newborns and infants. Case-control studies dealing with adult subjects are not found in the literature. The purpose of this study is to determine the frequency of the association between accessory mammary tissue (AMT) and congenital and hereditary nephrourinary defects in an adult population compared to a control group. The study was performed in 146 white patients (123 men, 23 women) with AMT out of 2645 subjects consecutively referred to us for physical examination. The following investigations were undertaken: ultrasonographic examination of the abdomen and the kidneys, ECG, echocardiogram, roentgenogram of the vertebral column, urinalysis, and other laboratory tests. A sex- and age-matched control group without any evidence of AMT or lateral displacement of the nipples underwent the same examinations. Kidney and urinary tract malformations were detected in 11 patients with AMT (nine men, two women) and in one control. These data indicate a significantly higher frequency of KUTM in the AMT-affected patients compared to controls (7.53% vs. 0.68%, P < 0.001). A broad spectrum of KUTM was discovered in association with AMT: adult dominant polycystic kidney disease, unilateral renal agenesis, cystic renal dysplasia, familial renal cysts, and congenital stenosis of the pyeloureteral joint. Accessory mammary tissue offers an important clue for congenital and hereditary anomalies of the kidneys and urinary collecting systems. Patients with AMT should, therefore, be extensively examined for the presence of occult nephrouropathies.

  14. [Blockade of the pheromonal effects in rat by central deafferentation of the accessory olfactory system].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Criado, J E

    1979-06-01

    Female rats reared without sex odours from male rats have a five day stral cycle. With exposure to male odour the estral cycle is shortened from five to four days. This pheromonal effect is blocked on deafferenting the vomeronasal system by electrolytically damaging both accessory olfactory bulbs.

  15. Uranium in accessory sphene from granitoids and its behaviour during mineral's alteration (Muzbekskij pluton at Mogol-Tau, Central Asia)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simonova, L.I.; Maksimova, I.G.; Nad'yarnykh, V.G.; Voronikhin, V.A.

    1982-01-01

    Uranium behaviour in accessory spbene and products of its alteration at different stages of granitoid transformation with characteristic association of zirconium-apatite-sphene and magnetite of accessory minerals, is shown. The products of sphene alteration (due to propylitization of granatoids the sphene is replaced by leucoxene) are determined by MS-46 electron probe microanalyzer and MA-1 lazer microanalyzer. Uranium distribution in leucoxene is studied by the method of fragmentary radiography. Leucoxene pseudomorphoses at a high oxygen potential are capable of giving into solution Uranium previously sorbed by leucoxene. This fact should be taken into account when determining source of metal of hydrogenous deposits

  16. KNOW-Blade Task-2 report - Aerodynamic accessories[Wind turbines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johansen, J.; Soerensen, N.N.; Zahle, F.; Kang, S.; Nikolaou, I.; Politis, E.S.; Chaviaropoulos, P.K.; Ekaterinaris, J.

    2004-11-01

    In the EC project KNOW-BLADE a work package has been defined to investigate the possibility to numerically model aerodynamic accessories in existing Navier-Stokes solvers. Four different aerodynamic accessories have been investigated. Firstly, the potential of applying active flow control by means of a pulsating jet placed at the leading edge in order to enhance mean lift. The general trend is that increased pulsation frequency is beneficial, in that it reduces the oscillation amplitude and raises the mean lift level while lowering the mean drag level. An increased jet exit velocity has a tendency to increase the oscillation amplitude, which is not very attractive for load control on wind turbines. Secondly, the effect of vortex generators has been modelled using two phenomenological vortex generator models. The models have been applied to three airfoil configurations. For all cases investigated the models shows qualitatively the correct behaviour, even though there are a considerable spread in the degree of success. Thirdly, the influence of adding a stall strip for changing the airfoil characteristics was investigated. Stall strips at three different positions were directly modelled by changing the airfoil geometry. In general the 7mm stall strips placed at P00 and P-02 had the greatest effect on the max lift followed by stall strip P02. Unfortunately, there was not sufficient agreement between the experimental results and the simulations to draw any conclusions of optimum position and geometry of the stall strip. Finally, the effect of surface roughness was modelled by either modifying the boundary condition of the turbulence model or by modifying the airfoil geometry. Using the roughness model gave relatively good agreement with measurements and it must be concluded that the effect of using roughness tape can be better predicted with a roughness model compared to using a modified airfoil surface. (au)

  17. Cutaneous application of an accessory-gland secretion after sperm exchange in a terrestrial slug (Mollusca : Pulmonata)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Benke, Mandy; Reise, Heike; Montagne-Wajer, Kora; Koene, Joris M

    Competition for fertilisation in hermaphroditic animals seems to have led to many odd behaviours and complex morphologies involved in the transfer of accessory-gland products to the partner. Terrestrial slugs of the genus Deroceras show remarkably elaborate and interspecifically diverse penis

  18. In vitro culture of human osteosarcoma cell lines: a comparison of functional characteristics for cell lines cultured in medium without and with fetal calf serum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruserud, Oystein; Tronstad, Karl Johan; Berge, Rolf

    2005-06-01

    Experimental in vitro models including well-characterised cell lines can be used to identify possible new therapeutic targets for the treatment of osteosarcoma. Culture media including inactivated serum is often recommended for in vitro culture of osteosarcoma cells, but the serum component then represents a nonstandardised parameter including a wide range of unidentified mediators. To improve the standardisation we have investigated whether serum-free culture media can be used in experimental in vitro studies of osteosarcoma cell lines. The seven osteosarcoma cell lines Cal72, SJSA-1, Saos-2, SK-ES-1, U2OS, 143.98.2, and KHOS-32IH were cultured in vitro in various serum-free media and media supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated fetal calf serum (FCS). Although proliferation often was relatively low in serum-free media (X-vivo 10, X-vivo 15, X-vivo 20, Stem Span SFEM), some cell lines (Cal72, KHOS-32IH, Saos-2) showed proliferation comparable with the recommended FCS-containing media even when using serum-free conditions. The optimal serum-free medium then varied between cell lines. We also compared 6 different FCS-containing media (including Stem Span with 10% FCS) and the optimal FCS-containing medium varied between cell lines. However, all cell lines proliferated well in Stem Span with FCS, and this medium was regarded as optimal for four of the lines. FCS could not be replaced by fatty acids or low density lipoprotein when testing the Stem Span medium. The release of a wide range of soluble mediators showed only minor differences when using serum-free and FCS-containing media (including Stem Span with and without FCS), and serum-free Stem Span could also be used for in vitro studies of mitogen-stimulated T cell activation in the presence of accessory osteosarcoma cells. The use of Stem Span with 10% FCS allowed the release of a wide range of chemokines by osteosarcoma cell lines (Cal72, SJSA-1), and the chemokine release profile was very similar to the

  19. Iron oxide nanoparticles modulate heat shock proteins and organ specific markers expression in mice male accessory organs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sundarraj, Kiruthika; Raghunath, Azhwar; Panneerselvam, Lakshmikanthan; Perumal, Ekambaram, E-mail: ekas2009@buc.edu.in

    2017-02-15

    With increased industrial utilization of iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NPs), concerns on adverse reproductive health effects following exposure have been immensely raised. In the present study, the effects of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NPs exposure in the seminal vesicle and prostate gland were studied in mice. Mice were exposed to two different doses (25 and 50 mg/kg) of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NPs along with the control and analyzed the expressions of heat shock proteins (HSP60, HSP70 and HSP90) and organ specific markers (Caltrin, PSP94, and SSLP1). Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NPs decreased food consumption, water intake, and organo-somatic index in mice with elevated iron levels in serum, urine, fecal matter, seminal vesicle and prostate gland. FTIR spectra revealed alterations in the functional groups of biomolecules on Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NPs treatment. These changes are accompanied by increased lactate dehydrogenase levels with decreased total protein and fructose levels. The investigation of oxidative stress biomarkers demonstrated a significant increase in reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl content and glutathione peroxidase with a concomitant decrement in the glutathione and ascorbic acid in the male accessory organs which confirmed the induction of oxidative stress. An increase in NADPH-oxidase-4 with a decrease in glutathione-S-transferase was observed in the seminal vesicle and prostate gland of the treated groups. An alteration in HSP60, HSP70, HSP90, Caltrin, PSP94, and SSLP1 expression was also observed. Moreover, accumulation of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NPs brought pathological changes in the seminal vesicle and prostate gland of treated mice. These findings provide evidence that Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NPs could be an environmental risk factor for reproductive disease. - Highlights: • Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NPs caused adverse effects on the seminal vesicle and prostate gland of mice • Heat shock proteins (Hsp60, 70 and 90) were

  20. Cell-Intrinsic Roles for Autophagy in Modulating CD4 T Cell Functions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elise Jacquin

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The catabolic process of autophagy plays important functions in inflammatory and immune responses by modulating innate immunity and adaptive immunity. Over the last decade, a cell-intrinsic role for autophagy in modulating CD4 T cell functions and differentiation was revealed. After the initial observation of autophagosomes in effector CD4 T cells, further work has shown that not only autophagy levels are modulated in CD4 T cells in response to environmental signals but also that autophagy critically affects the biology of these cells. Mouse models of autophagy deletion in CD4 T cells have indeed shown that autophagy is essential for CD4 T cell survival and homeostasis in peripheral lymphoid organs. Furthermore, autophagy is required for CD4 T cell proliferation and cytokine production in response to T cell receptor activation. Recent developments have uncovered that autophagy controls CD4 T cell differentiation and functions. While autophagy is required for the maintenance of immunosuppressive functions of regulatory T cells, it restrains the differentiation of TH9 effector cells, thus limiting their antitumor and pro-inflammatory properties. We will here discuss these findings that collectively suggest that therapeutic strategies targeting autophagy could be exploited for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases.

  1. Characterization of antigen association with accessory cells: specific removal of processed antigens from the cell surface by phospholipases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Falo, L.D. Jr.; Haber, S.I.; Herrmann, S.; Benacerraf, B.; Rock, K.L.

    1987-01-01

    To characterize the basis for the cell surface association of processed antigen with the antigen-presenting cell (APC) the authors analyzed its sensitivity to enzymatic digestion. Antigen-exposed APC that are treated with phospholipase and then immediately fixed lose their ability to stimulate antigen-plus-Ia-specific T-T hybridomas. This effect is seen with highly purified phospholipase A 2 and phospholipase C. In addition it is observed with three distinct antigens - ovalbumin, bovine insulin, and poly(LGlu 56 LLys 35 LPhe 9 )[(GluLysPhe)/sub n/]. The effect of phospholipases is highly specific. Identically treated APC are equivalent to control in their ability to stimulate alloreactive hybridomas specific for precisely the same Ia molecule that is corecognized by antigen-plus-Ia-specific hybrids. Furthermore, the antigen-presenting function of enzyme-treated, fixed APC can be reconstituted by the addition of exogenous in vitro processed or processing independent antigens. In parallel studies 125 I-labeled avidin was shown to specifically bind to APC that were previously exposed and allowed to process biotin-insulin. Biotin-insulin-exposed APC that are pretreated with phospholipase bind significantly less 125 I-labeled avidin than do untreated, exposed APC. Identical enzyme treatment does not reduce the binding of avidin to a biotinylated antibody already bound to class II major histocompatibility complex molecules of APC. These studies demonstrate that phospholipase effectively removes processed cell surface antigen

  2. Gene expression changes in male accessory glands during ageing are accompanied by reproductive decline in Drosophila melanogaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koppik, Mareike; Fricke, Claudia

    2017-12-01

    Senescence is accompanied by loss of reproductive functions. Here, we studied reproductive ageing in Drosophila melanogaster males and asked whether the expected decline in male reproductive success is due to diminished functionality of the male accessory gland (AG). The male AG produces the majority of seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) transferred to the female at mating. SFPs induce female postmating changes and are key to male reproductive success. We measured age-dependent gene expression changes for five representative SFP genes in males from four different age groups ranging from 1 to 6 weeks after eclosion. Simultaneously, we also measured male reproductive success in postmating traits mediated by transfer of these five SFPs. We found a decreased in male SFP gene expression with advancing age and an accompanying decline in male postmating success. Hence, male reproductive senescence is associated with a decline in functionality of the male AG. While overall individual SFP genes decreased in expression, our results point towards the idea that the composition of an ejaculate might change with male age as the rate of change was variable for those five genes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Role of Polyamines in Immune Cell Functions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rebecca S. Hesterberg

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The immune system is remarkably responsive to a myriad of invading microorganisms and provides continuous surveillance against tissue damage and developing tumor cells. To achieve these diverse functions, multiple soluble and cellular components must react in an orchestrated cascade of events to control the specificity, magnitude and persistence of the immune response. Numerous catabolic and anabolic processes are involved in this process, and prominent roles for l-arginine and l-glutamine catabolism have been described, as these amino acids serve as precursors of nitric oxide, creatine, agmatine, tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, nucleotides and other amino acids, as well as for ornithine, which is used to synthesize putrescine and the polyamines spermidine and spermine. Polyamines have several purported roles and high levels of polyamines are manifest in tumor cells as well in autoreactive B- and T-cells in autoimmune diseases. In the tumor microenvironment, l-arginine catabolism by both tumor cells and suppressive myeloid cells is known to dampen cytotoxic T-cell functions suggesting there might be links between polyamines and T-cell suppression. Here, we review studies suggesting roles of polyamines in normal immune cell function and highlight their connections to autoimmunity and anti-tumor immune cell function.

  4. Surgical treatment of a comminuted articular fracture of the accessory carpal bone in a thoroughbred horse

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Munroe, G.A.; Cauvin, E.

    1997-01-01

    The clinical, radiographic and ultrasonographic findings in a case ofa comminuted articular fracture of the accessory carpal bone of a thoroughbred chaser are described, and its surgical treatment and aftercare are detailed. The horse made an uneventful recovery and successfully returned to racing

  5. Presence of accessory penis, colonic duplication and several other congenital anomalies in a child: a very rare association.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chatterjee, Sayan; Mondal, Prabodh Chandra; Pandey, Shashi Bhushan; Achar, Arun

    2014-10-01

    An accessory penis is a very rare anomaly. Only five cases have been reported thus far to our knowledge. We present the case of a child aged 2 years and 10 months who had a penis-like structure (containing phallus and glans) attached to the right buttock. Associated anomalies were a non-communicating type of colonic duplication, a paramedian stenosed anal opening, a horse-shoe kidney, posterior urethral valves, scoliosis of the lumbo-sacral spine, polydactyly and equino-varus deformity of the right foot. As far as we can tell, this is the first report of an accessory penis associated with colonic duplication and other congenital anomalies. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  6. Homology of the Fifth Epibranchial and Accessory Elements of the Ceratobranchials among Gnathostomes: Insights from the Development of Ostariophysans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carvalho, Murilo; Bockmann, Flávio Alicino; de Carvalho, Marcelo Rodrigues

    2013-01-01

    Epibranchials are among the main dorsal elements of the gill basket in jawed vertebrates (Gnathostomata). Among extant fishes, chondrichthyans most resemble the putative ancestral condition as all branchial arches possess every serially homologous piece. In osteichthyans, a primitive rod-like epibranchial 5, articulated to ceratobranchial 5, is absent. Instead, epibranchial 5 of many actinopterygians is here identified as an accessory element attached to ceratobranchial 4. Differences in shape and attachment of epibranchial 5 in chondrichthyans and actinopterygians raised suspicions about their homology, prompting us to conduct a detailed study of the morphology and development of the branchial basket of three ostariophysans (Prochilodus argenteus, Characiformes; Lophiosilurus alexandri and Pseudoplatystoma corruscans, Siluriformes). Results were interpreted within a phylogenetic context of major gnathostome lineages. Developmental series strongly suggest that the so-called epibranchial 5 of actinopterygians does not belong to the epal series because it shares the same chondroblastic layer with ceratobranchial 4 and its ontogenetic emergence is considerably late. This neomorphic structure is called accessory element of ceratobranchial 4. Its distribution among gnathostomes indicates it is a teleost synapomorphy, occurring homoplastically in Polypteriformes, whereas the loss of the true epibranchial 5 is an osteichthyan synapomorphy. The origin of the accessory element of ceratobranchial 4 appears to have occurred twice in osteichthyans, but it may have a single origin; in this case, the accessory element of ceratobranchial 4 would represent a remnant of a series of elements distally attached to ceratobranchials 1–4, a condition totally or partially retained in basal actinopterygians. Situations wherein a structure is lost while a similar neomorphic element is present may lead to erroneous homology assessments; these can be avoided by detailed morphological and

  7. Accessory soleus muscle: a case report and review of the literature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Palaniappan, M. (Leicester Royal Infirmary (United Kingdom). Dept. of Radiology Royal Liverpool Children' s Hospital (United Kingdom). Dept. of Radiology); Rajesh, A.; Rickett, A. (Leicester Royal Infirmary (United Kingdom). Dept. of Radiology); Kershaw, C.J. (Leicester Royal Infirmary (United Kingdom). Dept. of Orthopaedics)

    1999-08-01

    Accessory soleus muscle is a rare condition which presents as a soft-tissue mass medial to the calcaneum and distal Achilles tendon. Though congenital in origin, it manifests in the second and third decades of life as a soft-tissue mass due to muscle hypertrophy. Patients may be asymptomatic or present with a painful ankle mass. It is important to be aware of this condition when interpreting CT or MRI of the ankle, which show characteristic findings of a normal muscle in an abnormal location. (orig.) With 4 figs., 12 refs.

  8. Abnormal Origin and Course of the Accessory Phrenic Nerve: Case Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paraskevas, George; Koutsouflianiotis, Konstantinos; Kitsoulis, Panagiotis; Spyridakis, Ioannis

    In the current cadaveric study an unusual sizeable accessory phrenic nerve (APN) was encountered emerging from the trunk of the supraclavicular nerves and forming a triangular loop that was anastomosing with the phrenic nerve. That neural loop surrounded the superficial cervical artery which displayed a spiral course. The form of a triangular loop of APN involving the aforementioned artery and originating from the supraclavicular nerve to the best of our knowledge has not been documented previously in the literature. The variable morphological features of the APN along with its clinical applications are briefly discussed.

  9. Toll-Like Receptor and Accessory Molecule mRNA Expression in Humans and Mice as Well as in Murine Autoimmunity, Transient Inflammation, and Progressive Fibrosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramaiah, Santhosh Kumar Vankayala; Günthner, Roman; Lech, Maciej; Anders, Hans-Joachim

    2013-01-01

    The cell type-, organ-, and species-specific expression of the Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are well described, but little is known about the respective expression profiles of their accessory molecules. We therefore determined the mRNA expression levels of LBP, MD2, CD36, CD14, granulin, HMGB1, LL37, GRP94, UNC93b1, TRIL, PRAT4A, AP3B1, AEP and the respective TLRs in human and mouse solid organs. Humans and mice displayed significant differences between their respective mRNA expression patterns of these factors. In addition, the expression profiles in transient tissue inflammation upon renal ischemia-reperfusion injury, in spleens and kidneys from mice with lupus-like systemic autoimmunity, and in progressive tissue fibrosis upon unilateral ureteral obstruction were studied. Several TLR co-factors were specifically regulated during the different phases of these disease entities, suggesting a functional involvement in the disease process. Thus, the organ- and species-specific expression patterns need to be considered in the design and interpretation of studies related to TLR-mediated innate immunity, which seems to be involved in the tissue injury phase, in the phase of tissue regeneration, and in progressive tissue remodelling. PMID:23803655

  10. Loss of Ia-bearing splenic adherent cells after whole body ultraviolet irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Letvin, N.L.; Nepom, J.T.; Greene, M.I.; Benacerraf, B.; Germain, R.N.

    1980-01-01

    Daily uv irradiation of mice results in a marked decrease in the antigen-presenting capability of SAC from these mice after 1 wk of uv exposure. To directly examine this cell population, we developed a technique for purifying SAC that involves passing mouse splenocytes through two cycles of glass adherence with an intervening incubation on rabbit anti-mouse Ig-coated dishes. SAC from externally uv irradiated mice prepared by this method, when pulsed with antigen, activate primed T cells to proliferate much less efficiently than SAC from normal mice. Both the proportion and absolute number of Ia-bearing cells in this purified SAC population from uv irradiated mice are considerably smaller than that seen in similarly prepared populations from normal mice. Previous adjuvant immunization was shown to override functional defects elicited by external uv irradiation. This demonstration of a uv irradiation induced selective loss of Ia bearing splenic adherent cells and the functional consequences of this loss provide further evidence for the importance of Ia-bearing accessory cells in antigen presentation of T dependent antigens, and provides insight into the origin of the immunologic defects induced by whole body uv irradiation

  11. Measles virus C protein suppresses gamma-activated factor formation and virus-induced cell growth arrest

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yokota, Shin-ichi; Okabayashi, Tamaki; Fujii, Nobuhiro

    2011-01-01

    Measles virus (MeV) produces two accessory proteins, V and C, from the P gene. These accessory proteins have been reported to contribute to efficient virus proliferation through the modulation of host cell events. Our previous paper described that Vero cell-adapted strains of MeV led host cells to growth arrest through the upregulation of interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1), and wild strains did not. In the present study, we found that C protein expression levels varied among MeV strains in infected SiHa cells. C protein levels were inversely correlated with IRF-1 expression levels and with cell growth arrest. Forced expression of C protein released cells from growth arrest. C-deficient recombinant virus efficiently upregulated IRF-1 and caused growth arrest more efficiently than the wild-type virus. C protein preferentially bound to phosphorylated STAT1 and suppressed STAT1 dimer formation. We conclude that MeV C protein suppresses IFN-γ signaling pathway via inhibition of phosphorylated STAT1 dimerization.

  12. Regulation of Hematopoietic Cell Development and Function Through Phosphoinositides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mila Elich

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available One of the most paramount receptor-induced signal transduction mechanisms in hematopoietic cells is production of the lipid second messenger phosphatidylinositol(3,4,5trisphosphate (PIP3 by class I phosphoinositide 3 kinases (PI3K. Defective PIP3 signaling impairs almost every aspect of hematopoiesis, including T cell development and function. Limiting PIP3 signaling is particularly important, because excessive PIP3 function in lymphocytes can transform them and cause blood cancers. Here, we review the key functions of PIP3 and related phosphoinositides in hematopoietic cells, with a special focus on those mechanisms dampening PIP3 production, turnover, or function. Recent studies have shown that beyond “canonical” turnover by the PIP3 phosphatases and tumor suppressors phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN and SH2 domain-containing inositol-5-phosphatase-1 (SHIP-1/2, PIP3 function in hematopoietic cells can also be dampened through antagonism with the soluble PIP3 analogs inositol(1,3,4,5tetrakisphosphate (IP4 and inositol-heptakisphosphate (IP7. Other evidence suggests that IP4 can promote PIP3 function in thymocytes. Moreover, IP4 or the kinases producing it limit store-operated Ca2+ entry through Orai channels in B cells, T cells, and neutrophils to control cell survival and function. We discuss current models for how soluble inositol phosphates can have such diverse functions and can govern as distinct processes as hematopoietic stem cell homeostasis, neutrophil macrophage and NK cell function, and development and function of B cells and T cells. Finally, we will review the pathological consequences of dysregulated IP4 activity in immune cells and highlight contributions of impaired inositol phosphate functions in disorders such as Kawasaki disease, common variable immunodeficiency, or blood cancer.

  13. Gated blood-pool SPECT assessment of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndromes before and after radiofrequency ablation of accessory pathways

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bontemps, L.; Ben Brahim, H.; Kraiem, T.; Chevalier, P.; Kirkorian, G.; Touboul, P.; Itti, R.

    1997-01-01

    Radiofrequency (RF) ablation of accessory pathways in Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is supposed to be less aggressive than fulguration while providing excellent results. The aims of our study were therefore the evaluation of the functional results of this therapy in terms of left or right ejection fractions and its effects on the contraction synchronism between both ventricular chambers, derived from bi-ventricular Fourier phase histograms. A consecutive series of 44 patients has been investigated within 48 hours before and after RF therapy: 14 patients had right sided WPW and 30 patients left sided WPW. Only patients for whom RF treatment was considered as a success have been included in the study. Gated blood pool tomography has been performed in order to localize the site of pre-excitation and to build-up the phase histograms for both ventricles, and planar gated imaging has been used for right and left ejection fraction determination. Functional results demonstrate the absence of deleterious effect of RF on ventricular contraction and rather a slight increase of ejection fractions, with a more statistically significant difference for left WPW (LVEF = 62.2 % before RF vs 64.4 % after RF; p = 0.02) than for right WPW (RVEF = 36.3 % before RF vs 39.7 after RF; p = 0.16). Phase analysis, on the contrary, show only significant differences for right WPW, with a noticeable decrease of the pre-excitation (left-to-right phase difference 14.4 deg before RF vs 7.5 deg after RF; p = 0.03) and a significant reduction of the right ventricular phase dispersion (right phase standard deviation 26.5 deg before RF vs 19.0 deg after RF; p = 0.03). For left WPW no measurable differences can be demonstrated in the basal state and it is suggested to use stimulation techniques in order to enhance the competition between the normal and accessory conduction pathways. (authors)

  14. Clinico-pathologic spectrum of accessory axillary breast; case series and literature review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Usman Bello

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Accessory breast and the diseases affecting these aberrant breast tissues are relatively uncommon, and with variable prevalence among different populations. These are commonly located in the axilla, chest wall, and vulva. The most common disease in these tissues is carcinoma; however, other benign neoplastic and nonneoplastic lesions do occur. In this review, we present a clinicopathologic analysis of all the consecutive cases seen in a major referral teaching hospital over a period spanning 10 years (2006–2015.

  15. Roles of POLD4, smallest subunit of DNA polymerase {delta}, in nuclear structures and genomic stability of human cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Qin Miao [Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Center for Neurological Diseases and Cancer, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya (Japan); Akashi, Tomohiro [Division of Molecular Mycology and Medicine, Center for Neurological Diseases and Cancer, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya (Japan); Masuda, Yuji; Kamiya, Kenji [Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553 (Japan); Takahashi, Takashi [Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Center for Neurological Diseases and Cancer, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya (Japan); Suzuki, Motoshi, E-mail: msuzuki@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp [Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Center for Neurological Diseases and Cancer, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya (Japan)

    2010-01-01

    Mammalian DNA polymerase {delta} (pol {delta}) is essential for DNA replication, though the functions of this smallest subunit of POLD4 have been elusive. We investigated pol {delta} activities in vitro and found that it was less active in the absence of POLD4, irrespective of the presence of the accessory protein PCNA. shRNA-mediated reduction of POLD4 resulted in a marked decrease in colony formation activity by Calu6, ACC-LC-319, and PC-10 cells. We also found that POLD4 reduction was associated with an increased population of karyomere-like cells, which may be an indication of DNA replication stress and/or DNA damage. The karyomere-like cells retained an ability to progress through the cell cycle, suggesting that POLD4 reduction induces modest genomic instability, while allowing cells to grow until DNA damage reaches an intolerant level. Our results indicate that POLD4 is required for the in vitro pol {delta} activity, and that it functions in cell proliferation and maintenance of genomic stability of human cells.

  16. Roles of POLD4, smallest subunit of DNA polymerase δ, in nuclear structures and genomic stability of human cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Qin Miao; Akashi, Tomohiro; Masuda, Yuji; Kamiya, Kenji; Takahashi, Takashi; Suzuki, Motoshi

    2010-01-01

    Mammalian DNA polymerase δ (pol δ) is essential for DNA replication, though the functions of this smallest subunit of POLD4 have been elusive. We investigated pol δ activities in vitro and found that it was less active in the absence of POLD4, irrespective of the presence of the accessory protein PCNA. shRNA-mediated reduction of POLD4 resulted in a marked decrease in colony formation activity by Calu6, ACC-LC-319, and PC-10 cells. We also found that POLD4 reduction was associated with an increased population of karyomere-like cells, which may be an indication of DNA replication stress and/or DNA damage. The karyomere-like cells retained an ability to progress through the cell cycle, suggesting that POLD4 reduction induces modest genomic instability, while allowing cells to grow until DNA damage reaches an intolerant level. Our results indicate that POLD4 is required for the in vitro pol δ activity, and that it functions in cell proliferation and maintenance of genomic stability of human cells.

  17. Care of astronomical telescopes and accessories a manual for the astronomical observer and amateur telescope maker

    CERN Document Server

    Pepin, M Barlow

    2005-01-01

    Commercially-made astronomical telescopes are better and less expensive than ever before, and their optical and mechanical performance can be superb. When a good-quality telescope fails to perform as well as it might, the reason is quite probably that it needs a little care and attention! Here is a complete guide for anyone who wants to understand more than just the basics of astronomical telescopes and accessories, and how to maintain them in the peak of condition. The latest on safely adjusting, cleaning, and maintaining your equipment is combined with thoroughly updated methods from the old masters. Here, too, are details of choosing new and used optics and accessories, along with enhancements you can make to extend their versatility and useful lifetime. This book is for you. Really. Looking after an astronomical telescope isn't only for the experts - although there are some things that only an expert should attempt - and every serious amateur astronomer will find invaluable information here, gleaned from ...

