Search
Filter Results
- Resource Type
- Article550
- Book1
- Book Print1
- Article Type
- Clinical Trial23
- Review21
- Randomized Controlled Trial18
- Systematic Review5
- Result From
- PubMed550
- Lane Catalog1
-
Year
- Journal Title
- J Infect Dis79
- Br Dent J62
- Nature44
- JAMA42
Search Results
Sort by
- ArticlePi J, Jin H, Yang F, Chen ZW, Cai J.Nanoscale. 2014 Nov 07;6(21):12229-49.The cell membrane, which consists of a viscous phospholipid bilayer, different kinds of proteins and various nano/micrometer-sized domains, plays a very important role in ensuring the stability of the intracellular environment and the order of cellular signal transductions. Exploring the precise cell membrane structure and detailed functions of the biomolecules in a cell membrane would be helpful to understand the underlying mechanisms involved in cell membrane signal transductions, which could further benefit research into cell biology, immunology and medicine. The detection of membrane biomolecules at the single molecule level can provide some subtle information about the molecular structure and the functions of the cell membrane. In particular, information obtained about the molecular mechanisms and other information at the single molecule level are significantly different from that detected from a large amount of biomolecules at the large-scale through traditional techniques, and can thus provide a novel perspective for the study of cell membrane structures and functions. However, the precise investigations of membrane biomolecules prompts researchers to explore cell membranes at the single molecule level by the use of in situ imaging methods, as the exact conformation and functions of biomolecules are highly controlled by the native cellular environment. Recently, the in situ single molecule imaging of cell membranes has attracted increasing attention from cell biologists and immunologists. The size of biomolecules and their clusters on the cell surface are set at the nanoscale, which makes it mandatory to use high- and super-resolution imaging techniques to realize the in situ single molecule imaging of cell membranes. In the past few decades, some amazing imaging techniques and instruments with super resolution have been widely developed for molecule imaging, which can also be further employed for the in situ single molecule imaging of cell membranes. In this review, we attempt to summarize the characteristics of these advanced techniques for use in the in situ single molecule imaging of cell membranes. We believe that this work will help to promote the technological and methodological developments of super-resolution techniques for the single molecule imaging of cell membranes and help researchers better understand which technique is most suitable for their future exploring of membrane biomolecules; ultimately promoting further developments in cell biology, immunology and medicine.
- ArticleDe Santana CO, Spealman P, Melo V, Gresham D, de Jesus T, Oliveira E, Chinalia FA.PeerJ. 2021;9:e12229.Mangroves are tropical ecosystems with strategic importance for climate change mitigation on local and global scales. They are also under considerable threat due to fragmentation degradation and urbanization. However, a complete understanding of how anthropogenic actions can affect microbial biodiversity and functional adaptations is still lacking. In this study, we carried out 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis using sediment samples from two distinct mangrove areas located within the Serinhaém Estuary, Brazil. The first sampling area was located around the urban area of Ituberá, impacted by domestic sewage and urban runoff, while the second was an environmentally conserved site. Our results show significant changes in the structure of the communities between impacted and conserved sites. Biodiversity, along with functional potentials for the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur, were significantly increased in the urban area. We found that the environmental factors of organic matter, temperature and copper were significantly correlated with the observed shifts in the communities. Contributions of specific taxa to the functional potentials were negatively correlated with biodiversity, such that fewer numbers of taxa in the conserved area contributed to the majority of the metabolic potential. The results suggest that the contamination by urban runoff may have generated a different environment that led to the extinction of some taxa observed at the conserved site. In their place we found that the impacted site is enriched in prokaryotic families that are known human and animal pathogens, a clear negative effect of the urbanization process.
- ArticleEbenau JL, van der Lee SJ, Hulsman M, Tesi N, Jansen IE, Verberk IMW, van Leeuwenstijn M, Teunissen CE, Barkhof F, Prins ND, Scheltens P, Holstege H, van Berckel BNM, van der Flier WM.Alzheimers Dement (Amst). 2021;13(1):e12229.INTRODUCTION: We investigated relationships among genetic determinants of Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyloid/tau/neurodegenaration (ATN) biomarkers, and risk of dementia.
