Inflammatory Cytokine Expression Is Associated with Chikungunya Virus Resolution and Symptom Severity

The Chikungunya virus infection zones have now quickly spread from Africa to parts of Asia, North America and Europe. Originally thought to trigger a disease of only mild symptoms, recently Chikungunya virus caused large-scale fatalities and widespread economic loss that was linked to recent virus genetic mutation and evolution. Due to the paucity of information on Chikungunya immunological progression, we investigated the serum levels of 13 cytokines/chemokines during the acute phase of Chikungunya disease and 6- and 12-month post-infection follow-up from patients of the Italian outbreak. We found that CXCL9/MIG, CCL2/MCP-1, IL-6 and CXCL10/IP-10 were significantly raised in the acute phase compared to follow-up samples. Furthermore, IL-1β, TNF-α, Il-12, IL-10, IFN-γ and IL-5 had low initial acute phase levels that significantly increased at later time points. Analysis of symptom severity showed association with CXCL9/MIG, CXCL10/IP-10 and IgG levels. These data give insight into Chikungunya disease establishment and subsequent convalescence, which is imperative to the treatment and containment of this quickly evolving and frequently re-emerging disease

Ertüchtigung der Flachschleifmaschine ELB SF 30

Aufbauend auf dem Praktikumsbericht wird in der vorliegenden Bachelorarbeit, das Thema „Ertüchtigung der Flachschleifmaschine ELB“ weiter behandelt. Es wird dabei speziell die Einführung eines neuen Bedienpanels an der Maschine konkretisiert. Zu Beginn erfolgt die Auswahl eines geeigneten Panels, welches zu der vorhandenen Steuerung kompatibel ist. Daraufhin folgt die Vorstellung der Visualisierungssoftware, sowie der Software zum Testen der projektierten Oberfläche des Bediengerätes. Im weiteren Verlauf finden sich Erläuterungen zur Programmierung des Panels, bezogen auf das ELB-Projekt wieder. Das letzte Kapitel bezieht sich auf die konkrete SPS-Lösung zwei ausgewählter Steuerungsfunktionen, zum einen die Magnetsteuerung und zum anderen die Querantriebsteuerung

0D Modelling: a Promising Means for After-treatment Issues in Modern Automotive Applications

For modern automotive applications, after-treatment systems have become essential to respect the new emission standards. All the automotive world's attention is focused on catalysis systems because they seem to be one of the best ways to reach the future standards. As a result, after-treatment issues are more and more significant in the cost of the whole engine and vehicle development process. For example, the Euro 6 Diesel after-treatment line might for some applications be composed of nothing less than five distinct after-treatment bricks. This complex architecture implies developing advanced tools to help the exhaust line conception and also the design of associated control strategies. The present paper demonstrates that zero-dimensional (0D) simulation can be a relevant approach to develop exhaust line simulators compatible with accuracy and CPU time required performances. This paper proposes an original zero-dimensional model of the monolith. This approach is based on resistive and capacitive elements according to the bond graph theory [Karnopp D.C., Margolis D.L., Rosenberg R.C. (1990) Systems dynamics: a unified approach, Second Edition, John Wiley & Sons, New-York]. The described dynamic model takes into account the pneumatic flow and the thermal behaviour of the monolith. Models of several catalysts are built by plugging this monolith model with some well-known simplified chemical reaction schemes [Koltsakis G.C., Konstandinis P.A., Stamatelos A.M. (1997) Development and application range of mathematical models for 3-way catalytic converters, Appl. Catal. B: Environ. 12, 161-191]. Splitting a monolith model into several elementary zero-dimensional blocks in series allows having a good representation of the specific internal dynamic of one catalyst and to access some local information as in conventional well-known one-dimensional models with low CPU time cost [Koltsakis G.C., Konstandinis P.A., Stamatelos A.M. (1997) Development and application range of mathematical models for 3-way catalytic converters, Appl. Catal. B: Environ. 12, 161-191]. Such an approach can be used as a way to get a phenomenological understanding of the catalytic system, which is known to be a very complex multi-physical system. It also represents a relevant simulation tool for the definition of after-treatment line architecture and pollutant emission control. The approach's potential to deal with all modern after-treatment bodies is illustrated by results for a Three-Way Catalyst (3WC), a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC), a Lean NOx Trap (LNT) system, a Selective Catalyst Reduction of NOx (SCR) system and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). This ability to give, with a good compromise between accuracy/low CPU time cost, some interesting information to help the development of more and more complex exhaust system makes zero-dimensional simulation relevant

