SIGLEC1 (CD169): a marker of active neuroinflammation in the brain but not in the blood of multiple sclerosis patients

We aimed to evaluate SIGLEC1 (CD169) as a biomarker in multiple sclerosis (MS) and Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and to evaluate the presence of SIGLEC1(+) myeloid cells in demyelinating diseases. We performed flow cytometry-based measurements of SIGLEC1 expression on monocytes in 86 MS patients, 41 NMOSD patients and 31 healthy controls. Additionally, we histologically evaluated the presence of SIGLEC1(+) myeloid cells in acute and chronic MS brain lesions as well as other neurological diseases. We found elevated SIGLEC1 expression in 16/86 (18.6%) MS patients and 4/41 (9.8%) NMOSD patients. Almost all MS patients with high SIGLEC1 levels received exogenous interferon beta as an immunomodulatory treatment and only a small fraction of MS patients without interferon treatment had increased SIGLEC1 expression. In our cohort, SIGLEC1 expression on monocytes was-apart from those patients receiving interferon treatment-not significantly increased in patients with MS and NMOSD, nor were levels associated with more severe disease. SIGLEC1(+) myeloid cells were abundantly present in active MS lesions as well as in a range of acute infectious and malignant diseases of the central nervous system, but not chronic MS lesions. The presence of SIGLEC1(+) myeloid cells in brain lesions could be used to investigate the activity in an inflammatory CNS lesion

Inclusive e+^+e−^- production in collisions of pions with protons and nuclei in the second resonance region of baryons

Inclusive e$^+$e$^-$ production has been studied with HADES in $\pi^-$ + p, $\pi^-$ + C and $\pi^- + \mathrm{CH}_2$ reactions, using the GSI pion beam at $\sqrt{s_{\pi p}}$ = 1.49 GeV. Invariant mass and transverse momentum distributions have been measured and reveal contributions from Dalitz decays of $\pi^0$, $\eta$ mesons and baryon resonances. The transverse momentum distributions are very sensitive to the underlying kinematics of the various processes. The baryon contribution exhibits a deviation up to a factor seven from the QED reference expected for the dielectron decay of a hypothetical point-like baryon with the production cross section constrained from the inverse $\gamma$ n$\rightarrow \pi^-$ p reaction. The enhancement is attributed to a strong four-momentum squared dependence of the time-like electromagnetic transition form factors as suggested by Vector Meson Dominance (VMD). Two versions of the VMD, that differ in the photon-baryon coupling, have been applied in simulations and compared to data. VMD1 (or two-component VMD) assumes a coupling via the $\rho$ meson and a direct coupling of the photon, while in VMD2 (or strict VMD) the coupling is only mediated via the $\rho$ meson. The VMD2 model, frequently used in transport calculations for dilepton decays, is found to overestimate the measured dielectron yields, while a good description of the data can be obtained with the VMD1 model assuming no phase difference between the two amplitudes. Similar descriptions have also been obtained using a time-like baryon transition form factor model where the pion cloud plays the major role.Comment: (HADES collaboration

Pharmacokinetics of ibuprofen in man IV: Absorption and disposition

Fifteen normal male volunters received 400, 800, and 1200 mg doses of ibuprofen as 1, 2, or 3 tablets, respectively, in crossover fashion, then 420 mg in solution form during the fourth week. Plasma concentration of ibuprofen was measured by an HPLC method. Individual subject concentration-time (C,t) data following the solution were analyzed by two different methods, and results unequivocally indicated the open two compartment model with first order absorption. However, the computer fitting of both arithmetic and geometric mean concentrations led to a different model. A method was developed to obtain absorption data (fraction of drug absorbed , F a , versus time) for a multicompartmental system from oral data alone, without intravenous data. The method assumes that V p is constant intrasubject and that absorption is complete following administration of both the solution and tablets. The method was successfully applied to the ibuprofen tablet data. It was shown also that such a method is necessary to obtain ibuprofen absorption data since intrasubject variation of the microscopic rate constants k 12 , k a21 , and k el ( as reflected by the intrasubject variation of the hybrid rate parameters λ 1 and λ 2 or Β and a) is of the same order of magnitude as intersubject variation. Absorption of ibuprofen from tablets was shown not to be simple first order as for the solution. The absorption profiles following one tablet were S- shaped, while those following 2 or 3 tablets had partial linear segments indicating zero order absorption .Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45032/1/10928_2005_Article_BF01062664.pd

Sensitivity of the marine biospheric Si cycle for biogeochemical parameter variations

A systematic quantitative assessment of the marine silicon cycle is presented, based on a prognostic coupled water column-sediment global biogeochemical ocean general circulation model (HAMOCC). The resulting tracer distributions are compared with a comprehensive marine Si database of measurements. The model parameters which govern the Si cycle within the model world are optimized through a linear response model. The functional relationships between the Si cycle parameters and the Si tracer distributions are derived from a series of sensitivity experiments addressing opal export production, particle flux through the water column, porewater chemistry, and external biogeochemical forcing. The most important parameters for a further quantitative improvement of the simulation are depth-dependent opal dissolution kinetics, a productivity-dependent opal settling velocity, a general change in maximum Si uptake velocity Vmax opal, and the clay as well as the Si input from continental weathering. The modeled Si budget shows a larger global export production, larger opal deposition rates onto the sediment surface and higher diffusive transports of porewater silicic acid into the open water column as estimated by Tre´guer et al. [1995]

Crisp-dm/smes: A data analytics methodology for non-profit smes

The exponential increase in information due to technological advances and the development of communications has created the need to make decisions based on the data analysis. This trend has opened the doors to new approaches to data understanding and decision-making. On the one hand, companies need to follow data analytic methodologies to manage large volumes of information with big data tools. On the other hand, there are non-profit small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that make efforts to address data analytics according to their different sources and types. They find challenges such as lack of knowledge in methodological and software tools, which allow timely deployment for decision-making. In this paper, we propose a data analytics methodology for non-profit SMEs. The design of this methodology is based on CRISP-DM as a reference framework, is represented by Software Process Engineering Metamodel (SPEM) and is characterized by being simple, flexible, and low implementation costs. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020

Gene expression analysis of pancreatic cell lines reveals genes overexpressed in pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death. Using DNA gene expression analysis based on a custom made Affymetrix cancer array, we investigated the expression pattern of both primary and established pancreatic carcinoma cell lines. METHODS: We analyzed the gene expression of 5 established pancreatic cancer cell lines (AsPC-1, BxPC-3, Capan-1, Capan-2 and HPAF II) and 5 primary isolates, 1 of them derived from benign pancreatic duct cells. RESULTS: Out of 1,540 genes which were expressed in at least 3 experiments, we found 122 genes upregulated and 18 downregulated in tumor cell lines compared to benign cells with a fold change >3. Several of the upregulated genes (like Prefoldin 5, ADAM9 and E-cadherin) have been associated with pancreatic cancer before. The other differentially regulated genes, however, play a so far unknown role in the course of human pancreatic carcinoma. By means of immunohistochemistry we could show that thymosin beta-10 (TMSB10), upregulated in tumor cell lines, is expressed in human pancreatic carcinoma, but not in non-neoplastic pancreatic tissue, suggesting a role for TMSB10 in the carcinogenesis of pancreatic carcinoma