  18. Cytological organization of the alpha component of the anterior olfactory nucleus and olfactory limbus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge A Larriva-Sahd

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available This study describes the microscopic organization of a wedge-shaped area at the intersection of the main and accessory olfactory bulbs, or olfactory limbus , and an additional component of the anterior olfactory nucleus or alpha accessory olfactory bulb that lies underneath of the accessory olfactory bulb. The olfactory limbus consists of a modified bulbar cortex bounded anteriorly by the main olfactory bulb and posteriorly by the accessory olfactory bulb. In Nissl-stained specimens the olfactory limbus differs from the main olfactory bulb by a progressive, antero-posterior decrease in thickness or absence of the external plexiform, mitral/tufted cell, and granule cell layers. On cytoarchitectual grounds the olfactory limbus is divided from rostral to caudal into three distinct components: a stripe of glomerular-free cortex or preolfactory area, a second or necklace glomerular area, and a wedge-shaped or interstitial area crowned by the so-called modified glomeruli that appear to belong to the anterior accessory olfactory bulb. The strategic location and interactions with the main and accessory olfactory bulbs, together with the previously noted functional and connectional evidence, suggest that the olfactory limbus may be related to both sensory modalities. The alpha component of the anterior olfactory nucleus, a slender cellular cluster (i.e., 650 x 150 µm paralleling the base of the accessory olfactory bulb, contains two neuron types: a pyramidal-like neuron and an interneuron. Dendrites of pyramidal-like cells organize into a single bundle that ascends avoiding the accessory olfactory bulb to resolve in a trigone bounded by the edge of the olfactory limbus, the accessory olfactory bulb and the dorsal part of the anterior olfactory nucleus. Utrastructurally, the neuropil of the alpha component contains three types of synaptic terminals; one of them immunoreactive to the enzyme glutamate decarboxylase, isoform 67.

  19. The Numerology of T Cell Functional Diversity

    OpenAIRE

    Haining, W. Nicholas

    2012-01-01

    Memory T cells are heterogeneous in phenotype and function. In this issue of Immunity Newell et al. (2012) use a new flow cytometry platform to show that the functional heterogeneity in the human T cell compartment is even greater than expected.

  20. Can an accessory renal artery be safely covered during endovascular aortic aneurysm repair?

    OpenAIRE

    Antoniou, George A.; Karkos, Christos D.; Antoniou, Stavros A.; Georgiadis, George S.

    2013-01-01

    A best evidence topic was constructed according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether coverage of an accessory renal artery (ARA) in patients undergoing endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) is associated with increased risk of renal impairment. Altogether, 106 papers were located using the reported searches, of which 5 represented the best evidence to answer the question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, study type, patient group studied, rel...

  1. Macaque accessory optic system: I. Definition of the medial terminal nucleus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooper, H.M.; Baleydier, C.; Magnin, M.

    1990-01-01

    The organization of the accessory optic system (AOS) has been studied in the macaque monkey following intravitreal injections of tritiated amino acids in one eye. Retinal projections to the dorsal (DTN) and the lateral (LTN) terminal nuclei are identical to those previously described in other primate species. We observed an additional group of retinorecipient cells of the AOS, located between the cerebral peduncle and the substantia nigra, which we define as the interstitial nucleus of the superior fasiculus, medial fibers. In this report, we focus our attention on the medial terminal nucleus (MTN). Although a ventral division of this nucleus (MTNv) was not observed in the macaque, the retina projects to a group of cells in the midbrain reticular formation (MRF), which we argue to be homologous to the dorsal division of the MTN (MTNd). To provide evidence in support of this homology, the retinal projection to the MTNv and MTNd was also examined in 21 additional species from 11 orders of mammals including carnivores, marsupials, lagomorphs, rodents, bats, insectivores, tree shrews, hyraxes, pholidotes, edentates, and five additional species of primates. Whereas the retina projects to both ventral and dorsal divisions in all species studied, in haplorhine primates only the projection to the MTNd is conserved. The relative topological position of the MTNd in the MRF, dorsomedial to the substantia nigra and ventrolateral to the red nucleus, remains constant throughout the mammals. The trajectory of fiber paths innervating the MTNd is also similar in all species. In addition, the MTNd has comparable afferent and efferent connections with retina, pretectum, and vestibular nuclei in all species thus far studied. These results support the unequivocal conclusion that the MTNd is an unvarying feature of the mammalian AOS

  2. Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Differentiation into Functional Epicardial Progenitor Cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Guadix, Juan Antonio; Orlova, Valeria V.; Giacomelli, Elisa; Bellin, Milena; Ribeiro, Marcelo C.; Mummery, Christine L.; Pérez-Pomares, José M.; Passier, Robert

    2017-01-01

    Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are widely used to study cardiovascular cell differentiation and function. Here, we induced differentiation of hPSCs (both embryonic and induced) to proepicardial/epicardial progenitor cells that cover the heart during development. Addition of retinoic acid (RA)

  3. 15 CFR 742.11 - Specially designed implements of torture, thumbscrews, and thumbcuffs; and parts and accessories...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Specially designed implements of torture, thumbscrews, and thumbcuffs; and parts and accessories, n.e.s. 742.11 Section 742.11 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to Commerce and Foreign Trade (Continued) BUREAU OF INDUSTRY AND...

  4. Ascorbate regulates haematopoietic stem cell function and leukaemogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agathocleous, Michalis; Meacham, Corbin E; Burgess, Rebecca J; Piskounova, Elena; Zhao, Zhiyu; Crane, Genevieve M; Cowin, Brianna L; Bruner, Emily; Murphy, Malea M; Chen, Weina; Spangrude, Gerald J; Hu, Zeping; DeBerardinis, Ralph J; Morrison, Sean J

    2017-09-28

    Stem-cell fate can be influenced by metabolite levels in culture, but it is not known whether physiological variations in metabolite levels in normal tissues regulate stem-cell function in vivo. Here we describe a metabolomics method for the analysis of rare cell populations isolated directly from tissues and use it to compare mouse haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to restricted haematopoietic progenitors. Each haematopoietic cell type had a distinct metabolic signature. Human and mouse HSCs had unusually high levels of ascorbate, which decreased with differentiation. Systemic ascorbate depletion in mice increased HSC frequency and function, in part by reducing the function of Tet2, a dioxygenase tumour suppressor. Ascorbate depletion cooperated with Flt3 internal tandem duplication (Flt3 ITD ) leukaemic mutations to accelerate leukaemogenesis, through cell-autonomous and possibly non-cell-autonomous mechanisms, in a manner that was reversed by dietary ascorbate. Ascorbate acted cell-autonomously to negatively regulate HSC function and myelopoiesis through Tet2-dependent and Tet2-independent mechanisms. Ascorbate therefore accumulates within HSCs to promote Tet activity in vivo, limiting HSC frequency and suppressing leukaemogenesis.

  5. Stem cell function and maintenance

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Stem cell research holds a promise to treat and prevent age-related degenerative changes in humans. Literature is replete with studies showing that stem cell function declines with aging, especially in highly proliferative tissues/organs. Among others, telomerase and telomere damage is one of the intrinsic physical ...

  6. A rare case of fibrocystic disease at vulval accessory breast tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Sudip; Roy, Alok Kumar; Kar, Chinmoy; Giri, Parag Prasun

    2007-11-01

    A 40-year-old female presented with a non-itchy ulcerative nodular lesion at left labium majus since last 1 1/2 years. The lesion progressed to increase in size from 0.5 cm to 1.5 cm in diameter. It was incised and drained. After that a non-healing ulcerative nodule formed. The nodule was firm in consistency and movable on all sides. The ulcer healed with a 5 days course of ceftriaxone. If was excised and biopsy of the lesion showed fibrocystic changes of accessory breast tissue. It is a rare disease entity for which the case report is presented.

  7. Abnormal Origin and Course of the Accessory Phrenic Nerve: Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    George Paraskevas

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available In the current cadaveric study an unusual sizeable accessory phrenic nerve (APN was encountered emerging from the trunk of the supraclavicular nerves and forming a triangular loop that was anastomosing with the phrenic nerve. That neural loop surrounded the superficial cervical artery which displayed a spiral course. The form of a triangular loop of APN involving the aforementioned artery and originating from the supraclavicular nerve to the best of our knowledge has not been documented previously in the literature. The variable morphological features of the APN along with its clinical applications are briefly discussed.

  8. Phenotypic and functional plasticity of cells of innate immunity: macrophages, mast cells and neutrophils

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Galli, Stephen J; Borregaard, Niels; Wynn, Thomas A

    2011-01-01

    Hematopoietic cells, including lymphoid and myeloid cells, can develop into phenotypically distinct 'subpopulations' with different functions. However, evidence indicates that some of these subpopulations can manifest substantial plasticity (that is, undergo changes in their phenotype and function......). Here we focus on the occurrence of phenotypically distinct subpopulations in three lineages of myeloid cells with important roles in innate and acquired immunity: macrophages, mast cells and neutrophils. Cytokine signals, epigenetic modifications and other microenvironmental factors can substantially...... and, in some cases, rapidly and reversibly alter the phenotype of these cells and influence their function. This suggests that regulation of the phenotype and function of differentiated hematopoietic cells by microenvironmental factors, including those generated during immune responses, represents...

  9. Phenotypic and functional plasticity of cells of innate immunity: macrophages, mast cells and neutrophils

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Galli, Stephen J; Borregaard, Niels; Wynn, Thomas A

    2011-01-01

    ). Here we focus on the occurrence of phenotypically distinct subpopulations in three lineages of myeloid cells with important roles in innate and acquired immunity: macrophages, mast cells and neutrophils. Cytokine signals, epigenetic modifications and other microenvironmental factors can substantially......Hematopoietic cells, including lymphoid and myeloid cells, can develop into phenotypically distinct 'subpopulations' with different functions. However, evidence indicates that some of these subpopulations can manifest substantial plasticity (that is, undergo changes in their phenotype and function...... and, in some cases, rapidly and reversibly alter the phenotype of these cells and influence their function. This suggests that regulation of the phenotype and function of differentiated hematopoietic cells by microenvironmental factors, including those generated during immune responses, represents...

  10. Left atrial accessory appendages, diverticula, and left-sided septal pouch in multi-slice computed tomography. Association with atrial fibrillation and cerebrovascular accidents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hołda, Mateusz K; Koziej, Mateusz; Wszołek, Karolina; Pawlik, Wiesław; Krawczyk-Ożóg, Agata; Sorysz, Danuta; Łoboda, Piotr; Kuźma, Katarzyna; Kuniewicz, Marcin; Lelakowski, Jacek; Dudek, Dariusz; Klimek-Piotrowska, Wiesława

    2017-10-01

    The aim of this study is to provide a morphometric description of the left-sided septal pouch (LSSP), left atrial accessory appendages, and diverticula using cardiac multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) and to compare results between patient subgroups. Two hundred and ninety four patients (42.9% females) with a mean of 69.4±13.1years of age were investigated using MSCT. The presence of the LSSP, left atrial accessory appendages, and diverticula was evaluated. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to check whether the presence of additional left atrial structures is associated with increased risk of atrial fibrillation and cerebrovascular accidents. At least one additional left atrial structure was present in 51.7% of patients. A single LSSP, left atrial diverticulum, and accessory appendage were present in 35.7%, 16.0%, and 4.1% of patients, respectively. After adjusting for other risk factors via multiple logistic regression, patients with LSSP are more likely to have atrial fibrillation (OR=2.00, 95% CI=1.14-3.48, p=0.01). The presence of a LSSP was found to be associated with an increased risk of transient ischemic attack using multiple logistic regression analysis after adjustment for other risk factors (OR=3.88, 95% CI=1.10-13.69, p=0.03). In conclusion LSSPs, accessory appendages, and diverticula are highly prevalent anatomic structures within the left atrium, which could be easily identified by MSCT. The presence of LSSP is associated with increased risk for atrial fibrillation and transient ischemic attack. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Differentiation into Functional Epicardial Progenitor Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Antonio Guadix

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs are widely used to study cardiovascular cell differentiation and function. Here, we induced differentiation of hPSCs (both embryonic and induced to proepicardial/epicardial progenitor cells that cover the heart during development. Addition of retinoic acid (RA and bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4 promoted expression of the mesodermal marker PDGFRα, upregulated characteristic (proepicardial progenitor cell genes, and downregulated transcription of myocardial genes. We confirmed the (proepicardial-like properties of these cells using in vitro co-culture assays and in ovo grafting of hPSC-epicardial cells into chick embryos. Our data show that RA + BMP4-treated hPSCs differentiate into (proepicardial-like cells displaying functional properties (adhesion and spreading over the myocardium of their in vivo counterpart. The results extend evidence that hPSCs are an excellent model to study (proepicardial differentiation into cardiovascular cells in human development and evaluate their potential for cardiac regeneration. : The authors have shown that hPSCs can be instructed in vitro to differentiate into a specific cardiac embryonic progenitor cell population called the proepicardium. Proepicardial cells are required for normal formation of the heart during development and might contribute to the development of cell-based therapies for heart repair. Keywords: human pluripotent stem cells, proepicardium, progenitor cells, cardiovascular, differentiation

  12. Clinical results of a new strategy (modified CHIVA) for surgical treatment of anterior accessory great saphenous varicose veins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maldonado-Fernández, Nicolás; Linares-Palomino, Jose Patricio; López-Espada, Cristina; Martínez-Gámez, Francisco Javier; Ros-Díe, Eduardo

    2016-03-01

    Traditionally, anterior accessory great saphenous vein insufficiency was managed by crossectomy and resection of varicose veins. The aim of this paper is to show the safety and efficacy of a new therapeutic strategy for anterior accessory great saphenous varicose veins. This non-randomised prospective study included 65 patients with varicose veins from the anterior accessory great saphenous vein. The novelty of the technique is to avoid the great saphenous vein crossectomy and perform just flebectomy of the visible veins. Venous duplex studies were performed preoperatively, a month and a year postoperatively. The clinical assessment was done by the Fligelstone scale. The baseline CEAP clinical classification was: 58% C2, 26% C3 and 15% C4-6. The new strategy was applied to all cases. 3 haematomas, 7 cases of asymptomatic partial anterior saphenous thrombosis. Reduction of the initial average diameter was from 6.4 mm anterior saphenous to 3.4 mm by one year (p <0.001). At twelve months a forward flow is maintained in 82% of cases. Recurrence of varicose veins was 8%. All patients improved their clinical status based on the Fligelstone scale. Cases with saphenous diameter bigger than 7.5 mm and obesity were identified as predictors of worse clinical and hemodynamic outcome. This modified surgical strategy for anterior saphenous varicose veins results in better clinical outcomes at one year postoperatively. Copyright © 2015 AEC. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  13. Mobile instrumentation platform and robotic accessory for real-time screening of hazardous waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anderson, M.S.; Jaselskis, E.J.

    1992-01-01

    An innovative mobile laboratory for real-time field screening of soils for inorganic hazardous waste using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry sampling and analysis technique is being developed at Ames Laboratory. This sampling technique as well as the concept for installing, monitoring, and controlling the instrumentation and utilities in the mobile laboratory, the robotic sampling accessory, and manual sampling method are discussed. Benefits of this mobile configuration and future development plans also are described

  14. Os cuboideum secundarium: A rare accessory ossicle with the potential to mimic a mass on magnetic resonance imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kauffmann, Gregory; Stacy, G.S.

    2014-01-01

    Accessory ossicles are common incidental findings on radiographs of the ankle and foot. While typically asymptomatic and of no clinical significance, they are sometimes associated with local pain or even mistaken for pathological conditions such as fractures. Given the potential for misinterpretation, it is important to understand their typical locations and appearances. This case highlights an exceptionally rare accessory ossicle called the os cuboideum secundarium, located adjacent to the cuboid and calcaneus. Interestingly, this case demonstrates the potential for this rare ossicle to mimic a mass on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Furthermore, despite the significant improvements in the understanding of musculoskeletal pathology afforded by advancements in cross-sectional imaging techniques, this case is a reminder of certain pitfalls that remain. Lastly, it highlights the importance of radiographs as an initial diagnostic study in evaluating foot pain. (orig.)

  15. The numerology of T cell functional diversity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haining, W Nicholas

    2012-01-27

    Memory T cells are heterogeneous in phenotype and function. In this issue of Immunity, Newell et al. (2012) use a new flow cytometry platform to show that the functional heterogeneity of the human T cell compartment is even greater than previously thought. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Digital 3D reconstruction of two parahissian accessory bundles in a case of Wolff-Parkinson White syndrome

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Steffen, C.; Schaepman, M.E.; Hardmeier, T.; Schweitzer, W.

    2004-01-01

    Three-dimensional reconstruction of digitized histological serial sections of the cardiac conduction system yielded two accessory pathways in a case of a 24-day-old male infant who died after a short period of illness with ECG findings of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. In infants, the differential

  17. Biomaterials that promote cell-cell interactions enhance the paracrine function of MSCs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qazi, Taimoor H; Mooney, David J; Duda, Georg N; Geissler, Sven

    2017-09-01

    Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) secrete paracrine factors that play crucial roles during tissue regeneration. Whether this paracrine function is influenced by the properties of biomaterials in general, and those used for cell delivery in particular, largely remains unexplored. Here, we investigated if three-dimensional culture in distinct microenvironments - nanoporous hydrogels (mean pore size ∼5 nm) and macroporous scaffolds (mean pore size ∼120 μm) - affects the secretion pattern of MSCs, and consequently leads to differential paracrine effects on target progenitor cells such as myoblasts. We report that compared to MSCs encapsulated in hydrogels, scaffold seeded MSCs show an enhanced secretion profile and exert beneficial paracrine effects on various myoblast functions including migration and proliferation. Additionally, we show that the heightened paracrine effects of scaffold seeded cells can in part be attributed to N-cadherin mediated cell-cell interactions during culture. In hydrogels, this physical interaction between cells is prevented by the encapsulating matrix. Functionally blocking N-cadherin negatively affected the secretion profile and paracrine effects of MSCs on myoblasts, with stronger effects observed for scaffold seeded compared to hydrogel encapsulated cells. Together, these findings demonstrate that the therapeutic potency of MSCs can be enhanced by biomaterials that promote cell-cell interactions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Mkit: A Cell Migration Assay Based on Microfluidic Device and Smartphone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Ke; Wu, Jiandong; Peretz-Soroka, Hagit; Zhu, Ling; Li, Zhigang; Sang, Yaoshuo; Hipolito, Jolly; Zhang, Michael; Santos, Susy; Hillier, Craig; de Faria, Ricardo Lobato; Liu, Yong; Lin, Francis

    2017-01-01

    Mobile sensing based on the integration of microfluidic device and smartphone, so-called MS2 technology, has enabled many applications over recent years, and continues to stimulate growing interest in both research communities and industries. In particular, it has been envisioned that MS2 technology can be developed for various cell functional assays to enable basic research and clinical applications. Toward this direction, in this paper, we describe the development of a MS2-based cell functional assay for testing cell migration (the Mkit). The system is constructed as an integrated test kit, which includes microfluidic chips, a smartphone-based imaging platform, the phone apps for image capturing and data analysis, and a set of reagent and accessories for performing the cell migration assay. We demonstrated that the Mkit can effectively measure purified neutrophil and cancer cell chemotaxis. Furthermore, neutrophil chemotaxis can be tested from a drop of whole blood using the Mkit with red blood cell (RBC) lysis. The effects of chemoattractant dose and gradient profile on neutrophil chemotaxis were also tested using the Mkit. In addition to research applications, we demonstrated the effective use of the Mkit for on-site test at the hospital and for testing clinical samples from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patient. Thus, this developed Mkit provides an easy and integrated experimental platform for cell migration related research and potential medical diagnostic applications. PMID:28772229

  19. Generation of functional eyes from pluripotent cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea S Viczian

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Pluripotent cells such as embryonic stem (ES and induced pluripotent stem (iPS cells are the starting point from which to generate organ specific cell types. For example, converting pluripotent cells to retinal cells could provide an opportunity to treat retinal injuries and degenerations. In this study, we used an in vivo strategy to determine if functional retinas could be generated from a defined population of pluripotent Xenopus laevis cells. Animal pole cells isolated from blastula stage embryos are pluripotent. Untreated, these cells formed only epidermis, when transplanted to either the flank or eye field. In contrast, misexpression of seven transcription factors induced the formation of retinal cell types. Induced retinal cells were committed to a retinal lineage as they formed eyes when transplanted to the flanks of developing embryos. When the endogenous eye field was replaced with induced retinal cells, they formed eyes that were molecularly, anatomically, and electrophysiologically similar to normal eyes. Importantly, induced eyes could guide a vision-based behavior. These results suggest the fate of pluripotent cells may be purposely altered to generate multipotent retinal progenitor cells, which differentiate into functional retinal cell classes and form a neural circuitry sufficient for vision.

  20. Single-Cell Transcriptomics and Fate Mapping of Ependymal Cells Reveals an Absence of Neural Stem Cell Function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Prajay T; Stratton, Jo A; Stykel, Morgan Gail; Abbasi, Sepideh; Sharma, Sandeep; Mayr, Kyle A; Koblinger, Kathrin; Whelan, Patrick J; Biernaskie, Jeff

    2018-05-03

    Ependymal cells are multi-ciliated cells that form the brain's ventricular epithelium and a niche for neural stem cells (NSCs) in the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ). In addition, ependymal cells are suggested to be latent NSCs with a capacity to acquire neurogenic function. This remains highly controversial due to a lack of prospective in vivo labeling techniques that can effectively distinguish ependymal cells from neighboring V-SVZ NSCs. We describe a transgenic system that allows for targeted labeling of ependymal cells within the V-SVZ. Single-cell RNA-seq revealed that ependymal cells are enriched for cilia-related genes and share several stem-cell-associated genes with neural stem or progenitors. Under in vivo and in vitro neural-stem- or progenitor-stimulating environments, ependymal cells failed to demonstrate any suggestion of latent neural-stem-cell function. These findings suggest remarkable stability of ependymal cell function and provide fundamental insights into the molecular signature of the V-SVZ niche. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Expression and function of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in stem cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Herman S. Cheung

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are prototypical ligand gated ion channels typically found in muscular and neuronal tissues. Functional nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, however, have also recently been identified on other cell types, including stem cells. Activation of these receptors by the binding of agonists like choline, acetylcholine, or nicotine has been implicated in many cellular changes. In regards to stem cell function, nicotinic acetylcholine receptor activation leads to changes in stem cell proliferation, migration and differentiation potential. In this review we summarize the expression and function of known nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in different classes of stem cells including: pluripotent stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, periodontal ligament derived stem cells, and neural progenitor cells and discuss the potential downstream effects of receptor activation on stem cell function.

  2. Ontogeny and function of murine epidermal Langerhans cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaplan, Daniel H

    2017-09-19

    Langerhans cells (LCs) are epidermis-resident antigen-presenting cells that share a common ontogeny with macrophages but function as dendritic cells (DCs). Their development, recruitment and retention in the epidermis is orchestrated by interactions with keratinocytes through multiple mechanisms. LC and dermal DC subsets often show functional redundancy, but LCs are required for specific types of adaptive immune responses when antigen is concentrated in the epidermis. This Review will focus on those developmental and functional properties that are unique to LCs.

  3. Accuracy of algorithms to predict accessory pathway location in children with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wren, Christopher; Vogel, Melanie; Lord, Stephen; Abrams, Dominic; Bourke, John; Rees, Philip; Rosenthal, Eric

    2012-02-01

    The aim of this study was to examine the accuracy in predicting pathway location in children with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome for each of seven published algorithms. ECGs from 100 consecutive children with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome undergoing electrophysiological study were analysed by six investigators using seven published algorithms, six of which had been developed in adult patients. Accuracy and concordance of predictions were adjusted for the number of pathway locations. Accessory pathways were left-sided in 49, septal in 20 and right-sided in 31 children. Overall accuracy of prediction was 30-49% for the exact location and 61-68% including adjacent locations. Concordance between investigators varied between 41% and 86%. No algorithm was better at predicting septal pathways (accuracy 5-35%, improving to 40-78% including adjacent locations), but one was significantly worse. Predictive accuracy was 24-53% for the exact location of right-sided pathways (50-71% including adjacent locations) and 32-55% for the exact location of left-sided pathways (58-73% including adjacent locations). All algorithms were less accurate in our hands than in other authors' own assessment. None performed well in identifying midseptal or right anteroseptal accessory pathway locations.

  4. Posterior Coronary Vein as the Substrate for an Epicardial Accessory Pathway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Cipoletta, MD

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Catheter ablation of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is associated with up to 5% of failure. Coronary sinus (CS abnormalities or connections between CS myocardial coat and left ventricular epicardium are associated with posteroseptal and left posterior accessory pathways (AP. A 41-year-old patient with WPW syndrome was referred to our hospital after three unsuccessful ablations. The 12-lead ECG suggested a left posteroseptal AP. CT imaging and electro-anatomic mapping showed a relationship between AP electrical course and CS posterior branch. This finding supports the hypothesis CSAPs lie in the myocardial coat around CS and represent an extensive connection between atrial and ventricular epicardial surface.

  5. Intraspecies Competition in Serratia marcescens Is Mediated by Type VI-Secreted Rhs Effectors and a Conserved Effector-Associated Accessory Protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alcoforado Diniz, Juliana; Coulthurst, Sarah J

    2015-07-01

    The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is widespread in Gram-negative bacteria and can deliver toxic effector proteins into eukaryotic cells or competitor bacteria. Antibacterial T6SSs are increasingly recognized as key mediators of interbacterial competition and may contribute to the outcome of many polymicrobial infections. Multiple antibacterial effectors can be delivered by these systems, with diverse activities against target cells and distinct modes of secretion. Polymorphic toxins containing Rhs repeat domains represent a recently identified and as-yet poorly characterized class of T6SS-dependent effectors. Previous work had revealed that the potent antibacterial T6SS of the opportunistic pathogen Serratia marcescens promotes intraspecies as well as interspecies competition (S. L. Murdoch, K. Trunk, G. English, M. J. Fritsch, E. Pourkarimi, and S. J. Coulthurst, J Bacteriol 193:6057-6069, 2011, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JB.05671-11). In this study, two new Rhs family antibacterial effectors delivered by this T6SS have been identified. One of these was shown to act as a DNase toxin, while the other contains a novel, cytoplasmic-acting toxin domain. Importantly, using S. marcescens, it has been demonstrated for the first time that Rhs proteins, rather than other T6SS-secreted effectors, can be the primary determinant of intraspecies competition. Furthermore, a new family of accessory proteins associated with T6SS effectors has been identified, exemplified by S. marcescens EagR1, which is specifically required for deployment of its associated Rhs effector. Together, these findings provide new insight into how bacteria can use the T6SS to deploy Rhs-family effectors and mediate different types of interbacterial interactions. Infectious diseases caused by bacterial pathogens represent a continuing threat to health and economic prosperity. To counter this threat, we must understand how such organisms survive and prosper. The type VI secretion system is a weapon that

  6. Presence of a long accessory flexor tendon of the toes in surgical treatment for tendinopathy of the insertion of the calcaneal tendon: case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nelson Pelozo Gomes Júnior

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT The presence of accessory tendons in the foot and ankle needs to be recognized, given that depending on their location, they may cause disorders relating either to pain processes or to handling of the surgical findings. We describe the presence of an accessory flexor tendon of the toes, seen in surgical exposure for transferring the long flexor tendon of the hallux to the calcaneus, due to the presence of a disorder of tendinopathy of the insertion of the calcaneal tendon in association with Haglund's syndrome.

  7. High Glucose Aggravates the Detrimental Effects of Pancreatic Stellate Cells on Beta-Cell Function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Min Zha

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aims. We here assess the effects of PSCs on β-cell function and apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. Materials and Methods. PSCs were transplanted into Wistar and Goto-Kakizaki (GK rats. Sixteen weeks after transplantation, β-cell function, apoptosis, and islet fibrosis were assessed. In vitro the effects of PSCs conditioned medium (PSCs-CM and/or high concentration of glucose on INS-1 cell function was assessed by measuring insulin secretion, INS-1 cell survival, apoptosis, and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress associated CHOP expression. Results. PSCs transplantation exacerbated the impaired β-cell function in GK rats, but had no significant effects in Wistar rats. In vitro, PSCs-CM caused impaired INS-1 cell viability and insulin secretion and increased apoptosis, which were more pronounced in the presence of high glucose. Conclusion. Our study demonstrates that PSCs induce β-cell failure in vitro and in vivo.

  8. Gastrointestinal bleeding: an accessory spleen causing a false-positive Tc-99m-sulfur colloid study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heyman, S.; Sunaryo, F.P.; Ziegler, M.M.

