1,445 research outputs found
CXCR4 pos circulating progenitor cells coexpressing monocytic and endothelial markers correlating with fibrotic clinical features are present in the peripheral blood of patients affected by systemic sclerosis
There is still controversy regarding the role of circulating endothelial and
progenitor cells (CECs/CEPs) in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc).
Using a sequential Boolean gating strategy based on a 4-color flow cytometric
protocol, an increased number of CD31(pos)/CD184(pos)(CXCR4)/CD34(pos)/CD45(pos)
and CD31(pos)/CD117(pos) (c-kit-R) /CD34(pos)/ CD45(pos) hematopoietic
circulating progenitor cells (HCPCs) was detected in SSc patients compared with
healthy subjects. In SSc, no circulating mature and progenitor endothelial cells
were observed, while an enhanced generation of erythroid progenitor cells was
found to be correlated with the presence of CD117+ HCPCs. The presence of freshly
detected CXCR4posHCPC was correlated either to the in vitro cultured
spindle-shaped endothelial like cells (SELC) with an endo/myelomonocytic profile
or to SDF-1 and VEGF serum level. These data are related to more fibrotic
clinical features of the disease, thus supporting a possible role of these cells
in fibrosis
Ligand-induced conformational changes in a thermophilic ribose-binding protein
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Members of the periplasmic binding protein (PBP) superfamily are involved in transport and signaling processes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Biological responses are typically mediated by ligand-induced conformational changes in which the binding event is coupled to a hinge-bending motion that brings together two domains in a closed form. In all PBP-mediated biological processes, downstream partners recognize the closed form of the protein. This motion has also been exploited in protein engineering experiments to construct biosensors that transduce ligand binding to a variety of physical signals. Understanding the mechanistic details of PBP conformational changes, both global (hinge bending, twisting, shear movements) and local (rotamer changes, backbone motion), therefore is not only important for understanding their biological function but also for protein engineering experiments.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here we present biochemical characterization and crystal structure determination of the periplasmic ribose-binding protein (RBP) from the hyperthermophile <it>Thermotoga maritima </it>in its ribose-bound and unliganded state. The <it>T. maritima </it>RBP (tmRBP) has 39% sequence identity and is considerably more resistant to thermal denaturation (<sup><it>app</it></sup><it>T</it><sub><it>m </it></sub>value is 108°C) than the mesophilic <it>Escherichia coli </it>homolog (ecRBP) (<sup><it>app</it></sup><it>T</it><sub><it>m </it></sub>value is 56°C). Polar ligand interactions and ligand-induced global conformational changes are conserved among ecRBP and tmRBP; however local structural rearrangements involving side-chain motions in the ligand-binding site are not conserved.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although the large-scale ligand-induced changes are mediated through similar regions, and are produced by similar backbone movements in tmRBP and ecRBP, the small-scale ligand-induced structural rearrangements differentiate the mesophile and thermophile. This suggests there are mechanistic differences in the manner by which these two proteins bind their ligands and are an example of how two structurally similar proteins utilize different mechanisms to form a ligand-bound state.</p
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Acceptance and commitment therapy as an adjunct to the MOVE! programme: a randomized controlled trial.
ObjectiveThe current study tested the efficacy of an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) group intervention for disinhibited eating behaviour as an adjunct to the Veterans Affairs MOVE!© weight management programme.MethodsVeterans (N = 88) with overweight or obesity who completed the MOVE! weight management programme and self-identified as having problems with 'stress-related eating' were randomized to four 2-h weekly ACT sessions or a continued behavioural weight-loss (BWL) intervention. Assessments were completed at baseline, post-treatment and 3- and 6-month follow-up on outcomes of interest including measures of disinhibited eating patterns, obesity-related quality of life, weight-related experiential avoidance and weight.ResultsThe BWL group exhibited significantly greater reductions in binge eating behaviour at post-treatment compared with the ACT group. Significant improvements in other outcomes were found with minimal differences between groups. In both groups, decreases in weight-related experiential avoidance were related to improvements in binge eating behaviour.ConclusionsTaken together, the continued BWL intervention resulted in larger improvements in binge eating behaviour than the ACT intervention. The two groups showed similar improvements in other disinhibited eating outcomes. Future studies are encouraged to determine if more integrated or longer duration of ACT treatment may maximize eating outcomes in MOVE.Trial Registration Number: This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov database (NCT01757847)
Design of a Base-Board for arrays of closely-packed Multi-Anode Photo-Multipliers
We describe the design of a Base-Board to house Multi-Anode Photo-Multipliers
for use in large-area arrays of light sensors. The goals, the design, the
results of tests on the prototypes and future developments are presented.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Nucl. Instrum. and Meth.
Microwave apparatus for gravitational waves observation
In this report the theoretical and experimental activities for the
development of superconducting microwave cavities for the detection of
gravitational waves are presented.Comment: 42 pages, 28 figure
Azimuthal clumping instabilities in a ZZ-pinch wire array
A simple model is constructed to evaluate the temporal evolution of azimuthal clumping instabilities in a cylindrical array of current-carrying wires. An analytic scaling law is derived, which shows that randomly seeded perturbations evolve at the rate of the fastest unstable mode, almost from the start. This instability is entirely analogous to the Jeans instability in a self-gravitating disk, where the mutual attraction of gravity is replaced by the mutual attraction among the current-carrying wires.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87765/2/052701_1.pd
Espectroscopía de la binaria simbiótica PU Vul
En el presente trabajo se expone un análisis espectroscópico preliminar de la nova simbiótica PU Vul, con datos recopilados durante más de 20 años de observaciones. Con el objetivo de realizar un análisis global de la evolución del sistema desde su estallido en 1979, se determinan temperaturas y luminosidades de la nebulosa a lo largo de su evolución y se consideran diferentes escenarios para el sistema. Este análisis permitirá determinar la geometría de la binaria y ayudará a comprender los procesos que tienen lugar en este sistema en permanente cambio.Fil: Cuneo, Virginia. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía; ArgentinaFil: Kenyon, S.. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; Estados UnidosFil: Gomez, Mercedes Nieves. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; ArgentinaTerceras Jornadas de Astrofísica EstelarCórdobaArgentinaObservatorio Astronómico de CórdobaUniversidad Nacional de Córdob
Quantification of liver function by linearization of a two‐compartment model of gadoxetic acid uptake using dynamic contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging
Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/144228/1/nbm3913.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/144228/2/nbm3913_am.pd
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