Characteristics of “Tip-DCs and MDSCs” and Their Potential Role in Leishmaniasis

Since the first description of dendritic cells (DCs) by Steinman and Cohn (1973), the myeloid lineage of leukocytes was investigated intensively. Nowadays it is obvious that myeloid cells, especially DCs, are crucial for the adaptive and innate immune response against intracellular pathogens such as Leishmania major parasites. Based on the overlapping expression of molecules that were commonly used to classify myeloid cells, it becomes difficult to denominate those cell types precisely. Of note, most of these markers used for myeloid cell identification are expressed on a broad range of myeloid cells, and should therefore be handled with care if used for subtyping of myeloid cells. In this mini-review we aim to discuss the relative impact of DCs that release TNF and nitric oxide (Tip-DCs) and myeloid cells with suppressive capacities (myeloid-derived suppressor cells, MDSCs) in infectious diseases such as experimental leishmaniasis. In our point of view it cannot be excluded that the novel subsets that were denominated as “Tip-DCs” and “MDSCs” might not be classical “subsets” but rather represent myeloid cells in a transient maturation stage expressing different genes, in response to the surrounding environment

Dynamical symmetry breaking in molecules and molecular aggregates

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Chemistry, 1994.Includes bibliographical references.by Günter Maximilian Schmid.Ph.D

Ultrafast Photo-Induced Charge Transfer Unveiled by Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectroscopy

The interaction of exciton and charge transfer (CT) states plays a central role in photo-induced CT processes in chemistry, biology and physics. In this work, we use a combination of two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2D-ES), pump-probe measurements and quantum chemistry to investigate the ultrafast CT dynamics in a lutetium bisphthalocyanine dimer in different oxidation states. It is found that in the anionic form, the combination of strong CT-exciton interaction and electronic asymmetry induced by a counter-ion enables CT between the two macrocycles of the complex on a 30 fs timescale. Following optical excitation, a chain of electron and hole transfer steps gives rise to characteristic cross-peak dynamics in the electronic 2D spectra, and we monitor how the excited state charge density ultimately localizes on the macrocycle closest to the counter-ion within 100 fs. A comparison with the dynamics in the radical species further elucidates how CT states modulate the electronic structure and tune fs-reaction dynamics. Our experiments demonstrate the unique capability of 2D-ES in combination with other methods to decipher ultrafast CT dynamics.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, and Supporting informatio

Internet based multicenter study for thoracolumbar injuries: a new concept and preliminary results

This article reports about the internet based, second multicenter study (MCS II) of the spine study group (AG WS) of the German trauma association (DGU). It represents a continuation of the first study conducted between the years 1994 and 1996 (MCS I). For the purpose of one common, centralised data capture methodology, a newly developed internet-based data collection system ( http://www.memdoc.org ) of the Institute for Evaluative Research in Orthopaedic Surgery of the University of Bern was used. The aim of this first publication on the MCS II was to describe in detail the new method of data collection and the structure of the developed data base system, via internet. The goal of the study was the assessment of the current state of treatment for fresh traumatic injuries of the thoracolumbar spine in the German speaking part of Europe. For that reason, we intended to collect large number of cases and representative, valid information about the radiographic, clinical and subjective treatment outcomes. Thanks to the new study design of MCS II, not only the common surgical treatment concepts, but also the new and constantly broadening spectrum of spine surgery, i.e. vertebro-/kyphoplasty, computer assisted surgery and navigation, minimal-invasive, and endoscopic techniques, documented and evaluated. We present a first statistical overview and preliminary analysis of 18 centers from Germany and Austria that participated in MCS II. A real time data capture at source was made possible by the constant availability of the data collection system via internet access. Following the principle of an application service provider, software, questionnaires and validation routines are located on a central server, which is accessed from the periphery (hospitals) by means of standard Internet browsers. By that, costly and time consuming software installation and maintenance of local data repositories are avoided and, more importantly, cumbersome migration of data into one integrated database becomes obsolete. Finally, this set-up also replaces traditional systems wherein paper questionnaires were mailed to the central study office and entered by hand whereby incomplete or incorrect forms always represent a resource consuming problem and source of error. With the new study concept and the expanded inclusion criteria of MCS II 1, 251 case histories with admission and surgical data were collected. This remarkable number of interventions documented during 24 months represents an increase of 183% compared to the previously conducted MCS I. The concept and technical feasibility of the MEMdoc data collection system was proven, as the participants of the MCS II succeeded in collecting data ever published on the largest series of patients with spinal injuries treated within a 2 year period