    1982-01-01

    A Tc-99m-sulfur colloid abdominal scan was performed on a 12-year-old girl to localize the site of gastrointestinal bleeding. The study was normal. When bleeding recurred two weeks later, a repeat study revealed a focal abnormality in the upper abdomen. This was thought to be compatible with a small bleed. However, at surgery an accessory spleen was found, accounting for the abnormal scan

  9. [Comparison of ablation of left-sided accessory pathway by atrial septal and retrograde arterial approach].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, J G; Bao, Z Y; Gu, X

    2017-03-07

    Objective: To compare the advantages and disadvantages of radiofrequency ablation of left-sided accessory pathways by via atrial septal approach with retrograde through aortic approach. Methods: A total of 184 patients of left-side accessory pathways were treated in Taizhou People's Hospital and the Subei People's Hospital from March 2012 to August 2015.A total of 103 cases were treated by aortic retrograde approach as through arterial group, 81 cases were treated by punctured atrial septal to left atrial for mapping and ablation as through atrial septal group.Comparison of ablation procedure time, total and pathways of different parts(subgroup) at instant success and relapse rates, safety (serious complications), and statistics other complications in operation and postoperative. Results: Through arterial group and through atrial septal group were no significant difference ( P >0.05) in the ablation procedure time((25±18 ) vs (22±15)min ), instant success(98.1% vs 97.5%) and relapse rates(1.0% vs 1.2%), security(1 vs 0 case). There was no statistical difference in septal part subgroups (all P >0.05) in the ablation procedure time((22±18)vs (25±19)min), instant success(91.7% vs 89.9 %) and relapse rates(0 vs 11.1%); posterior wall subgroup had no statistical difference in the ablation procedure time((18±15)vs (16±12)min), instant success(100% vs 100 %) and relapse rates(0 vs 0)(all P >0.05); side wall subgroup had no statistical difference in the ablation procedure time((29±20)vs (21±18) min), instant success (98.3% vs 98.1%)and relapse rates(1.7% vs 0%)(all P >0.05). Conclusion: Ablation of left-sided accessory pathways by transseptal approach and transaortic approach has no statistical difference in the procedure time, instant success and relapse rates, security.In a particular case, there is a certain complementarity between the two methods.

  10. Arthroscopic Broström repair with Gould augmentation via an accessory anterolateral port for lateral instability of the ankle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsui, Kentaro; Takao, Masato; Miyamoto, Wataru; Innami, Ken; Matsushita, Takashi

    2014-10-01

    Although several arthroscopic surgical techniques for the treatment of lateral instability of the ankle have been introduced recently, some concern remains over their procedural complexity, complications, and unclear clinical outcomes. We have simplified the arthroscopic technique of Broström repair with Gould augmentation. This technique requires only two small skin incisions for two ports (medial midline and accessory anterolateral ports), without needing a percutaneous procedure or extension of the skin incisions. The anterior talofibular ligament is reattached to its anatomical footprint on the fibula with suture anchor, under arthroscopic view. The inferior extensor retinaculum is directly visualized through the accessory anterolateral port and is attached to the fibula with another suture anchor under arthroscopic view via the anterolateral port. The use of two small ports offers a procedure that is simple to perform and less morbid for patients.

  11. Widespread immunological functions of mast cells: fact or fiction?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodewald, Hans-Reimer; Feyerabend, Thorsten B

    2012-07-27

    Immunological functions of mast cells are currently considered to be much broader than the original role of mast cells in IgE-driven allergic disease. The spectrum of proposed mast cell functions includes areas as diverse as the regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses, protective immunity against viral, microbial, and parasitic pathogens, autoimmunity, tolerance to graft rejection, promotion of or protection from cancer, wound healing, angiogenesis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, and others. The vast majority of in vivo mast cell data have been based on mast cell-deficient Kit mutant mice. However, work in new mouse mutants with unperturbed Kit function, which have a surprisingly normal immune system, has failed to corroborate some key immunological aspects, formerly attributed to mast cells. Here, we consider the implications of these recent developments for the state of the field as well as for future work, aiming at deciphering the physiological functions of mast cells. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Study of the oxidation of uranium by external and diffuse reflectance FTIR spectroscopy using remote-sensing and evacuable cell techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powell, G. L.; Dobbins, A.; Cristy, S. S.; Cliff, T. L.; Meyer, H. M., III; Lucania, J.; Milosevic, Milan

    1994-01-01

    This report describes the application of reflectance FTIR spectroscopy to the measurement of the oxidation rate of uranium by environmental gases near room temperature. It also describes very efficient evacuable cells designed for 75 degree(s) external reflectance with polarized light and for diffuse reflectance using mid-infrared FTIR spectroscopy. These cells, along with functionally similar remote sensing accessories, have been applied to the study of the oxidation of uranium metal in air, oxygen, and water vapor by precisely measuring the 575 cm-1 band of UO2 and other properties of the corrosion film such as absorbed water and reflective losses caused by film degradation related to pitting or nucleation phenomena.

  13. High-resolution mapping and ablation of recurrent left lateral accessory pathway conduction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Solimene, MD

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Proper localization of the anatomical target during ablation of the accessory pathways (AP and the ability to detect clear AP potentials on the ablation catheter are crucial for successful AP ablation. We report a case of recurring AP conduction that was finally eliminated using a novel ablation catheter equipped with high-resolution mini-electrodes. Smaller and closer electrodes result in high mapping resolution with less signal averaging and cancellation effects. Owing to improved sensitivity, the new catheter seems effective in detecting fragmented and high frequency signals, thus allowing more effective radiofrequency application and improving ablation success.

  14. A Cell Culture Approach to Optimized Human Corneal Endothelial Cell Function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartakova, Alena; Kuzmenko, Olga; Alvarez-Delfin, Karen; Kunzevitzky, Noelia J.; Goldberg, Jeffrey L.

    2018-01-01

    Purpose Cell-based therapies to replace corneal endothelium depend on culture methods to optimize human corneal endothelial cell (HCEC) function and minimize endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EnMT). Here we explore contribution of low-mitogenic media on stabilization of phenotypes in vitro that mimic those of HCECs in vivo. Methods HCECs were isolated from cadaveric donor corneas and expanded in vitro, comparing continuous presence of exogenous growth factors (“proliferative media”) to media without those factors (“stabilizing media”). Identity based on canonical morphology and expression of surface marker CD56, and function based on formation of tight junction barriers measured by trans-endothelial electrical resistance assays (TEER) were assessed. Results Primary HCECs cultured in proliferative media underwent EnMT after three to four passages, becoming increasingly fibroblastic. Stabilizing the cells before each passage by switching them to a media low in mitogenic growth factors and serum preserved canonical morphology and yielded a higher number of cells. HCECs cultured in stabilizing media increased both expression of the identity marker CD56 and also tight junction monolayer integrity compared to cells cultured without stabilization. Conclusions HCECs isolated from donor corneas and expanded in vitro with a low-mitogenic media stabilizing step before each passage demonstrate more canonical structural and functional features and defer EnMT, increasing the number of passages and total canonical cell yield. This approach may facilitate development of HCEC-based cell therapies. PMID:29625488

  15. Liver-resident NK cells and their potential functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Hui; Sun, Rui

    2017-09-18

    Natural killer (NK) cells represent a heterogeneous population of innate lymphocytes with phenotypically and functionally distinct subsets. In particular, recent studies have identified a unique subset of NK cells residing within the liver that are maintained as tissue-resident cells, confer antigen-specific memory responses and exhibit different phenotypical and developmental characteristics compared with conventional NK (cNK) cells. These findings have encouraged researchers to uncover tissue-resident NK cells at other sites, and detailed analyses have revealed that these tissue-resident NK cells share many similarities with liver-resident NK cells and tissue-resident memory T cells. Here, we present a brief historical perspective on the discovery of liver-resident NK cells and discuss their relationship to cNK cells and other emerging NK cell subsets and their potential functions.Cellular &Molecular Immunology advance online publication, 18 September 2017; doi:10.1038/cmi.2017.72.

  16. Mitochondrial function in Müller cells - Does it matter?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Toft-Kehler, Anne Katrine; Skytt, Dorte Marie; Svare, Alicia

    2017-01-01

    in the most predominant glial cells of the retina, the Müller cells. Müller cells span the entire thickness of the neuroretina and are in close proximity to retinal cells including the retinal neurons that provides visual signaling to the brain. Among multiple functions, Müller cells are responsible...... for the removal of neurotransmitters, buffering potassium, and providing neurons with essential metabolites. Thus, Müller cells are responsible for a stable metabolic dialogue in the inner retina and their crucial role in supporting retinal neurons is indisputable. Müller cell functions require considerable......Growing evidence suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction might play a key role in the pathogenesis of age-related neurodegenerative inner retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Therefore, the present review provides a perspective on the impact of functional mitochondria...

  17. The role of the lacrimal functional unit in the pathophysiology of dry eye.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stern, Michael E; Gao, Jianping; Siemasko, Karyn F; Beuerman, Roger W; Pflugfelder, Stephen C

    2004-03-01

    The majority of dry eye symptoms are due to a chronic inflammation of the lacrimal functional unit resulting in a loss of tear film integrity and normal function. This leads to a reduction in the ability of the ocular surface to respond to environmental challenges. The underlying cause of tear film dysfunction is the alteration of tear aqueous, mucin, and lipid components. This may result from a systemic autoimmune disease or a local autoimmune event. A lack of systemic androgen support to the lacrimal gland has been shown to be a facilitative factor in the initiation of this type of pathophysiology. Tear secretion is controlled by the lacrimal functional unit consisting of the ocular surface (cornea, conjunctiva, accessory lacrimal glands, and meibomian glands), the main lacrimal gland and the interconnecting innervation. If any portion of this functional unit is compromised, lacrimal gland support to the ocular surface is impeded. Factors such as neurogenic inflammation and T cell involvement in the disease pathogenesis as well as newly developed animal models of ocular surface inflammation are discussed.

  18. Human lung mast cells modulate the functions of airway smooth muscle cells in asthma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alkhouri, H; Hollins, F; Moir, L M; Brightling, C E; Armour, C L; Hughes, J M

    2011-09-01

    Activated mast cell densities are increased on the airway smooth muscle in asthma where they may modulate muscle functions and thus contribute to airway inflammation, remodelling and airflow obstruction. To determine the effects of human lung mast cells on the secretory and proliferative functions of airway smooth muscle cells from donors with and without asthma. Freshly isolated human lung mast cells were stimulated with IgE/anti-IgE. Culture supernatants were collected after 2 and 24 h and the mast cells lysed. The supernatants/lysates were added to serum-deprived, subconfluent airway smooth muscle cells for up to 48 h. Released chemokines and extracellular matrix were measured by ELISA, proliferation was quantified by [(3) H]-thymidine incorporation and cell counting, and intracellular signalling by phospho-arrays. Mast cell 2-h supernatants reduced CCL11 and increased CXCL8 and fibronectin production from both asthmatic and nonasthmatic muscle cells. Leupeptin reversed these effects. Mast cell 24-h supernatants and lysates reduced CCL11 release from both muscle cell types but increased CXCL8 release by nonasthmatic cells. The 24-h supernatants also reduced asthmatic, but not nonasthmatic, muscle cell DNA synthesis and asthmatic cell numbers over 5 days through inhibiting extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphatidylinositol (PI3)-kinase pathways. However, prostaglandins, thromboxanes, IL-4 and IL-13 were not involved in reducing the proliferation. Mast cell proteases and newly synthesized products differentially modulated the secretory and proliferative functions of airway smooth muscle cells from donors with and without asthma. Thus, mast cells may modulate their own recruitment and airway smooth muscle functions locally in asthma. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  19. Surface plasmon excitation using a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer: Live cell and bacteria sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lirtsman, Vladislav; Golosovsky, Michael; Davidov, Dan

    2017-10-01

    We report an accessory for beam collimation to be used as a plug-in for a conventional Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. The beam collimator makes use of the built-in focusing mirror of the FTIR spectrometer which focuses the infrared beam onto the pinhole mounted in the place usually reserved for the sample. The beam is collimated by a small parabolic mirror and is redirected to the sample by a pair of plane mirrors. The reflected beam is conveyed by another pair of plane mirrors to the built-in detector of the FTIR spectrometer. This accessory is most useful for the surface plasmon excitation. We demonstrate how it can be employed for label-free and real-time sensing of dynamic processes in bacterial and live cell layers. In particular, by measuring the intensity of the CO2 absorption peak one can assess the cell layer metabolism, while by measuring the position of the surface plasmon resonance one assesses the cell layer morphology.

  20. TNF-α Regulates Mast Cell Functions by Inhibiting Cell Degranulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuwei Gao

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the involvement of inducible co-stimulatory ligand (ICOSL expression in stimulation of mast cells (MCs by TNF-α and the ability of TNF-α stimulation of MCs to influence CD4+ T cell differentiation and function. The mechanisms underlying TNF-α stimulation of MCs were also explored. Methods: Mast cells and CD4+ T cells were prepared from C57BL/6 mice (aged 6–8 weeks. ICOSL expression by MCs was measured by real-time PCR and flow cytometry, and levels of IL-4, IL-10 and IFN-γ were measured by ELISA. Results: ICOSL expression by MCs was increased by TNF-α stimulation, and resulted in interaction with CD4+ T cells. The IL-4 and IL-10 levels in the co-culture system increased, while IFN-γ levels decreased. Furthermore, CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cell proliferation was induced by co-culture with TNF-α-stimulated MCs. The mechanism by which TNF-α stimulated MCs was dependent on the activation of the MAPK signaling pathway. Conclusion: TNF-α upregulated the expression of ICOSL on mast cells via a mechanism that is dependent on MAPK phosphorylation. TNF-α-treated MCs promoted the differentiation of regulatory T cells and induced a shift in cytokine expression from a Th1 to a Th2 profile by up-regulation ICOSL expression and inhibition of MC degranulation. Our study reveals a novel mechanism by which mast cells regulate T cell function.

  1. The relationship of lateral anatomic structures to exiting guide pins during femoral tunnel preparation utilizing an accessory medial portal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrow, Lutul D; Parker, Richard D

    2010-06-01

    Anatomic reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament through an accessory medial portal has become increasingly popular. The purpose of this study is to describe the relationship of guide pin exit points to the lateral anatomic structures when preparing the anterior cruciate ligament femoral tunnel through an accessory medial portal. We utilized seven fresh frozen cadaveric knees. Utilizing an anteromedial approach, a guide wire was placed into the center of each bundle's footprint. Each guide wire was advanced through the lateral femoral cortex. The guide pins were passed at 90, 110, and 130 degrees of knee flexion. The distances from each guide pin to the closest relevant structures on the lateral side of the knee were measured. At 90 degrees the posterolateral bundle guide pin was closest to the lateral condyle articular cartilage (mean 5.4 +/- 2.2 mm) and gastrocnemius tendon (mean 5.7 +/- 2.1 mm). At 110 degrees the posterolateral bundle pin was closest to the gastrocnemius tendon (mean 4.5 +/- 3.4 mm). At 130 degrees the posterolateral bundle pin was closest to the gastrocnemius tendon (mean 7.2 +/- 5.5 mm) and lateral collateral ligament (mean 6.8 +/- 2.1 mm). At 90 degrees the anteromedial bundle guide pin was closest to the articular cartilage (mean 2.0 +/- 2.0 mm). At 110 degrees the anteromedial bundle pin was closest to the articular cartilage (mean 7.4 +/- 3.5 mm) and gastrocnemius tendon (mean 12.3 +/- 3.1 mm). At 130 degrees the AM bundle pin was closest to the gastrocnemius tendon (mean 8.2 +/- 3.2 mm) and LCL (mean 15.1 +/- 2.9 mm). Neither guide pin (anteromedial or posterolateral bundle) put the peroneal nerve at risk at any knee flexion angle. At low knee flexion angles the anteromedial and posterolateral bundle guide pins closely approximated multiple lateral structures when using an accessory medial arthroscopic portal. Utilizing higher flexion angles increases the margin of error when preparing both femoral tunnels. During preparation of

  2. Normal values of bone mineral density of the accessory carpus bone in Brasileiro de Hipismo (BH) horse breed using optical densitometry in radiographic image

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Godoy, C.L.B. de; Vulcano, L.C.; Santos, F.A.M.; Soares, J.C.M.

    2005-01-01

    Physiologic values of the bone mineral density (BMD) of the accessory carpal bone in Brasileiro de Hipismo (BH) horse breed were determined by radiographic optic densitometry (ROD), expressed in milimiters of alumminun (mmAl). Lateromedial radiographs of the carpus were taken from 12 intact males and 12 females, from 20 and up to 30 months of age. No significant difference was found in the average mineral bone density of the accessory carpal bone between males (4.7 ± 0.1mmAl) and females (4.,6 ± 0,1mmAl) from 20 to 30 months of age [pt

  3. 78 FR 47817 - Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Application for an Exemption From Van Hool N...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-06

    ... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration [Docket No. FMCSA-2013-0314] Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Application for an Exemption From Van Hool N... exemption from Van Hool N.V. and Coach USA (Van Hool/Coach USA) to allow the use of double deck motorcoaches...

  4. MODE OF ACTION: INHIBITION OF ANDROGEN RECEPTOR FUNCTION--VINCLOZOLIN-INDUCED MALFORMATIONS IN REPRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinclozolin is a fungicide that has been shown to cause Leydig cell tumors and atrophy of the accessory sex glands in adult rodents. In addition, exposure of rats during pregnancy causes a pattern of malformations in the male urogenital tract. A wealth of standard toxicological s...

  5. Kupffer cell complement receptor clearance function and host defense.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loegering, D J

    1986-01-01

    Kupffer cells are well known to be important for normal host defense function. The development of methods to evaluate the in vivo function of specific receptors on Kupffer cells has made it possible to assess the role of these receptors in host defense. The rationale for studying complement receptors is based on the proposed important role of these receptors in host defense and on the observation that the hereditary deficiency of a complement receptor is associated with recurrent severe bacterial infections. The studies reviewed here demonstrate that forms of injury that are associated with depressed host defense including thermal injury, hemorrhagic shock, trauma, and surgery also cause a decrease in complement receptor clearance function. This decrease in Kupffer cell receptor clearance function was shown not to be the result of depressed hepatic blood flow or depletion of complement components. Complement receptor function was also depressed following the phagocytosis of particulates that are known to depress Kupffer cell host defense function. Endotoxemia and bacteremia also were associated with a depression of complement receptor function. Complement receptor function was experimentally depressed in uninjured animals by the phagocytosis of IgG-coated erythrocytes. There was a close association between the depression of complement receptor clearance function and increased susceptibility to the lethal effects of endotoxin and bacterial infection. These studies support the hypotheses that complement receptors on Kupffer cells are important for normal host defense and that depression of the function of these receptors impairs host defense.

  6. Role of macrophages in the immune response to hepatocytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bumgardner, G.L.; Chen, S.; Almond, S.P.; Ascher, N.L.; Payne, W.D.; Matas, A.J.

    1990-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the role of host macrophages in the development of allospecific cytolytic T cells (allo-CTLs) in response to purified allogeneic MHC Class I+, Class II- hepatocytes in vivo in hepatocyte sponge matrix allografts (HC-SMA). Depletion of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) from responder splenocytes in mixed lymphocyte hepatocyte culture (MLHC) inhibits the development of allo-CTLs in response to purified hepatocytes. First the ability of sponge macrophages to function as accessory cells in indirect presentation of hepatocyte Class I antigen was tested in MLHC. We found that addition of irradiated sponge cells (a source of sponge macrophages) restored the development of allo-CTLs in MLHC depleted of responder APCs. Therefore, radioresistant sponge macrophages can function as accessory cells in MLHC. We next employed silica as an immunotherapy targeted against host macrophages and assessed the effect on development of allo-CTLs in HC-SMA. We found that local (intrasponge) silica treatment completely inhibited the development of allo-CTLs in HC-SMA. Combined local and systemic silica treatment resulted in inhibition of allocytotoxicity comparable to local silica treatment alone in the doses tested. We conclude that host macrophages which infiltrate HC-SMA can function as accessory cells in vitro in MLHC and that both infiltrating host macrophages and lymphocytes participate in the development of an alloimmune response to purified hepatocytes in vivo. This interaction may involve indirect antigen presentation of hepatocyte Class I antigen by macrophages to host lymphocytes which accumulate in HC-SMA

  7. Stem cell mediation of functional recovery after stroke in the rat.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro Ramos-Cabrer

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Regenerative strategies of stem cell grafting have been demonstrated to be effective in animal models of stroke. In those studies, the effectiveness of stem cells promoting functional recovery was assessed by behavioral testing. These behavioral studies do, however, not provide access to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the observed functional outcome improvement. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In order to address the underlying mechanisms of stem cell mediated functional improvement, this functional improvement after stroke in the rat was investigated for six months after stroke by use of fMRI, somatosensory evoked potentials by electrophysiology, and sensorimotor behavior testing. Stem cells were grafted ipsilateral to the ischemic lesion. Rigorous exclusion of spontaneous recovery as confounding factor permitted to observe graft-related functional improvement beginning after 7 weeks and continuously increasing during the 6-month observation period. The major findings were i functional improvement causally related to the stem cells grafting; ii tissue replacement can be excluded as dominant factor for stem cell mediated functional improvement; iii functional improvement occurs by exclusive restitution of the function in the original representation field, without clear contributions from reorganization processes, and iv stem cells were not detectable any longer after six months. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: A delayed functional improvement due to stem cell implantation has been documented by electrophysiology, fMRI and behavioral testing. This functional improvement occurred without cells acting as a tissue replacement for the necrotic tissue after the ischemic event. Combination of disappearance of grafted cells after six months on histological sections with persistent functional recovery was interpreted as paracrine effects by the grafted stem cells being the dominant mechanism of cell activity underlying the observed

  8. Human CD8 T cells generated in vitro from hematopoietic stem cells are functionally mature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zúñiga-Pflücker Juan

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background T cell development occurs within the highly specialized thymus. Cytotoxic CD8 T cells are critical in adaptive immunity by targeting virally infected or tumor cells. In this study, we addressed whether functional CD8 T cells can be generated fully in vitro using human umbilical cord blood (UCB hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs in coculture with OP9-DL1 cells. Results HSC/OP9-DL1 cocultures supported the differentiation of CD8 T cells, which were TCR/CD3hi CD27hi CD1aneg and thus phenotypically resembled mature functional CD8 single positive thymocytes. These in vitro-generated T cells also appeared to be conventional CD8 cells, as they expressed high levels of Eomes and low levels of Plzf, albeit not identical to ex vivo UCB CD8 T cells. Consistent with the phenotypic and molecular characterization, upon TCR-stimulation, in vitro-generated CD8 T cells proliferated, expressed activation markers (MHC-II, CD25, CD38, secreted IFN-γ and expressed Granzyme B, a cytotoxic T-cell effector molecule. Conclusion Taken together, the ability to direct human hematopoietic stem cell or T-progenitor cells towards a mature functional phenotype raises the possibility of establishing cell-based treatments for T-immunodeficiencies by rapidly restoring CD8 effector function, thereby mitigating the risks associated with opportunistic infections.

  9. The Accessory Olfactory System Facilitates the Recovery of the Attraction to Familiar Volatile Female Odors in Male Mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muroi, Yoshikage; Nishimura, Masakazu; Ishii, Toshiaki

    2017-10-31

    Odors in female mice induce sexual arousal in male mice. Repeated exposure to female odors attenuates male attraction, which recovers when the odors are removed. The neuronal mechanisms for the recovery of male attraction have not been clarified. In this study, we examined how olfactory systems are involved in the recovery of male attraction to female odors following habituation in mice. Presentation with volatile female odors for 5 min induced habituation in males. To evaluate male attraction to familiar volatile female odors, we measured the duration for investigating volatile female odors from the same female mouse, which was presented twice for 5 min with 1-, 3-, or 5-min interval. Intranasal irrigation with ZnSO4 solution almost completely suppressed investigating behavior, indicating that the main olfactory system is indispensable for inducing the attraction to volatile female odors. In contrast, removal of the vomeronasal organ, bilateral lesions of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), or pharmacological blockage of neurotransmission in the AOB did not affect the investigation time at the first odor presentation. However, each one of the treatments decreased the investigation time in the second presentation, compared to that in the first presentation, at longer intervals than control treatment, indicating that the disturbance of neurotransmission in the accessory olfactory system delayed the recovery of the attraction attenuated by the first presentation. These results suggest that the accessory olfactory system facilitates the recovery of the attraction to familiar volatile female odors in male mice. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  10. Functional heterogeneity and heritability in CHO cell populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davies, Sarah L; Lovelady, Clare S; Grainger, Rhian K; Racher, Andrew J; Young, Robert J; James, David C

    2013-01-01

    In this study, we address the hypothesis that it is possible to exploit genetic/functional variation in parental Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell populations to isolate clonal derivatives that exhibit superior, heritable attributes for biomanufacturing--new parental cell lines which are inherently more "fit for purpose." One-hundred and ninety-nine CHOK1SV clones were isolated from a donor CHOK1SV parental population by limiting dilution cloning and microplate image analysis, followed by primary analysis of variation in cell-specific proliferation rate during extended deep-well microplate suspension culture of individual clones to accelerate genetic drift in isolated cultures. A subset of 100 clones were comparatively evaluated for transient production of a recombinant monoclonal antibody (Mab) and green fluorescent protein following transfection of a plasmid vector encoding both genes. The heritability of both cell-specific proliferation rate and Mab production was further assessed using a subset of 23 clones varying in functional capability that were subjected to cell culture regimes involving both cryopreservation and extended sub-culture. These data showed that whilst differences in transient Mab production capability were not heritable per se, clones exhibiting heritable variation in specific proliferation rate, endocytotic transfectability and N-glycan processing were identified. Finally, for clonal populations most "evolved" by extended sub-culture in vitro we investigated the relationship between cellular protein biomass content, specific proliferation rate and cell surface N-glycosylation. Rapid-specific proliferation rate was inversely correlated to CHO cell size and protein content, and positively correlated to cell surface glycan content, although substantial clone-specific variation in ability to accumulate cell biomass was evident. Taken together, our data reveal the dynamic nature of the CHO cell functional genome and the potential to evolve and

  11. Functional high-intensity training improves pancreatic β-cell function in adults with type 2 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nieuwoudt, Stephan; Fealy, Ciarán E; Foucher, Julie A; Scelsi, Amanda R; Malin, Steven K; Pagadala, Mangesh; Rocco, Michael; Burguera, Bartolome; Kirwan, John P

    2017-09-01

    Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by reductions in β-cell function and insulin secretion on the background of elevated insulin resistance. Aerobic exercise has been shown to improve β-cell function, despite a subset of T2D patients displaying "exercise resistance." Further investigations into the effectiveness of alternate forms of exercise on β-cell function in the T2D patient population are needed. We examined the effect of a novel, 6-wk CrossFit functional high-intensity training (F-HIT) intervention on β-cell function in 12 sedentary adults with clinically diagnosed T2D (54 ± 2 yr, 166 ± 16 mg/dl fasting glucose). Supervised training was completed 3 days/wk, comprising functional movements performed at a high intensity in a variety of 10- to 20-min sessions. All subjects completed an oral glucose tolerance test and anthropometric measures at baseline and following the intervention. The mean disposition index, a validated measure of β-cell function, was significantly increased (PRE: 8.4 ± 3.1, POST: 11.5 ± 3.5, P = 0.02) after the intervention. Insulin processing inefficiency in the β-cell, expressed as the fasting proinsulin-to-insulin ratio, was also reduced (PRE: 2.40 ± 0.37, POST: 1.78 ± 0.30, P = 0.04). Increased β-cell function during the early-phase response to glucose correlated significantly with reductions in abdominal body fat ( R 2 = 0.56, P = 0.005) and fasting plasma alkaline phosphatase ( R 2 = 0.55, P = 0.006). Mean total body-fat percentage decreased significantly (Δ: -1.17 0.30%, P = 0.003), whereas lean body mass was preserved (Δ: +0.05 ± 0.68 kg, P = 0.94). We conclude that F-HIT is an effective exercise strategy for improving β-cell function in adults with T2D. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

  12. Potential of bursa-immigrated hematopoietic precursor cells to differentiate to functional B and T cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weber, W.T.; Alexander, J.E.

    1978-01-01

    The potential of hematopoietic precursor cells, recently immigrated into the 13- and 14-day-old embryonic bursa, to migrate to the thymus and to differentiate to functional T cells was investigated. Chromosomally marked cell populations obtained from 13- and 14-day-old embryonic bursas were transferred i.v. to 780 R γ-irradiated chick embryos of equivalent age. When appropriate chimeras were examined at 4 to 12 weeks after cell transfer, donor cells were found to proliferate primarily in the bursa. Significant donor cell influx into the thymus was not detected. In correlation with these findings, Con A- and PHA-responsive T cells in thymus and spleen cell cultures of recipients remained of host origin whereas the number of anti-CIg responsive B cells of donor type increased gradually in the spleens of recipients. An initial lag period preceded the accumulation of functional donor B cells in the spleens of recipients, despite the predominant presence of dividing donor cells in the bursa. This suggests that the transferred bursal cell population required substantially longer to mature and emigrate from the bursa as functional B cells than the host cell population remaining in the irradiated bursas at time of cell transfer. The failure to detect significant influx of donor cells into the thymus and their failure to differentiate to functional T cells suggest that the recently bursa-immigrated hematopoietic stem cells of 13- and 14-day-old embryos may not be pluripotential cells, but rather cells already committed to the B cell line of differentiation

  13. Functional duality of the cell wall.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latgé, Jean-Paul; Beauvais, Anne

    2014-08-01

    The polysaccharide cell wall is the extracellular armour of the fungal cell. Although essential in the protection of the fungal cell against aggressive external stresses, the biosynthesis of the polysaccharide core is poorly understood. For a long time it was considered that this cell wall skeleton was a fixed structure whose role was only to be sensed as non-self by the host and consequently trigger the defence response. It is now known that the cell wall polysaccharide composition and localization continuously change to adapt to their environment and that these modifications help the fungus to escape from the immune system. Moreover, cell wall polysaccharides could function as true virulence factors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Maintenance of a multi-cell field reversed mirror reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neef, W.S. Jr.