METHODS: We studied cognitively normal individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) from the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort and SCIENCe project. We examined associations between genetic variants and ATN biomarkers, and evaluated their predictive value for incident dementia. A polygenic risk score (PRS) was calculated based on 39 genetic variants. The APOE gene was not included in the PRS and was analyzed separately.
RESULTS: The PRS and APOE ε4 were associated with amyloid-positive ATN profiles, and APOE ε4 additionally with isolated increased tau (A-T+N-). A high PRS and APOE ε4 separately predicted AD dementia. Combined, a high PRS increased while a low PRS attenuated the risk associated with ε4 carriers.
DISCUSSION: Genetic variants beyond APOE are clinically relevant and contribute to the pathophysiology of AD. In the future, a PRS might be used in individualized risk profiling. - ArticleMutua TM, Kulohoma BW.Heliyon. 2022 Dec;8(12):e12229.Background: Genetic flux, a crucial process of pneumococcal evolution, is an essential aspect of bacterial physiology during human pathogenesis. However, the role of these genetic changes and the selective forces that drive them is not fully understood. Elucidating the underlying selective forces that determine the magnitude and direction (gene gain or loss) of gene transfer is important for better understanding the pathogenesis process, and may also highlight potential therapeutic and diagnostic targets.
Methods: Here, we leveraged data from high throughput genome sequencing and robust probabilistic models to discover the magnitude and likely direction of genetic flux events, but not the source, in 209 multi-lineage invasive pneumococcal genomes generated from blood (n = 147) and CSF (n = 62) isolates, associated with bacteremia and meningitis respectively. The Gain and Loss Mapping Engine (GLOOME) was used to infer gene gain and loss more accurately by taking into account differences in rates of gene gain and loss among gene families, as well as independent evolution within and across lineages.
Results: Our results show the likely extent and direction of gene fluctuations at different niche, during pneumococcal pathogenesis, highlighting that evolutionary dynamics are important for tissue-specific host invasion and survival.
Conclusion: These findings improve insights on evolutionary dynamics during invasive pneumococcal disease, and highlight potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets. - ArticleYue J, Zhang H, Zhang Y, Xu S.Sci Rep. 2024 May 28;14(1):12229.The effects of moisture and drying shrinkage can lead to uneven settlement, cracking, and other diseases in loess subgrade. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of amide polymer (AP) on the permeability, mechanical properties and crack resistance of loess by orthogonal experiments. The basic properties of AP and the permeability, mechanical properties, and dry-wet variation properties of polymer-modified loess were tested, and a scale model verification and simulation analysis were conducted. In this paper, water migration in subgrade is regulated by improving the water sensitivity of loess. By reducing the variation range of subgrade water content, the stress accumulation in subgrade caused by water is weakened. The results show that the curing time and mechanical properties of AP are directly affected by the oxidant and reducing agent, and the mechanical properties of AP are compatible with the characteristics of loess. AP filled the grain gap and reduced the permeability of loess by 34.05-280.83%. The ductility of polymer-modified loess is significantly increased, and the strain of peak strength is increased by 17.21-126.36%. AP can regulate moisture change, reduce the surface tension between particles, and reduce stress concentration. The strength loss rate was reduced by 19.98-51.21% by enhancing the cracking resistance and weakening the strength loss caused by dry and wet cycling. The increase of upper layer moisture content in the scale model of polymer-modified loess subgrade is reduced by 31.38-36.11%.
