Lymphocyte subpopulations and neutrophil function in chronic human Chagas' disease Subpopulações linfocitárias e função neutrofílica na doença de Chagas humana

The absolute numbers of total leukocytes, lymphocytes, T cells, helper/inducer, suppressor/cytotoxic and B cells were decreased in the peripheral blood of patients with chronic Chagas' disease. Since antilymphocyte antibodies were present only in a minority of patients they probably cannot account for the abnormalities in lymphocyte subsets. Patient neutrophils stimulated with endotoxin-treated autologous plasma showed depressed chemotactic activity and this seems to be an intrinsic cellular defect rather than plasma inhibition. Random migration of neutrophils was normal. Reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium by endotoxin- stimulated neutrophils was also decreased. These findings further document the presence of immunosuppression in human Chagas' disease. They may be relevant to autoimmunity, defense against microorganisms and against tumor cells at least in a subset of patients with more severe abnormalities.<br>Números absolutos de leucócitos e linfócitos, de células T totais, indutoras/auxiliares, supressoras/citotóxicas e de células B estavam diminuídos no sangue periférico de pacientes com doença de Chagas crônica. Como anticorpos antilinfocitários estavam presentes em apenas uma minoria de pacientes, eles provavelmente não são responsáveis pelas anormalidades das subpopulações de linfócitos. Neutrófilos de pacientes estimulados por plasma autólogo tratado por endotoxina mostravam atividade quimiotática diminuída que deve ser devida a um defeito celular intrínseco e não a inibição plasmática. A migração aleatória dos neutrófilos estava normal. A redução do corante "nitroblue tetrazolium" (NBT) por neutrófilos estimulados por endotoxina também estava diminuída nos pacientes. Estes achados estendem a documentação da imunossupressão na doença de Chagas humana. Eles podem ser relevantes para autoimunidade e para defesa contra microorganismos e células tumoráis, pelo menos em um subgrupo de pacientes com anormalidades mais pronunciadas

Energy landscape of clathrate hydrates

Clathrate hydrates are nanoporous crystalline materials made of a network of hydrogen-bonded water molecules (forming host cages) that is stabilized by the presence of foreign (generally hydrophobic) guest molecules. The natural existence of large quantities of hydrocarbon hydrates in deep oceans and permafrost is certainly at the origin of numerous applications in the broad areas of energy and environmental sciences and technologies (e.g. gas storage). At a fundamental level, their nanostructuration confers on these materials specific properties (e.g. their “glass-like” thermal conductivity) for which the host-guest interactions play a key role. These interactions occur on broad timescale and thus require the use of multi-technique approach in which neutron scattering brings unvaluable information. This work reviews the dynamical properties of clathrate hydrates, ranging from intramolecular vibrations to Brownian relaxations; it illustrates the contribution of neutron scattering in the understanding of the underlying factors governing chemical-physics properties specific to these nanoporous systems

A Sorrow Shared is a Sorrow Halved: The Search for Empathetic Understanding of Family Members of a Person with Early-Onset Dementia

In this article, I explore how family members of a person with early-onset dementia in the Netherlands attempt to achieve empathetic understanding from significant others, and the barriers they encounter in the process. Based on qualitative interviews, I show that the type of relationship shapes the choices people have to communicate their suffering and their expectations regarding the reactions of others. This article builds on theoretical work on empathy and problematises the notion of shared experiences. It focuses on empathy between family members and significant others, arguing that empathetic understanding between these people is a field of study thus far insufficiently explored