Humoural Immune Responses to a Recombinant 16-kDa–38-kDa—ESAT-6 Mycobacterial Antigen in Tuberculosis

The present study investigated the diagnostic value of a recombinant 38-kDa–16-kDa—early secreted antigenic target of 6 kDa (ESAT-6) Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) fusion antigen in 105 patients with tuberculosis (TB), 25 non-TB pulmonary disease patients and 20 healthy individuals. Its diagnostic value was compared with the commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit, the TB-directly observed therapy (DOT) kit. In the controls, the rate of positive antibody response to the TB-DOT kit was significantly higher than that of the recombinant antigen. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.751, and the optimum sensitivity and specificity for detecting antibody responses to the recombinant antigen were 65.4% and 84.8%, respectively. The recombinant 38-kDa–16-kDa—ESAT-6 MTB antigen was more effective than the TB-DOT kit in distinguishing between TB patients and controls, and may be an optimal combination of antigens to provide a useful tool for the sensitive and specific diagnosis of patients with TB.

Glucose metabolism-related protein 1 (GMRP1) regulates pancreatic beta cell proliferation and apoptosis via activation of Akt signalling pathway in rats and mice

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

We attempted to elucidate the impacts on and possible mechanisms by which glucose metabolism-related protein 1 (GMRP1) affects beta cell survival.

METHODS

Adenovirus-mediated GMRP1 overproduction and siRNA-mediated knockdown were performed in INS-1E cells and rat islets, after which cell proliferation or apoptosis were determined, and phosphorylation of Akt and BCL2-associated agonist of cell death (BAD) investigated. INS-1E cells and rat islets were cultured at 5.6 (low) or 25 mmol/l (high) glucose for 24 or 48 h, and cell proliferation or apoptosis and GMRP1 levels were investigated. INS-1E cells were treated for 24 h with 0, 10, 50 and 100 nmol/l insulin, and GMRP1 levels were determined. After INS-1E cells were transfected with siRNA for 72 h, high glucose-induced cell proliferation and insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation were investigated. Glucose-infused rat models were established and beta cell proliferation and mass were evaluated. Levels of GMRP1, and phosphorylation of Akt and BAD were determined in glucose-infused islets. The GMRP1-mediated Akt pathway was also investigated in db/db mice.

RESULTS

Overproduction of GMRP1 promoted beta cell proliferation via increased phosphorylation of Akt. Knockdown of Gmrp1 (also known as Btbd10) reduced phosphorylation of Akt with enhanced beta cell apoptosis. High glucose increased GMRP1 levels and cell proliferation in INS-1E cells and islet cells. Knockdown of Gmrp1 decreased high glucose-induced cell proliferation and insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation. Increased GMRP1 levels were involved in the enhancement of beta cell proliferation and mass in glucose-infused islets. Decreased GMRP1 levels may participate in beta cell apoptosis of db/db mice.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

GMRP1 regulates pancreatic beta cell proliferation and apoptosis via activation of Akt signalling pathway.

Repeated but not single isoflurane exposure improved the spatial memory of young adult mice

BACKGROUND

Exposure to general anesthesia damages the spatial memory of aged rodents, but its role in the young adult has not been well investigated. This study was conducted to determine the effects of single and repeated isoflurane exposure on spatial memory in young adult mice.

METHODS

The experimental design comprised three series of experiments. In the first series, animals (2 months old) were randomly exposed to 1.4% isoflurane for 2 or 6 h or vehicle gas for 6 h (n=15 in each group). The Morris water maze (MWM) test was performed at 48 h after anesthetic exposure to evaluate spatial memory. In the second part, animals were randomly exposed to 1.4% isoflurane (isoflurane group, n=15) or vehicle gas only (control group, n=15) for 2 h/day on 5 consecutive days. Forty-eight hours later, the MWM was performed. In the third part, animals were randomized into an isoflurane group (n=15) and a control group (n=15) as in the second part of the experiment. Two weeks later, the MWM was performed.

RESULTS

The mean escape latency time and the mean pathway length measured at 48 h after repeated isoflurane exposure decreased significantly compared with the control. However, there was no difference between the two groups when tested at 2 weeks after repeated isoflurane exposure. A single exposure to isoflurane lasting 2 or 6 h had no effect on the performance of mice in the MWM as compared with the control.

