Search results for " Connective tissue disease"
showing 10 items of 848 documents
IL-13 and IL-33 Serum Levels Are Increased in Systemic Sclerosis Patients With Interstitial Lung Disease
2022
ObjectiveSystemic sclerosis (SSc) mortality is extremely variable in its internal organ involvement. Pulmonary fibrosis occurs in up to 30% of the cases. Animal models provide evidence that IL-33 is able to induce both cutaneous and pulmonary fibrosis via increased IL-13 and in SSc patients the levels of IL-33 correlate with skin fibrosis. Our aim was to test whether both IL-33 and IL-13 are higher in patients with diffuse SSc and interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) compared to SSc patients without ILD and healthy controls.MethodsSerum levels of IL-13 and IL-33 were measured in 30 SSc patients with diffuse disease and 30 healthy controls by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The extent of p…
Application of the trans-contextual model to predict change in leisure time physical activity
2021
Objective: This study tested effects of changes in the psychological constructs of the trans-contextual model (TCM) on changes in adolescents' outside of school moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (PA) measured using self-report and accelerometer-based device. Design: A three-wave longitudinal design was used. High school students (N = 331) completed measures of all the TCM constructs at Time1 and at Time2, five weeks apart. Self-reported PA behaviour was measured also at Time3, five weeks after Time2. PA was measured using accelerometer-based devices for seven days following Time1 and Time3 for a census week. Results: A structural equation model using residual change scores revealed tha…
Experiences of arbitrary management among Finnish academics in an era of academic capitalism
2020
For the last two decades, Finnish universities have faced the implementation of new systems of control and undergone dramatic changes that have worsened academic working conditions–such as corporatisation and budget cuts. This article explores Finnish academics’ experiences of university reforms with a special focus on the consequences it has had in terms of organisational socio-dynamics. We adapt Glynos and Howarth’s logics of critical explanation and apply this theoretical framework to analyse the interviews of academics who, against their own will, did not have their contracts renewed. This approach describes, explains, and criticises the logics–which are social, political and fantasmati…
Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of the major capsid proteins VP16 and VP17 of bacteriophage P23-77.
2012
The major capsid proteins VP16 and VP17 of bacteriophage P23-77 have been crystallized using both recombinant and purified virus and preliminary diffraction analyses have been performed.
Predicting physical activity change in cancer survivors: an application of the Health Action Process Approach.
2022
Purpose Previous research has not examined the utility of the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) to predict physical activity (PA) change in cancer survivors. The aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy of a HAPA-based model in predicting temporal change in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in cancer survivors. Methods Participants enrolled in the Wearable Activity Technology and Action Planning (WATAAP) trial completed validated questionnaires (n = 64) to assess HAPA constructs (action and maintenance self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, action planning, risk perceptions, and intention) and wore an ActiGraph to measure PA at baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks later. D…
Identità in transizione. Il senso di sé personale e professionale in rapporto al cambiamento organizzativo
2017
Il presente lavoro indaga come il cambiamento organizzativo produce delle conseguenze sul piano dell’identità professionale e personale dei lavoratori, oltre che sulla qualità della loro identificazione con l’organizzazione. Nello specifico, a 12 dipendenti di un piccolo presidio ospedaliero, colpito da un processo di ridimensionamento a causa di una rimodulazione del personale e dei posti letto, è stata somministrata un’intervista narrativa finalizzata a indagare l’impatto del cambiamento organizzativo in corso sulle identità personali e professionali. Le interviste, esplorate tramite procedure di analisi statistica del contenuto, hanno fatto emergere come i lavoratori che tendono a identi…
Hyaluronic Acid Present in the Tumor Microenvironment Can Negate the Pro-apototic Effect of a Recombinant Fragment of Human Surfactant Protein D on B…
2020
Copyright © 2020 Murugaiah, Agostinis, Varghese, Belmonte, Vieni, Alaql, Alrokayan, Khan, Kaur, Roberts, Madan, Bulla and Kishore. Human surfactant protein D (SP-D) belongs to the family of collectins that is composed of a characteristic amino-terminal collagenous region and a carboxy-terminal C-type lectin domain. Being present at the mucosal surfaces, SP-D acts as is a potent innate immune molecule and offers protection against non-self and altered self-such as pathogens, allergens, and tumour. Here, we examined the effect of a recombinant fragment of human SP-D (rfhSP-D) on a range of breast cancer lines. Breast cancer has four molecular subtypes characterised by varied expression of oes…
Is the Complement Protein C1q a Pro- or Anti-tumorigenic Factor? Bioinformatics Analysis Involving Human Carcinomas
2019
C1q is the first subcomponent of the classical pathway of the complement system and belongs to the C1q/Tumor Necrosis Factor superfamily. C1q can perform a diverse range of immune and non-immune functions in a complement-dependent as well as -independent manner. Being a pattern recognition molecule of the innate immunity, C1q can recognize a number of self, non-self and altered-self ligands and bring about effector mechanisms designed to clear pathogens via opsonisation and inflammatory response. C1q is locally synthesized by macrophages and dendritic cells, and thus, can get involved in a range of biological processes, such as angiogenesis and tissue remodeling, immune modulation, and immu…
Innate Immune Cells' Contribution to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
2019
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by the presence of autoantibodies against nuclear antigens, immune complex deposition, and tissue damage in the kidneys, skin, heart and lung. Because of the pathogenic role of antinuclear antibodies and autoreactive T cells in SLE, extensive efforts have been made to demonstrate how B cells act as antibody-producing or as antigen-presenting cells that can prime autoreactive T cell activation. With the discovery of new innate immune cells and inflammatory mediators, innate immunity is emerging as a key player in disease pathologies. Recent work over the last decade has highlighted the importance of innate immun…
Are Toll-like receptors and decoy receptors involved in the immunopathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus-like syndromes?
2011
In this paper we focus our attention on the role of two families of receptors, Toll-like receptors (TLR) and decoy receptors (DcR) involved in the generation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus-like syndromes in human and mouse models. To date, these molecules were described in several autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, antiphospholipids syndrome, bowel inflammation, and SLE. Here, we summarize the findings of recent investigations on TLR and DcR and their role in the immunopathogenesis of the SLE.