Synthesis and Optimization of the Labeling Procedure of 99mTc-Hynic-Interleukin-2 for In vivo Imaging of Activated T lymphocytes

Introduction: We have previously described the labeling of interleukin-2 (IL2) with 123 I and 99m Tc-N3S. Both radiopharmaceuticals were successfully applied in humans to image several inflammatory lesions and autoimmune diseases characterized by tissue infiltrating lymphocytes expressing the IL2 receptor (CD25). However, both radiopharmaceuticals had some specific disadvantages, such as cost and time of synthesis

Gravitational waveforms from the evaporating ACO cosmic string loop

The linearly polarized gravitational waveforms from a certain type of rotating, evaporating cosmic string - the Allen-Casper-Ottewill loop - are constructed and plotted over the lifetime of the loop. The formulas for the waveforms are simple and exact, and describe waves which attenuate self-similarly, with the amplitude and period of the waves falling off linearly with time.Comment: 30 pages, 16 figure

Soilless system with supplementary LED light to obtain a high-quality out-of-season production of green beans

Green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is one of the most important sources of vegetable proteins in the world and it is cultivated all year round, but the light availability, during the dark sea-son, limited its growth. Nevertheless, recent studies conducted on greenhouse horticulture demonstrated that, with the application of light emitting diodes (LEDs) as supplementary light (SL) technology, it is possible to overcome this limitation. Consequently, during the experiment conducted, two cultivars of green bean (‘Saporro’ and ‘Maestrale’) were grown with a soilless system in a cold greenhouse during the fall-winter period. To increase the photoperiod and the daily light integral (DLI), early in the morning, four hours of red (R), blue (B) and red+blue (R+B) supplementary light were supplied by LEDs at 180 μmol·m−2·s−1 (PPFD) at plants level. Plants grown under LEDs improved the yield and the gas exchange system compared with the plants grown under natural light; when B light was supplied as a sole source of SL, it increased the dry matter content and the bright-ness (L*) of the pods. Between the cultivars, ‘Maestrale’ produced 20 g·plant−1 of pods more than ‘Saporro’ but the latter’s colour was brighter (L*) and greener (a*), and ‘Saporro’ also showed the highest photosynthetic efficiency (ΦPSII). In conclusion, ‘Maestrale’ and ‘Saporro’ obtained encouraging out-of-season yields under different LED spectra, but among those B light seems to improve overall crop performances and pods quality

Leukocyte and bacteria imaging in prosthetic joint infection

There has been a significant increase in the number of joint prosthesis replacements worldwide. Although relatively uncommon, complications can occur with the most serious being an infection. Various radiological and nuclear imaging techniques are available to diagnose prosthetic joint infections (PJI). In this review article, we describe the pathophysiology of PJI, the principles of nuclear medicine imaging and the differences between Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET). The value of nuclear medicine techniques for clinical practice is also discussed.Then we provide an overview of the most often used radionuclide imaging techniques that may be helpful in diagnosing prosthetic joint infection: the 67Ga-citrate, labelled white blood cells in vitro and in vivo (monoclonal antibodies directed against specific targets on the leukocytes), and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG). We describe their working methods, the pitfalls, and the interpretation criteria. Furthermore, we review recent advances in imaging bacteria, a molecular imaging method that holds promises for the detection of occult infections. We conclude proposing two diagnostic flow-charts, based on data in the literature, that could help the clinicians to choose the best nuclear imaging method when they have a patient with suspicion of or with proven PJI