- ArticleLiang Y, Bradford SA, Simunek J, Heggen M, Vereecken H, Klumpp E.Environ Sci Technol. 2013;47(21):12229-37.Column experiments were conducted with undisturbed loamy sand soil under unsaturated conditions (around 90% saturation degree) to investigate the retention of surfactant stabilized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with various input concentration (Co), flow velocity, and ionic strength (IS), and the remobilization of AgNPs by changing the cation type and IS. The mobility of AgNPs in soil was enhanced with decreasing solution IS, increasing flow rate and input concentration. Significant retardation of AgNP breakthrough and hyperexponential retention profiles (RPs) were observed in almost all the transport experiments. The retention of AgNPs was successfully analyzed using a numerical model that accounted for time- and depth-dependent retention. The simulated retention rate coefficient (k1) and maximum retained concentration on the solid phase (Smax) increased with increasing IS and decreasing Co. The high k1 resulted in retarded breakthrough curves (BTCs) until Smax was filled and then high effluent concentrations were obtained. Hyperexponential RPs were likely caused by the hydrodynamics at the column inlet which produced a concentrated AgNP flux to the solid surface. Higher IS and lower Co produced more hyperexponential RPs because of larger values of Smax. Retention of AgNPs was much more pronounced in the presence of Ca(2+) than K(+) at the same IS, and the amount of AgNP released with a reduction in IS was larger for K(+) than Ca(2+) systems. These stronger AgNP interactions in the presence of Ca(2+) were attributed to cation bridging. Further release of AgNPs and clay from the soil was induced by cation exchange (K(+) for Ca(2+)) that reduced the bridging interaction and IS reduction that expanded the electrical double layer. Transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and correlations between released soil colloids and AgNPs indicated that some of the released AgNPs were associated with the released clay fraction.
- ArticleEl-Alosey AR, Eledum H.Sci Rep. 2023 07 28;13(1):12229.Among diseases, cancer exhibits the fastest global spread, presenting a substantial challenge for patients, their families, and the communities they belong to. This paper is devoted to modeling such a disease as a special case. A newly proposed distribution called the binomial-discrete Erlang-truncated exponential (BDETE) is introduced. The BDETE is a mixture of binomial distribution with the number of trials (parameter [Formula: see text]) taken after a discrete Erlang-truncated exponential distribution. A comprehensive mathematical treatment of the proposed distribution and expressions of its density, cumulative distribution function, survival function, failure rate function, Quantile function, moment generating function, Shannon entropy, order statistics, and stress-strength reliability, are provided. The distribution's parameters are estimated using the maximum likelihood method. Two real-world lifetime count data sets from the cancer disease, both of which are right-skewed and over-dispersed, are fitted using the proposed BDETE distribution to evaluate its efficacy and viability. We expect the findings to become standard works in probability theory and its related fields.
- ArticleXiao Y, Han T, Xiao G, Ying Y, Huang H, Yang Q, Liu D, Zhong C.Langmuir. 2014 Oct 21;30(41):12229-35.Experimental measurements have been combined with molecular simulations to investigate the adsorption and separation of aniline/phenol mixtures from aqueous solutions by the aluminum terephthalate MIL-53. The results show that the framework flexibility of this material plays a crucial role in the adsorption process and thus can greatly enhance the separation of the aniline/phenol mixture from their solutions. Compared with the conventional adsorbents, MIL-53(Al) shows the best performance for such systems of interest, from the points of view of both the adsorption capacities and the selectivities for aniline. The findings obtained in this work may facilitate more investigations in connection with the application of flexible nanoporous materials for the separation of organic compounds from liquid-phase environments.
- ArticleZhong X, Qin J, Guo M, Zuo W, Lu W.Sci Rep. 2022 07 18;12(1):12229.Crowd counting is considered a challenging issue in computer vision. One of the most critical challenges in crowd counting is considering the impact of scale variations. Compared with other methods, better performance is achieved with CNN-based methods. However, given the limit of fixed geometric structures, the head-scale features are not completely obtained. Deformable convolution with additional offsets is widely used in the fields of image classification and pattern recognition, as it can successfully exploit the potential of spatial information. However, owing to the randomly generated parameters of offsets in network initialization, the sampling points of the deformable convolution are disorderly stacked, weakening the effectiveness of feature extraction. To handle the invalid learning of offsets and the inefficient utilization of deformable convolution, an offset-decoupled deformable convolution (ODConv) is proposed in this paper. It can completely obtain information within the effective region of sampling points, leading to better performance. In extensive experiments, average MAE of 62.3, 8.3, 91.9, and 159.3 are achieved using our method on the ShanghaiTech A, ShanghaiTech B, UCF-QNRF, and UCF_CC_50 datasets, respectively, outperforming the state-of-the-art methods and validating the effectiveness of the proposed ODConv.
