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Item does not contain fulltext The origin and function of rodlet cells (RCs) are still a matter of discussion. Whereas the exogenous hypothesis considers them parasites, the endogenous hypothesis regards them as a genuine fish cell population with a secretory and/or leukocyte function. In order to shed more light on these questions we focused on the location and appearance of RCs during carp (Cyprinus carpio) ontogeny. Typical RCs were seen at 5days post fertilisation (dpf) between kidney and intestine, at 6dpf in the intestine and at 8dpf in both anterior and posterior kidney and in the abdominal cavity among the mesothelial cells. The RC number increased with age and after 14dpf they were also present in gills. The early appearance of the RCs during carp ontogeny support the endogenous hypothesis stating that RCs are genuine constituents of fish tissue and suggest that they are 'immune cells'. The fact that the RCs of the gills secrete their content into the surrounding water, combined with the strategic location around blood vessels in kidney and within intestinal epithelium, would also support an important role in host defense. To investigate whether RC numbers in gills and kidney are related to typical fluctuations in the physiology during stress and infection we counted their number in gills and kidney after parasite infection and stress. In the gills the number of RCs increased after infection but did not change after stress while in the kidney their number increased after stress and no significant changes were observed after infection.

Ustekinumab is a fully human anti-p40 monoclonal antibody which neutralizes interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23, thereby interfering with T-helper (Th)1/Th17 pathways and keratinocyte activation, and is highly effective in the treatment of psoriasis. During ustekinumab treatment, some of our patients noticed reduced koebnerization of noninvolved skin and less new plaque formation.To determine whether ustekinumab improves psoriasis-related gene expression and tape-strip responses in noninvolved skin.Before and 4 weeks after ustekinumab treatment, noninvolved skin was tape-stripped. After 5 h, biopsies were taken from untouched and tape-stripped skin. The mRNA expression of psoriasis-related markers such as NGF, GATA3 and IL-22RA1, and several antimicrobial peptides (AMP) was quantified. Leucocyte counts and a broad range of inflammatory serum proteins were analysed to gain insight into the systemic alterations.Four weeks following a single ustekinumab injection, NGF showed a significant decrease, whereas GATA3 and IL-22RA1 expression increased, indicative of reduced responsiveness to epidermal triggering. This was accompanied by an increase of the inflammation-related serum proteins GPNMB, MST1 and TRADD. The baseline and tape-strip-induced mRNA expression of the AMP human β-defensin-2 (hBD-2), S100A7 and LL-37 remained unaltered. Clinically, after 4 weeks, eight out of 11 patients showed a 50% psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) improvement, which was accompanied by a significant reduction in serum hBD-2 levels. No changes were noted in total leucocytes, C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate.These findings indicate that ustekinumab reduces psoriasis-related gene expression in noninvolved psoriatic skin, making it more resistant to exogenous triggering, without disturbing its antimicrobial response. In parallel, ustekinumab modulates important circulating inflammation-related proteins.

Two novel crown ether compounds, N,N`-bis(2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl)-4, 13-diazadibenzo-18-crown-6 (CCE) and N, N`-bis(7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin-8-methylene)-4, 13-diazadibenzo-18-crown-6 (FCE), have been synthesized as potential reagents for the selective extraction and determination of heavy metal ions. Characterizations of the acid-base reactivity and the heavy metal ion extraction capabilities are reported. Both CCE and FCE undergo four-step ionization processes with associated tautomeric transformations and form stable complexes with divalent metal cations that can be extracted into 1,2-dichloroethane. Extraction constants for Ba(II), Ca(II), Cd(II), Cu(II), Hg(II), Pb(II), and Sr(II) have been determined for both reagents. For CCE, the extraction order is Hg(II) > Pb(II) > Cu(II) > Cd(II) > Ca(II) > Sr(II) > Ba(II), whereas the order for FCE is Hg(II) > Cu(II) > Pb(II) > Cd(II) > Ca(II) > Sr(II) > Ba(II). The selectivity of CCE for Hg(II) over the next-best-extracted cation, Pb(II), is nearly 2 x 10{sup 7} and that of FCE for Hg(II) over next-best-extracted cation, Cu(II), is nearly 5 x 10{sup 6}. Potential applications to chemical analysis, based on the unprecedented selectivity of both reagents for Hg(II), are briefly examined. 54 refs., 7 figs., 3 tabs.

