Britain and Upper Silesia 1919 - 1922

Includes bibliographical referencesAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:DX218132 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Median Nerve Mobility Measurement using a Motion Tracking Analysis Program: A Reliability Study

Objective: To evaluate relative and absolute reliability and repeatability in assessing median nerve mobility at the level of the wrist and distal upper arm of the right upper extremity during wrist extension. Methods: Six healthy participants participated in the study. Median nerve mobility was captured three times at both sites using Sonocyte Turbo by two sonologists for a total of 72 video clips (36 for each site and 18 by each sonologist). Longitudinal movement was measured using Motion Tracking Analysis Program (MTAP) by the two assessors who were rehabilitation medicine residents. After one month, the assessors remeasured the longitudinal excursion of the median nerve of the previous video clips. Results: There was moderate agreement between the two sonologists of the median nerve mobility at the level of the distal upper arm and the wrist respectively. There was a moderate to almost perfect agreement between the two assessors’ readings in the mobility of the nerve at level of the distal upper arm and wrist for the first and second readings. Repeatability testing showed that there was variable agreement at the level of the distal upper arm and at the wrist. Conclusion: MTAP using fast template tracking with an adaptive template is a reliable tool that can be employed in the accurate assessment of median nerve mobility at the distal upper arm and wrist

Two novel human cytomegalovirus NK cell evasion functions target MICA for lysosomal degradation

NKG2D plays a major role in controlling immune responses through the regulation of natural killer (NK) cells, αβ and γδ T-cell function. This activating receptor recognizes eight distinct ligands (the MHC Class I polypeptide-related sequences (MIC) A andB, and UL16-binding proteins (ULBP)1–6) induced by cellular stress to promote recognition cells perturbed by malignant transformation or microbial infection. Studies into human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) have aided both the identification and characterization of NKG2D ligands (NKG2DLs). HCMV immediate early (IE) gene up regulates NKGDLs, and we now describe the differential activation of ULBP2 and MICA/B by IE1 and IE2 respectively. Despite activation by IE functions, HCMV effectively suppressed cell surface expression of NKGDLs through both the early and late phases of infection. The immune evasion functions UL16, UL142, and microRNA(miR)-UL112 are known to target NKG2DLs. While infection with a UL16 deletion mutant caused the expected increase in MICB and ULBP2 cell surface expression, deletion of UL142 did not have a similar impact on its target, MICA. We therefore performed a systematic screen of the viral genome to search of addition functions that targeted MICA. US18 and US20 were identified as novel NK cell evasion functions capable of acting independently to promote MICA degradation by lysosomal degradation. The most dramatic effect on MICA expression was achieved when US18 and US20 acted in concert. US18 and US20 are the first members of the US12 gene family to have been assigned a function. The US12 family has 10 members encoded sequentially through US12–US21; a genetic arrangement, which is suggestive of an ‘accordion’ expansion of an ancestral gene in response to a selective pressure. This expansion must have be an ancient event as the whole family is conserved across simian cytomegaloviruses from old world monkeys. The evolutionary benefit bestowed by the combinatorial effect of US18 and US20 on MICA may have contributed to sustaining the US12 gene family

Ultrasonic Streaming in incompressible fluids - modelling and measurements

Acoustic streaming is a fundamental nonlinear phenomenon resulting from high frequency vibration in fluids. Known and investigated by Rayleigh and contemporary scientists, it attracts renewed interest due to the availability of powerful computational tools, advanced photography and precise laser velocimetry instrumentation, which can produce accurate experimental results. Its physical mechanism however is still not clearly understood. The analysis appears limited by the traditional premises of harmonic analysis, radiation force and wave propagation and reflection with the focus on nonlinear terms of the inertial frame formulations. Following our earlier analysis of nonlinear effects on rigid particles in a streaming fluid using time domain (TD) finite element (FE) analysis with a moving mesh via Comsol™, we present the modelling of ultrasonic streaming alone. We use state of the art laser velocimetry instrumentation to measure the average velocity of 0.5μm latex tracer particles in a 0.3-4 mms-1 streaming water insonified in the 1MHz frequency range. We use LabView™ virtual instrument to analyse light scattered by a swarm of particles in the moving fringes of crossed laser beams and find the ensemble particle motion from the frequency spectrum of the signal. In order to verify the FE modelling results with respect to the streaming velocity, the electric power is monitored at the transducer terminals. Our FE simulation, based on the Navier-Stokes (NS) equation for viscous incompressible fluids, does not involve wave propagation and radiation but is capable of representing the transient development of streaming, effects of boundaries and effects of the character of the ultrasonic source. Our investigation shows that streaming is neither implied by a time-varying topology nor associated with the asymmetry or even with the movement of the source or the fluid surface. Surprisingly, the streaming velocity is increased by making the enclosure fully symmetrical