CONCLUSION

Repeated but not single isoflurane exposure temporarily improved the spatial memory of young adult mice.

Antimicrobial resistance and molecular subtyping of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli from retail meats

Campylobacter isolates (n = 297; 202 C. jejuni and 95 C. coli isolates) recovered from 2,513 retail meat samples (chicken breasts, ground turkey, ground beef, and pork chops) were examined for antimicrobial susceptibility. The isolates were further analyzed for genetic relatedness by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using SmaI and KpnI restriction enzymes, and a subset of isolates (n = 174) were subtyped by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The resistance most frequently observed was that to doxycycline (27.6%), followed by ciprofloxacin (13.8%) and erythromycin (6.4%). All isolates were susceptible to gentamicin and meropenem. C. coli showed higher resistance to doxycycline than did C. jejuni (42.1 versus 20.8%) and lower resistance to ciprofloxacin than did C. jejuni (10.5 versus 15.3%). Erythromycin resistance was only observed in C. coli. PFGE using SmaI plus KpnI digestion generated 168 clusters from 297 isolates: 115 from C. jejuni and 53 from C. coli. MLST revealed 44 sequence types (STs) under 10 clonal complexes from 120 C. jejuni and 27 STs under two clonal complexes from 54 C. coli. There was a positive association between PFGE and STs; however, PFGE showed greater discriminatory power than MLST. Subtyping data did not correlate with antimicrobial resistance phenotypes.

Wilms' tumor 1 as a novel target for immunotherapy of leukemia

Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) is a leukemia associated antigen (LAA) differentially expressed by leukemic blasts. Thus, WT1 may constitute a target for therapies such as those mediated by adoptive-specific T lymphocytes. Serological and cellular immune responses have been elicited by WT1 in patients with leukemia. Specific CD8+ T cells able to recognize this antigen can be selected by streptamers and then infused into leukemia patients. Potentially, these T cells could lyse leukemic blasts expressing WT1. The only good manufacturing practice-certified technology is streptamers, which are available for antigen-specific T-cell sorting. Immunocompromised patients may have their antigen-specific immune responses restored through the transfer of adoptive T cells specific for this LAA.

Chemokine CXCL11 links microbial stimuli to intestinal inflammation

Interleukin (IL)-17 plays an important role in the pathogenesis in a number of immune inflammatory disorders. This study aims to investigate the mechanism by which microbial product flagellin is involved in the development of T helper type (Th)17 cells. Serum levels of IL-17 and CXCL9-11 in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) were evaluated. The source and mechanism of CXC11 release in intestinal mucosa were examined with colonic biopsies from UC patients and a colitis mouse model. The role of flagellin in the development of Th17 cells was studied with a cell co-culture system. High serum levels of CXCL11 and IL-17 were observed in UC. Flagellin could induce the production of CXCL11 in CD14(+) cells that facilitated the development of Th17 cells. In a skewed Th1 response environment flagellin induces intestinal inflammation, with IL-17 expression predominant. CXCR3/CXCL11 pathway is involved in microbial product flagellin-induced intestinal inflammation in which the Th17 response plays an important role.

Dijet azimuthal decorrelations in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

Measurements of dijet azimuthal decorrelations in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV using the CMS detector at the CERN LHC are presented. The analysis is based on an inclusive dijet event sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.9 pb⁻¹. The results are compared to predictions from perturbative QCD calculations and various Monte Carlo event generators. The dijet azimuthal distributions are found to be sensitive to initial-state gluon radiation.

The primary feather lengths of early birds with respect to avian wing shape evolution

We examine the relationships between primary feather length (f(prim)) and total arm length (ta) (sum of humerus, ulna and manus lengths) in Mesozoic fossil birds to address one aspect of avian wing shape evolution. Analyses show that there are significant differences in the composition of the wing between the known lineages of basal birds and that mean f(prim) (relative to ta length) is significantly shorter in Archaeopteryx and enantiornithines than it is in Confuciusornithidae and in living birds. Based on outgroup comparisons with nonavian theropods that preserve forelimb primary feathers, we show that the possession of a relatively shorter f(prim) (relative to ta length) must be the primitive condition for Aves. There is also a clear phylogenetic trend in relative primary feather length throughout bird evolution: our analyses demonstrate that the f(prim)/ta ratio increases among successive lineages of Mesozoic birds towards the crown of the tree ('modern birds'; Neornithes). Variance in this ratio also coincides with the enormous evolutionary radiation at the base of Neornithes. Because the f(prim)/ta ratio is linked to flight mode and performance in living birds, further comparisons of wing proportions among Mesozoic avians will prove informative and certainly imply that the aerial locomotion of the Early Cretaceous Confuciusornis was very different to other extinct and living birds.

