Dendritic cells (DCs) operate as the link between innate and adaptive immunity. Their expression of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), such as TLRs and CLRs, enable antigen recognition and mediate appropriate immune responses. Distinct subsets of human DCs have been identified; however their PRRs expressions are not fully clarified. Especially, expressions of CLRs by DC subpopulations remain el

Introduction: Progression of joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is partly heritably; 45 to 58% of the variance in joint destruction is estimated to be explained by genetic factors. The binding of RANKL (Receptor Activator for Nuclear Factor kappa B Ligand) to RANK results in the activation of TRAF6 (tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor associated factor-6), and osteoclast formation ult

The telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter, an important element of telomerase expression, has emerged as a target of cancer-specific mutations. Originally described in melanoma, the mutations in TERT promoter have been shown to be common in certain other tumor types that include glioblastoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and bladder cancer. To fully define the occurrence and effect of the

Background: To investigate the long-term effects of cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI) therapy and the influence of sociodemographic and clinical factors on the use of community-based home help services (HHS) by patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: This 3-year, prospective, multicenter study included 880 AD patients treated with donepezil, rivastigmine, or galantamine in a routine clinica

Variants in the growth factor receptor-bound protein 10 (GRB10) gene were in a GWAS meta-analysis associated with reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) if inherited from the father, but inexplicably reduced fasting glucose when inherited from the mother. GRB10 is a negative regulator of insulin signaling and imprinted in a parent-of-origin fashion

An accurate characterization of the microstructure of raw and pure homoionic clays from Wadi Bashira in Iraq (IQ-WB) has been carried out experimentally, using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and dynamic light scattering. The structures of lamellar IQ-WB dispersions were identified by these techniques and by complementary free swelling and dialysis experiments. SAXS measurements were used to r

OBJECTIVES: The findings of experimental studies suggest that the immune system plays a key role in atherosclerosis but the clinical importance of different immune cells in cardiovascular disease remains poorly characterized. In this study we investigated the association between CD8(+) T cells and carotid disease as well as development of cardiovascular disease events. DESIGN: The study cohort com

Estrogen exerts vasculoprotective effects in different experimental settings through inhibition of vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, stimulation of nitric oxide production and attenuation of inflammation. Although these estrogen-evoked beneficial effects have been attributed to estrogen receptor α (ERα), also ERβ and the novel ER GPR30/GPER1 probably play significant roles in vascular est

The gamma evaluation method has become the gold standard for the comparison between measured and calculated absorbed dose distributions. However, test criteria and failure rate tolerance levels have hitherto normally been based on empirical evidence, rather than rigorous statistical analysis. In this work, it is proposed that the gamma-evaluation method could be reinterpreted such that the absorbe

Dose-dense administration of paclitaxel as well as intraperitoneal administration of platinum and paclitaxel as first-line treatments provide similar advantages compared with standard treatment in advanced ovarian cancer. Both approaches, however, need to be confirmed by additional studies. a low dose of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin combined with carboplatin is superior to standard paclitaxel a

Analysis of multivariate data sets from, for example, microarray studies frequently results in lists of genes which are associated with some response of interest. The biological interpretation is often complicated by the statistical instability of the obtained gene lists, which may partly be due to the functional redundancy among genes, implying that multiple genes can play exchangeable roles in t

The development of human pluripotent stem cells has opened up the possibility to analyse the function of human cells and tissues in animal hosts, thus generating chimeras. Although such lines of research have great potential for both basic and translational science, they also raise unique ethical issues that must be considered.

A double-tuned Na-23/H-1 resonator system was developed to record multinuclear MR image data during and after transient cerebral ischemia. H-1-diffusion-, H-1 perfusion, H-1 T2-, H-1 arterial blood flow-and Na-23 spin density-weighted images were then acquired at three time points in a rodent stroke model: (I) during 90 min artery occlusion, (II) directly after arterial reperfusion and (III) one d

According to the literature, landscape (panoramas, heritage objects e.g. landmarks) affects people in various ways. Data are primarily developed by asking people (interviews, photo sessions, focus groups) about their preferences, but to a lesser degree by measuring how the body reacts to such objects. Personal experience while driving a car through a landscape is even more rare. In this paper we s

The influence of salts (NaCl, NaBr, and NaI) on the formation of mesoporous silica SBA-15 was studied in situ by small-angle X-ray scattering and diffraction. Pluronic P104 was used as structure director. The micellar properties and the dynamics of formation were clearly dependent on the presence of salt. It was also shown that the kinetics of mesophase formation, the initial value of the cell par

To investigate how much Gleason pattern 3 cancer the prostate biopsy specimens may contain without an increased risk of undetected more aggressive cancer, compared with the risk for cancers fulfilling the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) criteria for very low risk prostate cancer.

Cerebellar learning requires context information from mossy fibers and a teaching signal through the climbing fibers from the inferior olive. Although the inferior olive fires in bursts, virtually all studies have used a teaching signal consisting of a single pulse. Following a number of failed attempts to induce cerebellar learning in decerebrate ferrets with a nonburst signal, we tested the effe

Migratory birds are predicted to adapt their departure to wind, changing their threshold of departure and selectivity of the most favourable winds in relation to the mean, scatter and skewness of the wind regime. The optimal departure behaviour depends also on the importance of time and energy minimization during migration and on the ratio of cost of flight to cost of resting and waiting for more