Adverse effects and lack of specificity often hamper the use of conventional immunosuppressives in patients with systemic sarcoidosis. Adalimumab, a monoclonal antibody directed against the key cytokine involved in sarcoidosis, TNF-α, is used in patients with various immunological disorders [1]. Improved specificity, hence less adverse effects are the major advantages of this new class of drugs leading to an exponentially increasing role in their clinical use. However, few reports involving adalimumab in patients with sarcoidosis have been published so far and are restricted to case reports.

The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) is an MHC class I like receptor that binds immunoglobulin G (IgG) in acidic environment (mainly endosomes). The FcRn protects IgG from lysosomal degradation, controls its transport between cell layers and extends IgG serum half-life [1]. It has been shown that the FcRn is expressed by many human cells including APCs and monocytes [2]. Thus far FcRn expression by human lymphocytes has not been proven.

A miniaturized piezoelectric mass sensor has been developed that displays a very high mass sensitivity, S{sub m}. The sensor is based upon thin film resonator (TFR) technology, which is used to produce a gold-coated thin film (5.5 {mu}m) resonator (TFR) of piezoelectric aluminum nitride in the shape of 400-{mu}m squares. At this thickness, the TFRs support a standing bulk acoustic wave in a longitudinal mode at frequencies of {approximately} 1 GHz. Coatings of poly(methyl methacrylate) and spontaneously adsorbed monolayers from alkanethiols (CH{sub 3}-(CH{sub 2}){sub n}SH, n = 3,17) were used for the evaluation of S{sub m}. Results indicated that the S{sub m} ({approximately} -550 cm{sup 2}/g) of the TFRs rivals those of the most sensitive mass sensors currently available, while offering such performance in a markedly smaller device. Coatings were also used to sorb a gaseous analyte (i.e. methanol) at the TFRs to test their potential as gas-phase sensors. Tests conducted using monolayers formed by the chemisorption of a fluorinated thiol (CF{sub 3}(CF{sub 2}){sub 7}(CH{sub 2}){sub 2}-SH) and an acid-terminated thiol (HO{sub 2}C(CH{sub 2}){sub 15}SH) at the gold electrodes demonstrated both the performance of the TFRs and a primitive manipulation of the sorption selectivity of the interfacial structure. Possible applicationsmore » of the TFRs as mass sensors are examined based upon their high mass sensitivity and compatibility for device integration using semiconductor processing technology. 51 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.« less

This paper describes some of our results in developing high performance hydrogen gas sensors using piezoelectric devices (i.e., Quartz Crystal Microbalances (QCMs) and Thin Film Resonators (TFRs)) coated with a PdNi (90/10) alloy. A sensor array has been built by coating quartz crystals with various PdNi thicknesses and tested via exposure to H/sub 2/ in N/sub 2/ in the concentration range from 20 to 500 ppm. The performance of the sensor array has been also characterized in the presence of various potential interference gases and vapors, such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, water, toluene, acetone, acetonitrile, hexane, methyl isobutylketone, methylene chloride, and ethanol. Using the unique chemistry of Pd-H/sub 2/ system, we have developed an relatively straightforward method to compensate for contributions from the mentioned potential interference gases.