- ArticleLiu Z, Chen S, Liu B, Wu J, Zhou Y, He L, Ding J, Liu J.Anal Chem. 2014 Dec 16;86(24):12229-35.Fluorescent aptamer probes physisorbed on graphene oxide (GO) have recently emerged as a useful sensing platform. A signal is generated by analyte-induced probe desorption. To address nonspecific probe displacement and the false positive signal, we herein report a covalently linked aptamer probe for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) detection. A fluorophore and amino dual modified aptamer was linked to the carboxyl group on GO with a coupling efficiency of ∼50%. The linearity, specificity, stability, and regeneration of the covalent sensor were systematically studied and compared to the physisorbed probe. Both sensors have similar sensitivity, but the covalent one is more resistant to nonspecific probe displacement by proteins. The covalent sensor has a dynamic range from 0.125 to 2 mM ATP in buffer at room temperature and is resistance to DNase I. Intracellular ATP imaging was demonstrated using the covalent sensor, which generated a higher fluorescence signal than the physisorbed sensor. After the cells were stimulated with 5 mM Ca(2+) for ATP production, the intracellular signal enhanced by 31.8%. This work highlights the advantages of covalent aptamer sensors using GO as both a quencher and a delivery vehicle for intracellular metabolite detection.
- ArticleGuarin M, Faelens R, Giusti A, De Croze N, Léonard M, Cabooter D, Annaert P, de Witte P, Ny A.Sci Rep. 2021 06 09;11(1):12229.Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is increasingly used to assess the pharmacological activity and toxicity of compounds. The spatiotemporal distribution of seven fluorescent alkyne compounds was examined during 48 h after immersion (10 µM) or microinjection (2 mg/kg) in the pericardial cavity (PC), intraperitoneally (IP) and yolk sac (IY) of 3 dpf zebrafish eleuthero-embryos. By modelling the fluorescence of whole-body contours present in fluorescence images, the main pharmacokinetic (PK) parameter values of the compounds were determined. It was demonstrated that especially in case of short incubations (1-3 h) immersion can result in limited intrabody exposure to compounds. In this case, PC and IP microinjections represent excellent alternatives. Significantly, IY microinjections did not result in a suitable intrabody distribution of the compounds. Performing a QSPkR (quantitative structure-pharmacokinetic relationship) analysis, LogD was identified as the only molecular descriptor that explains the final uptake of the selected compounds. It was also shown that combined administration of compounds (immersion and microinjection) provides a more stable intrabody exposure, at least in case of a prolonged immersion and compounds with LogD value > 1. These results will help reduce the risk of false negative results and can offer an invaluable input for future translational research and safety assessment applications.
- ArticleSharma R, Anand H, Badr Y, Qiu RG.Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2021;7(1):e12229.INTRODUCTION: Many research studies have well investigated Alzheimer's disease (AD) detection and progression. However, the continuous-time survival prediction of AD is not yet fully explored to support medical practitioners with predictive analytics. In this study, we develop a survival analysis approach to examine interactions between patients' inherent temporal and medical patterns and predict the probability of the AD next stage progression during a time period. The likelihood of reaching the following AD stage is unique to a patient, helping the medical practitioner analyze the patient's condition and provide personalized treatment recommendations ahead of time.