    1978-01-01

    The Field Reversed Mirror Reactor is composed of a horizontal linear chain of cells, each of which requires neutral beam injection. Blanket replacement is achieved by lifting one complete cell module from the reactor and replacing it with a preassembled and tested identical module. Ioffe bar connectors eliminate redundant bus bars. Asymmetric cell design simplifies magnet construction and reduces replacement time. A tapered cylindrical coolant distributor simplifies blanket removal. An evacuated housing surrounds the reactor reducing cell-to-cell sealing problems related to maintenance. Remote couplings are used for coolant and accessories. Hot-cell location and design permits immediate reconditioning or storage of replacement cells

  15. Mkit: A cell migration assay based on microfluidic device and smartphone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Ke; Wu, Jiandong; Peretz-Soroka, Hagit; Zhu, Ling; Li, Zhigang; Sang, Yaoshuo; Hipolito, Jolly; Zhang, Michael; Santos, Susy; Hillier, Craig; de Faria, Ricardo Lobato; Liu, Yong; Lin, Francis

    2018-01-15

    Mobile sensing based on the integration of microfluidic device and smartphone, so-called MS 2 technology, has enabled many applications over recent years, and continues to stimulate growing interest in both research communities and industries. In particular, it has been envisioned that MS 2 technology can be developed for various cell functional assays to enable basic research and clinical applications. Toward this direction, in this paper, we describe the development of a MS 2 -based cell functional assay for testing cell migration (the M kit ). The system is constructed as an integrated test kit, which includes microfluidic chips, a smartphone-based imaging platform, the phone apps for image capturing and data analysis, and a set of reagent and accessories for performing the cell migration assay. We demonstrated that the M kit can effectively measure purified neutrophil and cancer cell chemotaxis. Furthermore, neutrophil chemotaxis can be tested from a drop of whole blood using the M kit with red blood cell (RBC) lysis. The effects of chemoattractant dose and gradient profile on neutrophil chemotaxis were also tested using the M kit . In addition to research applications, we demonstrated the effective use of the M kit for on-site test at the hospital and for testing clinical samples from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patient. Thus, this developed M kit provides an easy and integrated experimental platform for cell migration related research and potential medical diagnostic applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Direct Reprogramming of Human Bone Marrow Stromal Cells into Functional Renal Cells Using Cell-free Extracts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evangelia Papadimou

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The application of cell-based therapies in regenerative medicine is gaining recognition. Here, we show that human bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs, also known as bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal cells, can be reprogrammed into renal proximal tubular-like epithelial cells using cell-free extracts. Streptolysin-O-permeabilized BMSCs exposed to HK2-cell extracts underwent morphological changes—formation of “domes” and tubule-like structures—and acquired epithelial functional properties such as transepithelial-resistance, albumin-binding, and uptake and specific markers E-cadherin and aquaporin-1. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of brush border microvilli and tight intercellular contacts. RNA sequencing showed tubular epithelial transcript abundance and revealed the upregulation of components of the EGFR pathway. Reprogrammed BMSCs integrated into self-forming kidney tissue and formed tubular structures. Reprogrammed BMSCs infused in immunodeficient mice with cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury engrafted into proximal tubuli, reduced renal injury and improved function. Thus, reprogrammed BMSCs are a promising cell resource for future cell therapy.

  17. A role for adhesion molecules in contact-dependent T help for B cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Owens, T

    1991-01-01

    The role of cell contact in T-dependent B cell activation was examined. Small resting B cells from C57BL/6 mice were cultured with CBA-derived, non-alloreactive cloned T helper cells in anti-T cell receptor V beta 8-coated microwells. This induced polyclonal B cell activation to enter cell cycle...... that continued cell contact involving adhesion/accessory molecules induces B cells to proliferate and to respond to T cell lymphokines. A signaling role for cell interaction molecules on B cells is proposed, similar to the role of these and analogous molecules on T cells....

  18. Rare Case of an Epithelial Cyst in an Intrapancreatic Accessory Spleen Treated by Robot-Assisted Spleen Preserving Distal Pancreatectomy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Dijck, Willemijn P M; Groot, Vincent P; Brosens, Lodewijk A A; Hagendoorn, Jeroen; Rinkes, Inne H M Borel; van Leeuwen, Maarten S; Molenaar, I Quintus

    2016-01-01

    Epithelial cyst in an intrapancreatic accessory spleen (ECIPAS) is exceedingly rare with only 57 cases reported since the first publication in 1980. Comprehensive clinical and diagnostic features remain to be clarified. We present a case of ECIPAS in a 21-year-old Philippine woman who was admitted

  19. Developmental and Functional Control of Natural Killer Cells by Cytokines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Wu

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Natural killer (NK cells are effective in combating infections and tumors and as such are tempting for adoptive transfer therapy. However, they are not homogeneous but can be divided into three main subsets, including cytotoxic, tolerant, and regulatory NK cells, with disparate phenotypes and functions in diverse tissues. The development and functions of such NK cells are controlled by various cytokines, such as fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (FL, kit ligand (KL, interleukin (IL-3, IL-10, IL-12, IL-18, transforming growth factor-β, and common-γ chain family cytokines, which operate at different stages by regulating distinct signaling pathways. Nevertheless, the specific roles of each cytokine that regulates NK cell development or that shapes different NK cell functions remain unclear. In this review, we attempt to describe the characteristics of each cytokine and the existing protocols to expand NK cells using different combinations of cytokines and feeder cells. A comprehensive understanding of the role of cytokines in NK cell development and function will aid the generation of better efficacy for adoptive NK cell treatment.

  20. Functional dynamics of cell surface membrane proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishida, Noritaka; Osawa, Masanori; Takeuchi, Koh; Imai, Shunsuke; Stampoulis, Pavlos; Kofuku, Yutaka; Ueda, Takumi; Shimada, Ichio

    2014-04-01

    Cell surface receptors are integral membrane proteins that receive external stimuli, and transmit signals across plasma membranes. In the conventional view of receptor activation, ligand binding to the extracellular side of the receptor induces conformational changes, which convert the structure of the receptor into an active conformation. However, recent NMR studies of cell surface membrane proteins have revealed that their structures are more dynamic than previously envisioned, and they fluctuate between multiple conformations in an equilibrium on various timescales. In addition, NMR analyses, along with biochemical and cell biological experiments indicated that such dynamical properties are critical for the proper functions of the receptors. In this review, we will describe several NMR studies that revealed direct linkage between the structural dynamics and the functions of the cell surface membrane proteins, such as G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), ion channels, membrane transporters, and cell adhesion molecules. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Enhancement of cell-cell contact by a nonmitogenic lectin increases blastogenic response and IL-2 release by mitogen-stimulated mouse thymocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Favero, J; Marti, J; Dornand, J; Bonnafous, J C; Mani, J C

    1986-03-01

    We have examined the influence of peanut agglutinin (PNA), a lectin which agglutinates but does not stimulate mouse thymocytes, on the responsiveness of these cells to concanavalin A (Con A) or galactose oxidase stimulation. Binding low amounts of PNA on unseparated mouse thymocytes pretreated with neuraminidase highly enhances the mitogenic response and the level of interleukin 2 release in the culture medium upon Con A stimulation. We have shown that PNA present on the cell surface acts as a crosslinking agent which favors intercellular binding between accessory cells (macrophages) and thymocytes, leading through this enhanced cooperation by cell-cell contact to an enhanced blastogenic response.

  2. Therapeutic potential and challenges of Natural killer cells in treatment of solid tumors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea eGras Navarro

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Natural killer (NK cells are innate lymphoid cells that hold tremendous potential for effective immunotherapy for a broad range of cancers. Due to the mode of NK cell killing requiring one–to-one target engagement and site directed release of cytolytic granules, the therapeutic potential of NK cells has been most extensively explored in hematological malignancies. However, their ability to precisely kill antibody coated cells, cancer stem cells (CSCs and genotoxically altered cells, while maintaining tolerance to healthy cells makes them appealing therapeutic effectors for all cancer forms, including metastases. Due to their release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, NK cells may potently reverse the anti-inflammatory tumor microenvironment (TME and augment adaptive immune responses by promoting differentiation, activation and/ or recruitment of accessory immune cells to sites of malignancy. Nevertheless, integrated and coordinated mechanisms of subversion of NK cell activity against the tumor and its microenvironment exist. Although our understanding of the receptor ligand interactions that regulate NK cell functionality has evolved remarkably, the diversity of ligands and receptors is complex, as is their mechanistic foundations in regulating NK cell function. In this article, we review the literature and highlight how the TME manipulates the NK cell phenotypes, genotypes and tropism to evade tumor recognition and elimination. We discuss counter strategies that may be adopted to augment the efficacy of NK cell anti-tumor surveillance, the clinical trials that have been undertaken so far in solid malignancies, critically weighing the challenges and opportunities with this approach.

  3. Cone-beam tomographic analysis of canalis sinuosus accessory intraosseous canals in the maxilla

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghandourah, Abdalmalik O.

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to assess the frequency, location and width of accessory canals (AC of canalis sinuosus (CS using cone beam computed tomography and compare our findings with recent literature. Additionally, intraosseous canals (IOC in the sinus wall other than the CS were noted. A retrospective analysis of 219 scans from our university department was conducted. The registered parameters were age, sex, location and width of canals. Group A consisted of 201 (85 males and 116 females adults ranged from 19 to 99 years of age (mean age = 47.5 years. A total of 136 patients (67.6% presented at least 1 AC, of which 55 cases showed a foramen width greater than 1 mm (27.4%. Group B had a sample size of 18 adolescents (7 males and 11 females with a range of age from 7 to 18 years (mean age = 15.8 years. Eight cases (44.4% presented at least one AC, of which only 3 had a foramen width greater than 1 mm (3.6%. ACs were found to occur predominantly at central incisors region (Group A and the left lateral incisor and canine as well as the central incisors regions (Group B. Adolescents showed a lower prevalence of accessory canals compared to adults. These findings supplement earlier reports on the anatomical variations of the intraosseous vessel and nerve conduits of the maxilla. Surgical interventions in this area can be planned more precisely, taking into account the three-dimensional imaging, thus possibly protecting these sensitive structures.

  4. Development of Functional Microfold (M Cells from Intestinal Stem Cells in Primary Human Enteroids.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joshua D Rouch

    Full Text Available Intestinal microfold (M cells are specialized epithelial cells that act as gatekeepers of luminal antigens in the intestinal tract. They play a critical role in the intestinal mucosal immune response through transport of viruses, bacteria and other particles and antigens across the epithelium to immune cells within Peyer's patch regions and other mucosal sites. Recent studies in mice have demonstrated that M cells are generated from Lgr5+ intestinal stem cells (ISCs, and that infection with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium increases M cell formation. However, it is not known whether and how these findings apply to primary human small intestinal epithelium propagated in an in vitro setting.Human intestinal crypts were grown as monolayers with growth factors and treated with recombinant RANKL, and assessed for mRNA transcripts, immunofluorescence and uptake of microparticles and S. Typhimurium.Functional M cells were generated by short-term culture of freshly isolated human intestinal crypts in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. RANKL stimulation of the monolayer cultures caused dramatic induction of the M cell-specific markers, SPIB, and Glycoprotein-2 (GP2 in a process primed by canonical WNT signaling. Confocal microscopy demonstrated a pseudopod phenotype of GP2-positive M cells that preferentially take up microparticles. Furthermore, infection of the M cell-enriched cultures with the M cell-tropic enteric pathogen, S. Typhimurium, led to preferential association of the bacteria with M cells, particularly at lower inoculum sizes. Larger inocula caused rapid induction of M cells.Human intestinal crypts containing ISCs can be cultured and differentiate into an epithelial layer with functional M cells with characteristic morphological and functional properties. This study is the first to demonstrate that M cells can be induced to form from primary human intestinal epithelium, and that S. Typhimurium preferentially infect these cells in an

  5. Mitochondrial respiration controls lysosomal function during inflammatory T cell responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baixauli, Francesc; Acín-Pérez, Rebeca; Villarroya-Beltrí, Carolina; Mazzeo, Carla; Nuñez-Andrade, Norman; Gabandé-Rodriguez, Enrique; Dolores Ledesma, Maria; Blázquez, Alberto; Martin, Miguel Angel; Falcón-Pérez, Juan Manuel; Redondo, Juan Miguel; Enríquez, Jose Antonio; Mittelbrunn, Maria

    2016-01-01

    Summary The endolysosomal system is critical for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. However, how endolysosomal compartment is regulated by mitochondrial function is largely unknown. We have generated a mouse model with defective mitochondrial function in CD4+ T lymphocytes by genetic deletion of the mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam). Mitochondrial respiration-deficiency impairs lysosome function, promotes p62 and sphingomyelin accumulation and disrupts endolysosomal trafficking pathways and autophagy, thus linking a primary mitochondrial dysfunction to a lysosomal storage disorder. The impaired lysosome function in Tfam-deficient cells subverts T cell differentiation toward pro-inflammatory subsets and exacerbates the in vivo inflammatory response. Restoration of NAD+ levels improves lysosome function and corrects the inflammatory defects in Tfam-deficient T cells. Our results uncover a mechanism by which mitochondria regulate lysosome function to preserve T cell differentiation and effector functions, and identify novel strategies for intervention in mitochondrial-related diseases. PMID:26299452

  6. Usher protein functions in hair cells and photoreceptors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cosgrove, Dominic; Zallocchi, Marisa

    2014-01-01

    The 10 different genes associated with the deaf/blind disorder, Usher syndrome, encode a number of structurally and functionally distinct proteins, most expressed as multiple isoforms/protein variants. Functional characterization of these proteins suggests a role in stereocilia development in cochlear hair cells, likely owing to adhesive interactions in hair bundles. In mature hair cells, homodimers of the Usher cadherins, cadherin 23 and protocadherin 15, interact to form a structural fiber, the tip link, and the linkages that anchor the taller stereocilia's actin cytoskeleton core to the shorter adjacent stereocilia and the elusive mechanotransduction channels, explaining the deafness phenotype when these molecular interactions are perturbed. The conundrum is that photoreceptors lack a synonymous mechanotransduction apparatus, and so a common theory for Usher protein function in the two neurosensory cell types affected in Usher syndrome is lacking. Recent evidence linking photoreceptor cell dysfunction in the shaker 1 mouse model for Usher syndrome to light-induced protein translocation defects, combined with localization of an Usher protein interactome at the periciliary region of the photoreceptors suggests Usher proteins might regulate protein trafficking between the inner and outer segments of photoreceptors. A distinct Usher protein complex is trafficked to the ribbon synapses of hair cells, and synaptic defects have been reported in Usher mutants in both hair cells and photoreceptors. This review aims to clarify what is known about Usher protein function at the synaptic and apical poles of hair cells and photoreceptors and the prospects for identifying a unifying pathobiological mechanism to explain deaf/blindness in Usher syndrome. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Cell functional enviromics: Unravelling the function of environmental factors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alves Paula M

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background While functional genomics, focused on gene functions and gene-gene interactions, has become a very active field of research in molecular biology, equivalent methodologies embracing the environment and gene-environment interactions are relatively less developed. Understanding the function of environmental factors is, however, of paramount importance given the complex, interactive nature of environmental and genetic factors across multiple time scales. Results Here, we propose a systems biology framework, where the function of environmental factors is set at its core. We set forth a "reverse" functional analysis approach, whereby cellular functions are reconstructed from the analysis of dynamic envirome data. Our results show these data sets can be mapped to less than 20 core cellular functions in a typical mammalian cell culture, while explaining over 90% of flux data variance. A functional enviromics map can be created, which provides a template for manipulating the environmental factors to induce a desired phenotypic trait. Conclusion Our results support the feasibility of cellular function reconstruction guided by the analysis and manipulation of dynamic envirome data.

  8. Comminuted fracture of the accessory carpal bone removed via an arthroscopic-assisted arthrotomy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonilla, Alvaro G.; Santschi, Elizabeth M.

    2015-01-01

    A 16-year-old American paint horse gelding was presented for evaluation of a left forelimb lameness grade III/V. Radiographs and computed tomography revealed a comminuted fracture of the accessory carpal bone involving the entire articulation with the distal radius and the proximal aspect of the articulation with the ulnar carpal bone. Multiple fragments were present in the palmar pouch of the antebrachiocarpal joint. An arthroscopic-assisted open approach was necessary to remove all fractured fragments. Subsequently the horse was re-admitted for lameness and was treated successfully with antibiotics and long-term supportive bandaging. PMID:25694665

  9. Comminuted fracture of the accessory carpal bone removed via an arthroscopic-assisted arthrotomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonilla, Alvaro G; Santschi, Elizabeth M

    2015-02-01

    A 16-year-old American paint horse gelding was presented for evaluation of a left forelimb lameness grade III/V. Radiographs and computed tomography revealed a comminuted fracture of the accessory carpal bone involving the entire articulation with the distal radius and the proximal aspect of the articulation with the ulnar carpal bone. Multiple fragments were present in the palmar pouch of the antebrachiocarpal joint. An arthroscopic-assisted open approach was necessary to remove all fractured fragments. Subsequently the horse was re-admitted for lameness and was treated successfully with antibiotics and long-term supportive bandaging.

  10. Thermistor guided radiofrequency ablation of atrial insertion sites in patients with accessory pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tracy, C M; Moore, H J; Solomon, A J; Rodak, D J; Fletcher, R D

    1995-11-01

    Radiofrequency ablation has gained acceptance in the treatment of patients with symptomatic Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. The purpose of this study was to characterize the relation between temperature and other electroconductive parameters in patients undergoing atrial insertion accessory pathway ablation utilizing a thermistor equipped catheter. The mean temperature and power at sites of atrial insertion ablation are lower than has been previously associated with creation of radiofrequency lesions in the ventricle. While high cavitary blood flow in the atrium may result in cooling, the thinner atrial tissue may require less energy to achieve adequate heating than ventricular myocardium.

  11. [Functional properties of taste bud cells. Mechanisms of afferent neurotransmission in Type II taste receptor cells].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romanov, R A

    2013-01-01

    Taste Bud cells are heterogeneous in their morphology and functionality. These cells are responsible for sensing a wide variety of substances and for associating detected compounds with a different taste: bitter, sweet, salty, sour and umami. Today we know that each of the five basic tastes corresponds to distinct cell populations organized into three basic morpho-functional cell types. In addition, some receptor cells of the taste bud demonstrate glia-related functions. In this article we expand on some properties of these three morphological receptor cell types. Main focus is devoted to the Type II cells and unusual mechanism for afferent neurotransmission in these cells. Taste cells of the Type II consist of three populations detecting bitter, sweet and umami tastes, and, thus, evoke a serious scientific interest.

  12. [Oxidative metabolism of main and accessory olfactory bulbs, limpic system and hypothalamus during the estral cycle of the rat (author's transl)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Criado, J E

    1979-06-01

    The in vitro oxidative metabolism of hypothalamus, olfactory and limbic systems from female rats in the estrous cycle have been measured. The accessory olfactory bulb becomes most active during diestrous when the hypothalamus reaches its lowest values.

  13. TLR accessory molecule RP105 (CD180 is involved in post-interventional vascular remodeling and soluble RP105 modulates neointima formation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacco C Karper

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: RP105 (CD180 is TLR4 homologue lacking the intracellular TLR4 signaling domain and acts a TLR accessory molecule and physiological inhibitor of TLR4-signaling. The role of RP105 in vascular remodeling, in particular post-interventional remodeling is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: TLR4 and RP105 are expressed on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC as well as in the media of murine femoral artery segments as detected by qPCR and immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, the response to the TLR4 ligand LPS was stronger in VSMC from RP105(-/- mice resulting in a higher proliferation rate. In RP105(-/- mice femoral artery cuff placement resulted in an increase in neointima formation as compared to WT mice (4982 ± 974 µm(2 vs.1947 ± 278 µm(2,p = 0.0014. Local LPS application augmented neointima formation in both groups, but in RP105(-/- mice this effect was more pronounced (10316±1243 µm(2 vs.4208 ± 555 µm(2,p = 0.0002, suggesting a functional role for RP105. For additional functional studies, the extracellular domain of murine RP105 was expressed with or without its adaptor protein MD1 and purified. SEC-MALSanalysis showed a functional 2∶2 homodimer formation of the RP105-MD1 complex. This protein complex was able to block the TLR4 response in whole blood ex-vivo. In vivo gene transfer of plasmid vectors encoding the extracellular part of RP105 and its adaptor protein MD1 were performed to initiate a stable endogenous soluble protein production. Expression of soluble RP105-MD1 resulted in a significant reduction in neointima formation in hypercholesterolemic mice (2500 ± 573 vs.6581 ± 1894 µm(2,p<0.05, whereas expression of the single factors RP105 or MD1 had no effect. CONCLUSION: RP105 is a potent inhibitor of post-interventional neointima formation.

  14. Abnormal red cell structure and function in neuroacanthocytosis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Judith C A Cluitmans

    Full Text Available Panthothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN belongs to a group of hereditary neurodegenerative disorders known as neuroacanthocytosis (NA. This genetically heterogeneous group of diseases is characterized by degeneration of neurons in the basal ganglia and by the presence of deformed red blood cells with thorny protrusions, acanthocytes, in the circulation.The goal of our study is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying this aberrant red cell morphology and the corresponding functional consequences. This could shed light on the etiology of the neurodegeneration.We performed a qualitative and semi-quantitative morphological, immunofluorescent, biochemical and functional analysis of the red cells of several patients with PKAN and, for the first time, of the red cells of their family members.We show that the blood of patients with PKAN contains not only variable numbers of acanthocytes, but also a wide range of other misshapen red cells. Immunofluorescent and immunoblot analyses suggest an altered membrane organization, rather than quantitative changes in protein expression. Strikingly, these changes are not limited to the red blood cells of PKAN patients, but are also present in the red cells of heterozygous carriers without neurological problems. Furthermore, changes are not only present in acanthocytes, but also in other red cells, including discocytes. The patients' cells, however, are more fragile, as observed in a spleen-mimicking device.These morphological, molecular and functional characteristics of red cells in patients with PKAN and their family members offer new tools for diagnosis and present a window into the pathophysiology of neuroacanthocytosis.

  15. Impact of aging on antigen presentation cell function of dendritic cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Christine; Goldstein, Daniel R

    2013-08-01

    Older people exhibit increased mortality to infections and cancer as compared to younger people, indicating that aging impairs immunity. Dendritic cells (DCs) are key for bridging the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system by priming antigen specific T cells. Discerning how aging impacts DC function to initiate adaptive immune responses is of great biomedical importance as this could lead to the development of novel therapeutics to enhance immunity with aging. This review details reports indicating that aging impairs the antigen presenting function of DCs but highlights other studies indicating preserved DC function with aging. How aging impacts antigen presentation by DCs is complex and without a clear unifying biological underpinning. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Microfluidics as a functional tool for cell mechanics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanapalli, Siva A; Duits, Michel H G; Mugele, Frieder

    2009-01-05

    Living cells are a fascinating demonstration of nature's most intricate and well-coordinated micromechanical objects. They crawl, spread, contract, and relax-thus performing a multitude of complex mechanical functions. Alternatively, they also respond to physical and chemical cues that lead to remodeling of the cytoskeleton. To understand this intricate coupling between mechanical properties, mechanical function and force-induced biochemical signaling requires tools that are capable of both controlling and manipulating the cell microenvironment and measuring the resulting mechanical response. In this review, the power of microfluidics as a functional tool for research in cell mechanics is highlighted. In particular, current literature is discussed to show that microfluidics powered by soft lithographic techniques offers the following capabilities that are of significance for understanding the mechanical behavior of cells: (i) Microfluidics enables the creation of in vitro models of physiological environments in which cell mechanics can be probed. (ii) Microfluidics is an excellent means to deliver physical cues that affect cell mechanics, such as cell shape, fluid flow, substrate topography, and stiffness. (iii) Microfluidics can also expose cells to chemical cues, such as growth factors and drugs, which alter their mechanical behavior. Moreover, these chemical cues can be delivered either at the whole cell or subcellular level. (iv) Microfluidic devices offer the possibility of measuring the intrinsic mechanical properties of cells in a high throughput fashion. (v) Finally, microfluidic methods provide exquisite control over drop size, generation, and manipulation. As a result, droplets are being increasingly used to control the physicochemical environment of cells and as biomimetic analogs of living cells. These powerful attributes of microfluidics should further stimulate novel means of investigating the link between physicochemical cues and the biomechanical

  17. Viremic long-term nonprogressive HIV-1 infection is not associated with abnormalities in known Nef functions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heigele, Anke; Camerini, David; van't Wout, Angélique B.; Kirchhoff, Frank

    2014-01-01

    A small minority of HIV-1-infected individuals show low levels of immune activation and do not develop immunodeficiency despite high viral loads. Since the accessory viral Nef protein modulates T cell activation and plays a key role in the pathogenesis of AIDS, we investigated whether specific

  18. Functional dysregulation of stem cells during aging: a focus on skeletal muscle stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Prat, Laura; Sousa-Victor, Pedro; Muñoz-Cánoves, Pura

    2013-09-01

    Aging of an organism is associated with the functional decline of tissues and organs, as well as a sharp decline in the regenerative capacity of stem cells. A prevailing view holds that the aging rate of an individual depends on the ratio of tissue attrition to tissue regeneration. Therefore, manipulations that favor the balance towards regeneration may prevent or delay aging. Skeletal muscle is a specialized tissue composed of postmitotic myofibers that contract to generate force. Satellite cells are the adult stem cells responsible for skeletal muscle regeneration. Recent studies on the biology of skeletal muscle and satellite cells in aging have uncovered the critical impact of systemic and niche factors on stem cell functionality and demonstrated the capacity of aged satellite cells to rejuvenate and increase their regenerative potential when exposed to a youthful environment. Here we review the current literature on the coordinated relationship between cell extrinsic and intrinsic factors that regulate the function of satellite cells, and ultimately determine tissue homeostasis and repair during aging, and which encourage the search for new anti-aging strategies. © 2013 The Authors Journal compilation © 2013 FEBS.

  19. Gastroenterology-Urology Devices; Manual Gastroenterology-Urology Surgical Instruments and Accessories. Final rule; technical amendment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-03-01

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the identification of manual gastroenterology-urology surgical instruments and accessories to reflect that the device does not include specialized surgical instrumentation for use with urogyencologic surgical mesh specifically intended for use as an aid in the insertion, placement, fixation, or anchoring of surgical mesh during urogynecologic procedures ("specialized surgical instrumentation for use with urogynecologic surgical mesh"). These amendments are being made to reflect changes made in the recently issued final reclassification order for specialized surgical instrumentation for use with urogynecologic surgical mesh.

  20. Lipids in the cell: organisation regulates function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Ana L; Preta, Giulio

    2018-06-01

    Lipids are fundamental building blocks of all cells and play important roles in the pathogenesis of different diseases, including inflammation, autoimmune disease, cancer, and neurodegeneration. The lipid composition of different organelles can vary substantially from cell to cell, but increasing evidence demonstrates that lipids become organised specifically in each compartment, and this organisation is essential for regulating cell function. For example, lipid microdomains in the plasma membrane, known as lipid rafts, are platforms for concentrating protein receptors and can influence intra-cellular signalling. Lipid organisation is tightly regulated and can be observed across different model organisms, including bacteria, yeast, Drosophila, and Caenorhabditis elegans, suggesting that lipid organisation is evolutionarily conserved. In this review, we summarise the importance and function of specific lipid domains in main cellular organelles and discuss recent advances that investigate how these specific and highly regulated structures contribute to diverse biological processes.

  1. Passive accessory joint mobilization in the multimodal management of chronic dysesthesia following thalamic stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffin, Kristina; O'Hearn, Michael; Franck, Carla C; Courtney, Carol A

    2018-03-20

    Case Report. Stroke is the most common cause of long-term disability. Dysesthesia, an unpleasant sensory disturbance, is common following thalamic stroke and evidence-based interventions for this impairment are limited. The purpose of this case report was to describe a decrease in dysesthesia following manual therapy intervention in a patient with history of right lacunar thalamic stroke. A 66-year-old female presented with tingling and dysesthesia in left hemisensory distribution including left trunk and upper/lower extremities, limiting function. Decreased left shoulder active range of motion, positive sensory symptoms but no sensory loss in light touch was found. She denied pain and moderate shoulder muscular weakness was demonstrated. Laterality testing revealed right/left limb discrimination deficits and neglect-like symptoms were reported. Passive accessory joint motion assessment of glenohumeral and thoracic spine revealed hypomobility and provoked dysesthesia. Interventions included passive oscillatory joint mobilization of glenohumeral joint, thoracic spine, ribs and shoulder strengthening. After six sessions, shoulder function, active range of motion, strength improved and dysesthesia decreased. Global Rating of Change Scale was +5 and QuickDASH score decreased from 45% to 22% disability. Laterality testing was unchanged. Manual therapy may be a beneficial intervention in management of thalamic stroke-related dysesthesia. Implications for Rehabilitation While pain is common following thalamic stroke, patients may present with chronic paresthesia or dysesthesia, often in a hemisensory distribution. Passive movement may promote inhibition of hyperexcitable cortical pathways, which may diminish aberrant sensations. Passive oscillatory manual therapy may be an effective way to treat sensory disturbances such as paresthesias or dysesthesia.

