Search results for "Original article"
showing 10 items of 1187 documents
The Transcription Factor Promyelocytic Leukemia Zinc Finger Protein Is Associated With Expression of Liver‐Homing Receptors on Human Blood CD56bright…
2020
The transcription factor promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger protein (PLZF) is involved in the development of natural killer (NK) cells and innate lymphoid cells, including liver‐resident NK cells in mice. In human NK cells, the role of PLZF in liver residency is still unknown. Expression of PLZF in matched human peripheral blood‐ and liver‐derived NK cells and the association of PLZF expression with surface molecules and transcription factors relevant for tissue residency were investigated using multiparameter flow cytometry and assessing single‐cell messenger RNA (mRNA) levels. Intrahepatic cluster of differentiation (CD)56bright NK cells expressed significantly higher levels of PLZF than …
Spatial distribution of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea across a 44-hectare farm related to ecosystem functioning
2011
Characterization of spatial patterns of functional microbial communities could facilitate the understanding of the relationships between the ecology of microbial communities, the biogeochemical processes they perform and the corresponding ecosystem functions. Because of the important role the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) have in nitrogen cycling and nitrate leaching, we explored the spatial distribution of their activity, abundance and community composition across a 44-ha large farm divided into an organic and an integrated farming system. The spatial patterns were mapped by geostatistical modeling and correlations to soil properties and ecosystem functioning in terms …
Depth-of-Field of the Accommodating Eye
2014
Our eyes project information from a three-dimensional world to a basically two-dimensional surface, corresponding to the photoreceptor plane in the retina. In theory, only one plane or surface of world can be in focus at one time. However, the eye exhibits a certain tolerance to out-of-focus images, a feature that is known as depth-of-focus (DOF). The corresponding distance range in which the objects are seen “clearly” is known as depth-of-field (DOFi). Although DOF and DOFi refer to an interval of distances or a dioptric range in the image and object space, respectively, both parameters define a similar concept and are usually interchangeable. This article will mainly refer to DOFi because…
Sea urchin deciliation induces thermoresistance and activates the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.
2003
In this study, we demonstrate by a variety of approaches (ie, morphological analysis, Western blots, immunolocalization, and the use of specific antibodies) that hyperosmotic deciliation stress of sea urchin embryos induces a thermotolerant response. Deciliation is also able to activate a phosphorylation signaling cascade the effector of which might be the p38 stress-activated protein kinase because we found that the administration of the p38 inhibitor SB203580 to sea urchin deciliated gastrula embryos makes the hyperosmotic deciliation stress lethal.
Antimicrobial and antiproliferative activity of Athamanta sicula L. (Apiaceae).
2010
Background: Athamanta sicula L., a member of Apiaceae, is an annual perennial herb and it is known in Sicilian popular medicine with the name of “spaccapietre” (rock splitters), because fresh roots infusions are indicated as diuretic and used in the treatment of diseases of the urinary tract, and to dissolve kidney stones. Materials and Methods: Acetone extracts of leaves, flowers, and stems of A. sicula L. were investigated in vitro for antibacterial and cytotoxic activities. Antimicrobial activity was carried out against bacterial and fungal strains and antiproliferative activity against a group of human cancer cell lines (K-562, NCI-H460, and MCF-7). Results: All acetone extracts, apiol …
Preclinical characterization of antagomiR-218 as a potential treatment for myotonic dystrophy
2021
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a rare neuromuscular disease caused by expansion of unstable CTG repeats in a non-coding region of the DMPK gene. CUG expansions in mutant DMPK transcripts sequester MBNL1 proteins in ribonuclear foci. Depletion of this protein is a primary contributor to disease symptoms such as muscle weakness and atrophy and myotonia, yet upregulation of endogenous MBNL1 levels may compensate for this sequestration. Having previously demonstrated that antisense oligonucleotides against miR-218 boost MBNL1 expression and rescue phenotypes in disease models, here we provide preclinical characterization of an antagomiR-218 molecule using the HSALR mouse model and patient-d…
Accuracy of Transient Elastography in Assessing Fibrosis at Diagnosis in Naïve Patients With Primary Biliary Cholangitis: A Dual Cut-Off Approach
2021
Background & aims Liver fibrosis holds a relevant prognostic meaning in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Non-invasive fibrosis evaluation using vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) is routinely performed. However, there is limited evidence on its accuracy at diagnosis in PBC. We aimed to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of VCTE in assessing advanced fibrosis at disease presentation in PBC. Approach & results We collected data from 167 consecutive treatment-naive PBC patients who underwent liver biopsy(LB) at diagnosis at six Italian centers. VCTE examinations were completed within 12 weeks of LB. Biopsies were scored by two blinded expert pathologists, according to Ludwig sy…
Extracting Conditionally Heteroskedastic Components using Independent Component Analysis
2020
In the independent component model, the multivariate data are assumed to be a mixture of mutually independent latent components. The independent component analysis (ICA) then aims at estimating these latent components. In this article, we study an ICA method which combines the use of linear and quadratic autocorrelations to enable efficient estimation of various kinds of stationary time series. Statistical properties of the estimator are studied by finding its limiting distribution under general conditions, and the asymptotic variances are derived in the case of ARMA-GARCH model. We use the asymptotic results and a finite sample simulation study to compare different choices of a weight coef…
Regular Strength and Sprint Training Counteracts Bone Aging: a 10- year Follow-up in Male Masters Athletes
2021
According to cross-sectional and interventional studies, high-intensity strength and impact-type training provide a powerful osteogenic stimulus even in old age. Longitudinal evidence on the ability of high-intensity training to attenuate age-related bone deterioration is currently lacking, however. This follow-up study assessed the role of continued strength and sprint training on bone aging in 40- to 85-year-old male sprinters (n=69) with long-term training background. pQCT-derived bone structural, strength and densitometric parameters of the distal tibia (5% distal-proximal tibia length) and tibial midshaft (50% length) were assessed at baseline and after 10 years. The groups of well-tra…
Anesthesia for Euthanasia Influences mRNA Expression in Healthy Mice and after Traumatic Brain Injury
2014
Tissue sampling for gene expression analysis is usually performed under general anesthesia. Anesthetics are known to modulate hemodynamics, receptor-mediated signaling cascades, and outcome parameters. The present study determined the influence of anesthetic paradigms typically used for euthanization and tissue sampling on cerebral mRNA expression in mice. Naïve mice and animals with acute traumatic brain injury induced by controlled cortical impact (CCI) were randomized to the following euthanasia protocols (n=10-11/group): no anesthesia (NA), 1 min of 4 vol% isoflurane in room air (ISO), 3 min of a combination of 5 mg/kg midazolam, 0.05 mg/kg fentanyl, and 0.5 mg/kg medetomidine intraperi…