METHODOLOGIES: We simulate the disease progression based on patient profiles using non-linear survival methods-non-linear Cox proportional hazard model (Cox-PH) and neural multi-task logistic regression (N-MTLR). In addition, we evaluate the concordance index (C-index) and Integrated Brier Score (IBS) to describe the evolution to the next stage of AD. For personalized forecasting of disease, we also developed deep neural network models using the dataset provided by the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center with their multiple-visit details between 2005 and 2017.
RESULTS: The experiment results show that our N-MTLR based survival models outperform the CoxPH models, the best of which gives Concordance-Index of 0.79 and IBS of 0.09. We obtained 50 critical features out of 92 by applying recursive feature elimination and random forest techniques on the clinical data; the top ones include normal cognition and behavior, criteria for dementia, community affairs, etc. Our study demonstrates that selecting critical features can improve the effectiveness of probabilities at each time interval.
CONCLUSIONS: The proposed deep learning-based survival method and model can be used by medical practitioners to predict the patients' AD shift efficiently and recommend personalized treatment to mitigate or postpone the effects of AD. More generally, our proposed survival analysis approach for predicting disease stage shift can be used for other progressive diseases such as cancer, Huntington's disease, and scleroderma, just to mention a few, using the corresponding clinical data. - ArticleVadagandla K, Jahagirdar V, Rama K, Qavi D.Cureus. 2020 Dec 22;12(12):e12229.Background Ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve block provides direct visualization of nerve and reduces the complications associated with classical landmark guided technique, by reducing the dosage of local anesthetic drugs. This study aims to determine the minimum effective volume (MEAV) of 0.75% ropivacaine for ultrasound-guided axillary brachial plexus block. Methodology A total of 23 patients of age group 18-75 years belonging to ASA grade 1, 2, and 3 were selected based on inclusion criteria. The MEAV was determined by using Dixons & Massey Step-up and Step-down method. The initial volume was selected as 15 mL based on previous studies. Depending on block success or failure, 1 mL of the drug was decreased or increased. Block was assessed in terms of motor and sensory components. The study was aborted after attaining five cases of block failure, followed by five cases of a successful block. Results The MEAV to be given for a successful block in 50% of patients (MEAV50) was 8.62 mL (95%CI 3.54-9.89). The MEAV to be given for a successful block in 90% of patients (MEAV 90) was 11.82 mL (95% CI 9.9-75.7). Conclusion Ultrasound guidance reduces the dosage of local anesthetic drugs to be used and provides surgical anesthesia without any complications or adverse effects.
- ArticleYao XH, Wang M, He XN, He F, Zhang SQ, Lu W, Qiu ZL, Yu YC.Nat Commun. 2016 08 11;7:12229.The coexistence of electrical and chemical synapses among interneurons is essential for interneuron function in the neocortex. However, it remains largely unclear whether electrical coupling between interneurons influences chemical synapse formation and microcircuit assembly during development. Here, we show that electrical and GABAergic chemical connections robustly develop between interneurons in neocortical layer 1 over a similar time course. Electrical coupling promotes action potential generation and synchronous firing between layer 1 interneurons. Furthermore, electrically coupled interneurons exhibit strong GABA-A receptor-mediated synchronous synaptic activity. Disruption of electrical coupling leads to a loss of bidirectional, but not unidirectional, GABAergic connections. Moreover, a reduction in electrical coupling induces an increase in excitatory synaptic inputs to layer 1 interneurons. Together, these findings strongly suggest that electrical coupling between neocortical interneurons plays a critical role in regulating chemical synapse development and precise formation of circuits.
