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To mimic the two-signal requirements for T cell activation mediated by ligands, we exposed the superantigens SEA or SEE (signal 1) to T cells incubated with HLA-DR/LFA-3 or HLA-DR/137-1-CHO transfected cells (signal 2). LFA-3 costimulation was able to induce T cell proliferation as well as IFN-gamma and IL-4 production at similar levels as in cells induced by B7-1. Analysis of the CD28RE of the IL

Social nesting behaviour is commonly associated with high prevalence and intensity of parasites in intraspecific comparisons. Little is known about the effects of interspecific host breeding density for parasite intensity in generalist host–parasite systems. Darwin’s small tree finch (Camarhynchus parvulus) on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos Islands, nests in both heterospecific aggregations and at s

Pressurized ventilation acts to increase the oxygen supply to roots and rhizomes in some species of emergent plants. In a greenhouse experiment, we investigated how pressurized ventilation affected growth, biomass allocation and mineral content of Phragmites australis in two water depths (15 cm or 75 cm) and two substrates (organic sediment or sand). Through perforating each stem above the water s

Host genetic variations play a significant role in conferring predisposition to infection. in this study, we examined the immune mechanisms underlying the host genetic predisposition to severe Staphylococcus aureus infection in different mouse strains. Whereas C57BL/6 mice were the most resistant in terms of control of bacterial growth and survival, A/J, DBA/2, and BALB/c mice were highly suscepti

The Homeobox (Hox) transcription factors are important regulators of normal and malignant hematopoiesis because they control proliferation, differentiation, and self-renewal of hematopoietic cells at different levels of the hematopoietic hierarchy. In transgenic mice we show that the expression of HOXA10 is tightly regulated by doxycycline. Intermediate concentrations of HOXA10 induced a 15-fold i

For most species, it is currently not known whether individual characteristics and population parameters affecting dispersal distances within the local population are also affecting dispersal of individuals emigrating longer distances. We evaluated this in the great reed warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus by analysing data of natal dispersal distances within (1) the local hatching area in southern

Blood coagulation factor IX is composed of discrete domains with an NH2-terminal vitamin K-dependent gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla)-containing region, followed by two domains that are homologous with the epidermal growth factor (EGF) precursor and a COOH-terminal serine protease part. Calcium ions bind to the Gla-containing region and to the NH2-terminal EGF-like domain. To be able to determine

Cerebral ischemia results in a local inflammatory response that contributes to the size of the lesion, however, the involvement of the cerebral vasculature is unknown. We hypothesise that the expression of inflammatory genes (Il6, iNOS, cxcl2, TNF-α and Il-1β) and extracellular-matrix-related genes (MMP9, MMP13) is induced in cerebral arteries following cerebral ischemia via activation of mitogen

Asthma is an increasingly common disorder, affecting 5-10% of the population. It involves a dysregulated immune function, which may predispose to subsequent cancer. We examined cancer risk among Swedish subjects who had hospital admission once or multiple times for asthma. An asthma research database was created by identifying asthma patients from the Swedish Hospital Discharge Register and by lin

Platelet factor 4 (PF4) is an abundant platelet alpha-granule chemokine released following platelet activation. PF4 interacts with thrombomodulin and the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) domain of protein C, thereby enhancing activated protein C (APC) generation by the thrombin-thrombomodulin complex. However, the protein C Gla domain not only mediates protein C activation in vivo, but also plays

Humans utilise about 40% of the earth's net primary production (NPP) but the products of this NPP are often managed by different sectors, with timber and forest products managed by the forestry sector and food and fibre products from croplands and grasslands managed by the agricultural sector. Other significant anthropogenic impacts on the global carbon cycle include human utilization of fossil fu

Fluid pressure, instability, or particles have been suggested to initiate the process leading to loosening of prosthetic implants. In a rat model where bone resorption is caused by oscillating fluid pressure, the resorptive response seems much stronger than the response that can be induced by particles or instability. Bone resorption is caused by osteoclasts. It has been suggested that the formati

A Late Weichselian sediment succession from the Kullen Peninsula, southern Sweden, was studied by means of stable carbon and oxygen isotope analyses of calcitic valves of selected ostracod taxa. The lower part of the record was deposited in a slightly brackish marginal sea close to the receding inland ice, whereas the upper part is lacustrine in origin as a result of glacio-isostatic rebound. The

The influence of pH on the growth and assimilation of N-15-labelled ammonium and nitrate was studied in intact ectomycorrhizal systems consisting of Betula pendula Roth and Picea abies (L.) Karst. colonized with a common mycelium of Paxillus involutus (Batsch) Fr. The plants were grown together in Plexiglass observation chambers containing non-sterile peat with three different pH values, 4.0, 5.1

Six methyl cellulose (MC) samples, one with a IDS Of 1.32 and five with a DS between 1.83 and 1.88, were degraded with five different enzymes or enzyme preparations containing endoglucanases. The main goal was to investigate whether enzymes could be used for determination of heterogeneity of the substituent distribution along the cellulose chain. To obtain information about the heterogeneity it wa

Shedding of epithelium, increased venular permeability, and traffic of activated eosinophils and neutrophils may characterize asthmatic airways. This in vivo study involving briefly anesthetized guinea pigs examines whether epithelial denudation itself affects airway venules and granulocytes. Using an oral probe, a de-epithelialized tracheal zone (0.8 x 30 mm) was produced without bleeding or dama

The location and functional properties of antigen-specific memory T-cell populations in lymphoid and nonlymphoid compartments following DNA immunization or infection with Salmonella were investigated. Epitope-specific CD8+-T-cell expansion and retention during the memory phase were analyzed for DNA-immunized mice by use of a 5-h peptide restimulation assay. These data revealed that epitope-specifi

The amount of large and old trees has decreased in the boreal forests during the last centuries of forestry. Such trees are important habitats for epiphytic lichens and there is a growing concern for lichen species that are associated with large and old trees. However, only little is known about the relative importance of tree size versus age as determinants of lichen diversity. Here we have deter

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are increasingly used as an investigative therapeutic product for immune disorders and degenerative disease. Typically, MSC are isolated from human tissue, expanded in culture and cryopreserved until usage. The safety and efficacy of MSC therapy will depend on the phenotypical and functional characteristics of MSC. The freeze-thawing procedure may change these chara