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Abstract: G-CSF can induce functional immune tolerance in man. In this study, purified T cells from G-CSF-mobilized peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donors were analysed by gene expression profiling and immunophenotyping. Results suggested a predominantly immune tolerant profile with upregulation of genes related to Th2 and Treg cells, downregulation of genes associated with Th1 cells, cytotoxicity, antigen presentation and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and overexpression of negative regulators of Th17 differentiation. Immunophenotyping revealed that during G-CSF exposure donors had reduced levels of T cells with a Th17 phenotype (CD4+IL-17A+CCR6+IL-23R+), more than three times lower compared to normal controls. G-CSF also led to increased levels of CD4+CD25highCD45RO+ Treg cells. Furthermore, mRNA levels of RORγt, a Th17-specific transcription factor, decreased in T cells isolated from G-CSF-mobilized PBSC harvests. Th17 cells have been implicated in autoimmune diseases and GVHD pathophysiology. Our study is the first to report the effect of G-CSF on the Th17 subpopulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

BRCA1 mutations have long been associated with altered apoptosis. We have recently reported that caspase 3 activation is increased in human ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells expressing a germline N-terminal BRCA1 185delAG mutation. Here, we report increased caspase 3 activity in 185delAG OSE cells associated with decreased expression of cIAP-1 and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP), and decreased ubiquitination of caspase 3. Overexpression of XIAP restored active caspase 3 ubiquitination and lowered levels of caspase 3 activity. Further, the BRCA1 185delAG mutation was associated with reduced levels of phosphorylated Akt1. Transfection with activated Akt1 led to increased cIAP-1 and XIAP levels similar to that seen in BRCA1 185delAG cell lines. Taken together, these data suggest a direct link between the BRCA1 185delAG mutation and alterations in the caspase-mediated apoptotic pathway. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The age-of-air concept can be used to assess the ventilation efficiency of an agricultural facility. However, experimental research has been limited due to the indirect method of using unstable tracer-gas and limited instrument. To overcome limitations and increase applicability, CFD technique was employed from established methodology by user-defined functions. A three-dimensional chamber was designed to accurately implement and verify the age-of-air through simulation and tracer-gas experiment under unsteady-state conditions. In validating the computations of the local-mean-age and local-mean-residual-lifetime, the results showed similar quantitative and qualitative distributions with average errors of 9 and 13%, respectively. It could be concluded that the method of realising the age-of-air via CFD was reasonably well designed and capable of estimating ventilation efficiency of agricultural facilities under unsteady-state conditions. The results also showed that when air exchange rate (AER) increased in the target structure, the age-of-air values decreased, but when comparing air exchange efficiencies, the values had an opposite tendency. Through the methodology presented in this study, the feasibility of analysing ventilation efficiency using Age-of-air in agricultural facilities was confirmed and it will be upgraded for actual application considering characteristics of ventilation structure. Through the methodology presented in this study, the feasibility of analysing ventilation efficiency using age-of-air in agricultural facilities was confirmed and it will be upgraded for actual application considering characteristics of ventilation structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Titanium dioxide (TiO2), co-deposited with Fe and N, is first implanted with Fe by a metal plasma ion implantation (MPII) process and then annealed in N2 atmosphere at a temperature regime of 400–600°C. First-principle calculations show that the (Fe, N) co-deposited TiO2 films produced additional band gap levels at the bottom of the conduction band (CB) and on the top of the valence band (VB). The (Fe, N) co-deposited TiO2 films were effective in both prohibiting electron–hole recombination and generating additional Fe–O and N–Ti–O impurity levels for the TiO2 band gap. The (Fe, N) co-deposited TiO2 has a narrower band gap of 1.97eV than Fe-implanted TiO2 (3.14eV) and N-doped TiO2 (2.16eV). A significant reduction of TiO2 band gap energy from 3.22 to 1.97eV was achieved, which resulted in the extension of photocatalytic activity of TiO2 from UV to Vis regime. The photocatalytic activity and removal rate were approximately two-fold higher than that of the Fe-implanted TiO2 under visible light irradiation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]