- ArticleChauvet N, Jegouso D, Boulanger B, Saigo H, Okamura K, Hori H, Drezet A, Huant S, Bachelier G, Naruse M.Sci Rep. 2019 08 22;9(1):12229.The competitive multi-armed bandit (CMAB) problem is related to social issues such as maximizing total social benefits while preserving equality among individuals by overcoming conflicts between individual decisions, which could seriously decrease social benefits. The study described herein provides experimental evidence that entangled photons physically resolve the CMAB in the 2-arms 2-players case, maximizing the social rewards while ensuring equality. Moreover, we demonstrated that deception, or outperforming the other player by receiving a greater reward, cannot be accomplished in a polarization-entangled-photon-based system, while deception is achievable in systems based on classical polarization-correlated photons with fixed polarizations. Besides, random polarization-correlated photons have been studied numerically and shown to ensure equality between players and deception prevention as well, although the CMAB maximum performance is reduced as compared with entangled photon experiments. Autonomous alignment schemes for polarization bases were also experimentally demonstrated based only on decision conflict information observed by an individual without communications between players. This study paves a way for collective decision making in uncertain dynamically changing environments based on entangled quantum states, a crucial step toward utilizing quantum systems for intelligent functionalities.
- ArticleSerizawa T, Hirai Y, Aizawa M.Langmuir. 2009 Oct 20;25(20):12229-34.A novel synthetic route to peptide-capped gold nanoparticles was demonstrated herein. Tetrachloroaurate ions were reduced with 2-[4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) under extremely mild conditions (pH 7.2, ambient temperature) in the presence of cysteine-terminal desired peptides, so that peptide-capped spherical nanoparticles were successfully synthesized. Model basic peptides containing the Arg-Pro-Thr-Arg sequence, which is an essential motif that specifically binds to film surfaces composed of isotactic poly(methyl methacrylate), were employed. Particle sizes were approximately 10 nm, and size distributions were narrow. Positive zeta potentials of nanoparticles suggested the presence of the Arg-Pro-Thr-Arg sequence on the outermost surface. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that peptides were closely packed on the gold's surface. Parameters affecting reaction rates such as peptide structures and concentrations were investigated. Native peptide functions were conserved on nanoparticles by introducing a certain spacer between cysteine and the Arg-Pro-Thr-Arg sequence, suggesting that designing suitable peptide structures is essential to conserve peptide functions.
- ArticleEkerfelt H, Hansson M, Gallardo González I, Davoine X, Lundh O.Sci Rep. 2017 09 25;7(1):12229.One challenge in the development of laser wakefield accelerators is to demonstrate sufficient control and reproducibility of the parameters of the generated bunches of accelerated electrons. Here we report on a numerical study, where we demonstrate that trapping using density down-ramps allows for tuning of several electron bunch parameters by varying the properties of the density down-ramp. We show that the electron bunch length is determined by the difference in density before and after the ramp. Furthermore, the transverse emittance of the bunch is controlled by the steepness of the ramp. Finally, the amount of trapped charge depends both on the density difference and on the steepness of the ramp. We emphasize that both parameters of the density ramp are feasible to vary experimentally. We therefore conclude that this tunable electron accelerator makes it suitable for a wide range of applications, from those requiring short pulse length and low emittance, such as the free-electron lasers, to those requiring high-charge, large-emittance bunches to maximize betatron X-ray generation.
- ArticleRobertson KA, Hughes KJ, Rhind SM.Br J Biomed Sci. 2024;81:12229.This paper describes the successful implementation of an assessment literacy strategy within a Biomedical Sciences degree. Teaching was aligned with an assessment literacy framework and aimed to prepare undergraduates for a literature comprehension assessment. Students were introduced to the assessment purpose and an adapted Miller's pyramid model illustrated how the assessment contributed to competency development during their degree. Students read primary research papers and answered questions relating to the publications. They were then introduced to the processes of assessment and collaboratively graded answers of different standards. Finally, student and faculty grades were compared, differences considered, and key characteristics of answers discussed. Most students reported that they understood more about assessment standards than prior to the intervention [139/159 (87.4%)] and felt it had helped prepare them for their exam [138/159 (86.8%)]. The majority also reported they had increased confidence in evaluating data [118/159 (74%)], communicating their reasoning [113/159 (71%)] and considering what a reader needs to know [127/159 (79.9%)]. Students were asked to state the most important thing they had learned from the assessment literacy teaching. Notably, no responses referred to domain-specific knowledge. 129 free text responses were mapped to the University of Edinburgh graduate attribute framework. 93 (72%) statements mapped to the graduate attribute category "Research and Enquiry," 66 (51.16%) mapped to "Communication" and 21 (16.27%) mapped to "Personal and Intellectual Autonomy." To explore any longer-term impact of the assessment literacy teaching, a focus group was held with students from the same cohort, 2 years after the original intervention. Themes from this part of the study included that teaching had provided insights into standards and expectations for the assessment and the benefits of domain specific knowledge. A variety of aspects related to graduate attributes were also identified. Here, assessment literacy as a vehicle for graduate attribute development was an unexpected outcome. We propose that by explicitly engaging students with purpose, process, standards, and expectations, assessment literacy strategies may be used to successfully raise awareness of developmental progression, and enhance skills, aptitudes, and dispositions beneficial to Biomedical Sciences academic achievement and life after university.
