An Ag-Dependent Approach Based on Adaptive Mechanisms for Investigating the Regulation of the Memory B Cell Reservoir

In fact, it is well-known that the soluble antibody population is one of the essential mechanisms of immunological response regulation [23-25]. However, despite the pioneering work of Lagreca et al. (2001) in developing a coupled map for studying the behavior of the mammalian immune system, their model did not consider these populations [1-6], which makes the model incomplete with respect to the regulation of the immune response by adaptive mechanisms. This omission opens up the possibility of extending their work by taking the soluble antibody populations into account. We have performed that work and present our immunological modeling and simulation findings in this paper

2010 IMSAloquium, Student Investigation Showcase

IMSA students engage in investigations in nanotechnology, particle physics, law, neonatal medicine, literature, transplantation biology, water purity, the educational achievement gap, neurobiology and memory, ethics, theatre, discrete mathematics, economics, and more.https://digitalcommons.imsa.edu/archives_sir/1002/thumbnail.jp

06. 2010 IMSAloquium Student Investigation Showcase

https://digitalcommons.imsa.edu/class_of_2010/1004/thumbnail.jp

Uma aplicação da abordagem de Verhulst para investigar a influência da mutação antigênica na durabilidade da memória imune.

Modelos matemáticos têm sido utilizados para responder a várias questões imunológicas complexas como o processo de memória imunológica e a duração de vacinas, onde os mecanismos de regulação ainda não são suficientemente conhecidos. Neste artigo é apresentada uma abordagem in silico para simular o processo de mutação antigênica e suas implicações sobre a memória imunológica. O resultados sugerem que a durabilidade da memória imunológica é afetada pelo processo de mutação antigênica.bitstream/item/32809/1/BolPesq27.pd

ROLE OF AMYLOID BETA ASSEMBLY STATE IN THE HUMAN IMMUNE RESPONSE

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a slowly progressing neurodegenerative disease that leads to dementia. Histopathological hallmarks that characterize AD are senile plaques formed by extracellular deposition of Amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide and intracellular aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. The plaques, which are found in the brain parenchyma, comprise both 40 and 42 residue Aβ. Aggregation of Aβ is an established pathogenic mechanism in AD, but little is known about the initiation of this process in vivo. Several studies have revealed significant inflammatory markers such as activated microglia and cytokines surrounding the plaques. Plaques are a hallmark of AD, but they are only part of an array of Aβ aggregate morphologies observed in vivo. Structural polymorphism is a prominent feature of Aβ aggregation both in vitro and in vivo. The molecular relationship between the different forms of Aβ remains to be determined. Inflammatory processes are believed to contribute to AD pathophysiology, and may play an important role in the disease progression. Not all Aβ deposits evoke a proinflammatory response, making it all the more important to probe into structural details of the Aβ aggregation pathway. This research was aimed at investigating what Aβ morphology or aggregation species induce the strongest proinflammatory response in human THP-1 monocytes as a model system. Our results indicate that an intermediate fibrillar aggregation species formed when Aβ(1-42) is reconstituted in water (100 μM, pH 3.6) and incubated at 4oC under quiescent conditions was capable of stimulating maximum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα). Modulating conditions that accelerated or increased Aβ(1-42) fibril formation such as temperature, peptide concentration, or pH diminished the ability to activate the cells. Immunodepletion of Aβ(1-42) solution with fibril specific antibody (OC immune serum) reduced the ability to induce TNFα production. Characterization by SEC showed an included peak that appeared immediately after the void volume and stimulated the maximum proinflammatory response. We have also shown that the shorter peptide Aβ(1-40) could not stimulate a proinflammatory response under similar aggregation conditions. Overall, the data suggest that an intermediate Aβ(1-42) fibrillar precursor species is optimal for inducing maximum proinflammatory activity in THP-1 monocytes

The role of the immune response in the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment for antibiotic susceptible and antibiotic resistant bacteria