To investigate the effects of replacing a portion of endurance training by strength training on exercise performance, 14 competitive cyclists were divided into an experimental (E; n=6) and a control (C; n=8) group. Both groups received a training program of 9 weeks. The total training volume for both groups was the same [E: 8.8 (1.1) h/week; C: 8.9 (1.7) h/week], but 37% of training for E consisted of explosive-type strength training, whilst C received endurance training only. Simulated time trial performance (TT), short-term performance (STP), maximal workload (\(\dot W_{{\rm max}} \)) and gross (GE) and delta efficiency (DE) were measured before, after 4 weeks and at the end of the training program (9 weeks). No significant group-by-training effects for the markers of endurance performance (TT and \(\dot W_{{\rm max}} \) ) were found after 9 weeks, although after 4 weeks, these markers had only increased (P

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess frequencies of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene mutations cytosine-to-thymine substitution at base 677 (C677T) and adenine-to-cytosine substitution at base 1298 (A1298C) and their interactions with homocysteine and vitamin levels among Dutch women with preeclampsia. Study Design: Mutations were studied in the following 5 groups: 47 consecutive women with preeclampsia, 49 women with preeclampsia and with hyperhomocysteinemia, 36 women with preeclampsia but without hyperhomocysteinemia, 127 women with familial preeclampsia (typed for C677T mutations only), and 120 control subjects. Plasma levels of homocysteine, folate, and vitamin B 12 were measured. Results: Although 10.6% of the consecutive women with preeclampsia had strictly defined hyperhomocysteinemia (values >97.5th percentile), neither mutation was found in excess relative to the control group. Women with preeclampsia who had mild hyperhomocysteinemia (values >75th percentile) had a significant excess of the TT genotype (homozygosity for C677T mutation) relative to the women with preeclampsia who did not have hyperhomocysteinemia (odds ratio, 8.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.8-39). They also had significantly lower vitamin levels. Conclusion: Hyperhomocysteinemia in women with preeclampsia was associated with mutations in the gene for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, but the high frequency of hyperhomocysteinemia itself cannot be explained by these mutations alone. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001;184:394-402.)

The propagation of Gaussian light through first-order optical systems is studied; in particular, the twist in the output (or input) plane is expressed in terms of the characteristics of the light in the other plane. Conditions are derived for which zero twist in the input plane corresponds to zero twist in the output plane, and vice versa. Three special cases for which zero twist is preserved, are described: (1) propagation between conjugated planes, (2) adaptation of the signal to the system, and (3) the case of symplectic Gaussian light.

A measure for the twist of Gaussian light is expressed in terms of the second-order moments of the Wigner distribution function. The propagation law for these second-order moments between the input plane and the output plane of a first- order optical system is used to express the twist in one plane in terms of moments in the other plane. Although in general the twist in one plane is determined not only by the twist in the other plane, but also by other combinations of the moments, several special cases are considered for which a direct relationship between the twists can be formulated. In particular it is shown under what conditions zero twist is preserved in a first-order optical system.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

The paper presents a review of the Wigner distribution function--its definition and its most important properties-- and of some of its applications to optical problems, in particular to the description of partially coherent light beams and to the propagation of such light beams through first-order optical ABCD-systems. Special attention is paid to Gaussian beams and to second-order moments of general, partially coherent light.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

The effect of truncating a light beam is expressed as a convolution of the Wigner distribution function of the light beam and the Wigner distribution function of the truncating aperture. The Wigner distribution function of a circular truncating aperture is derived and an approximate expression is presented. The approximation not only has the properties that it is exact in the spatial origin and in the spatial- frequency origin, but also that the integral over all spatial frequencies takes the exact value.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proceeding with plans for the ultimate disposal of approximately 380,000 m3 (∼100 million gallons) of high-level radioactive waste created as a byproduct of plutonium production and the processing of spent nuclear fuels. Critical to the successful disposal of this waste, which is kept in underground storage tanks, is the assessment of the volume and the constituents of the waste that remains at the tank sites after removal of the bulk of the material. The design of a system to characterize any waste which may have entered the vadose zone surrounding the underground storage tanks through leakage is the topic of this manuscript.