Measurement of the B(+) production cross section in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=7 TeV

Measurements of the total and differential cross sections dσ/dp(T)(B) and dσ/dy(B) for B(+) mesons produced in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=7  TeV are presented. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 5.8  pb(-1) collected by the CMS experiment operating at the LHC. The exclusive decay B(+)→J/ψK(+), with J/ψ→μ(+)μ(-), is used to detect B(+) mesons and to measure the production cross section as a function of p(T)(B) and y(B). The total cross section for p(T)(B)>5  GeV and |y(B)|<2.4 is measured to be 28.1±2.4±2.0±3.1  μb, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the last is from the luminosity measurement.

Design, Synthesis and Electrospinning of a Novel Fluorescent Polymer for Optical Sensor Applications

This work describes the synthesis and electrospinning of new fluorescent polymers and their use for the fabrication of optical chemical sensors. A new fluorescent monomer was first synthesized by coupling reactions between methacryloyl chloride and a pyrene derivative, 1-pyrene butanol. Fluorescent polymers containing pyrene molecules were then obtained by the copolymerization of this monomer with methylmethacrylate using 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile as the initiator. These polymers show distinct and well-defined fluorescence that is characteristic of the pyrene chromophores. Electrospinning was used to process these polymers into high surface area nanofibrous membranes for optical sensing. The resulting membranes show a high sensitivity to 2,4-dinitro toluene based on the fluorescence quenching of the pyrene chromophores. Fluorescence intensities decreased with increasing concentration of the 2,4-dinitro toluene. The quenching behavior follows Stern-Volmer bimolecular quenching kinetics. The synthesis, characterization, electrospinning fabrication, and sensing capability of these polymers will be discussed.

Neoadjuvant trial of sunitinib malate and androgen ablation (ADT) in patients with localized prostate cancer (PCa) at high risk for recurrence

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Background: Presurgical ADT does not improve long-term outcomes in patients (pts) with high-risk localized PCa. Since the VEGF and PDGF signaling pathways have been implicated in PCa progression, and ADT results in endothelial cell apoptosis in the prostate by a VEGF-mediated mechanism, we hypothesized that combined treatment with sunitinib malate (SU), an oral inhibitor of the tyrosine kinases of VEGFR and PDGFR, might improve the efficacy of ADT in this pt population.

Methods: Pts with no radiological evidence of metastases and either PCa ≥ clinical (c)T3 disease or Gleason grade 8-10 or serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ≥ 20 ng/mL or cT2b-c and Gleason 7 and PSA ≥10 ng/mL (AJCC, 1992), received i.m. leuprolide and oral SU for three 30-day cycles followed by surgery. SU was administered continuously at 37.5 mg daily (25 mg daily in the initial 6 pts). The primary endpoint of this phase II trial was rate of pathologic complete response (pCR). Secondary endpoints included safety and time to progression (TTP). Unresectable pelvic nodal disease, confirmed post-operative PSA ≥ 0.2 ng/mL, or administration of post-operative radiation or ADT, defined treatment failure.

Results: Forty-four pts completed accrual, with a median age of 58 years (range 47-72); 34 Caucasian, 5 African-American, 4 Hispanic, and 1 Indian. High-risk criteria included cT3 (24/44), Gleason 8-10 (30/44), PSA ≥ 20 ng/mL (16/44). Two men were ineligible/declined therapy and one postponed surgery. No grade 4 toxicities or related discontinuations were observed. Thirty-five pts completed 3 months on 37.5 mg daily SU plus ADT and surgery with no unexpected complications. Of these, 2 pts experienced a pCR. Twenty (57%) pts have failed treatment or died, with a median TTP 27 months (95% CI: 12 – not estimable). The median follow-up of the remaining event-free pts is 35 months (range 23-41).

Conclusions: The 3-months preoperative combination of SU and ADT is safe and well tolerated in pts with high-risk primary PCa. We observed 2 complete remissions in 35 patients. Ongoing characterization of molecular changes in the epithelial and stromal compartments will help understand the mechanisms of SU activity in PCa.

