Search results for "MULT"
showing 10 items of 17528 documents
Engineering of a DNA Polymerase for Direct m6A Sequencing
2017
Methods for the detection of RNA modifications are of fundamental importance for advancing epitranscriptomics. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant RNA modification in mammalian mRNA and is involved in the regulation of gene expression. Current detection techniques are laborious and rely on antibody-based enrichment of m6A-containing RNA prior to sequencing, since m6A modifications are generally "erased" during reverse transcription (RT). To overcome the drawbacks associated with indirect detection, we aimed to generate novel DNA polymerase variants for direct m6A sequencing. Therefore, we developed a screen to evolve an RT-active KlenTaq DNA polymerase variant that sets a mark for…
A new mass spectrometry-based method for the quantification of histones in plasma from septic shock patients.
2017
The aim of this study was to develop a novel method to detect circulating histones H3 and H2B in plasma based on multiple reaction monitoring targeted mass spectrometry and a multiple reaction monitoring approach (MRM-MS) for its clinical application in critical bacteriaemic septic shock patients. Plasma samples from 17 septic shock patients with confirmed bacteraemia and 10 healthy controls were analysed by an MRM-MS method, which specifically detects presence of histones H3 and H2B. By an internal standard, it was possible to quantify the concentration of circulating histones in plasma, which were significantly higher in patients, and thus confirmed their potential as biomarkers for diagn…
Role of IL-17-producing lymphocytes in severity of multiple sclerosis upon natalizumab treatment.
2016
Objective: Natalizumab is known to prevent T-helper cells entering the central nervous system (CNS). We hypothesize that more pathogenic T-helper cells are present outside the CNS and a possible relationship to disease severity. Methods: Characterization and enrichment of human CD4+IL-17+ cells were performed ex vivo using peripheral blood mononuclear cells from natalizumab-treated relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients ( n = 33), untreated RRMS patients ( n = 13), and healthy controls ( n = 33). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were performed routinely for patients. Results: Lymphocytes were elevated in peripheral blood of natalizumab-treated patients compared to untr…
Women's socioeconomic position in ontogeny is associated with improved immune function and lower stress, but not with height
2020
AbstractImmune function, height and resource accumulation comprise important life history traits in humans. Resource availability models arising from life history theory suggest that socioeconomic conditions influence immune function, growth and health status. In this study, we tested whether there are associations between family income during ontogeny, adult height, cortisol level and immune response in women. A hepatitis B vaccine was administered to 66 young Latvian women from different socioeconomic backgrounds, and blood samples were then collected to measure the level of antibodies that the women produced in response to the vaccination. Cortisol levels were measured from plasma sample…
Co-existence of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance in new Klebsiella pneumoniae clones emerging in south of Italy
2018
Abstract Background Endemic presence of Klebsiella pneumoniae resistant to carbapenem in Italy has been due principally to the clonal expansion of CC258 isolates; however, recent studies suggest an ongoing epidemiological change in this geographical area. Methods 50 K. pneumoniae strains, 25 carbapenem-resistant (CR-Kp) and 25 susceptible (CS-Kp), collected from march 2014 to march 2016 at the Laboratory of Bacteriology of the Paolo Giaccone Polyclinic University hospital of Palermo, Italy, were characterized for antibiotic susceptibility and fully sequenced by next generation sequencing (NGS) for the in silico analysis of resistome, virulome, multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and core sin…
The two-stage process in visual working memory consolidation
2019
AbstractTwo hypotheses have been proposed to explain the formation manner for visual working memory (VWM) representations during the consolidation process: an all-or-none process hypothesis and a coarse-to-fine process hypothesis. However, neither the all-or-none process hypothesis nor the coarse-to-fine process hypothesis can stipulate clearly how VWM representations are formed during the consolidation process. In the current study, we propose a two-stage process hypothesis to reconcile these hypotheses. The two-stage process hypothesis suggests that the consolidation of coarse information is an all-or-none process in the early consolidation stage, while the consolidation of detailed infor…
Human hippocampal neurogenesis drops sharply in children to undetectable levels in adults.
2018
New neurons continue to be generated in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus of the adult mammalian hippocampus(1-5). This process has been linked to learning and memory, stress and exercise, and is thought to be altered in neurological disease(6-10). In humans, some studies have suggested that hundreds of new neurons are added to the adult dentate gyrus every day(11), whereas other studies find many fewer putative new neurons(12-14). Despite these discrepancies, it is generally believed that the adult human hippocampus continues to generate new neurons. Here we show that a defined population of progenitor cells does not coalesce in the subgranular zone during human fetal or postnatal …
Chronic, but not acute, fatigue predicts self-reported attentional driving errors in mothers attending infant children
2019
AbstractMothers attending infant children usually experience high levels of fatigue, and fatigue has been shown to be related to car crashes through attentional errors, among other causes. The current study investigates the effects of fatigue on the attentional errors while driving of women attending infant children. A sample of 112 women—67 attending infant children and 45 not attending—filled out self-report questionnaires assessing acute fatigue, chronic fatigue, and attention-related driving errors. A mediational analysis showed that women attending infant children had higher levels of fatigue, and that chronic fatigue, but not acute fatigue, was related to attentional errors while driv…
Radiotherapy for the treatment of solitary plasmacytoma: 7-year outcomes by a mono-institutional experience.
2020
Objectives: Solitary plasmacytoma (SP) is characterized by a single mass of clonal plasma cells. Definitive RT can result in long-term local control of the SP. Due to the small number of patients and narrow range of doses, phase III randomized trials are lacking. The aim of this study is to further support the potential use of RT for the treatment of SP. Methods: Clinical data of all patients treated for SP at our Institution between 1992 and 2018 were reviewed. A total of 42 consecutive patients were analyzed. Results: The median follow-up was 84.8 months. Radiation dose did not differ significantly as a function of sex, type of SP (solitary bone plasmacytoma or as extramedullary plasmacyt…
In vivo muscle morphology comparison in post-stroke survivors using ultrasonography and diffusion tensor imaging.
2019
AbstractSkeletal muscle architecture significantly influences the performance capacity of a muscle. A DTI-based method has been recently considered as a new reference standard to validate measurement of muscle structure in vivo. This study sought to quantify muscle architecture parameters such as fascicle length (FL), pennation angle (PA) and muscle thickness (tm) in post-stroke patients using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and to quantitatively compare the differences with 2D ultrasonography (US) and DTI. Muscle fascicles were reconstructed to examine the anatomy of the medial gastrocnemius, posterior soleus and tibialis anterior in seven stroke survivors using US- and DTI-based techniques…