  2. Accessories for detention and protection used in small animals radiation therapy; Acessórios de imobilização e proteção utilizados na radioterapia de pequenos animais

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vettorato, Michel Campos; Vulcano, Luiz Carlos [Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia de Botucatu, UNESP, SP (Brazil); Fernandes, Marco Antonio Rodrigues [Departamento de Dermatologia e Radioterapia da Faculdade de Medicina, UNESP, Botucatu, SP (Brazil)

    2016-03-15

    Radiation therapy is a medical method well established in the treatment of cancer in veterinary medicine worldwide. The radiotherapy protocols applied in animals vary according to several factors. In most procedures require sedation or anesthesia of the animal and this fact imposes the use of immobilization accessories specially developed for the different species of animals and treated as their specified procedures. Therefore, this study aims to describe the types of accessories used for immobilization and for the protection of small animals undergoing radiotherapy. For its development a literature search was performed by search sites like Google Scholar, Scielo, Bireme, PubMed, and consultations in books campus library Botucatu UNESP. Despite the limitations of each accessory rated this review, it was possible to identify the use of each and how this can be advantageous for the treatment of animals undergoing radiation therapy. (author)

  3. Functional imaging of microdomains in cell membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duggan, James; Jamal, Ghadir; Tilley, Mark; Davis, Ben; McKenzie, Graeme; Vere, Kelly; Somekh, Michael G; O'Shea, Paul; Harris, Helen

    2008-10-01

    The presence of microdomains or rafts within cell membranes is a topic of intense study and debate. The role of these structures in cell physiology, however, is also not yet fully understood with many outstanding problems. This problem is partly based on the small size of raft structures that presents significant problems to their in vivo study, i.e., within live cell membranes. But the structure and dynamics as well as the factors that control the assembly and disassembly of rafts are also of major interest. In this review we outline some of the problems that the study of rafts in cell membranes present as well as describing some views of what are considered the generalised functions of membrane rafts. We point to the possibility that there may be several different 'types' of membrane raft in cell membranes and consider the factors that affect raft assembly and disassembly, particularly, as some researchers suggest that the lifetimes of rafts in cell membranes may be sub-second. We attempt to review some of the methods that offer the ability to interrogate rafts directly as well as describing factors that appear to affect their functionality. The former include both near-field and far-field optical approaches as well as scanning probe techniques. Some of the advantages and disadvantages of these techniques are outlined. Finally, we describe our own views of raft functionality and properties, particularly, concerning the membrane dipole potential, and describe briefly some of the imaging strategies we have developed for their study.

  4. Evaluation of cell viability and functionality in vessel-like bioprintable cell-laden tubular channels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Yin; Zhang, Yahui; Martin, James A; Ozbolat, Ibrahim T

    2013-09-01

    Organ printing is a novel concept recently introduced in developing artificial three-dimensional organs to bridge the gap between transplantation needs and organ shortage. One of the major challenges is inclusion of blood-vessellike channels between layers to support cell viability, postprinting functionality in terms of nutrient transport, and waste removal. In this research, we developed a novel and effective method to print tubular channels encapsulating cells in alginate to mimic the natural vascular system. An experimental investigation into the influence on cartilage progenitor cell (CPCs) survival, and the function of printing parameters during and after the printing process were presented. CPC functionality was evaluated by checking tissue-specific genetic marker expression and extracellular matrix production. Our results demonstrated the capability of direct fabrication of cell-laden tubular channels by our newly designed coaxial nozzle assembly and revealed that the bioprinting process could induce quantifiable cell death due to changes in dispensing pressure, coaxial nozzle geometry, and biomaterial concentration. Cells were able to recover during incubation, as well as to undergo differentiation with high-level cartilage-associated gene expression. These findings may not only help optimize our system but also can be applied to biomanufacturing of 3D functional cellular tissue engineering constructs for various organ systems.

  5. Topographical and functional anatomy of trapezius muscle innervation by spinal accessory nerve and C2 to C4 nerves of cervical plexus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gavid, M; Mayaud, A; Timochenko, A; Asanau, A; Prades, J M

    2016-10-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the existence and the frequency of communicating branches between the spinal accessory nerve (SAN) and the C2, C3 and C4 roots of the cervical plexus. The present study also aimed to elucidate whether these branches contain motor fibers or not. Dissection of the cervical region was performed on twelve adult cadavers. A powered operating microscope was necessary to dissect the SAN and its branches and also to dissect C2, C3 and C4 nerve branches. In a second step, data from 13 patients who underwent 25 modified neck dissections under trapezius muscle's monitoring were collected. At the end of surgery, intraoperative stimulation on the SAN, C2, C3 and C4 nerve branches was performed. Registered potentials in the three parts of the trapezius muscle, using the NIM Medtronic system, were analyzed. During cadaver dissection, 18 (78 %) communicating branches were identified between the SAN and C2, 11 (48 %) between the SAN and C3, 12 (52 %) between the SAN and C4. Intraoperative stimulation of the SAN and its branch for the trapezius muscle provided a significant electroneurographic response in the three parts of the trapezius muscle in all subjects. Intraoperative stimulation of C3 led to recordable contractions of the trapezius muscle in 5 (20 %) modified neck surgeries, stimulation of C4 led to recordable contractions during 5 (20 %) modified neck dissections. One case of contraction was recorded after intraoperative stimulation of C2 (7 %). Although we were able to identify at least one communicating branch between the SAN and the roots of the cervical plexus in each cadaver dissection, the cervical plexus is not always involved in trapezius motor innervation. Intraoperative electroneurography demonstrated that a motor input from the cervical plexus to the trapezius muscle was provided in only 32 % of cases. Therefore, SAN trunk and C3-C4 roots should be carefully preserved during modified neck dissection to protect

  6. The accessory papillary muscle with inferior J-waves - peculiarity or hidden danger?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    du Toit Lorraine

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Originally described in 1953, today the so-called J-wave is the source of much controversy. As a marker of so-called "early repolarization", this variant has been regarded as a totally benign variant since the 1960's. However, since then a wealth of data have indicated that the J-wave may be a marker of a highly arrhythmogenic substrate with a resultant high risk of sudden cardiac death. In this case report a case of an accessory papillary muscle with a prominent J-wave is described. This may be the first of many possible cases where papillary muscle variants may be the cause of the J-wave.

  7. Human T-cell leukemia virus type 2 post-transcriptional control protein p28 is required for viral infectivity and persistence in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Brenda; Li, Min; Kesic, Matthew; Younis, Ihab; Lairmore, Michael D; Green, Patrick L

    2008-05-12

    Human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV) type 1 and type 2 are related but distinct pathogenic complex retroviruses. HTLV-1 is associated with adult T-cell leukemia and a variety of immune-mediated disorders including the chronic neurological disease termed HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis. In contrast, HTLV-2 displays distinct biological differences and is much less pathogenic, with only a few reported cases of leukemia and neurological disease associated with infection. In addition to the structural and enzymatic proteins, HTLV encodes regulatory (Tax and Rex) and accessory proteins. Tax and Rex positively regulate virus production and are critical for efficient viral replication and pathogenesis. Using an over-expression system approach, we recently reported that the accessory gene product of the HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 open reading frame (ORF) II (p30 and p28, respectively) acts as a negative regulator of both Tax and Rex by binding to and retaining their mRNA in the nucleus, leading to reduced protein expression and virion production. Further characterization revealed that p28 was distinct from p30 in that it was devoid of major transcriptional modulating activity, suggesting potentially divergent functions that may be responsible for the distinct pathobiologies of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2. In this study, we investigated the functional significance of p28 in HTLV-2 infection, proliferation, and immortaliztion of primary T-cells in culture, and viral survival in an infectious rabbit animal model. An HTLV-2 p28 knockout virus (HTLV-2Deltap28) was generated and evaluated. Infectivity and immortalization capacity of HTLV-2Deltap28 in vitro was indistinguishable from wild type HTLV-2. In contrast, we showed that viral replication was severely attenuated in rabbits inoculated with HTLV-2Deltap28 and the mutant virus failed to establish persistent infection. We provide direct evidence that p28 is dispensable for viral replication and cellular immortalization of

  8. Effects of Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Human Trophoblast Cell Functions In Vitro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yajing Huang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Trophoblast cell dysfunction is involved in many disorders during pregnancy such as preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. Few treatments exist, however, that target improving trophoblast cell function. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs are capable of self-renewing, can undergo multilineage differentiation, and have homing abilities; in addition, they have immunomodulatory effects and paracrine properties and thus are a prospective source for cell therapy. To identify whether hUCMSCs can regulate trophoblast cell functions, we treated trophoblast cells with hUCMSC supernatant or cocultured them with hUCMSCs. Both treatments remarkably enhanced the migration and invasion abilities of trophoblast cells and upregulated their proliferation ability. At a certain concentration, hUCMSCs also modulated hCG, PIGF, and sEndoglin levels in the trophoblast culture medium. Thus, hUCMSCs have a positive effect on trophoblast cellular functions, which may provide a new avenue for treatment of placenta-related diseases during pregnancy.

  9. Phthalates, perfluoroalkyl acids, metals and organochlorines and reproductive function

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lenters, Virissa; Portengen, Lützen; Smit, Lidwien A M

    2015-01-01

    integrity, epididymal and accessory sex gland function, and Y:X chromosome ratio. We evaluated multipollutant models with sparse partial least squares (sPLS) regression, a simultaneous dimension reduction and variable selection approach which accommodates joint modelling of correlated exposures. RESULTS......; and inverse associations between DiNP metabolites and testosterone, between polychlorinated biphenyl-153 and progressive sperm motility, and between a DEHP metabolite and neutral α-glucosidase, a marker of epididymal function. CONCLUSIONS: This global assessment of a mixture of environmental contaminants...

  10. Selective individual primary cell capture using locally bio-functionalized micropores.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jie Liu

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Solid-state micropores have been widely employed for 6 decades to recognize and size flowing unlabeled cells. However, the resistive-pulse technique presents limitations when the cells to be differentiated have overlapping dimension ranges such as B and T lymphocytes. An alternative approach would be to specifically capture cells by solid-state micropores. Here, the inner wall of 15-µm pores made in 10 µm-thick silicon membranes was covered with antibodies specific to cell surface proteins of B or T lymphocytes. The selective trapping of individual unlabeled cells in a bio-functionalized micropore makes them recognizable just using optical microscopy. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We locally deposited oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN and ODN-conjugated antibody probes on the inner wall of the micropores by forming thin films of polypyrrole-ODN copolymers using contactless electro-functionalization. The trapping capabilities of the bio-functionalized micropores were validated using optical microscopy and the resistive-pulse technique by selectively capturing polystyrene microbeads coated with complementary ODN. B or T lymphocytes from a mouse splenocyte suspension were specifically immobilized on micropore walls functionalized with complementary ODN-conjugated antibodies targeting cell surface proteins. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The results showed that locally bio-functionalized micropores can isolate target cells from a suspension during their translocation throughout the pore, including among cells of similar dimensions in complex mixtures.

  11. Selective Individual Primary Cell Capture Using Locally Bio-Functionalized Micropores

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jie; Bombera, Radoslaw; Leroy, Loïc; Roupioz, Yoann; Baganizi, Dieudonné R.; Marche, Patrice N.; Haguet, Vincent; Mailley, Pascal; Livache, Thierry

    2013-01-01

    Background Solid-state micropores have been widely employed for 6 decades to recognize and size flowing unlabeled cells. However, the resistive-pulse technique presents limitations when the cells to be differentiated have overlapping dimension ranges such as B and T lymphocytes. An alternative approach would be to specifically capture cells by solid-state micropores. Here, the inner wall of 15-µm pores made in 10 µm-thick silicon membranes was covered with antibodies specific to cell surface proteins of B or T lymphocytes. The selective trapping of individual unlabeled cells in a bio-functionalized micropore makes them recognizable just using optical microscopy. Methodology/Principal Findings We locally deposited oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) and ODN-conjugated antibody probes on the inner wall of the micropores by forming thin films of polypyrrole-ODN copolymers using contactless electro-functionalization. The trapping capabilities of the bio-functionalized micropores were validated using optical microscopy and the resistive-pulse technique by selectively capturing polystyrene microbeads coated with complementary ODN. B or T lymphocytes from a mouse splenocyte suspension were specifically immobilized on micropore walls functionalized with complementary ODN-conjugated antibodies targeting cell surface proteins. Conclusions/Significance The results showed that locally bio-functionalized micropores can isolate target cells from a suspension during their translocation throughout the pore, including among cells of similar dimensions in complex mixtures. PMID:23469221

  12. A Cell Model to Evaluate Chemical Effects on Adult Human Cardiac Progenitor Cell Differentiation and Function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adult cardiac stem cells (CSC) and progenitor cells (CPC) represent a population of cells in the heart critical for its regeneration and function over a lifetime. The impact of chemicals on adult human CSC/CPC differentiation and function is unknown. Research was conducted to dev...

  13. Cell Elasticity Determines Macrophage Function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Naimish R.; Bole, Medhavi; Chen, Cheng; Hardin, Charles C.; Kho, Alvin T.; Mih, Justin; Deng, Linhong; Butler, James; Tschumperlin, Daniel; Fredberg, Jeffrey J.; Krishnan, Ramaswamy; Koziel, Henry

    2012-01-01

    Macrophages serve to maintain organ homeostasis in response to challenges from injury, inflammation, malignancy, particulate exposure, or infection. Until now, receptor ligation has been understood as being the central mechanism that regulates macrophage function. Using macrophages of different origins and species, we report that macrophage elasticity is a major determinant of innate macrophage function. Macrophage elasticity is modulated not only by classical biologic activators such as LPS and IFN-γ, but to an equal extent by substrate rigidity and substrate stretch. Macrophage elasticity is dependent upon actin polymerization and small rhoGTPase activation, but functional effects of elasticity are not predicted by examination of gene expression profiles alone. Taken together, these data demonstrate an unanticipated role for cell elasticity as a common pathway by which mechanical and biologic factors determine macrophage function. PMID:23028423

  14. Cell elasticity determines macrophage function.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naimish R Patel

    Full Text Available Macrophages serve to maintain organ homeostasis in response to challenges from injury, inflammation, malignancy, particulate exposure, or infection. Until now, receptor ligation has been understood as being the central mechanism that regulates macrophage function. Using macrophages of different origins and species, we report that macrophage elasticity is a major determinant of innate macrophage function. Macrophage elasticity is modulated not only by classical biologic activators such as LPS and IFN-γ, but to an equal extent by substrate rigidity and substrate stretch. Macrophage elasticity is dependent upon actin polymerization and small rhoGTPase activation, but functional effects of elasticity are not predicted by examination of gene expression profiles alone. Taken together, these data demonstrate an unanticipated role for cell elasticity as a common pathway by which mechanical and biologic factors determine macrophage function.

  15. The effect of smoking cessation pharmacotherapies on pancreatic beta cell function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woynillowicz, Amanda K.; Raha, Sandeep; Nicholson, Catherine J.; Holloway, Alison C.

    2012-01-01

    The goal of our study was to evaluate whether drugs currently used for smoking cessation (i.e., nicotine replacement therapy, varenicline [a partial agonist at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR)] and bupropion [which acts in part as a nAChR antagonist]) can affect beta cell function and determine the mechanism(s) of this effect. INS-1E cells, a rat beta cell line, were treated with nicotine, varenicline and bupropion to determine their effects on beta cell function, mitochondrial electron transport chain enzyme activity and cellular/oxidative stress. Treatment of INS-1E cells with equimolar concentrations (1 μM) of three test compounds resulted in an ablation of normal glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by the cells. This disruption of normal beta cell function was associated with mitochondrial dysfunction since all three compounds tested significantly decreased the activity of mitochondrial electron transport chain enzyme activity. These results raise the possibility that the currently available smoking cessation pharmacotherapies may also have adverse effects on beta cell function and thus glycemic control in vivo. Therefore whether or not the use of nicotine replacement therapy, varenicline and bupropion can cause endocrine changes which are consistent with impaired pancreatic function warrants further investigation. -- Highlights: ► Smoking cessation drugs have the potential to disrupt beta cell function in vitro. ► The effects of nicotine, varenicline and bupropion are similar. ► The impaired beta cell function is mediated by mitochondrial dysfunction. ► If similar effects are seen in vivo, these drugs may increase the risk of diabetes.

  16. The effect of smoking cessation pharmacotherapies on pancreatic beta cell function

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Woynillowicz, Amanda K. [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8N 3Z5 (Canada); Raha, Sandeep [Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8N 3Z5 (Canada); Nicholson, Catherine J. [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8N 3Z5 (Canada); Holloway, Alison C., E-mail: hollow@mcmaster.ca [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8N 3Z5 (Canada)

    2012-11-15

    The goal of our study was to evaluate whether drugs currently used for smoking cessation (i.e., nicotine replacement therapy, varenicline [a partial agonist at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR)] and bupropion [which acts in part as a nAChR antagonist]) can affect beta cell function and determine the mechanism(s) of this effect. INS-1E cells, a rat beta cell line, were treated with nicotine, varenicline and bupropion to determine their effects on beta cell function, mitochondrial electron transport chain enzyme activity and cellular/oxidative stress. Treatment of INS-1E cells with equimolar concentrations (1 μM) of three test compounds resulted in an ablation of normal glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by the cells. This disruption of normal beta cell function was associated with mitochondrial dysfunction since all three compounds tested significantly decreased the activity of mitochondrial electron transport chain enzyme activity. These results raise the possibility that the currently available smoking cessation pharmacotherapies may also have adverse effects on beta cell function and thus glycemic control in vivo. Therefore whether or not the use of nicotine replacement therapy, varenicline and bupropion can cause endocrine changes which are consistent with impaired pancreatic function warrants further investigation. -- Highlights: ► Smoking cessation drugs have the potential to disrupt beta cell function in vitro. ► The effects of nicotine, varenicline and bupropion are similar. ► The impaired beta cell function is mediated by mitochondrial dysfunction. ► If similar effects are seen in vivo, these drugs may increase the risk of diabetes.

  17. Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Factors Restore Function to Human Frataxin-Deficient Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kemp, Kevin; Dey, Rimi; Cook, Amelia; Scolding, Neil; Wilkins, Alastair

    2017-08-01

    Friedreich's ataxia is an inherited neurological disorder characterised by mitochondrial dysfunction and increased susceptibility to oxidative stress. At present, no therapy has been shown to reduce disease progression. Strategies being trialled to treat Friedreich's ataxia include drugs that improve mitochondrial function and reduce oxidative injury. In addition, stem cells have been investigated as a potential therapeutic approach. We have used siRNA-induced knockdown of frataxin in SH-SY5Y cells as an in vitro cellular model for Friedreich's ataxia. Knockdown of frataxin protein expression to levels detected in patients with the disorder was achieved, leading to decreased cellular viability, increased susceptibility to hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress, dysregulation of key anti-oxidant molecules and deficiencies in both cell proliferation and differentiation. Bone marrow stem cells are being investigated extensively as potential treatments for a wide range of neurological disorders, including Friedreich's ataxia. The potential neuroprotective effects of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells were therefore studied using our frataxin-deficient cell model. Soluble factors secreted by mesenchymal stem cells protected against cellular changes induced by frataxin deficiency, leading to restoration in frataxin levels and anti-oxidant defences, improved survival against oxidative stress and stimulated both cell proliferation and differentiation down the Schwann cell lineage. The demonstration that mesenchymal stem cell-derived factors can restore cellular homeostasis and function to frataxin-deficient cells further suggests that they may have potential therapeutic benefits for patients with Friedreich's ataxia.

  18. Usher protein functions in hair cells and photoreceptors

    OpenAIRE

    Cosgrove, Dominic; Zallocchi, Marisa

    2013-01-01

    The 10 different genes associated with the deaf/blind disorder, Usher syndrome, encode a number of structurally and functionally distinct proteins, most expressed as multiple isoforms/protein variants. Functional characterization of these proteins suggests a role in stereocilia development in cochlear hair cells, likely owing to adhesive interactions in hair bundles. In mature hair cells, homodimers of the Usher cadherins, cadherin 23 and protocadherin 15, interact to form a structural fiber,...

  19. Impact of genomic damage and ageing on stem cell function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behrens, Axel; van Deursen, Jan M.; Rudolph, K. Lenhard; Schumacher, Björn

    2014-01-01

    Impairment of stem cell function contributes to the progressive deterioration of tissue maintenance and repair with ageing. Evidence is mounting that age-dependent accumulation of DNA damage in both stem cells and cells that comprise the stem cell microenvironment are partly responsible for stem cell dysfunction with ageing. Here, we review the impact of the various types of DNA damage that accumulate with ageing on stem cell functionality, as well as the development of cancer. We discuss DNA-damage-induced cell intrinsic and extrinsic alterations that influence these processes, and review recent advances in understanding systemic adjustments to DNA damage and how they affect stem cells. PMID:24576896

  20. Glucose metabolism regulates T cell activation, differentiation and functions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clovis Steve Palmer

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The adaptive immune system is equipped to eliminate both tumors and pathogenic microorganisms. It requires a series of complex and coordinated signals to drive the activation, proliferation and differentiation of appropriate T cell subsets. It is now established that changes in cellular activation are coupled to profound changes in cellular metabolism. In addition, emerging evidence now suggest that specific metabolic alterations associated with distinct T cell subsets may be ancillary to their differentiation and influential in their immune functions. The Warburg effect originally used to describe a phenomenon in which most cancer cells relied on aerobic glycolysis for their growth is a key process that sustain T cell activation and differentiation. Here we review how different aspects of metabolism in T cells influence their functions, focusing on the emerging role of key regulators of glucose metabolism such as HIF-1α. A thorough understanding of the role of metabolism in T cell function could provide insights into mechanisms involved in inflammatory-mediated conditions, with the potential for developing novel therapeutic approaches to treat these diseases.

  1. A Rapid Culture Technique Produces Functional Dendritic-Like Cells from Human Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cell Lines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jian Ning

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Most anti-cancer immunotherapeutic strategies involving dendritic cells (DC as vaccines rely upon the adoptive transfer of DC loaded with exogenous tumour-peptides. This study utilized human acute myeloid leukemia (AML cells as progenitors from which functional dendritic-like antigen presenting cells (DLC were generated, that constitutively express tumour antigens for recognition by CD8+ T cells. DLC were generated from AML cell lines KG-1 and MUTZ-3 using rapid culture techniques and appropriate cytokines. DLC were evaluated for their cell-surface phenotype, antigen uptake and ability to stimulate allogeneic responder cell proliferation, and production of IFN-γ; compared with DC derived from normal human PBMC donors. KG-1 and MUTZ-3 DLC increased expression of CD80, CD83, CD86, and HLA-DR, and MUTZ-3 DLC downregulated CD14 and expressed CD1a. Importantly, both KG-1 and MUTZ-3-derived DLC promoted proliferation of allogeneic responder cells more efficiently than unmodified cells; neither cells incorporated FITC-labeled dextran, but both stimulated IFN-γ production from responding allogeneic CD8+ T cells. Control DC produced from PBMC using the FastDC culture also expressed high levels of critical cell surface ligands and demonstrated good APC function. This paper indicates that functional DLC can be cultured from the AML cell lines KG-1 and MUTZ-3, and FastDC culture generates functional KG-1 DLC.

  2. Diacylglycerol kinases in T cell tolerance and effector function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shelley S Chen

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Diacylglycerol kinases (DGKs are a family of enzymes that regulate the relative levels of diacylglycerol (DAG and phosphatidic acid (PA in cells by phosphorylating DAG to produce PA. Both DAG and PA are important second messengers cascading T cell receptor (TCR signal by recruiting multiple effector molecules such as RasGRP1, PKC, and mTOR. Studies have revealed important physiological functions of DGKs in the regulation of receptor signaling and the development and activation of immune cells. In this review, we will focus on recent progresses in our understanding of two DGK isoforms,  and , in CD8 T effector and memory cell differentiation, regulatory T cell development and function, and invariant NKT cell development and effector lineage differentiation.

  3. The vitamin D receptor and T cell function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin eKongsbak

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available The vitamin D receptor (VDR is a nuclear, ligand-dependent transcription factor that in complex with hormonally active vitamin D, 1,25(OH2D3, regulates the expression of more than 900 genes involved in a wide array of physiological functions. The impact of 1,25(OH2D3-VDR signaling on immune function has been the focus of many recent studies as a link between 1,25(OH2D3 and sus-ceptibility to various infections and to development of a variety of inflammatory diseases has been suggested. It is also becoming increasingly clear that microbes slow down immune reactivity by dysregulating the VDR ultimately to increase their chance of survival. Immune modulatory therapies that enhance VDR expression and activity are therefore considered in the clinic today to a greater extent. As T cells are of great importance for both protective immunity and development of inflammatory diseases a variety of studies have been engaged investigating the impact of VDR ex-pression in T cells and found that VDR expression and activity plays an important role in both T cell development, differentiation and effector function. In this review we will analyze current know-ledge of VDR regulation and function in T cells and discuss its importance for immune activity.

  4. Skeletal muscle aging: stem cell function and tissue homeostasis

    OpenAIRE

    Victor, Pedro Sousa

    2012-01-01

    Muscle aging, in particular, is characterized by the reduction of tissue mass and function, which are particularly prominent in geriatric individuals undergoing sarcopenia. The age-associated muscle wasting is also associated with a decline in regenerative ability and a reduction in resident muscle stem cell (satellite cell) number and function. Although sarcopenia is one of the major contributors to the general loss of physiological function, the mechanisms involved in age-related loss of mu...

  5. The main but not the accessory olfactory system is involved in the processing of socially relevant chemosignals in ungulates.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthieu eKELLER

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Ungulates like sheep and goats have, like many other mammalian species, two complementary olfactory systems. The relative role played by these two systems has long been of interest regarding the sensory control of social behavior. The study of ungulate social behavior could represent a complimentary alternative to rodent studies because they live in a more natural environment and their social behaviors depend heavily on olfaction. In addition, the relative size of the main olfactory bulb (in comparison to the accessory olfactory bulb is more developped than in many other lissencephalic species like rodents. In this review, we present data showing a clear involvement of the main olfactory system in two well-characterized social situations under olfactory control in ungulates, namely maternal behavior and offspring recognition at birth and the reactivation of the gonadotropic axis of females exposed to males during the anestrous season. In conclusion, we discuss the apparent discrepancy between the absence of evidence for a role of the vomeronasal system in ungulate social behavior and the existence of a developed accessory olfactory system in these species.

  6. Does accessory pathway significantly alter left ventricular twist/torsion? A study in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome by velocity vector imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aminian, Farimah; Esmaeilzadeh, Maryam; Moladoust, Hassan; Maleki, Majid; Shahrzad, Soraya; Emkanjoo, Zahra; Sadeghpour, Anita

    2014-08-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the impact of manifest accessory pathway on left ventricle (LV) twist physiology in Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) patients. Although this issue was addressed in 1 study based on speckle tracking method, there was no comparative study with a different technique. We planned to use velocity vector imaging (VVI) to find out how much an accessory pathway can affect LV twist mechanics. Thirty patients were enrolled regarding inclusion and exclusion criteria. Two serial comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography evaluations were performed before and after radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) within 24 hours. Stored cine loops were analyzed using VVI technique and LV twist and related parameters were extracted. Comparing pre- and post-RFCA data, no significant changes were observed in LV systolic and diastolic dimensions, LV ejection fraction (LVEF), and Doppler and tissue Doppler-related parameters. VVI study revealed remarkable rise in peak LV apical rotation (10.3º ± 3.0º to 13.8º ± 3.6º, P < 0.001) and basal rotation (-6.0 ± 1.8º to -7.7 ± 1.8º, P < 0.001) after RFCA. Subsequently LV twist showed a surge from 14.7º ± 3.9º to 20.2º ± 4.4º (P < 0.001). LV untwisting rate changed significantly from -96 ± 67 to -149.0 ± 47.5°/sec (P < 0.001) and apical-basal rotation delay showed a remarkable decline after RFCA (106 ± 81 vs. 42.8 ± 26.0 msec, P < 0.001). Accessory pathways have a major impact on LV twist mechanics. © 2013, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Biogenesis and function of T cell-derived exosomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miguel Angel Alonso

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Exosomes are a particular type of extracellular vesicle, characterized by their endosomal origin as intraluminal vesicles present in large endosomes with a multivesicular structure. After these endosomes fuse with the plasma membrane, exosomes are secreted into the extracellular space. The ability of exosomes to carry and selectively deliver bioactive molecules (e.g., lipids, proteins and nucleic acids confers on them the capacity to modulate the activity of receptor cells, even if these cells are located in distant tissues or organs. Since exosomal cargo depends on cell type, a detailed understanding of the mechanisms that regulate the biochemical composition of exosomes is fundamental to a comprehensive view of exosome function. Here, we review the latest advances concerning exosome function and biogenesis in T cells, with particular focus on the mechanism of protein sorting at multivesicular endosomes. Exosomes secreted by specific T-cell subsets can modulate the activity of immune cells, including other T-cell subsets. Ceramide, tetraspanins and MAL have been revealed to be important in exosome biogenesis by T cells. These molecules, therefore, constitute potential molecular targets for artificially modulating exosome production and, hence, the immune response for therapeutic purposes.

