Natural regulatory (CD4+CD25+FOXP+) T cells control the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines during Plasmodium chabaudi adami infection and do not contribute to immune evasion.

Different functions have been attributed to natural regulatory CD4+CD25+FOXP+ (Treg) cells during malaria infection. Herein, we assessed the role for Treg cells during infections with lethal (DS) and non-lethal (DK) Plasmodium chabaudi adami parasites, comparing the levels of parasitemia, inflammation and anaemia. Independent of parasite virulence, the population of splenic Treg cells expanded during infection, and the absolute numbers of activated CD69+ Treg cells were higher in DS-infected mice. In vivo depletion of CD25+ T cells, which eliminated 80% of CD4+FOXP3+CD25+ T cells and 60–70% of CD4+FOXP3+ T cells, significantly decreased the number of CD69+ Treg cells in mice with lethal malaria. As a result, higher parasite burden and morbidity were measured in the latter, whereas the kinetics of infection with non-lethal parasites remained unaffected. In the absence of Treg cells, parasite-specific IFN-γ responses by CD4+ T cells increased significantly, both in mice with lethal and non-lethal infections, whereas IL-2 production was only stimulated in mice with non-lethal malaria. Following the depletion of CD25+ T cells, the production of IL-10 by CD90− cells was also enhanced in infected mice. Interestingly, a potent induction of TNF- and IFN-γ production by CD4+ and CD90− lymphocytes was measured in DS-infected mice, which also suffered severe anaemia earlier than non-depleted infected controls. Taken together, our data suggest that the expansion and activation of natural Treg cells represent a counter-regulatory response to the overwhelming inflammation associated with lethal P.c. adami. This response to infection involves TH1 lymphocytes as well as cells from the innate immune system

Global Effects of Catecholamines on Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae Gene Expression

Bacteria can use mammalian hormones to modulate pathogenic processes that play essential roles in disease development. Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is an important porcine respiratory pathogen causing great economic losses in the pig industry globally. Stress is known to contribute to the outcome of A. pleuropneumoniae infection. To test whether A. pleuropneumoniae could respond to stress hormone catecholamines, gene expression profiles after epinephrine (Epi) and norepinephrine (NE) treatment were compared with those from untreated bacteria. The microarray results showed that 158 and 105 genes were differentially expressed in the presence of Epi and NE, respectively. These genes were assigned to various functional categories including many virulence factors. Only 18 genes were regulated by both hormones. These genes included apxIA (the ApxI toxin structural gene), pgaB (involved in biofilm formation), APL_0443 (an autotransporter adhesin) and genes encoding potential hormone receptors such as tyrP2, the ygiY-ygiX (qseC-qseB) operon and narQ-narP (involved in nitrate metabolism). Further investigations demonstrated that cytotoxic activity was enhanced by Epi but repressed by NE in accordance with apxIA gene expression changes. Biofilm formation was not affected by either of the two hormones despite pgaB expression being affected. Adhesion to host cells was induced by NE but not by Epi, suggesting that the hormones affect other putative adhesins in addition to APL_0443. This study revealed that A. pleuropneumoniae gene expression, including those encoding virulence factors, was altered in response to both catecholamines. The differential regulation of A. pleuropneumoniae gene expression by the two hormones suggests that this pathogen may have multiple responsive systems for the two catecholamines

Studies of mixing and combustion in hypervelocity flows with hot hydrogen injection

The ability to build an air-breathing single-stage-to-orbit propulsion system requires examination of key elements such as turbulent mixing rates, especially at the "zero shear" fuel-air mixing condition, and combustion efficiency. The required data can only be obtained in experiments which simultaneously match the flight total pressure and total enthalpy as well as the fuel conditions. GALCIT, with its new free piston shock tunnel T5, has the capability to do some of these combustion experiments. But prior to these tests, it was felt that there was a need to simulate the gas dynamical processes in the free piston shock tunnel and also in a new combustion driven shock tunnel built for these experiments so that both systems could be used as efficiently as possible. The numerical code helped explain the piston motion in the free piston shock tunnel. The code was also very useful for the design of the combustion driven shock tunnel. Because hydrogen has to be injected into the combustion chamber of the propulsion system after being used as a cooling fluid, a combustion driven shock tunnel was built to reproduce this "hot" hydrogen fuel. The system has been used successfully to supply hydrogen at up to 1500 K for the experiments. To reduce the complexity of the problem, a very basic configuration for the hydrogen injection system was tested. This was first done with an injection system mounted flush with the surface of a flat plate in the test section of T5. Different test conditions as well as Mach 2 and 5 nozzle injectors at angles of 15° or 30° were tested to determine criteria for significant combustion. Lower limits in pressure and enthalpy were found where hydrogen combustion becomes very limited using this "hot" hydrogen fuel. The second set of experiments still used an injection system mounted flush with the surface but involved a small combustor model previously tested in the hypervelocity HYPULSE facility. Low pressure experiments were performed to reproduce some of the HYPULSE tests and excellent agreement was found. Experiments at high pressure were also performed to better match the real flight total pressure and some hydrogen combustion was detected in these tests.</p

Cal Poly Multidisciplinary Renewable Energy Laboratory for Research and Education

A multidisciplinary renewable energy laboratory has been established at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo to offer students the opportunity to work on projects related to the energy field that span several disciplines. Currently projects involving five engineering disciplines are being pursued with undergraduate and graduate students being advised by faculty members from across the college. We are utilizing many of the instructional modes available to us spanning from a single unit independent study to a master’s thesis. This paper details some of these projects, highlighting the multidisciplinary nature of the energy field and the quality of the student experience