Simulation Support for Control Issues in the Context of Modern Diesel Air Path Systems

It is now obvious that the air path system will have to increase its performance to manage the in-cylinder conditions required by the combustion process if significant raw emission reduction is expected in Diesel engine applications. This crucial issue means air path evolutions with complex systems including advanced technologies such as Variable Valve Actuation (VVA) or two-stage turbocharging, and engine control capability improvement to optimise accurately the engine behaviour under transient conditions. At this stage of complexity, the engine controllability becomes a first-order factor to be taken into account in the technological orientations. Thanks to a high versatility of engine architecture, good physical trend capabilities and easy coupling with engine control, 0D simulation offers a very interesting support to help such investigations and discriminate the best Diesel air path system solutions. This paper describes how simulation is becoming a key tool to develop the control for various Diesel air path systems before having the corresponding experimental bench available, in order to anticipate the hard issues and begin to assess the controllability of each air path technology at the early stages of the engine development process

The effectiveness of different rat IgG subclasses as IgE-blocking antibodies in the Rat Basophil Leukemia cell model

The degranulation of mast cells in an allergic response is initiated by the aggregation of high-affinity IgE receptors (Fc epsilon RI) by IgE and antigen. Recently it has been shown that such degranulation can be inhibited by cross-linking FceRI and low-affinity IgG receptors (Fc gamma RII) which are also expressed by mast cells. The ability of various monoclonal antibodies to block the degranulation of rat basophil leukaemia (RBL) cells sensitized with IgE antidinitrophenyl (DNP) antibodies has been investigated. Sensitized cells were challenged with immune complexes formed using varying concentrations of antigen, and of both high- and low-valency antigen. It is reported here that rat IgG1 antibodies, which are associated in the rat with a Th1-type response, act as highly effective blocking antibodies over a wide concentration range. Rat IgG2a antibodies, which are associated with a Th2-type response, were able only to inhibit degranulation when immune complexes were formed with very low concentrations of high-valency antigen (DNP32-HSA). Under these conditions, some inhibitory activity was seen with high-affinity murine IgA anti-DNP but not with low-affinity rat IgG2b anti-DNP antibody-containing immune complexes. In addition to this inhibitory activity, IgG2a antibodies were shown to be capable of inducing degranulation of cells via unoccupied FceRI. These results demonstrate that blocking activity may arise via both inhibitory receptors and by masking of antigen

IgG-mediated anaphylaxis via Fcγ receptor in CD40-deficient mice

Anaphylaxis denotes an immediate hypersensitivity reaction to allergen, exclusively mediated by IgE antibodies. However, IgE antibodies do not explain all the syndromes that are encountered. We investigated potent IgG-mediated anaphylaxis in CD40-deficient mice that lack the immunoglobulin class switching for T cell-dependent antigens. Immunization with ovalbumin did not induce either humoral responses of IgG, IgA, and IgE, or systemic anaphylaxis in CD40-deficient mice. Although systemic anaphylaxis by active immunization was not observed in CD40-deficient mice, both passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) and passive systemic anaphylaxis assessed by mouse blood pressure monitoring with cervical artery catheterization did take place when antigen-specific IgG was transferred and then antigen challenge given. Further, to investigate the inflammatory pathway of IgG-mediated immediate hypersensitivity reactions, we focused on the Fcγ receptor (FcγR) function. Pretreatment of the mice with the anti-FcγRII/FcγRIII MoAb clearly blocked the response of PCA and passive systemic anaphylaxis, suggesting that they were initiated through FcγR. In conclusion, we directly demonstrate the IgG-mediated anaphylaxis and its triggering mechanism through FcγR in in vivo conditions. In addition to IgE-mediated anaphylaxis, IgG-mediated anaphylaxis should be considered and the blocking of FcγR would provide one of the therapeutic targets for the control of IgG-mediated hypersensitivity diseases