  8. Investigating evolutionary conservation of dendritic cell subset identity and functions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thien-Phong eVu Manh

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Dendritic cells (DC were initially defined as mononuclear phagocytes with a dendritic morphology and an exquisite efficiency for naïve T cell activation. DC encompass several subsets initially identified by their expression of specific cell surface molecules and later shown to excel in distinct functions and to develop under the instruction of different transcription factors or cytokines. Very few cell surface molecules are expressed in a specific manner on any immune cell type. Hence, to identify cell types, the sole use of a small number of cell surface markers in classical flow cytometry can be deceiving. Moreover, the markers currently used to define mononuclear phagocyte subsets vary depending on the tissue and animal species studied and even between laboratories. This has led to confusion in the definition of DC subset identity and in their attribution of specific functions. There is a strong need to identify a rigorous and consensus way to define mononuclear phagocyte subsets, with precise guidelines potentially applicable throughout tissues and species. We will discuss the advantages, drawbacks and complementarities of different methodologies: cell surface phenotyping, ontogeny, functional characterization and molecular profiling. We will advocate that gene expression profiling is a very rigorous, largely unbiased and accessible method to define the identity of mononuclear phagocyte subsets, which strengthens and refines surface phenotyping. It is uniquely powerful to yield new, experimentally testable, hypotheses on the ontogeny or functions of mononuclear phagocyte subsets, their molecular regulation and their evolutionary conservation. We propose defining cell populations based on a combination of cell surface phenotyping, expression analysis of hallmark genes and robust functional assays, in order to reach a consensus and integrate faster the huge but scattered knowledge accumulated by different laboratories on different cell types

  9. Gold in Accessory Zircon (the Kozhim Massif, Subpolar Urals)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denisova, Yuliya; Pystin, Aleksandr

    2017-12-01

    The crystals of zircon due to their resistance to external impact of various processes can reveal information about the environment of their formation and the inclusions observed of them. Zircon contains different mineral inclusions: biotite, plagioclase, quartz, apatite, etc. However, there is no information about gold inclusions in the zircons from granites of the Sudpolar Urals. The study results of the inclusions of gold in accessory zircon of the Kozhim granitic massif are presented in this paper. The studied mineral is a dark-brown translucent short-prismatic crystal containing the inclusion of gold and the allocations of quartz. According to studies, the inclusion of gold formed during the growth of zircon and it is the gold covered with a thin film of oxide gold. It was confirmed that the crystallization of the studied zircon occurred at a temperature of 800°C and above on the stage of formation of granites of Kozhim massif. The assumption is made about the additional temperature in the course of which was caused by decreasing of temperature up to 700° C and below during postmagmatic stage.

  10. Chlorophyll accessory pigments collected from OSCAR ELTON SETTE in North Pacific Ocean from 2008-03-01 to 2011-04-01 (NODC Accession 0129395)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — These data represent the chlorophyll accessory pigments measured from discrete depth water samples collected in CTD-mounted 10 liter Niskin bottles as part of NOAA...

  11. Mitochondrial pyruvate carrier function determines cell stemness and metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiaoran; Kan, Quancheng; Fan, Zhirui; Li, Yaqing; Ji, Yasai; Zhao, Jing; Zhang, Mingzhi; Grigalavicius, Mantas; Berge, Viktor; Goscinski, Mariusz Adam; M. Nesland, Jahn; Suo, Zhenhe

    2017-01-01

    One of the remarkable features of cancer cells is aerobic glycolysis, a phenomenon known as the “Warburg Effect”, in which cells rely preferentially on glycolysis instead of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) as the main energy source even in the presence of high oxygen tension. Cells with dysfunctional mitochondria are unable to generate sufficient ATP from mitochondrial OXPHOS, and then are forced to rely on glycolysis for ATP generation. Here we report our results in a prostate cancer cell line in which the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier 1 (MPC1) gene was knockout. It was discovered that the MPC1 gene knockout cells revealed a metabolism reprogramming to aerobic glycolysis with reduced ATP production, and the cells became more migratory and resistant to both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In addition, the MPC1 knockout cells expressed significantly higher levels of the stemness markers Nanog, Hif1α, Notch1, CD44 and ALDH. To further verify the correlation of MPC gene function and cell stemness/metabolic reprogramming, MPC inhibitor UK5099 was applied in two ovarian cancer cell lines and similar results were obtained. Taken together, our results reveal that functional MPC may determine the fate of metabolic program and the stemness status of cancer cells in vitro. PMID:28624784

  12. Defective TFH Cell Function and Increased TFR Cells Contribute to Defective Antibody Production in Aging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sage, Peter T; Tan, Catherine L; Freeman, Gordon J; Haigis, Marcia; Sharpe, Arlene H

    2015-07-14

    Defective antibody production in aging is broadly attributed to immunosenescence. However, the precise immunological mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate an increase in the ratio of inhibitory T follicular regulatory (TFR) cells to stimulatory T follicular helper (TFH) cells in aged mice. Aged TFH and TFR cells are phenotypically distinct from those in young mice, exhibiting increased programmed cell death protein-1 expression but decreased ICOS expression. Aged TFH cells exhibit defective antigen-specific responses, and programmed cell death protein-ligand 1 blockade can partially rescue TFH cell function. In contrast, young and aged TFR cells have similar suppressive capacity on a per-cell basis in vitro and in vivo. Together, these studies reveal mechanisms contributing to defective humoral immunity in aging: an increase in suppressive TFR cells combined with impaired function of aged TFH cells results in reduced T-cell-dependent antibody responses in aged mice. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Hipodoncia y hueso navicular accesorio: una interesante asociación sindrómica Hypodontia and accessory navicular bone: an interesting syndromic association

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mario Cantín

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Los dientes se desarrollan a partir de múltiples interacciones recíprocas entre células del epitelio oral y el ectomesénquima. Una serie de genes participan en el desarrollo del diente, así como de otros órganos y miembros superiores e inferiores. PAX9, miembro de la familia de factores de transcripción, es uno de los principales responsables de este desarrollo, y juega un rol fundamental en la hipodoncia dental y malformaciones en los huesos del miembro inferior. El objetivo de este reporte es presentar un caso de asociación entre hipodoncia y el hueso navicular accesorio. Se trata de una paciente de 18 años de edad, que acude a la consulta dental por dolor agudo en la pieza dentaria 3.6 y dolor de 9 meses de evolución en la cara interna del pie izquierdo. Al examen radiográfico, se observó ausencia de las piezas dentarias 1.7, 2.7, 2.8, 3.8 y 4.8, además en el pie izquierdo se vio la presencia de un hueso navicular accesorio. Es interesante proponer esta rara asociación, de clara herencia autosómica dominante, dado que la agenesia dental y la presencia del hueso navicular accesorio, poseen una prevalencia semejante, lo que hace que pueda existir una nueva asociación sindrómica probablemente relacionada con la ausencia de PAX9.Teeth are developed from many interactions between oral epithelium and mesenchymal cells. A number of genes are involved in tooth development, as well as in other organs, and upper and lower limbs. PAX9, a member of the transcriptional factor family, is one of the main drivers of this development, playing a key role in dental hypodontia and malformations in the lower limb bones. The aim of this report was to present the association between hypodontia and the accessory navicular bone based on a case report. This is a 18 years old female patient, who attended a dental clinic because she had acute pain in the 3.6 tooth and also pain on the left foot's inner area. The radiographic examination showed loss of

  14. Structure-function Evaluation of Stem Cell Therapies for Spinal Cord Injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Fuguo

    2018-02-23

    Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are prevalent, devastating for quality and expectancy of life, and cause heavy economic burdens. Stem cell therapies hold promise in complete structural and functional restoration of SCI. This review focuses on the methods currently used to evaluate the stem cell therapies for SCI. Various kinds of stem cells involving embryonic stem cells (ESCs), bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), neural stem cells (NSCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are extensively used in regenerative research of SCI. For evaluation, the survival and integration of transplanted cells, spinal cord reconstruction and functional recovery all should be considered. Histological and histochemistrical, microscopic, and colorimetric assays, and real-time RT-PCR techniques are applied to determine the outcome. From the three main aspects-transplanted cells, spinal cord structure, and functional recovery-we summarize and discuss these methods with certain instances of applications in SCI models. Importantly, for the evaluations of function, neuronal transmitting, electrophysiological analysis and behavioral score are included. Wider conjunction of established technologies, as well as the further development of nondestructive methods might make a big difference in testing stem cell therapies. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  15. HIV-1 accessory proteins VPR and Vif modulate antiviral response by targeting IRF-3 for degradation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okumura, Atsushi; Alce, Tim; Lubyova, Barbora; Ezelle, Heather; Strebel, Klaus; Pitha, Paula M.

    2008-01-01

    The activation of IRF-3 during the early stages of viral infection is critical for the initiation of the antiviral response; however the activation of IRF-3 in HIV-1 infected cells has not yet been characterized. We demonstrate that the early steps of HIV-1 infection do not lead to the activation and nuclear translocation of IRF-3; instead, the relative levels of IRF-3 protein are decreased due to the ubiquitin-associated proteosome degradation. Addressing the molecular mechanism of this effect we show that the degradation is independent of HIV-1 replication and that virion-associated accessory proteins Vif and Vpr can independently degrade IRF-3. The null mutation of these two genes reduced the capacity of the HIV-1 virus to down modulate IRF-3 levels. The degradation was associated with Vif- and Vpr-mediated ubiquitination of IRF-3 and was independent of the activation of IRF-3. N-terminal lysine residues were shown to play a critical role in the Vif- and Vpr-mediated degradation of IRF-3. These data implicate Vif and Vpr in the disruption of the initial antiviral response and point to the need of HIV-1 to circumvent the antiviral response during the very early phase of replication

  16. TOTAL NUMBER, DISTRIBUTION, AND PHENOTYPE OF CELLS EXPRESSING CHONDROITIN SULPHATE PROTEOGLYCANS IN THE NORMAL HUMAN AMYGDALA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pantazopoulos, Harry; Murray, Elisabeth A.; Berretta, Sabina

    2009-01-01

    Chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans (CSPGs) are a key structural component of the brain extracellular matrix. They are involved in critical neurodevelopmental functions and are one of the main components of pericellular aggregates known as perineuronal nets. As a step toward investigating their functional and pathophysiological roles in the human amygdala, we assessed the pattern of CSPG expression in the normal human amygdala using wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA) lectin-histochemistry. Total numbers of WFA-labeled elements were measured in the lateral (LN), basal (BN), accessory basal (ABN) and cortical (CO) nuclei of the amygdala from 15 normal adult human subjects. For interspecies qualitative comparison, we also investigated the pattern of WFA labeling in the amygdala of naïve rats (n=32) and rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta; n=6). In human amygdala, WFA lectin-histochemistry resulted in labeling of perineuronal nets and cells with clear glial morphology, while neurons did not show WFA-labeling. Total numbers of WFA-labeled glial cells showed high interindividual variability. These cells aggregated in clusters with a consistent between-subjects spatial distribution. In a subset of human subjects (n=5), dual color fluorescence using an antibody raised against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and WFA showed that the majority (93.7%) of WFA-labeled glial cells correspond to astrocytes. In rat and monkey amygdala, WFA histochemistry labeled perineuronal nets, but not glial cells. These results suggest that astrocytes are the main cell type expressing CSPGs in the adult human amygdala. Their highly segregated distribution pattern suggests that these cells serve specialized functions within human amygdalar nuclei. PMID:18374308

  17. Novel immunomodulatory effects of adiponectin on dendritic cell functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsang, Julia Yuen Shan; Li, Daxu; Ho, Derek; Peng, Jiao; Xu, Aimin; Lamb, Jonathan; Chen, Yan; Tam, Paul Kwong Hang

    2011-05-01

    Adiponectin (ADN) is an adipocytokine with anti-inflammatory properties. Although it has been reported that ADN can inhibit the immunostimulatory function of monocytes and macrophages, little is known of its effect on dendritic cells (DC). Recent data suggest that ADN can regulate immune responses. DCs are uniquely specialised antigen presenting cells that play a central role in the initiation of immunity and tolerance. In this study, we have investigated the immuno- modulatory effects of ADN on DC functions. We found that ADN has only moderate effect on the differentiation of murine bone marrow (BM) derived DCs but altered the phenotype of DCs. The expression of major histocompatibilty complex class II (MHCII), CD80 and CD86 on ADN conditioned DCs (ADN-DCs) was lower than that on untreated cells. The production of IL-12p40 was also suppressed in ADN-DCs. Interestingly, ADN treated DCs showed an increase in the expression of the inhibitory molecule, programmed death-1 ligand (PDL-1) compared to untreated cells. In vitro co-culture of ADN-DCs with allogeneic T cells led to a decrease in T cell proliferation and reduction of IL-2 production. Concomitant with that, a higher percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) was detected in co-cultures of T cells and ADN-DCs. Blocking PD-1/PDL-1 pathway could partially restore T cell function. These findings suggest that the immunomodulatory effect of ADN on immune responses could be at least partially be mediated by its ability to alter DC function. The PD-1/PDL-1 pathway and the enhancement of Treg expansion are implicated in the immunomodulatory mechanisms. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Functional analysis of HPV-like particle-activated Langerhans cells in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Lisa; Woodham, Andrew W; Da Silva, Diane M; Kast, W Martin

    2015-01-01

    Langerhans cells (LCs) are antigen-presenting cells responsible for initiating an immune response against human papillomaviruses (HPVs) entering the epithelial layer in vivo as they are the first immune cell that HPV comes into contact with. LCs become activated in response to foreign antigens, which causes internal signaling resulting in the increased expression of co-stimulatory molecules and the secretion of inflammatory cytokines. Functionally activated LCs are then capable of migrating to the lymph nodes where they interact with antigen-specific T cells and initiate an adaptive T-cell response in vivo. However, HPV has evolved in a manner that suppresses LC function, and thus the induction of antigen-specific T cells is hindered. While many methods exist to monitor the activity of LCs in vitro, the migration and induction of cytotoxic T cells is ultimately indicative of a functional immune response. Here, methods in analyzing functional migration and induction of antigen-specific T cells after stimulation of LCs with HPV virus-like particles in vitro are described.

  19. Quality assurance procedure for functional performance of industrial gamma radiography exposure devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kannan, R.; Yadav, R.K.; Rajoo Kumar; Bhatt, B.C.; Sivaraman, G.; Nandkumar, A.N.

    2003-05-01

    An Industrial Gamma Radiography Exposure Device (IGRED) consists of various moving parts and accessories and wear and tear take place often. This may increase the possibility of radiation incidents and result in avoidable radiation exposure. Quality assurance tests of the equipment for functional performance plays a major role in ensuring that the exposure device and its accessories perform their intended functions and satisfy radiation safety requirements to avert potential exposures to operators. Therefore, in India it is practiced as mandatory requirement that each IGRED is tested for its functional performance and only after ascertaining that features of operational safety are satisfactory, loading of the source into the radiography exposure device can be permitted. This procedure which is being. practiced since the late 1970s, has contributed significantly towards the safe use of IGREDs and minimising the occurrence of radiation accidents. The purpose of this document is to highlight the importance of periodic functional performance check of each IGRED as per the checklist for the testing procedures. It is also proposed to entrust this activity to accredited laboratories, which have the necessary infrastructure to carry out this activity. The prerequisites for accreditation of such laboratories to carry out this activity and the testing procedures to be adopted for checking the functional performance of various models of IGREDs used in this country are given in this report. (author)

  20. XIAP reverses various functional activities of FRNK in endothelial cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahn, Sunyoung; Kim, Hyun Jeong; Chi, Sung-Gil; Park, Heonyong

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► FRNK domain is recruited into focal adhesion (FA), controlling endothelial cell adhesion. ► XIAP binds the FRNK domain of FAK. ► XIAP inhibits recruitment of FRNK into Fas and FRNK-promoted cell adhesion. ► XIAP plays a key role in vascular functions of FRNK or FRNK domain-mediated vascular functions of FAK. -- Abstract: In endothelial cells, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) regulates cell proliferation, migration, adhesion, and shear-stimulated activation of MAPK. We recently found that FAK is recruited into focal adhesion (FA) sites through interactions with XIAP (X-chromosome linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein) and activated by Src kinase in response to shear stress. In this study, we examined which domain(s) of FAK is(are) important for various vascular functions such as FA recruiting, XIAP-binding and shear stress-stimulated ERK activation. Through a series of experiments, we determined that the FRNK domain is recruited into FA sites and promotes endothelial cell adhesion. Interestingly, XIAP knockdown was shown to reduce FA recruitment of FRNK and the cell adhesive effect of FRNK. In addition, we found that XIAP interacts with FRNK, suggesting cross-talk between XIAP and FRNK. We also demonstrated that FRNK inhibits endothelial cell migration and shear-stimulated ERK activation. These inhibitory effects of FRNK were reversed by XIAP knockdown. Taken together, we can conclude that XIAP plays a key role in vascular functions of FRNK or FRNK domain-mediated vascular functions of FAK.

  1. Neurotransmitters activate T-cells and elicit crucial functions via neurotransmitter receptors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levite, Mia

    2008-08-01

    Neurotransmitters are traditionally viewed as nerve-secreted molecules that trigger or inhibit neuronal functions. Yet, neurotransmitters bind also their neurotransmitter receptors in T-cells and directly activate or suppress T-cell functions. This review focuses only on the activating effects of neurotransmitters on T-cells, primarily naïve/resting cells, and covers dopamine, glutamate, serotonin, and few neuropeptides: GnRH-I, GnRH-II, substance P, somatostatin, CGRP, and neuropeptide Y. T-cells express many neurotransmitter receptors. These are regulated by TCR-activation, cytokines, or the neurotransmitters themselves, and are upregulated/downregulated in some human diseases. The context - whether the T-cells are naïve/resting or antigen/mitogen/cytokine-activated, the T-cell subset (CD4/CD8/Th1/Th2/Teff/Treg), neurotransmitter dose (low/optimal or high/excess), exact neurotransmitter receptors expressed, and the cytokine milieu - is crucial, and can determine either activation or suppression of T-cells by the same neurotransmitter. T-cells also produce many neurotransmitters. In summary, neurotransmitters activate vital T-cell functions in a direct, potent and specific manner, and may serve for communicating between the brain and the immune system to elicit an effective and orchestrated immune function, and for new therapeutic avenues, to improve T-cell eradication of cancer and infectious organisms.

  2. The Anatomy and Function of the Ear of the Bottle-nosed Dolphin Tursiops truncatus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Purves, P.E.; Utrecht, van W.L.

    1963-01-01

    3. An account is given of sound conductivity experiments which were carried out on the auditory structures in a very fresh, dead specimen of Tursiops. 4. The probable function of the external auditory meatus is discussed in relationship to the arrangement of the accessory air sinuses of the middle

  3. The male genital accessory gland complex of the cattle tick Boophilus microplus (Canestrini, 1887) (Acari: Ixodidae)

    OpenAIRE

    GARCIA-FERNANDEZ, CASIMIRO; GARCIA, SONIA M. LAUER DE; GARCIA, ROSANE NUNES

    1998-01-01

    A topographical and histological study of the male genital accessory gland complex of Boophilus microplus was undertaken. Ten lobes were found, the most prominent of which is the single dorso-median lobe, subdivided into antero-dorsal and postero-dorsal lobes. The other lobes are: a pair of postero-ventral lobes, a pair of lateral lobes (subdivided into dorso-lateral and postero-lateral lobes), a pair of antero-ventral lobes, a single medio-ventral lobe and a pair of latero-ventral lobes. The...

  4. Does complete renal denervation translate into superior clinical outcomes? Lessons learned from denervation of accessory renal arteries

    OpenAIRE

    Mendelsohn, Farrell O.

    2014-01-01

    Pre-clinical studies of renal denervation would suggest that the extent of renal nerve injury correlates with outcomes. The “completeness” of renal nerve injury following renal denervation correlates with treatment-based variables such as the depth of ablation, the number of ablations along the length of the artery, and the number of renal arteries successfully ablated. Renal denervation techniques targeting only main renal arteries may lead to suboptimal results in patients with accessory re...

  5. Microculture system for studying monolayers of functional beta-cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dobersen, M J; Scharff, J E; Notkins, A L

    1980-04-01

    A method is described for growing monolayers of newborn rat beta-cells in microculture trays. After disruption of the pancreas with collagenase, islets were isolated by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation, trypsinized to obtain individual cells, and plated in 96-well tissue culture trays. The cells were incubated for the first 3 days in growth medium containing 0.1 mM 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine to promote monolayer formation. The cultures could be maintained in a functional state, as defined by their responsiveness to known modulators of insulin secretion, for at least 2 weeks. As few as 1 X 10(3) islet cells/well gave results that were reproducible within +/- 10%. It is suggested that the microculture system for islet cells might prove to be a rapid and reproducible screening technique for studying drugs, viruses, or other agents that affect beta-cell function.

  6. Accessory signals in T-T cell interactions between antigen- and alloantigen-specific, human memory T cells generated in vitro

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Odum, N; Ryder, L P; Georgsen, J

    1990-01-01

    The potential of activated HLA class II-positive T cells as antigen-/alloantigen-presenting cells remains controversial. In our model system we use in vitro-primed, HLA class II-specific T cells of the memory T-cell phenotype, CD4+, CD29+ (4B4+), and CD45RO+ (UCHL-1). We have previously shown......), or a calcium ionophore (A23187) enabled Ta to elicit alloantigen-specific memory T-cell responses and to present purified protein derivative (PPD) to PPD-specific T-cell lines. The addition of irradiated, Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B-cell lines (EBV-LCL) (but not their supernatants) had a similar but less...

  7. Structure of the Pds5-Scc1 Complex and Implications for Cohesin Function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyle W. Muir

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Sister chromatid cohesion is a fundamental prerequisite to faithful genome segregation. Cohesion is precisely regulated by accessory factors that modulate the stability with which the cohesin complex embraces chromosomes. One of these factors, Pds5, engages cohesin through Scc1 and is both a facilitator of cohesion, and, conversely also mediates the release of cohesin from chromatin. We present here the crystal structure of a complex between budding yeast Pds5 and Scc1, thus elucidating the molecular basis of Pds5 function. Pds5 forms an elongated HEAT repeat that binds to Scc1 via a conserved surface patch. We demonstrate that the integrity of the Pds5-Scc1 interface is indispensable for the recruitment of Pds5 to cohesin, and that its abrogation results in loss of sister chromatid cohesion and cell viability.

  8. Interpreting heterogeneity in intestinal tuft cell structure and function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banerjee, Amrita; McKinley, Eliot T; von Moltke, Jakob; Coffey, Robert J; Lau, Ken S

    2018-05-01

    Intestinal tuft cells are a morphologically unique cell type, best characterized by striking microvilli that form an apical tuft. These cells represent approximately 0.5% of gut epithelial cells depending on location. While they are known to express chemosensory receptors, their function has remained unclear. Recently, numerous groups have revealed startling insights into intestinal tuft cell biology. Here, we review the latest developments in understanding this peculiar cell type's structure and function. Recent advances in volumetric microscopy have begun to elucidate tuft cell ultrastructure with respect to its cellular neighbors. Moreover, single-cell approaches have revealed greater diversity in the tuft cell population than previously appreciated and uncovered novel markers to characterize this heterogeneity. Finally, advanced model systems have revealed tuft cells' roles in mucosal healing and orchestrating type 2 immunity against eukaryotic infection. While much remains unknown about intestinal tuft cells, these critical advances have illuminated the physiological importance of these previously understudied cells and provided experimentally tractable tools to interrogate this rare cell population. Tuft cells act as luminal sensors, linking the luminal microbiome to the host immune system, which may make them a potent clinical target for modulating host response to a variety of acute or chronic immune-driven conditions.

  9. Human beta-cell precursors mature into functional insulin-producing cells in an immunoisolation device: implications for diabetes cell therapies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Seung-Hee; Hao, Ergeng; Savinov, Alexei Y; Geron, Ifat; Strongin, Alex Y; Itkin-Ansari, Pamela

    2009-04-15

    Islet transplantation is limited by the need for chronic immunosuppression and the paucity of donor tissue. As new sources of human beta-cells are developed (e.g., stem cell-derived tissue), transplanting them in a durable device could obviate the need for immunosuppression, while also protecting the patient from any risk of tumorigenicity. Here, we studied (1) the survival and function of encapsulated human beta-cells and their progenitors and (2) the engraftment of encapsulated murine beta-cells in allo- and autoimmune settings. Human islets and human fetal pancreatic islet-like cell clusters were encapsulated in polytetrafluorethylene devices (TheraCyte) and transplanted into immunodeficient mice. Graft survival and function was measured by immunohistochemistry, circulating human C-peptide levels, and blood glucose levels. Bioluminescent imaging was used to monitor encapsulated neonatal murine islets. Encapsulated human islet-like cell clusters survived, replicated, and acquired a level of glucose responsive insulin secretion sufficient to ameliorate hyperglycemia in diabetic mice. Bioluminescent imaging of encapsulated murine neonatal islets revealed a dynamic process of cell death followed by regrowth, resulting in robust long-term allograft survival. Further, in the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model of type I diabetes, encapsulated primary beta-cells ameliorated diabetes without stimulating a detectable T-cell response. We demonstrate for the first time that human beta-cells function is compatible with encapsulation in a durable, immunoprotective device. Moreover, our study suggests that encapsulation of beta-cells before terminal differentiation will be a successful approach for new cell-based therapies for diabetes, such as those derived from stem cells.

  10. Human β-cell Precursors Mature Into Functional Insulin-producing Cells in an Immunoisolation Device: Implications for Diabetes Cell Therapies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Seung-Hee; Hao, Ergeng; Savinov, Alexei Y.; Geron, Ifat; Strongin, Alex Y.; Itkin-Ansari, Pamela

    2009-01-01

    Background Islet transplantation is limited by the need for chronic immunosuppression and the paucity of donor tissue. As new sources of human β-cells are developed (e.g., stem cell-derived tissue), transplanting them in a durable device could obviate the need for immunosuppression, while also protecting the patient from any risk of tumorigenicity. Here, we studied (1) the survival and function of encapsulated human β-cells and their progenitors and (2) the engraftment of encapsulated murine β-cells in allo- and autoimmune settings. Methods Human islets and human fetal pancreatic islet-like cell clusters were encapsulated in polytetrafluorethylene devices (TheraCyte) and transplanted into immunodeficient mice. Graft survival and function was measured by immunohistochemistry, circulating human C-peptide levels, and blood glucose levels. Bioluminescent imaging was used to monitor encapsulated neonatal murine islets. Results Encapsulated human islet-like cell clusters survived, replicated, and acquired a level of glucose responsive insulin secretion sufficient to ameliorate hyperglycemia in diabetic mice. Bioluminescent imaging of encapsulated murine neonatal islets revealed a dynamic process of cell death followed by regrowth, resulting in robust long-term allograft survival. Further, in the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model of type I diabetes, encapsulated primary β-cells ameliorated diabetes without stimulating a detectable T-cell response. Conclusions We demonstrate for the first time that human β-cells function is compatible with encapsulation in a durable, immunoprotective device. Moreover, our study suggests that encapsulation of β-cells before terminal differentiation will be a successful approach for new cell-based therapies for diabetes, such as those derived from stem cells. PMID:19352116

  11. Studies on a role of XRCC4 in human cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mori, M.; Itsukaichi, H.; Kanda, R.; Nakamura, A.; Shiomi, N.; Aizawa, S.; Shiomi, T.