The increasing spread of antimicrobial resistant bacteria and the decline in the development of novel antibiotics have incited exploration of other avenues for antimicrobial therapy, such as the use of antibiotics that enhance the host’s defenses to infection. This study explores the influence of antibiotics on the innate immune responses to bacteria. The aims were to investigate antibiotic effects on bacterial viability, innate immune cells in response to bacteria and interactions between bacteria and the host. Five exemplar antibiotics at maximum serum concentration (C$_m$$_a$$_x$) and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were tested. $Salmonella$ Typhimurium SL1344 was chosen as the model pathogen. Following incubation of SL1344 with C$_m$$_a$$_x$ concentrations of ceftriaxone bacterial viability was undetectable. When SL1344 was incubated with ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin treated neutrophils, there was reduced bacterial viability. Ciprofloxacin pre-treated neutrophils had reduced ability to phagocytose bacteria, while oxidative burst was increased following exposure to ceftriaxone. Adhesion of SL1344 to J774 macrophages pre-exposed to both concentrations of ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone was increased, but only C$_m$$_a$$_x$ of azithromycin and streptomycin. Expression of IL-1β and TNFα mRNA was greater in SL1344 infected macrophages pre-exposed to ciprofloxacin or ceftriaxone, than in macrophages exposed to antibiotics alone or SL1344 alone. In conclusion, it was found that clinical relevant concentrations of certain antibiotics enhance the response of immune cells and their interaction with bacteria, by increasing phagocytosis and killing in neutrophils, increasing bacterial adhesion to macrophages and increased cytokine production. These immunomodulatory potentials of antibiotics can be harnessed and exploited for broader therapeutic use

Working Papers: Astronomy and Astrophysics Panel Reports

The papers of the panels appointed by the Astronomy and Astrophysics survey Committee are compiled. These papers were advisory to the survey committee and represent the opinions of the members of each panel in the context of their individual charges. The following subject areas are covered: radio astronomy, infrared astronomy, optical/IR from ground, UV-optical from space, interferometry, high energy from space, particle astrophysics, theory and laboratory astrophysics, solar astronomy, planetary astronomy, computing and data processing, policy opportunities, benefits to the nation from astronomy and astrophysics, status of the profession, and science opportunities

Financial liberalization, financial development and economic growth: the case for South Africa

Financial liberalization in South Africa was a process that took the form of various legal reforms very a long period of time. This study uses quarterly financial data from 1969 quarter one to 2009 quarter four to analyse this process. The data used was pertinent to the financial liberalization theorem by McKinnon (1973) and Shaw (1973). The examination of the relationships between the various macro economic variables has important implications for effective policy formulation. The empirical analysis is carried out in four phases: the preliminary analysis, the principal component analysis (PCA), the cointegration analysis and pair wise Granger causality tests. The preliminary analysis examines trends over the sample period and reports the on the correlation between the selected variables. The PCA analysis was used to create indexes for financial liberalization, taking into account the phase wise nature of legal reforms. The generated index was representative of the process of financial liberalization from 1969 to 2009. A financial development index was also created using the various traditional measures of financial development and through PCA which investigated interrelationships among the variables according to their common sources of movement. Cointegration analysis is carried out using the Johansen cointegration procedure which investigates whether there is long-run comovement between South African economic growth and the selected macroeconomic variables. Where cointegration is found, Vector Error-Correction Models (VECMs) are estimated in order to examine the short-run adjustments. For robustness, many control variables were added into the model. The results showed that there are positive long run relationships between economic growth and financial liberalization, financial development and a negative relationship with interest rates. The Granger results suggested that the MS hypothesis does not manifest accurately in the South African data. The implications of the results were that financial liberalization has had positive effects on economic growth and thus any impediments to full financial liberalization must be removed albeit with considerations towards employment and local productivity. Financial development also possessed positive long run relationships with economic growth, although results differed based on the financial development proxy used. Thus, financial development must be improved primarily through liberalizing the banking sector and spurring savings

New Europe, Old Jails: The European Integration of Romanian Penitentiary Culture and Civilization

The book presents the prisons in Romania from two perspectives: on the one hand, from a cultural one, which addresses aspects such as symbols, rituals, heroes and values. On the other hand, from the perspective of indicators measuring the degree of civilization, you group in three categories: population, places and services