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Lymphocytes are the key cells of the adaptive immune system that provide antigen-specific responses tailored to the context of antigen exposure. Through cytokine release and antibody production, lymphocytes orchestrate and amplify the recruitment and function of other immune cells and contribute to host defense against invading pathogens and the pathogenesis of many inflammatory diseases. Lymphocy
Thermal performance curves (TPCs) are intended to approximate the relationship between temperature and fitness, and are commonly integrated into species distributional models for understanding climate change responses. However, TPCs may vary across traits because selection and environmental sensitivity (plasticity) differ across traits or because the timing and duration of the temperature exposure
Dendritic cells present microbial antigens to T cells after uptake of apoptotic vesicles from infected cells. We previously reported that immunizations with apoptotic HIV-1/murine leukemia virus (MuLV) infected cells lead to induction of both cellular and humoral immune responses as well as resistance to mucosal challenge with live HIV-1/MuLV infected cells. Here we extended those studies and inve
Background: Many strategies are currently being pursued in order to generate mature dendritic cells (DC) to be used for immunotherapy. A potent anti-tumour influence by extracorporeal photopheresis has been documented for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, and a major mechanism of action has been suggested to be generation of DC presenting tumour antigens. Purpose: To determine the potential of a simple c
Introduction. There are few published guidelines for the management of sexual dysfunctions in men and women, despite the prevalence and lack of attention to these problems. Disorders of sexual function in men include erectile dysfunction, orgasm/ejaculation disorders, priapism, and Peyronie's disease. Aim. To provide evidence-based and expert-opinion consensus guidelines for the clinical managemen
The projection of primary afferents onto spinal interneurons constitutes the first step in sensorimotor transformations performed by spinal reflex systems. Despite extensive studies on spinal somatotopy, uncertainties remain concerning the extent and significance of representational overlap and relation to spinal reflex circuits. To address these issues, the cutaneous projection from the hindpaw a
To study the role of cytotoxin-associated protein (cagA) and vacuolating cytotoxin (vacA) in Helicobacter pylori infection in an experimental murine model, mice were infected with seven strains with different cagA and vacA status. Groups of 10 NMRI mice were challenged and were killed 5 weeks later. In a second study, 20 mice were challenged with a mixture of the same seven strains and killed 1, 3
The transfer of albumin from blood to tissue has been found to be increased in caveolin-1 knock-out (KO) mice. This has been considered to reflect an increased microvascular permeability, conceivably caused by an increased endothelial production of nitric oxide (NO) in mice lacking caveolin-1. To investigate whether such an increase in endothelial NO-production would also affect the glomerular bar
Autoantibodies to insulin (IAA) are one of the first markers of the autoimmune process leading to type 1 diabetes (T1D). While other autoantibodies in T1D have been studied extensively, relatively little is known about IAA and their binding specificities, especially after insulin treatment is initiated. We hypothesize that insulin antibodies (IA) that develop upon initiation of insulin treatment d
The pattern of autoimmune diseases in childhood cancer survivors has not been investigated previously. We estimated the risk for an autoimmune disease after childhood cancer in a large, population-based setting with outcome measures from comprehensive, nationwide health registries.
This paper introduces a number of advancements of our recently proposed model of atrioventricular (AV) node function during atrial fibrillation (AF). The model is defined by parameters characterizing the arrival rate of atrial impulses, the probability of an impulse choosing either one of the two AV nodal pathways, the refractory periods of these pathways, and their prolongation. In the updated mo
A 76-year-old male was diagnosed to have diabetes mellitus at 57 years of age and oral hypoglycemic agents were started. Aspart, a human insulin analogue, was initiated because of a poor glycemic control in July 2009, at 74 years of age. He complained of dizziness and faintness caused by hypoglycemia in the early morning and afternoon. He was admitted to another hospital in August 2010; his plasma
Host-defense peptides play a fundamental role in the innate immune system by modulating inflammatory responses. Previously, it was shown that the thrombin derived host-defense peptide GKY25 inhibits LPS-induced responses of monocytes and macrophages in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. In this study, the effect of GKY25 on the interaction of monocytes/macrophages with Gram-negative bacteria was explore
Inflammation is reported in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Few studies have investigated circulating blood cells that may contribute to inflammation. We assessed circulating platelets, white blood cells (WBC) and red blood cells (RBC) in PTSD and assessed their relationship to inflammation and symptom severity. One-hundred and sixty-three male combat-exposed veterans (82 PTSD, 81 non-PTSD)
Streptococcus pyogenes of the M1 serotype is commonly associated with invasive streptococcal infections and development of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. The M1 protein is a powerful inducer of inflammatory responses for several human cell types, but the reason why M1 protein-related strains is over-represented in invasive streptococcal diseases is still not understood. This study was underta
Background--Advances in perinatal medicine have increased infant survival after very preterm birth. Although this progress is welcome, there is increasing concern that preterm birth is an emerging risk factor for hypertension at young age, with implications for the lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease. Methods and Results--We measured casual blood pressures (BPs) in a population-based cohort of
Background: Methyl mercury (MeHg) is a well-known neurotoxin and evidence suggests that also low level exposure may affect prenatal neurodevelopment. Uncertainty exists as to whether the maternal MeHg burden in Norway might affect child neurodevelopment. Objective: To evaluate the association between prenatal mercury exposure, maternal seafood consumption and child language and communication skill
Using Deterministic Lateral Displacement devices optimized for sensitivity to particle length, we separate subpopulations of bacteria depending on known properties that affect their capability to cause disease (virulence). For the human bacterial pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae, bacterial chain length and the presence of a capsule are known virulence factors contributing to its ability to cause
Chowdury and Others v Greece reveals the exploitation that migrant workers suffer at agricultural farms for production of strawberries whose sweet taste many of us enjoy. Greece was found in violation of Article 4 of the ECHR (the right not to be subjected to forced labour and human trafficking) for its failure to protect the migrants from the exploitation and to conduct effective investigation. T