    2003-01-01

    Full text: Ionizing radiation produces a variety of lesions in DNA including single-strand breaks, double-strand breaks and base damage. The repair of DNA double-strand breaks is essential for the maintenance of genomic integrity. Failure to repair DNA double-strand breaks result in loss of genetic information, chromosome translocations, carcinogenesis and cell death. XRCC4 is a member of non-homologous end-joining proteins that functioned in DNA double-strand break repair in eukaryote including human. XRCC4 is a DNA ligase IV accessory factor and required for the rejoining of DNA double-strand breaks. Both XRCC4 and DNA ligase IV deficient mice have been generated. Both deficient mice are not viable because of neuronal degeneration caused by p53-induced apoptosis. Cells obtained from XRCC4 or DNA ligase IV deficient embryo are viable, but show reduced cell proliferation and hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation. To study the role of XRCC4 in human cells, we tried to inactivate XRCC4 gene by using gene targeting technology in human colon cancer cell line, HCT116. We have succeeded to disrupt both alleles of XRCC4 gene. Heterozygous (XRCC4 +/-) cells showed reduced cell proliferation but normal X ray-sensitivity, indicating haploinsufficiency in cell proliferation but not in X ray-sensitivity. Homozygous (XRCC4 -/-) cells show reduced cell proliferation and increased chromosome aberrations, and are highly sensitive to X rays

  12. Interferon-β Suppresses Murine Th1 Cell Function in the Absence of Antigen-Presenting Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boivin, Nicolas; Baillargeon, Joanie; Doss, Prenitha Mercy Ignatius Arokia; Roy, Andrée-Pascale; Rangachari, Manu

    2015-01-01

    Interferon (IFN)-β is a front-line therapy for the treatment of the relapsing-remitting form of multiple sclerosis. However, its immunosuppressive mechanism of function remains incompletely understood. While it has been proposed that IFN-β suppresses the function of inflammatory myelin antigen-reactive T cells by promoting the release of immunomodulatory cytokines such as IL-27 from antigen-presenting cells (APCs), its direct effects on inflammatory CD4+ Th1 cells are less clear. Here, we establish that IFN-β inhibits mouse IFN-γ+ Th1 cell function in the absence of APCs. CD4+ T cells express the type I interferon receptor, and IFN-β can suppress Th1 cell proliferation under APC-free stimulation conditions. IFN-β-treated myelin antigen-specific Th1 cells are impaired in their ability to induce severe experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) upon transfer to lymphocyte-deficient Rag1-/- mice. Polarized Th1 cells downregulate IFN-γ and IL-2, and upregulate the negative regulatory receptor Tim-3, when treated with IFN-β in the absence of APCs. Further, IFN-β treatment of Th1 cells upregulates phosphorylation of Stat1, and downregulates phosphorylation of Stat4. Our data indicate that IFN-γ-producing Th1 cells are directly responsive to IFN-β and point to a novel mechanism of IFN-β-mediated T cell suppression that is independent of APC-derived signals. PMID:25885435

  13. Effects of mesenchymal stem cells from human induced pluripotent stem cells on differentiation, maturation, and function of dendritic cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Wen-Xiang; Sun, Yue-Qi; Shi, Jianbo; Li, Cheng-Lin; Fang, Shu-Bin; Wang, Dan; Deng, Xue-Quan; Wen, Weiping; Fu, Qing-Ling

    2017-03-02

    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have potent immunomodulatory effects on multiple immune cells and have great potential in treating immune disorders. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) serve as an unlimited and noninvasive source of MSCs, and iPSC-MSCs have been reported to have more advantages and exhibit immunomodulation on T lymphocytes and natural killer cells. However, the effects of iPSC-MSCs on dendritic cells (DCs) are unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of iPSC-MSCs on the differentiation, maturation, and function of DCs. Human monocyte-derived DCs were induced and cultured in the presence or absence of iPSC-MSCs. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the phenotype and functions of DCs, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to study cytokine production. In this study, we successfully induced MSCs from different clones of human iPSCs. iPSC-MSCs exhibited a higher proliferation rate with less cell senescence than BM-MSCs. iPSC-MSCs inhibited the differentiation of human monocyte-derived DCs by both producing interleukin (IL)-10 and direct cell contact. Furthermore, iPSC-MSCs did not affect immature DCs to become mature DCs, but modulated their functional properties by increasing their phagocytic ability and inhibiting their ability to stimulate proliferation of lymphocytes. More importantly, iPSC-MSCs induced the generation of IL-10-producing regulatory DCs in the process of maturation, which was mostly mediated by a cell-cell contact mechanism. Our results indicate an important role for iPSC-MSCs in the modulation of DC differentiation and function, supporting the clinical application of iPSC-MSCs in DC-mediated immune diseases.

  14. An unusual presentation of whiplash injury: long thoracic and spinal accessory nerve injury

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omar, N.; Srinivasan, M. S.

    2007-01-01

    Whiplash injuries from motor vehicle accidents are very common. The usual presentation and course of this condition normally results in resolution of symptoms within a few weeks. Brachial plexus traction injuries without any bone or joint lesion of the cervical spine have been reported before. We report a case where a gentleman was involved in a rear end vehicle collision, sustained a whiplash injury and was later found to have a long thoracic nerve palsy and spinal accessory nerve palsy. Although isolated injuries of both nerves following a whiplash injury have been reported, combined injury of the two nerves following a whiplash injury is very uncommon and is being reported for the first time. PMID:17587067

  15. Accessory Gene Regulator-1 Locus Is Essential for Virulence and Pathogenesis of Clostridium difficile

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charles Darkoh

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Clostridium difficile infection (CDI is responsible for most of the definable cases of antibiotic- and hospital-associated diarrhea worldwide and is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in older patients. C. difficile, a multidrug-resistant anaerobic pathogen, causes disease by producing toxins A and B, which are controlled by an accessory gene regulator (Agr quorum signaling system. Some C. difficile strains encode two Agr loci in their genomes, designated agr1 and agr2. The agr1 locus is present in all of the C. difficile strains sequenced to date, whereas the agr2 locus is present in a few strains. The functional roles of agr1 and agr2 in C. difficile toxin regulation and pathogenesis were unknown until now. Using allelic exchange, we deleted components of both agr loci and examined the mutants for toxin production and virulence. The results showed that the agr1 mutant cannot produce toxins A and B; toxin production can be restored by complementation with wild-type agr1. Furthermore, the agr1 mutant is able to colonize but unable to cause disease in a murine CDI model. These findings have profound implications for CDI treatment because we have uncovered a promising therapeutic target for the development of nonantibiotic drugs to treat this life-threatening emerging pathogen by targeting the toxins directly responsible for disease.

  16. The Janus Face of NKT Cell Function in Autoimmunity and Infectious Diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandra Torina

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Natural killer T cells (NKT are a subset of T lymphocytes bridging innate and adaptive immunity. These cells recognize self and microbial glycolipids bound to non-polymorphic and highly conserved CD1d molecules. Three NKT cell subsets, type I, II, and NKT-like expressing different antigen receptors (TCR were described and TCR activation promotes intracellular events leading to specific functional activities. NKT can exhibit different functions depending on the secretion of soluble molecules and the interaction with other cell types. NKT cells act as regulatory cells in the defense against infections but, on the other hand, their effector functions can be involved in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory disorders due to their exposure to different microbial or self-antigens, respectively. A deep understanding of the biology and functions of type I, II, and NKT-like cells as well as their interplay with cell types acting in innate (neuthrophils, innate lymphoid cells, machrophages, and dendritic cells and adaptive immunity (CD4+,CD8+, and double negative T cells should be important to design potential immunotherapies for infectious and autoimmune diseases.

  17. Proteinase-Activated Receptor 1 (PAR1 regulates leukemic stem cell functions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicole Bäumer

    Full Text Available External signals that are mediated by specific receptors determine stem cell fate. The thrombin receptor PAR1 plays an important role in haemostasis, thrombosis and vascular biology, but also in tumor biology and angiogenesis. Its expression and function in hematopoietic stem cells is largely unknown. Here, we analyzed expression and function of PAR1 in primary hematopoietic cells and their leukemic counterparts. AML patients' blast cells expressed much lower levels of PAR1 mRNA and protein than CD34+ progenitor cells. Constitutive Par1-deficiency in adult mice did not affect engraftment or stem cell potential of hematopoietic cells. To model an AML with Par1-deficiency, we retrovirally introduced the oncogene MLL-AF9 in wild type and Par1-/- hematopoietic progenitor cells. Par1-deficiency did not alter initial leukemia development. However, the loss of Par1 enhanced leukemic stem cell function in vitro and in vivo. Re-expression of PAR1 in Par1-/- leukemic stem cells delayed leukemogenesis in vivo. These data indicate that Par1 contributes to leukemic stem cell maintenance.

  18. Proteinase-Activated Receptor 1 (PAR1) regulates leukemic stem cell functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bäumer, Nicole; Krause, Annika; Köhler, Gabriele; Lettermann, Stephanie; Evers, Georg; Hascher, Antje; Bäumer, Sebastian; Berdel, Wolfgang E; Müller-Tidow, Carsten; Tickenbrock, Lara

    2014-01-01

    External signals that are mediated by specific receptors determine stem cell fate. The thrombin receptor PAR1 plays an important role in haemostasis, thrombosis and vascular biology, but also in tumor biology and angiogenesis. Its expression and function in hematopoietic stem cells is largely unknown. Here, we analyzed expression and function of PAR1 in primary hematopoietic cells and their leukemic counterparts. AML patients' blast cells expressed much lower levels of PAR1 mRNA and protein than CD34+ progenitor cells. Constitutive Par1-deficiency in adult mice did not affect engraftment or stem cell potential of hematopoietic cells. To model an AML with Par1-deficiency, we retrovirally introduced the oncogene MLL-AF9 in wild type and Par1-/- hematopoietic progenitor cells. Par1-deficiency did not alter initial leukemia development. However, the loss of Par1 enhanced leukemic stem cell function in vitro and in vivo. Re-expression of PAR1 in Par1-/- leukemic stem cells delayed leukemogenesis in vivo. These data indicate that Par1 contributes to leukemic stem cell maintenance.

  19. Pretransplantation recipient regulatory T cell suppressive function predicts delayed and slow graft function after kidney transplantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Minh-Tri J P; Fryml, Elise; Sahakian, Sossy K; Liu, Shuqing; Michel, Rene P; Lipman, Mark L; Mucsi, Istvan; Cantarovich, Marcelo; Tchervenkov, Jean I; Paraskevas, Steven

    2014-10-15

    Delayed graft function (DGF) and slow graft function (SGF) are a continuous spectrum of ischemia-reperfusion-related acute kidney injury (AKI) that increases the risk for acute rejection and graft loss after kidney transplantation. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are critical in transplant tolerance and attenuate murine AKI. In this prospective observational cohort study, we evaluated whether pretransplantation peripheral blood recipient Treg frequency and suppressive function are predictors of DGF and SGF after kidney transplantation. Deceased donor kidney transplant recipients (n=53) were divided into AKI (n=37; DGF, n=10; SGF, n=27) and immediate graft function (n=16) groups. Pretransplantation peripheral blood CD4CD25FoxP3 Treg frequency was quantified by flow cytometry. Regulatory T-cell suppressive function was measured by suppression of autologous effector T-cell proliferation by Treg in co-culture. Pretransplantation Treg suppressive function, but not frequency, was decreased in AKI recipients (Paccounting for the effects of cold ischemic time and donor age, Treg suppressive function discriminated DGF from immediate graft function recipients in multinomial logistic regression (odds ratio, 0.77; Pfunction is a potential independent pretransplantation predictor of DGF and SGF.

  20. Synthetic RNA Controllers for Programming Mammalian Cell Fate and Function

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-11-04

    Final report for “Synthetic RNA controllers for programming mammalian cell fate and function” Principal Investigator: Christina D. Smolke...SUBTITLE Synthetic RNA controllers for programming mammalian cell fate and function 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER...Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18   2 Synthetic RNA controllers for programming mammalian cell fate and function Task 1

  1. Cloning of B cell-specific membrane tetraspanning molecule BTS possessing B cell proliferation-inhibitory function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suenaga, Tadahiro; Arase, Hisashi; Yamasaki, Sho; Kohno, Masayuki; Yokosuka, Tadashi; Takeuchi, Arata; Hattori, Takamichi; Saito, Takashi

    2007-11-01

    Lymphocyte proliferation is regulated by signals through antigen receptors, co-stimulatory receptors, and other positive and negative modulators. Several membrane tetraspanning molecules are also involved in the regulation of lymphocyte growth and death. We cloned a new B cell-specific tetraspanning (BTS) membrane molecule, which is similar to CD20 in terms of expression, structure and function. BTS is specifically expressed in the B cell line and its expression is increased after the pre-B cell stage. BTS is expressed in intracellular granules and on the cell surface. Overexpression of BTS in immature B cell lines induces growth retardation through inhibition of cell cycle progression and cell size increase without inducing apoptosis. This inhibitory function is mediated predominantly by the N terminus of BTS. The development of mature B cells is inhibited in transgenic mice expressing BTS, suggesting that BTS is involved in the in vivo regulation of B cells. These results indicate that BTS plays a role in the regulation of cell division and B cell growth.

  2. Functional vascular smooth muscle cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells via mesenchymal stem cell intermediates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bajpai, Vivek K.; Mistriotis, Panagiotis; Loh, Yuin-Han; Daley, George Q.; Andreadis, Stelios T.

    2012-01-01

    Aims Smooth muscle cells (SMC) play an important role in vascular homeostasis and disease. Although adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have been used as a source of contractile SMC, they suffer from limited proliferation potential and culture senescence, particularly when originating from older donors. By comparison, human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) can provide an unlimited source of functional SMC for autologous cell-based therapies and for creating models of vascular disease. Our goal was to develop an efficient strategy to derive functional, contractile SMC from hiPSC. Methods and results We developed a robust, stage-wise, feeder-free strategy for hiPSC differentiation into functional SMC through an intermediate stage of multipotent MSC, which could be coaxed to differentiate into fat, bone, cartilage, and muscle. At this stage, the cells were highly proliferative and displayed higher clonogenic potential and reduced senescence when compared with parental hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells. In addition, when exposed to differentiation medium, the myogenic proteins such as α-smooth muscle actin, calponin, and myosin heavy chain were significantly upregulated and displayed robust fibrillar organization, suggesting the development of a contractile phenotype. Indeed, tissue constructs prepared from these cells exhibited high levels of contractility in response to receptor- and non-receptor-mediated agonists. Conclusion We developed an efficient stage-wise strategy that enabled hiPSC differentiation into contractile SMC through an intermediate population of clonogenic and multipotent MSC. The high yield of MSC and SMC derivation suggests that our strategy may facilitate an acquisition of the large numbers of cells required for regenerative medicine or for studying vascular disease pathophysiology. PMID:22941255

  3. Advances in generation of functional β-cells from induced pluripotent stem cells as a cure for diabetes mellitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalra, Kunal; Chandrabose, Srijaya Thekkeparambil; Ramasamy, Thamil Selvee; Kasim, Noor Hayaty Binti Abu

    2018-06-04

    Diabetes mellitus is one of the leading cause for death worldwide. Loss and functional failure of pancreatic β-cells, the parenchyma cells in the islets of Langerhans onsets and progresses diabetes mellitus. The increasing incidence of this metabolic disorder necessitates efficient strategies to produce functional β-cells for treating diabetes mellitus. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC), holds potential for treating diabetes owning to their self-renewal capacity and ability to differentiate into β-cells. iPSC technology also provides unlimited starting material to generate differentiated cells for regenerative applications. Progress has also been made in establishing in-vitro culture protocols to yield definitive endoderm, pancreatic endoderm progenitor cells and β-cells via different reprogramming strategies and growth factor supplementation. However, these generated β-cells are still immature, lack functional characteristics and exhibit lower capability in reversing the diseases conditions. Current methods employed to generate mature and functional β-cells include; use of small and large molecules to enhance the reprogramming and differentiation efficiency, 3D culture systems to improve the functional properties and heterogeneity of differentiated cells. This review details recent advancements in the generation of mature β-cells by reprogramming stem cells into iPSCs that is further programmed to β-cells. It also provides deeper insight of current reprogramming protocols and their efficacy, focusing on the underlying mechanism of chemical based approach to generate iPSCs. Furthermore, we have highlighted the recent differentiation strategies both in-vitro and in-vivo to date and the future prospects in generation of mature β-cells. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  4. Graft-versus-host reaction and immune function. III. Functional pre-T cells in the bone marrow of graft-versus-host-reactive mice displaying T cell immunodeficiency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seddik, M.; Seemayer, T.A.; Lapp, W.S.

    1986-01-01

    Studies were performed to determine whether pre-T cells develop normally in the bone marrow of mice displaying thymic dysplasia and T cell immunodeficiency as a consequence of a graft-versus-host (GVH) reaction. GVH reactions were induced in CBAxAF1 mice by the injection of A strain lymphoid cells. To test for the presence of pre-T cells in GVH-reactive mice, bone marrow from GVH-reactive mice (GVHBM) was injected into irradiated syngeneic F1 mice and 30-40 days later thymic morphology and function were studied. Morphology studies showed nearly normal thymic architectural restoration; moreover, such glands contained normal numbers of Thy-1-positive cells. Functional pre-T cells were evaluated by transferring thymocytes from the irradiated GVHBM-reconstituted mice into T-cell-deprived mice. These thymocytes reconstituted allograft reactivity, T helper cell function and Con A and PHA mitogen responses of T-cell-deprived mice. These results suggest that the pre-T cell population in the bone marrow is not affected by the GVH reaction. Therefore, the T cell immunodeficiency associated with the GVH reaction is not due to a deficiency of pre-T cells in the bone marrow but is more likely associated with GVH-induced thymic dysplasia

  5. Restoration of heart functions using human embryonic stem cells derived heart muscle cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gepstein, Lior; Kehat, Izhak

    2005-02-01

    Extract: Recent advances in molecular and cellular biology and specifically in the areas of stem cell biology and tissue engineering have paved the way for the development of a new field in biomedicine, regenerative medicine. This exciting approach seeks to develop new biological solutions, using the mobilization of endogenous stem cells or delivery of exogenous cells to replace or modify the function of diseased, absent, or malfunctioning tissue. The adult heart represents an attractive candidate for these emerging technologies, since adult cardiomyocytes have limited regenerative capacity. Thus, any significant heart cell loss or dysfunction, such as occurs during heart attack, is mostly irreversible and may lead to the development of progressive heart failure, one of the leading causes of world-wide morbidity and mortality. Similarly, dysfunction of the specialized electrical conduction system within the heart may result in inefficient rhythm initiation or impulse conduction, leading to significant slowing of the heart rate, usually requiring the implantation of a permanent electronic pacemaker. Replacement of the dysfunctional myocardium (heart muscle) by implantation of external heart muscle cells is emerging as a novel paradigm for restoration of the myocardial electromechanical properties, but has been significantly hampered by the paucity of cell sources for human heart cells and by the relatively limited evidence for functional integration between grafted and host cells. The recently described human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines may provide a possible solution for the aforementioned cell sourcing problem.

  6. Novel microchip-based tools facilitating live cell imaging and assessment of functional heterogeneity within NK cell populations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elin eForslund

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Each individual has a heterogeneous pool of NK cells consisting of cells that may be specialized towards specific functional responses such as secretion of cytokines or killing of tumor cells. Many conventional methods are not fit to characterize heterogeneous populations as they measure the average response of all cells. Thus, there is a need for experimental platforms that provide single cell resolution. In addition, there are also transient and stochastic variations in functional responses at the single cell level, calling for methods that allow studies of many events over extended times. This paper presents a versatile microchip platform enabling long-term microscopic studies of individual NK cells interacting with target cells. Each microchip contains an array of microwells, optimized for medium or high-resolution time-lapse imaging of single or multiple NK and target cells, or for screening of thousands of isolated NK-target cell interactions. Individual NK cells confined with target cells in small microwells is a suitable setup for high-content screening and rapid assessment of heterogeneity within populations, while microwells of larger dimensions are appropriate for studies of NK cell migration and sequential interactions with multiple target cells. By combining the chip technology with ultrasonic manipulation, NK and target cells can be forced to interact and positioned with high spatial accuracy within individual microwells. This setup effectively and synchronously creates NK-target conjugates at hundreds of parallel positions in the microchip. Thus, this facilitates assessment of temporal aspects of NK-target cell interactions, e.g. conjugation, immune synapse formation and cytotoxic events. The microchip platform presented here can be used to effectively address questions related to fundamental functions of NK cells that can lead to better understanding of how the behavior of individual cells add up to give a functional response at

  7. Functional analysis of the accessory protein TapA in Bacillus subtilis amyloid fiber assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romero, Diego; Vlamakis, Hera; Losick, Richard; Kolter, Roberto

    2014-04-01

    Bacillus subtilis biofilm formation relies on the assembly of a fibrous scaffold formed by the protein TasA. TasA polymerizes into highly stable fibers with biochemical and morphological features of functional amyloids. Previously, we showed that assembly of TasA fibers requires the auxiliary protein TapA. In this study, we investigated the roles of TapA sequences from the C-terminal and N-terminal ends and TapA cysteine residues in its ability to promote the assembly of TasA amyloid-like fibers. We found that the cysteine residues are not essential for the formation of TasA fibers, as their replacement by alanine residues resulted in only minor defects in biofilm formation. Mutating sequences in the C-terminal half had no effect on biofilm formation. However, we identified a sequence of 8 amino acids in the N terminus that is key for TasA fiber formation. Strains expressing TapA lacking these 8 residues were completely defective in biofilm formation. In addition, this TapA mutant protein exhibited a dominant negative effect on TasA fiber formation. Even in the presence of wild-type TapA, the mutant protein inhibited fiber assembly in vitro and delayed biofilm formation in vivo. We propose that this 8-residue sequence is crucial for the formation of amyloid-like fibers on the cell surface, perhaps by mediating the interaction between TapA or TapA and TasA molecules.

  8. Comparison of micro-computerized tomography and cone-beam computerized tomography in the detection of accessory canals in primary molars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acar, Buket; Kamburoğlu, Kıvanç; Tatar, İlkan; Arıkan, Volkan; Çelik, Hakan Hamdi; Yüksel, Selcen; Özen, Tuncer

    2015-12-01

    This study was performed to compare the accuracy of micro-computed tomography (CT) and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in detecting accessory canals in primary molars. Forty-one extracted human primary first and second molars were embedded in wax blocks and scanned using micro-CT and CBCT. After the images were taken, the samples were processed using a clearing technique and examined under a stereomicroscope in order to establish the gold standard for this study. The specimens were classified into three groups: maxillary molars, mandibular molars with three canals, and mandibular molars with four canals. Differences between the gold standard and the observations made using the imaging methods were calculated using Spearman's rho correlation coefficient test. The presence of accessory canals in micro-CT images of maxillary and mandibular root canals showed a statistically significant correlation with the stereomicroscopic images used as a gold standard. No statistically significant correlation was found between the CBCT findings and the stereomicroscopic images. Although micro-CT is not suitable for clinical use, it provides more detailed information about minor anatomical structures. However, CBCT is convenient for clinical use but may not be capable of adequately analyzing the internal anatomy of primary teeth.

  9. [Cell-derived microparticles unveil their fibrinolytic and proteolytic function].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doeuvre, Loïc; Angles-Cano, Eduardo

    2009-01-01

    Cell-derived microparticles (MP) are membrane microvesicles, 0.1-1 microm in size, shed by cells following activation or during apoptosis in a variety of pathological conditions. MPs released by blood cells or by vascular endothelial cells display molecular signatures that allow their identification and functional characterization. In addition, they provide tissue factor (TF) and a procoagulant phospholipid surface. Therefore, at present, the most strongly established applied research on MPs is their procoagulant activity as a determinant of thrombotic risk in various clinical conditions. Previous studies have indicated that MPs derived from malignant cells express matrix metalloproteinases, urokinase and its receptor (uPA/uPAR) that, in the presence of plasminogen, may act in concert to degrade extracellular matrix proteins. Recently, it was shown that MPs from TNFa-stimulated endothelial cells served as a surface for interaction with plasminogen and its conversion into plasmin by the uPA/uPAR system expressed at their surface. This capacity of MPs to promote plasmin generation confers them a new profibrinolytic and proteolytic function that may be of relevance in fibrinolysis, cell migration, angiogenesis, dissemination of malignant cells, cell detachment and apoptosis.

  10. Schwann cell myelination requires Dynein function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Langworthy Melissa M

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Interaction of Schwann cells with axons triggers signal transduction that drives expression of Pou3f1 and Egr2 transcription factors, which in turn promote myelination. Signal transduction appears to be mediated, at least in part, by cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP because elevation of cAMP levels can stimulate myelination in the absence of axon contact. The mechanisms by which the myelinating signal is conveyed remain unclear. Results By analyzing mutations that disrupt myelination in zebrafish, we learned that Dynein cytoplasmic 1 heavy chain 1 (Dync1h1, which functions as a motor for intracellular molecular trafficking, is required for peripheral myelination. In dync1h1 mutants, Schwann cell progenitors migrated to peripheral nerves but then failed to express Pou3f1 and Egr2 or make myelin membrane. Genetic mosaic experiments revealed that robust Myelin Basic Protein expression required Dync1h1 function within both Schwann cells and axons. Finally, treatment of dync1h1 mutants with a drug to elevate cAMP levels stimulated myelin gene expression. Conclusion Dync1h1 is required for retrograde transport in axons and mutations of Dync1h1 have been implicated in axon disease. Our data now provide evidence that Dync1h1 is also required for efficient myelination of peripheral axons by Schwann cells, perhaps by facilitating signal transduction necessary for myelination.

  11. Neuron-NG2 Cell Synapses: Novel Functions for Regulating NG2 Cell Proliferation and Differentiation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qian-Kun Yang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available NG2 cells are a population of CNS cells that are distinct from neurons, mature oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and microglia. These cells can be identified by their NG2 proteoglycan expression. NG2 cells have a highly branched morphology, with abundant processes radiating from the cell body, and express a complex set of voltage-gated channels, AMPA/kainate, and GABA receptors. Neurons notably form classical and nonclassical synapses with NG2 cells, which have varied characteristics and functions. Neuron-NG2 cell synapses could fine-tune NG2 cell activities, including the NG2 cell cycle, differentiation, migration, and myelination, and may be a novel potential therapeutic target for NG2 cell-related diseases, such as hypoxia-ischemia injury and periventricular leukomalacia. Furthermore, neuron-NG2 cell synapses may be correlated with the plasticity of CNS in adulthood with the synaptic contacts passing onto their progenies during proliferation, and synaptic contacts decrease rapidly upon NG2 cell differentiation. In this review, we highlight the characteristics of classical and nonclassical neuron-NG2 cell synapses, the potential functions, and the fate of synaptic contacts during proliferation and differentiation, with the emphasis on the regulation of the NG2 cell cycle by neuron-NG2 cell synapses and their potential underlying mechanisms.

  12. Curcumin Modulates Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Cell-Derived Exosomal Function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osterman, Carlos J. Diaz; Lynch, James C.; Leaf, Patrick; Gonda, Amber; Ferguson Bennit, Heather R.; Griffiths, Duncan; Wall, Nathan R.

    2015-01-01

    Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rates of all cancer types. One potential explanation for the aggressiveness of this disease is that cancer cells have been found to communicate with one another using membrane-bound vesicles known as exosomes. These exosomes carry pro-survival molecules and increase the proliferation, survival, and metastatic potential of recipient cells, suggesting that tumor-derived exosomes are powerful drivers of tumor progression. Thus, to successfully address and eradicate pancreatic cancer, it is imperative to develop therapeutic strategies that neutralize cancer cells and exosomes simultaneously. Curcumin, a turmeric root derivative, has been shown to have potent anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo. Recent studies have suggested that exosomal curcumin exerts anti-inflammatory properties on recipient cells. However, curcumin’s effects on exosomal pro-tumor function have yet to be determined. We hypothesize that curcumin will alter the pro-survival role of exosomes from pancreatic cancer cells toward a pro-death role, resulting in reduced cell viability of recipient pancreatic cancer cells. The main objective of this study was to determine the functional alterations of exosomes released by pancreatic cancer cells exposed to curcumin compared to exosomes from untreated pancreatic cancer cells. We demonstrate, using an in vitro cell culture model involving pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines PANC-1 and MIA PaCa-2, that curcumin is incorporated into exosomes isolated from curcumin-treated pancreatic cancer cells as observed by spectral studies and fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, curcumin is delivered to recipient pancreatic cancer cells via exosomes, promoting cytotoxicity as demonstrated by Hoffman modulation contrast microscopy as well as AlamarBlue and Trypan blue exclusion assays. Collectively, these data suggest that the efficacy of curcumin may be enhanced in pancreatic cancer cells through

  13. The Janus Face of NKT Cell Function in Autoimmunity and Infectious Diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torina, Alessandra; Guggino, Giuliana; La Manna, Marco Pio; Sireci, Guido

    2018-02-01

    Natural killer T cells (NKT) are a subset of T lymphocytes bridging innate and adaptive immunity. These cells recognize self and microbial glycolipids bound to non-polymorphic and highly conserved CD1d molecules. Three NKT cell subsets, type I, II, and NKT-like expressing different antigen receptors (TCR) were described and TCR activation promotes intracellular events leading to specific functional activities. NKT can exhibit different functions depending on the secretion of soluble molecules and the interaction with other cell types. NKT cells act as regulatory cells in the defense against infections but, on the other hand, their effector functions can be involved in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory disorders due to their exposure to different microbial or self-antigens, respectively. A deep understanding of the biology and functions of type I, II, and NKT-like cells as well as their interplay with cell types acting in innate (neuthrophils, innate lymphoid cells, machrophages, and dendritic cells) and adaptive immunity (CD4⁺,CD8⁺, and double negative T cells) should be important to design potential immunotherapies for infectious and autoimmune diseases.

  14. Overexpression of neurofilament H disrupts normal cell structure and function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szebenyi, Gyorgyi; Smith, George M.; Li, Ping; Brady, Scott T.

    2002-01-01

    Studying exogenously expressed tagged proteins in live cells has become a standard technique for evaluating protein distribution and function. Typically, expression levels of experimentally introduced proteins are not regulated, and high levels are often preferred to facilitate detection. However, overexpression of many proteins leads to mislocalization and pathologies. Therefore, for normative studies, moderate levels of expression may be more suitable. To understand better the dynamics of intermediate filament formation, transport, and stability in a healthy, living cell, we inserted neurofilament heavy chain (NFH)-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion constructs in adenoviral vectors with tetracycline (tet)-regulated promoters. This system allows for turning on or off the synthesis of NFH-GFP at a selected time, for a defined period, in a dose-dependent manner. We used this inducible system for live cell imaging of changes in filament structure and cell shape, motility, and transport associated with increasing NFH-GFP expression. Cells with low to intermediate levels of NFH-GFP were structurally and functionally similar to neighboring, nonexpressing cells. In contrast, overexpression led to pathological alterations in both filament organization and cell function. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  15. Programming Cell Adhesion for On-Chip Sequential Boolean Logic Functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qu, Xiangmeng; Wang, Shaopeng; Ge, Zhilei; Wang, Jianbang; Yao, Guangbao; Li, Jiang; Zuo, Xiaolei; Shi, Jiye; Song, Shiping; Wang, Lihua; Li, Li; Pei, Hao; Fan, Chunhai

    2017-08-02

    Programmable remodelling of cell surfaces enables high-precision regulation of cell behavior. In this work, we developed in vitro constructed DNA-based chemical reaction networks (CRNs) to program on-chip cell adhesion. We found that the RGD-functionalized DNA CRNs are entirely noninvasive when interfaced with the fluidic mosaic membrane of living cells. DNA toehold with different lengths could tunably alter the release kinetics of cells, which shows rapid release in minutes with the use of a 6-base toehold. We further demonstrated the realization of Boolean logic functions by using DNA strand displacement reactions, which include multi-input and sequential cell logic gates (AND, OR, XOR, and AND-OR). This study provides a highly generic tool for self-organization of biological systems.