[Table: see text]

Measurement of the isolated prompt photon production cross section in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

The differential cross section for the inclusive production of isolated prompt photons has been measured as a function of the photon transverse energy E(T)(γ) in pp collisions at √s=7  TeV using data recorded by the CMS detector at the LHC. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 2.9  pb(-1). Photons are required to have a pseudorapidity |η(γ)|<1.45 and E(T)(γ)>21  GeV, covering the kinematic region 0.006<x(T)<0.086. The measured cross section is found to be in agreement with next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculations.

Computer-aided detection of breast masses depicted on full-field digital mammograms: a performance assessment

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the feasibility of converting a computer-aided detection (CAD) scheme for digitised screen-film mammograms to full-field digital mammograms (FFDMs) and assessing CAD performance on a large database.

METHODS

The database included 6478 FFDM images acquired on 1120 females, with 525 cancer cases and 595 negative cases. The database was divided into five case groups: (1) cancer detected during screening, (2) interval cancers, (3) "high-risk" recommended for surgical excision, (4) recalled but negative and (5) negative (not recalled). A previously developed CAD scheme for masses depicted on digitised images was converted and re-optimised for FFDM images while keeping the same image-processing structure. CAD performance was analysed on the entire database.

RESULTS

The case-based sensitivity was 75.6% (397/525) for the current mammograms and 40.8% (42/103) for the prior mammograms deemed negative during clinical interpretation but "visible" during retrospective review. The region-based sensitivity was 58.1% (618/1064) for the current mammograms and 28.4% (57/201) for the prior mammograms. The CAD scheme marked 55.7% (221/397) and 35.7% (15/42) of the masses on both views of the current and the prior examinations, respectively. The overall CAD-cued false-positive rate was 0.32 per image, ranging from 0.29 to 0.51 for the five case groups.

CONCLUSION

This study indicated that (1) digitised image-based CAD can be converted for FFDMs while performing at a comparable, or better, level; (2) CAD detects a substantial fraction of cancers depicted on prior examinations, albeit most having been marked only on one view; and (3) CAD tends to mark more false-positive results on "difficult" negative cases that are more visually difficult for radiologists to interpret.

3d Transition Metals in II-VI Semiconductors

The magnetic and electronic properties of some I-VI semiconductors with 3d transition metals other than Mn are presented. For example, the nonzero orbital moment in Fe2+ leads to more complex electronic energy levels than for Mnt ions. In (CdFe)Se, inelastic light scattering experiments demonstrate that the ground state is nonmagnetic (Van Vleck ion), and directly measures the energy spacing between the three lowest levels. For Sc2+ ions the donor level lies above the bottom of the conduction band in the Cd-based materials.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia: two distinct ENG deletions in one family

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by aberrant vascular development. Mutations in endoglin (ENG) or activin A receptor type II-like 1 (ACVRL1) account for around 90% of HHT patients, 10% of those are large deletions or duplications. We report here the first observation of two distinct, large ENG deletions segregating in one pedigree. An ENG exon 4-7 deletion was observed in a patient with HHT. This deletion was identified in several affected family members. However, some affected family members had an ENG exon 3 deletion instead. These deletions were detected by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and confirmed by mRNA sequencing and an oligo-CGH array. Linkage analysis revealed that one individual with the exon 3 deletion inherited the same chromosome from his mother who has the exon 4-7 deletion. This finding has important clinical implications because it shows that targeted family-specific mutation analysis for exon deletions could have led to the misdiagnosis of some affected family members.

Post-operative implantation metastasis of craniopharyngioma: a case report

Craniopharyngiomas are histologically benign epithelial tumours arising from squamous epithelial remnants of Rathke's pouch, which have a tendency to invade surrounding structures and recur after apparently complete resection. They represent the most frequent non-glial tumour in children, accounting for approximately 5% of paediatric brain neoplasms. Total resection of a craniopharyngioma may be difficult, and recurrence has been reported in 25-70% of patients. Recurrence often occurs at the primary site, although a few cases of ectopic recurrence along surgical or needle tracts have been reported. Here a case of metastatic adamantinomatous-type craniopharyngioma attributed to direct implantation by surgical procedure is presented, along with a review of the current literature on craniopharyngiomas.