Drosophila comes of age as a model system for understanding the function of cytoskeletal proteins in cells, tissues, and organisms

available in PMC 2016 June 30For the last 100 years, Drosophila melanogaster has been a powerhouse genetic system for understanding mechanisms of inheritance, development, and behavior in animals. In recent years, advances in imaging and genetic tools have led to Drosophila becoming one of the most effective systems for unlocking the subcellular functions of proteins (and particularly cytoskeletal proteins) in complex developmental settings. In this review, written for non-Drosophila experts, we will discuss critical technical advances that have enabled these cell biological insights, highlighting three examples of cytoskeletal discoveries that have arisen as a result: (1) regulation of Arp2/3 complex in myoblast fusion, (2) cooperation of the actin filament nucleators Spire and Cappuccino in establishment of oocyte polarity, and (3) coordination of supracellular myosin cables. These specific examples illustrate the unique power of Drosophila both to uncover new cytoskeletal structures and functions, and to place these discoveries in a broader in vivo context, providing insights that would have been impossible in a cell culture model or in vitro. Many of the cellular structures identified in Drosophila have clear counterparts in mammalian cells and tissues, and therefore elucidating cytoskeletal functions in Drosophila will be broadly applicable to other organisms.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH/NINDS (DP2 NS082127))Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical SciencesNational Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH/NIGMS (R01-GM084947))American Cancer Society (Research Scholar Award

1-IODOPENTANE, EXPERIMENTS AND CALCULATIONS

The rotational spectra of two conformers, GAA and AAA, of 1-iodopentane have been recorded using both Fourier transform microwave cavity and chirp spectrometers. Iodine has a large nuclear electric quadrupole coupling tensor, $\boldsymbol{\chi}$, and is heavy enough to require a relativistic calculation for {\it{ab initio}} field gradient calculations. We will present a comparison of the experimental results, a calculation involving a clever scaling of the $\boldsymbol{\chi}$ tensor,\footnote{W.C. Bailey and F.M. Gonzalez {\it{J. Mol. Spectro.}}, {\bf{651-653}}, 689-695 (2003)} and a direct relativistic {\it{ab initio}} calculation.\footnote{L. Cheng, J. Gauss, {\it{J. Chem. Phys.}}, {\bf{134}}, 244112 (2011)

Involvement of pro-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors in the pathogenesis of Dupuytren's contracture: a novel target for a possible future therapeutic strategy?

Dupuytren's contracture (DC) is a benign fibro-proliferative disease of the hand causing fibrotic nodules and fascial cords which determine debilitating contracture and deformities of fingers and hands. The present study was designed to characterize pro-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors involved in the pathogenesis, progression and recurrence of this disease, in order to find novel targets for alternative therapies and strategies in controlling DC. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and of growth factors was detected by immunohistochemistry in fibrotic nodules and normal palmar fascia resected respectively from patients affected by DC and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS; as negative controls). Reverse transcription (RT)-PCR analysis and immunofluorescence were performed to quantify the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, interleukin (IL)-1β and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by primary cultures of myofibroblasts and fibroblasts isolated from Dupuytren's nodules. Histological analysis showed high cellularity and high proliferation rate in Dupuytren's tissue, together with the presence of myofibroblastic isotypes; immunohistochemical staining for macrophages was completely negative. In addition, a strong expression of TGF-β1, IL-1β and VEGF was evident in the extracellular matrix and in the cytoplasm of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in Dupuytren's nodular tissues, as compared with control tissues. These results were confirmed by RT-PCR and by immunofluorescence in pathological and normal primary cell cultures. These preliminary observations suggest that TGF-β1, IL-1β and VEGF may be considered potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of Dupuytren's disease (DD)

Stringent Constraint on Galactic Positron Production

The intense 0.511 MeV gamma-ray line emission from the Galactic Center observed by INTEGRAL requires a large annihilation rate of nonrelativistic positrons. If these positrons are injected at even mildly relativistic energies, higher-energy gamma rays will also be produced. We calculate the gamma-ray spectrum due to inflight annihilation and compare to the observed diffuse Galactic gamma-ray data. Even in a simplified but conservative treatment, we find that the positron injection energies must be $\lesssim 3$ MeV, which strongly constrains models for Galactic positron production.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures; minor revisions, accepted for publication in PR