  16. Fatty Acids, Lipid Mediators, and T-Cell Function

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Jong, Anja J.; Kloppenburg, Margreet; Toes, René E. M.; Ioan-Facsinay, Andreea

    2014-01-01

    Research toward the mechanisms underlying obesity-linked complications has intensified during the last years. As a consequence, it has become clear that metabolism and immunity are intimately linked. Free fatty acids and other lipids acquired in excess by current feeding patterns have been proposed to mediate this link due to their immune modulatory capacity. The functional differences between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, in combination with their dietary intake are believed to modulate the outcome of immune responses. Moreover, unsaturated fatty acids can be oxidized in a tightly regulated and specific manner to generate either potent pro-inflammatory or pro-resolving lipid mediators. These oxidative derivatives of fatty acids have received detailed attention during the last years, as they have proven to have strong immune modulatory capacity, even in pM ranges. Both fatty acids and oxidized fatty acids have been studied especially in relation to macrophage and T-cells functions. In this review, we propose to focus on the effect of fatty acids and their oxidative derivatives on T-cells, as it is an active area of research during the past 5 years. The effect of fatty acids and their derivatives on activation and proliferation of T-cells, as well as the delicate balance between stimulation and lipotoxicity will be discussed. Moreover, the receptors involved in the interaction between free fatty acids and their derivatives with T-cells will be summarized. Finally, the mechanisms involved in modulation of T-cells by fatty acids will be addressed, including cellular signaling and metabolism of T-cells. The in vitro results will be placed in context of in vivo studies both in humans and mice. In this review, we summarize the latest findings on the immune modulatory function of lipids on T-cells and will point out novel directions for future research. PMID:25352844

  17. Cell patch seeding and functional analysis of cellularized scaffolds for tissue engineering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, P R Anil [Division of Implant Biology, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695012 (India); Varma, H K [Bioceramics Laboratory, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695012 (India); Kumary, T V [Division of Implant Biology, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695012 (India)

    2007-03-01

    Cell seeding has a direct impact on the final structure and function of tissue constructs, especially for applications like tissue engineering and regeneration. In this study seeding cell patches retrieved from the thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) surface were used to generate in vitro tissue constructs. Porous and dense bone substitute materials were cellularized using osteoblast cells by a patch transfer and a trypsin method. The function and proliferation of cells was analyzed after 7 days of culture. The relative cell growth rate was found to be higher in cellularized porous hydroxyapatite (PHA) than in dense hydroxyapatite. Live-dead staining confirmed viable cells inside the pores of PHA. Increased alkaline phosphatase activity of cells transferred by the cell patch over the trypsin method revealed the significance of cell patch seeding. This novel method of generating tissue constructs by cell patch seeding was successful in cellularizing scaffolds with intact cell function.

  18. Cell patch seeding and functional analysis of cellularized scaffolds for tissue engineering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, P R Anil; Varma, H K; Kumary, T V

    2007-01-01

    Cell seeding has a direct impact on the final structure and function of tissue constructs, especially for applications like tissue engineering and regeneration. In this study seeding cell patches retrieved from the thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) surface were used to generate in vitro tissue constructs. Porous and dense bone substitute materials were cellularized using osteoblast cells by a patch transfer and a trypsin method. The function and proliferation of cells was analyzed after 7 days of culture. The relative cell growth rate was found to be higher in cellularized porous hydroxyapatite (PHA) than in dense hydroxyapatite. Live-dead staining confirmed viable cells inside the pores of PHA. Increased alkaline phosphatase activity of cells transferred by the cell patch over the trypsin method revealed the significance of cell patch seeding. This novel method of generating tissue constructs by cell patch seeding was successful in cellularizing scaffolds with intact cell function

  19. The Importance of REST for Development and Function of Beta Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Martin, David; Grapin-Botton, Anne

    2017-01-01

    that are crucial for both neuronal and pancreatic endocrine function, through the recruitment of multiple transcriptional and epigenetic co-regulators. REST targets include genes encoding transcription factors, proteins involved in exocytosis, synaptic transmission or ion channeling, and non-coding RNAs. REST......Beta cells are defined by the genes they express, many of which are specific to this cell type, and ensure a specific set of functions. Beta cells are also defined by a set of genes they should not express (in order to function properly), and these genes have been called forbidden genes. Among...... these, the transcriptional repressor RE-1 Silencing Transcription factor (REST) is expressed in most cells of the body, excluding most populations of neurons, as well as pancreatic beta and alpha cells. In the cell types where it is expressed, REST represses the expression of hundreds of genes...

  20. The T-cell accessory molecule CD4 recognizes a monomorphic determinant on isolated Ia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gay, D; Buus, S; Pasternak, J

    1988-01-01

    The membrane protein CD4 is commonly found on mature T cells specific for antigen in association with class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC; Ia) proteins. This correlation has led to the suggestion that CD4 binds to a monomorphic region of the Ia molecule on the antigen-presenting cell...... proteins into a planar membrane system, we show that different Ia molecules can greatly enhance the ability of a CD4+ but not a CD4- variant of this class I-restricted T hybrid to respond to isolated class I molecules. T-cell responses can be strongly augmented by the concurrent expression of CD4 on the T...... cell and any of four different Ia proteins on planar membranes, thus supporting the idea that CD4 binds to a monomorphic region of the Ia molecule and increases the avidity with which the T cell can interact with its target....

  1. Heterogeneity of functional properties of Clone 66 murine breast cancer cells expressing various stem cell phenotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukhopadhyay, Partha; Farrell, Tracy; Sharma, Gayatri; McGuire, Timothy R; O'Kane, Barbara; Sharp, J Graham

    2013-01-01

    Breast cancer grows, metastasizes and relapses from rare, therapy resistant cells with a stem cell phenotype (cancer stem cells/CSCs). However, there is a lack of studies comparing the functions of CSCs isolated using different phenotypes in order to determine if CSCs are homogeneous or heterogeneous. Cells with various stem cell phenotypes were isolated by sorting from Clone 66 murine breast cancer cells that grow orthotopically in immune intact syngeneic mice. These populations were compared by in vitro functional assays for proliferation, growth, sphere and colony formation; and in vivo limiting dilution analysis of tumorigenesis. The proportion of cells expressing CD44(high)CD24(low/neg), side population (SP) cells, ALDH1(+), CD49f(high), CD133(high), and CD34(high) differed, suggesting heterogeneity. Differences in frequency and size of tumor spheres from these populations were observed. Higher rates of proliferation of non-SP, ALDH1(+), CD34(low), and CD49f(high) suggested properties of transit amplifying cells. Colony formation was higher from ALDH1(-) and non-SP cells than ALDH1(+) and SP cells suggesting a progenitor phenotype. The frequency of clonal colonies that grew in agar varied and was differentially altered by the presence of Matrigel™. In vivo, fewer cells with a stem cell phenotype were needed for tumor formation than "non-stem" cells. Fewer SP cells were needed to form tumors than ALDH1(+) cells suggesting further heterogeneities of cells with stem phenotypes. Different levels of cytokines/chemokines were produced by Clone 66 with RANTES being the highest. Whether the heterogeneity reflects soluble factor production remains to be determined. These data demonstrate that Clone 66 murine breast cancer cells that express stem cell phenotypes are heterogeneous and exhibit different functional properties, and this may also be the case for human breast cancer stem cells.

  2. Chlorophyll accessory pigments collected from NOAA Ship OSCAR ELTON SETTE in North Pacific Ocean from 2008-03-01 to 2011-04-01 (NCEI Accession 0129395)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — These data represent the chlorophyll accessory pigments measured from discrete depth water samples collected in CTD-mounted 10 liter Niskin bottles as part of NOAA...

  3. Oxygen Concentration Inside a Functioning Photosynthetic Cell

    OpenAIRE

    Kihara, Shigeharu; Hartzler, Daniel A.; Savikhin, Sergei

    2014-01-01

    The excess oxygen concentration in the photosynthetic membranes of functioning oxygenic photosynthetic cells was estimated using classical diffusion theory combined with experimental data on oxygen production rates of cyanobacterial cells. The excess oxygen concentration within the plesiomorphic cyanobacterium Gloeobactor violaceus is only 0.025 μM, or four orders of magnitude lower than the oxygen concentration in air-saturated water. Such a low concentration suggests that the first oxygenic...

  4. Effect of partial saturation of bonded neo magnet on the automotive accessory motor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nimitkumar K. Sheth

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available In this paper the effects of using a partially magnetized bonded neo (NdFeB magnet in an automotive accessory motor are presented. The potential reason for partial saturation of the bonded neo magnet is explained and a simple method to ensure saturation of the magnet is discussed. A magnetizing fixture design using the 2-D Finite element analysis (FEA is presented. The motor performance at various magnet saturation levels has been estimated using the 2-D FEA. Details of the thermal demagnetization test adopted by the automotive industry is also discussed and results of the motor performance for four saturation levels are detailed. These results indicate that the effect of demagnetization is more adverse in a motor with partially saturated magnets.

  5. Effect of partial saturation of bonded neo magnet on the automotive accessory motor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheth, Nimitkumar K.; Angara, Raghu C. S. Babu

    2017-05-01

    In this paper the effects of using a partially magnetized bonded neo (NdFeB) magnet in an automotive accessory motor are presented. The potential reason for partial saturation of the bonded neo magnet is explained and a simple method to ensure saturation of the magnet is discussed. A magnetizing fixture design using the 2-D Finite element analysis (FEA) is presented. The motor performance at various magnet saturation levels has been estimated using the 2-D FEA. Details of the thermal demagnetization test adopted by the automotive industry is also discussed and results of the motor performance for four saturation levels are detailed. These results indicate that the effect of demagnetization is more adverse in a motor with partially saturated magnets.

  6. Absence of musculocutaneous nerve and accessory head of biceps brachii: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arora L

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available During dissection of a 55-year-old female cadaver, we observed that three nerve roots contributed to the formation of Median nerve in her right upper limb. Along with this variation, absence of Musculocutaneous nerve was noticed. The muscles of front of arm i.e. Biceps Brachii, Brachialis and Coracobrachialis received their nerve supply from Median nerve. The Lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm was derived from Median nerve. Also an accessory head of Biceps Brachii muscle was present in the right arm of the same cadaver. It is extremely important to be aware of these variations while planning a surgery in the region of axilla or arm as these nerves are more liable to be injured during operations.

  7. Accessory Meningeal Arterial Supply to the Posterior Nasal Cavity: Another Reason for Failed Endovascular Treatment of Epistaxis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duncan, I.C.; Santos, C. Dos

    2003-01-01

    A patient with intractable posterior epistaxis was treated with embolization of the ipsilateral sphenopalatine and facial arteries and contralateral sphenopalatine artery. She continued to bleed despite a seemingly adequate embolization procedure. A second angiogram revealed a significant collateral blood supply to the posterior nasal cavity from the accessory meningeal artery not identified during the first procedure. This was then embolized with no further epistaxis encountered. This case demonstrates yet another collateral arterial pathway that might account for a failed embolization

  8. Osteocalcin protects pancreatic beta cell function and survival under high glucose conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kover, Karen, E-mail: kkover@cmh.edu [Division of Endocrine/Diabetes, Children' s Mercy Hospital & Clinics, Kansas City, MO 64108 (United States); University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO 64108 (United States); Yan, Yun; Tong, Pei Ying; Watkins, Dara; Li, Xiaoyu [Division of Endocrine/Diabetes, Children' s Mercy Hospital & Clinics, Kansas City, MO 64108 (United States); University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO 64108 (United States); Tasch, James; Hager, Melissa [Kansas City University Medical Biosciences, Kansas City, MO (United States); Clements, Mark; Moore, Wayne V. [Division of Endocrine/Diabetes, Children' s Mercy Hospital & Clinics, Kansas City, MO 64108 (United States); University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO 64108 (United States)

    2015-06-19

    Diabetes is characterized by progressive beta cell dysfunction and loss due in part to oxidative stress that occurs from gluco/lipotoxicity. Treatments that directly protect beta cell function and survival in the diabetic milieu are of particular interest. A growing body of evidence suggests that osteocalcin, an abundant non-collagenous protein of bone, supports beta cell function and proliferation. Based on previous gene expression data by microarray, we hypothesized that osteocalcin protects beta cells from glucose-induced oxidative stress. To test our hypothesis we cultured isolated rat islets and INS-1E cells in the presence of normal, high, or high glucose ± osteocalcin for up to 72 h. Oxidative stress and viability/mitochondrial function were measured by H{sub 2}O{sub 2} assay and Alamar Blue assay, respectively. Caspase 3/7 activity was also measured as a marker of apoptosis. A functional test, glucose stimulated insulin release, was conducted and expression of genes/protein was measured by qRT-PCR/western blot/ELISA. Osteocalcin treatment significantly reduced high glucose-induced H{sub 2}O{sub 2} levels while maintaining viability/mitochondrial function. Osteocalcin also significantly improved glucose stimulated insulin secretion and insulin content in rat islets after 48 h of high glucose exposure compared to untreated islets. As expected sustained high glucose down-regulated gene/protein expression of INS1 and BCL2 while increasing TXNIP expression. Interestingly, osteocalcin treatment reversed the effects of high glucose on gene/protein expression. We conclude that osteocalcin can protect beta cells from the negative effects of glucose-induced oxidative stress, in part, by reducing TXNIP expression, thereby preserving beta cell function and survival. - Highlights: • Osteocalcin reduces glucose-induced oxidative stress in beta cells. • Osteocalcin preserves beta cell function and survival under stress conditions. • Osteocalcin reduces glucose

  9. Osteocalcin protects pancreatic beta cell function and survival under high glucose conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kover, Karen; Yan, Yun; Tong, Pei Ying; Watkins, Dara; Li, Xiaoyu; Tasch, James; Hager, Melissa; Clements, Mark; Moore, Wayne V.

    2015-01-01

    Diabetes is characterized by progressive beta cell dysfunction and loss due in part to oxidative stress that occurs from gluco/lipotoxicity. Treatments that directly protect beta cell function and survival in the diabetic milieu are of particular interest. A growing body of evidence suggests that osteocalcin, an abundant non-collagenous protein of bone, supports beta cell function and proliferation. Based on previous gene expression data by microarray, we hypothesized that osteocalcin protects beta cells from glucose-induced oxidative stress. To test our hypothesis we cultured isolated rat islets and INS-1E cells in the presence of normal, high, or high glucose ± osteocalcin for up to 72 h. Oxidative stress and viability/mitochondrial function were measured by H 2 O 2 assay and Alamar Blue assay, respectively. Caspase 3/7 activity was also measured as a marker of apoptosis. A functional test, glucose stimulated insulin release, was conducted and expression of genes/protein was measured by qRT-PCR/western blot/ELISA. Osteocalcin treatment significantly reduced high glucose-induced H 2 O 2 levels while maintaining viability/mitochondrial function. Osteocalcin also significantly improved glucose stimulated insulin secretion and insulin content in rat islets after 48 h of high glucose exposure compared to untreated islets. As expected sustained high glucose down-regulated gene/protein expression of INS1 and BCL2 while increasing TXNIP expression. Interestingly, osteocalcin treatment reversed the effects of high glucose on gene/protein expression. We conclude that osteocalcin can protect beta cells from the negative effects of glucose-induced oxidative stress, in part, by reducing TXNIP expression, thereby preserving beta cell function and survival. - Highlights: • Osteocalcin reduces glucose-induced oxidative stress in beta cells. • Osteocalcin preserves beta cell function and survival under stress conditions. • Osteocalcin reduces glucose-induced TXNIP

  10. Versatile functional roles of horizontal cells in the retinal circuit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaya, Taro; Matsumoto, Akihiro; Sugita, Yuko; Watanabe, Satoshi; Kuwahara, Ryusuke; Tachibana, Masao; Furukawa, Takahisa

    2017-07-17

    In the retinal circuit, environmental light signals are converted into electrical signals that can be decoded properly by the brain. At the first synapse of the visual system, information flow from photoreceptors to bipolar cells is modulated by horizontal cells (HCs), however, their functional contribution to retinal output and individual visual function is not fully understood. In the current study, we investigated functional roles for HCs in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) response properties and optokinetic responses by establishing a HC-depleted mouse line. We observed that HC depletion impairs the antagonistic center-surround receptive field formation of RGCs, supporting a previously reported HC function revealed by pharmacological approaches. In addition, we found that HC loss reduces both the ON and OFF response diversities of RGCs, impairs adjustment of the sensitivity to ambient light at the retinal output level, and alters spatial frequency tuning at an individual level. Taken together, our current study suggests multiple functional aspects of HCs crucial for visual processing.

  11. Natural killer T (NKT) cells in autoimmune hepatitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mattner, Jochen

    2013-12-01

    Natural killer T (NKT) cells represent an innate-like lymphocyte population endowed with unique antigen recognition and tissue distribution features. Their abundance in the microvascular compartments of the liver allows NKT cells to immediately respond to lipid antigens and soluble factors circulating through the portal vein system by releasing tremendous amounts of different cytokines and chemokines. Subsequently, dependent on the nature of the lipid antigen encountered as well as the accessory signal(s) provided, NKT cells not only contribute to the maintenance of immune tolerance, but also direct adverse immune reactions locally and systemically. Focusing on their potent immunomodulatory features and their interactions with various innate and adaptive immune cells, the role of NKT cells in perpetuating the loss of liver-specific immune tolerance will be discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Co-invading symbiotic mutualists of Medicago polymorpha retain high ancestral diversity and contain diverse accessory genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porter, Stephanie S; Faber-Hammond, Joshua J; Friesen, Maren L

    2018-01-01

    Exotic, invasive plants and animals can wreak havoc on ecosystems by displacing natives and altering environmental conditions. However, much less is known about the identities or evolutionary dynamics of the symbiotic microbes that accompany invasive species. Most leguminous plants rely upon symbiotic rhizobium bacteria to fix nitrogen and are incapable of colonizing areas devoid of compatible rhizobia. We compare the genomes of symbiotic rhizobia in a portion of the legume's invaded range with those of the rhizobium symbionts from across the legume's native range. We show that in an area of California the legume Medicago polymorpha has invaded, its Ensifer medicae symbionts: (i) exhibit genome-wide patterns of relatedness that together with historical evidence support host-symbiont co-invasion from Europe into California, (ii) exhibit population genomic patterns consistent with the introduction of the majority of deep diversity from the native range, rather than a genetic bottleneck during colonization of California and (iii) harbor a large set of accessory genes uniquely enriched in binding functions, which could play a role in habitat invasion. Examining microbial symbiont genome dynamics during biological invasions is critical for assessing host-symbiont co-invasions whereby microbial symbiont range expansion underlies plant and animal invasions. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  13. Male Accessory Gland Infection: Relevance of Serum Total Testosterone Levels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. A. Condorelli

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim of the present study was to evaluate the different ultrasound characterization of fertile symptomatic patients with MAGI (male accessory gland infection according to different serum concentrations of total T (TT. We analyzed the ultrasound and hormonal data of 200 patients aged between 24.0 and 67.0 years. Patients were divided into six groups according to the sextile distribution of TT. Patients with serum concentrations of TT 6.6 ng mL−1 showed a frequency of ultrasound criteria suggestive for bilateral form of prostatitis and prostate-vesiculo-epididymitis and significantly lower compared to the other examined groups. At multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for age and BMI, TT was an independent predictive factor of prostatovesiculitis (OR = 0.818 [95% CI: 0.675–0.992]; P<0.01 and prostate-vesiculo-epididymitis (OR = 0.714 [95% CI: 0.578–0.880]; P<0.01, which represent the main forms of complicated MAGI. The results of this study suggest that male hypogonadism could be associated with a different ultrasound characterization of these patients.

  14. Galectin-1 is required for the regulatory function of B cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alhabbab, R; Blair, P; Smyth, L A; Ratnasothy, K; Peng, Q; Moreau, A; Lechler, R; Elgueta, R; Lombardi, G

    2018-02-09

    Galectin-1 (Gal-1) is required for the development of B cells in the bone marrow (BM), however very little is known about the contribution of Gal-1 to the development of B cell regulatory function. Here, we report an important role for Gal-1 in the induction of B cells regulatory function. Mice deficient of Gal-1 (Gal-1 -/- ) showed significant loss of Transitional-2 (T2) B cells, previously reported to include IL-10 + regulatory B cells. Gal-1 -/- B cells stimulated in vitro via CD40 molecules have impaired IL-10 and Tim-1 expression, the latter reported to be required for IL-10 production in regulatory B cells, and increased TNF-α expression compared to wild type (WT) B cells. Unlike their WT counterparts, T2 and T1 Gal-1 -/- B cells did not suppress TNF-α expression by CD4 + T cells activated in vitro with allogenic DCs (allo-DCs), nor were they suppressive in vivo, being unable to delay MHC-class I mismatched skin allograft rejection following adoptive transfer. Moreover, T cells stimulated with allo-DCs show an increase in their survival when co-cultured with Gal-1 -/- T2 and MZ B cells compared to WT T2 and MZ B cells. Collectively, these data suggest that Gal-1 contributes to the induction of B cells regulatory function.

  15. Influence of nanotopography on periodontal ligament stem cell functions and cell sheet based periodontal regeneration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Hui; Li, Bei; Zhao, Lingzhou; Jin, Yan

    2015-01-01

    Periodontal regeneration is an important part of regenerative medicine, with great clinical significance; however, the effects of nanotopography on the functions of periodontal ligament (PDL) stem cells (PDLSCs) and on PDLSC sheet based periodontal regeneration have never been explored. Titania nanotubes (NTs) layered on titanium (Ti) provide a good platform to study this. In the current study, the influence of NTs of different tube size on the functions of PDLSCs was observed. Afterward, an ectopic implantation model using a Ti/cell sheets/hydroxyapatite (HA) complex was applied to study the effect of the NTs on cell sheet based periodontal regeneration. The NTs were able to enhance the initial PDLSC adhesion and spread, as well as collagen secretion. With the Ti/cell sheets/HA complex model, it was demonstrated that the PDLSC sheets were capable of regenerating the PDL tissue, when combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) sheets and HA, without the need for extra soluble chemical cues. Simultaneously, the NTs improved the periodontal regeneration result of the ectopically implanted Ti/cell sheets/HA complex, giving rise to functionally aligned collagen fiber bundles. Specifically, much denser collagen fibers, with abundant blood vessels as well as cementum-like tissue on the Ti surface, which well-resembled the structure of natural PDL, were observed in the NT5 and NT10 sample groups. Our study provides the first evidence that the nanotopographical cues obviously influence the functions of PDLSCs and improve the PDLSC sheet based periodontal regeneration size dependently, which provides new insight to the periodontal regeneration. The Ti/cell sheets/HA complex may constitute a good model to predict the effect of biomaterials on periodontal regeneration.

  16. Golgi structure formation, function, and post-translational modifications in mammalian cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Shijiao; Wang, Yanzhuang

    2017-01-01

    The Golgi apparatus is a central membrane organelle for trafficking and post-translational modifications of proteins and lipids in cells. In mammalian cells, it is organized in the form of stacks of tightly aligned flattened cisternae, and dozens of stacks are often linked laterally into a ribbon-like structure located in the perinuclear region of the cell. Proper Golgi functionality requires an intact architecture, yet Golgi structure is dynamically regulated during the cell cycle and under disease conditions. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the relationship between Golgi structure formation, function, and regulation, with focus on how post-translational modifications including phosphorylation and ubiquitination regulate Golgi structure and on how Golgi unstacking affects its functions, in particular, protein trafficking, glycosylation, and sorting in mammalian cells.

  17. Beta3 subunits promote expression and nicotine-induced up-regulation of human nicotinic alpha6* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors expressed in transfected cell lines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tumkosit, Prem; Kuryatov, Alexander; Luo, Jie; Lindstrom, Jon

    2006-10-01

    Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) containing alpha6 subunits are typically found at aminergic nerve endings where they play important roles in nicotine addiction and Parkinson's disease. alpha6* AChRs usually contain beta3 subunits. beta3 subunits are presumed to assemble only in the accessory subunit position within AChRs where they do not participate in forming acetylcholine binding sites. Assembly of subunits in the accessory position may be a critical final step in assembly of mature AChRs. Human alpha6 AChRs subtypes were permanently transfected into human tsA201 human embryonic kidney (HEK) cell lines. alpha6beta2beta3 and alpha6beta4beta3 cell lines were found to express much larger amounts of AChRs and were more sensitive to nicotine-induced increase in the amount of AChRs than were alpha6beta2 or alpha6beta4 cell lines. The increased sensitivity to nicotine-induced up-regulation was due not to a beta3-induced increase in affinity for nicotine but probably to a direct effect on assembly of AChR subunits. HEK cells express only a small amount of mature alpha6beta2 AChRs, but many of these subunits are on the cell surface. This contrasts with Xenopus laevis oocytes, which express a large amount of incorrectly assembled alpha6beta2 subunits that bind cholinergic ligands but form large amorphous intracellular aggregates. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were made to the alpha6 and beta3 subunits to aid in the characterization of these AChRs. The alpha6 mAbs bind to epitopes C-terminal of the extracellular domain. These data demonstrate that both cell type and the accessory subunit beta3 can play important roles in alpha6* AChR expression, stability, and up-regulation by nicotine.

  18. Thick Filament Protein Network, Functions, and Disease Association.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Li; Geist, Janelle; Grogan, Alyssa; Hu, Li-Yen R; Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos, Aikaterini

    2018-03-13

    Sarcomeres consist of highly ordered arrays of thick myosin and thin actin filaments along with accessory proteins. Thick filaments occupy the center of sarcomeres where they partially overlap with thin filaments. The sliding of thick filaments past thin filaments is a highly regulated process that occurs in an ATP-dependent manner driving muscle contraction. In addition to myosin that makes up the backbone of the thick filament, four other proteins which are intimately bound to the thick filament, myosin binding protein-C, titin, myomesin, and obscurin play important structural and regulatory roles. Consistent with this, mutations in the respective genes have been associated with idiopathic and congenital forms of skeletal and cardiac myopathies. In this review, we aim to summarize our current knowledge on the molecular structure, subcellular localization, interacting partners, function, modulation via posttranslational modifications, and disease involvement of these five major proteins that comprise the thick filament of striated muscle cells. © 2018 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 8:631-709, 2018. Copyright © 2018 American Physiological Society. All rights reserved.

  19. Love is a battlefield: programmed cell death during fertilization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heydlauff, Juliane; Groß-Hardt, Rita

    2014-03-01

    Plant development and growth is sustained by the constant generation of tremendous amounts of cells, which become integrated into various types of tissues and organs. What is all too often overlooked is that this thriving life also requires the targeted degeneration of selected cells, which undergo cell death according to genetically encoded programmes or environmental stimuli. The side-by-side existence of generation and demise is particularly evident in the haploid phase of the flowering plants cycle. Here, the lifespan of terminally differentiated accessory cells contrasts with that of germ cells, which by definition live on to form the next generation. In fact, with research in recent years it is becoming increasingly clear that the gametophytes of flowering plants constitute an attractive and powerful system for investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying selective cell death.

  20. Human T-cell leukemia virus type 2 post-transcriptional control protein p28 is required for viral infectivity and persistence in vivo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kesic Matthew

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV type 1 and type 2 are related but distinct pathogenic complex retroviruses. HTLV-1 is associated with adult T-cell leukemia and a variety of immune-mediated disorders including the chronic neurological disease termed HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis. In contrast, HTLV-2 displays distinct biological differences and is much less pathogenic, with only a few reported cases of leukemia and neurological disease associated with infection. In addition to the structural and enzymatic proteins, HTLV encodes regulatory (Tax and Rex and accessory proteins. Tax and Rex positively regulate virus production and are critical for efficient viral replication and pathogenesis. Using an over-expression system approach, we recently reported that the accessory gene product of the HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 open reading frame (ORF II (p30 and p28, respectively acts as a negative regulator of both Tax and Rex by binding to and retaining their mRNA in the nucleus, leading to reduced protein expression and virion production. Further characterization revealed that p28 was distinct from p30 in that it was devoid of major transcriptional modulating activity, suggesting potentially divergent functions that may be responsible for the distinct pathobiologies of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2. Results In this study, we investigated the functional significance of p28 in HTLV-2 infection, proliferation, and immortaliztion of primary T-cells in culture, and viral survival in an infectious rabbit animal model. An HTLV-2 p28 knockout virus (HTLV-2Δp28 was generated and evaluated. Infectivity and immortalization capacity of HTLV-2Δp28 in vitro was indistinguishable from wild type HTLV-2. In contrast, we showed that viral replication was severely attenuated in rabbits inoculated with HTLV-2Δp28 and the mutant virus failed to establish persistent infection. Conclusion We provide direct evidence that p28 is dispensable for