- ArticleDurudas A, Milush JM, Chen HL, Engram JC, Silvestri G, Sodora DL.J Virol. 2009 Dec;83(23):12229-40.Cytokines and chemokines are critical for establishing tissue-specific immune responses and play key roles in modulating disease progression in simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected macaques and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected humans. The goal here was to characterize the innate immune response at different tissue sites and to correlate these responses to clinical outcome, initially focusing on rhesus macaques orally inoculated with SIV and monitored until onset of simian AIDS. Cytokine and chemokine mRNA transcripts were assessed at lymph nodes (LN) and peripheral blood cells utilizing quantitative real-time PCR at different time points postinfection. The mRNA expression of four immune modulators-alpha interferon (IFN-alpha), oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS), CXCL9, and CXCL10-was positively associated with disease progression within LN tissue. Elevated cytokine/chemokine expression in LN did not result in any observed beneficial outcome since the numbers of CXCR3(+) cells were not increased, nor were the SIV RNA levels decreased. In peripheral blood, increased OAS and CXCL10 expression were elevated in SIV(+) monkeys that progress the fastest to simian AIDS. Our results indicate that higher IFN-alpha, OAS, CXCL9, and CXCL10 mRNA expression in LN was associated with rapid disease progression and a LN environment that may favor SIV replication. Furthermore, higher expression of CXCL10 and OAS in peripheral blood could potentially serve as a diagnostic marker for hosts that are likely to progress to AIDS. Understanding the expression patterns of key innate immune modulators will be useful in assessing the disease state and potential rates of disease progression in HIV(+) patients, which could lead to novel therapy and vaccine approaches.
- ArticleMezzetti A.Molecules. 2015 Jul 03;20(7):12229-49.Light-induced infrared difference spectroscopy (IR-DS) has been used, especially in the last decade, to investigate early photophysics, energy transfer and photoprotection mechanisms in isolated and membrane-bound light harvesting complexes (LHCs). The technique has the definite advantage to give information on how the pigments and the other constituents of the biological system (proteins, membranes, etc.) evolve during a given photoreaction. Different static and time-resolved approaches have been used. Compared to the application of IR-DS to photosynthetic Reaction Centers (RCs), however, IR-DS applied to LHCs is still in an almost pioneering age: very often sophisticated techniques (step-scan FTIR, ultrafast IR) or data analysis strategies (global analysis, target analysis, multivariate curve resolution) are needed. In addition, band assignment is usually more complicated than in RCs. The results obtained on the studied systems (chromatophores and RC-LHC supercomplexes from purple bacteria; Peridinin-Chlorophyll-a-Proteins from dinoflagellates; isolated LHCII from plants; thylakoids; Orange Carotenoid Protein from cyanobacteria) are summarized. A description of the different IR-DS techniques used is also provided, and the most stimulating perspectives are also described. Especially if used synergically with other biophysical techniques, light-induced IR-DS represents an important tool in the investigation of photophysical/photochemical reactions in LHCs and LHC-containing systems.