Influence of sonochemical reactor diameter and liquid height on methyl orange degradation under 200 kHz indirect sonication

The relatively high sonochemical activity in the frequency range 200–600 kHz, makes these high frequencies attractive for contaminant remediation. However, high frequency ultrasound also suffers from higher acoustic energy attenuation and inherent low intensity which limits the volume coverage and hence practical application. In this study, in order to clearly understand the relationship between the sonochemical activity and acoustic energy attenuation, calorimetric and degradation studies using methyl orange (MO) as a contaminant surrogate were investigated with indirect sonication at 200 kHz (transducer diameter: 65 mm) with various cylindrical glass reactors of different diameter (20, 48, 65, 95 and 117 mm) and liquid height (21, 58, 81 and 118 mm). It was clear that both reactor diameter and liquid height significantly influenced degradation efficiency. In addition to the inherent acoustic pressure distribution within the reactor due to the transducer acoustic pressure profile, the diameter of the reactor affected mainly attenuation of ultrasound in the radial direction, while attenuation in the axial direction was principally influenced by reactor height. A 95 mm diameter reactor with a ratio (reactor diameter/transducer diameter) of 1.45, exhibited the highest sonochemical efficiency and acoustic energy transfer efficiency across a range of liquid heights.

microRNA 184 regulates expression of NFAT1 in umbilical cord blood CD4+ T cells

The reduced expression of nuclear factor of activated T cells-1 (NFAT1) protein in umbilical cord blood (UCB)–derived CD4+ T cells and the corresponding reduction in inflammatory cytokine secretion after stimulation in part underlies their phenotypic differences from adult blood (AB) CD4+ T cells. This muted response may contribute to the lower incidence and severity of high-grade acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) exhibited by UCB grafts. Here we provide evidence that a specific microRNA, miR-184, inhibits NFAT1 protein expression elicited by UCB CD4+ T cells. Endogenous expression of miR-184 in UCB is 58.4-fold higher compared with AB CD4+ T cells, and miR-184 blocks production of NFAT1 protein through its complementary target sequence on the NFATc2 mRNA without transcript degradation. Furthermore, its negative effects on NFAT1 protein and downstream interleukin-2 (IL-2) transcription are reversed through antisense blocking in UCB and can be replicated via exogenous transfection of precursor miR-184 into AB CD4+ T cells. Our findings reveal a previously uncharacterized role for miR-184 in UCB CD4+ T cells and a novel function for microRNA in the early adaptive immune response

Regulation of IL-2 expression by transcription factor BACH2 in umbilical cord blood CD4+ T cells

On activation, umbilical cord blood (UCB) CD4+ T cells demonstrate reduced expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ), where as maintaining equivalent interleukin-2 (IL-2) levels, as compared with adult peripheral blood (PB) CD4þ T cells. Nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT1) protein, a transcription factor known to regulate the expression of IL-2, TNF-α and IFN-γ, is reduced in resting and activated UCB CD4+ T cells. In contrast, expression of Broad-complex-Tramtrack-Bric-a-Brac and Cap n collar homology 1 bZip transcription factor 2 (BACH2) was shown by gene array analyses to be increased in UCB CD4+ T cells and was validated by qRT-PCR. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, BACH2 was shown binding to the human IL-2 proximal promoter. Knockdown experiments of BACH2 by transient transfection of UCB CD4+ T cells with BACH2 siRNA resulted in significant reductions in stimulated IL-2 production. Decreased IL-2 gene transcription in UCB CD4+ T cells transfected with BACH2 siRNA was confirmed by a human IL-2 luciferase assay. In summary, BACH2 maintains IL-2 expression in UCB CD4þ T cells at levels equivalent to adult PB CD4+ T cells despite reduced NFAT1 protein expression. Thus, BACH2 expression is necessary to maintain IL-2 production when NFAT1 protein is reduced, potentially impacting UCB graft CD4+ T-cell allogeneic responses