Influence of peptidylarginine deiminase type 4 genotype and shared epitope on clinical characteristics and autoantibody profile of rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Recent evidence suggests that distinction of subsets of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) depending on anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP) status may be helpful in distinguishing distinct aetiopathologies and in predicting the course of disease. HLA-DRB1 shared epitope (SE) and peptidylarginine deiminase type 4 (PADI4) genotype, both of which have been implicated in anti-CCP generation, are assumed to be associated with RA. Objectives: To elucidate whether PADI4 affects the clinical characteristics of RA, and whether it would modulate the effect of anti-CCPs on clinical course. The combined effect of SE and PADI4 on autoantibody profile was also analysed. Methods: 373 patients with RA were studied. SE, padi4_94C.T, rheumatoid factor, anti-CCPs and antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) were determined. Disease severity was characterised by cumulative therapy intensity classified into ordinal categories (CTI-1 to CTI-3) and by Steinbrocker score. Results: CTI was significantly associated with disease duration, erosive disease, disease activity score (DAS) 28 and anti-CCPs. The association of anti-CCPs with CTI was considerably influenced by padi4_94C.T genotype (C/C: ORadj=0.93, padj=0.92; C/T: ORadj=2.92, padj=0.093; T/T: ORadj=15.3, padj=0.002). Carriage of padi4_94T exhibited a significant trend towards higher Steinbrocker scores in univariate and multivariate analyses. An association of padi4_94C.T with ANAs was observed, with noteworthy differences depending on SE status (SE2: ORadj=6.20, padj,0.04; SE+: ORadj=0.36, padj=0.02) and significant heterogeneity between the two SE strata (p=0.006). Conclusions: PADI4 genotype in combination with anti- CCPs and SE modulates clinical and serological characteristics of RA

Sistem Pendukung Keputusan dalam Penentuan Pertukaran Pelajar di SMA Negeri 2 Tasikmalaya dengan Metode Analytical Hierarchy Process (Ahp)

SMAN 2 Tasikmalaya adalah salah satu sekolah yang terpilih sebagai mitra Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia dalam program pertukaran pelajar ke Australia. Dalam proses pemilihan dan penilaian peserta saat ini masih belum efektif ,hal ini mengakibatkan keraguan dalam pengambilan keputusan yang memungkinkan terjadi kesalahan keputusan yang kurang tepat. Peserta yang terpilih kadang jauh dari yang diharapkan karena peserta tersebut tidak memiliki kriteria yang layak. Maka dari itu diperlukan sebuah sistem pendukung keputusan yang bisa mengoptimalkan dalam penentuan pertukaran pelajar. dalam sistem pendukung keputusan ini didukung oleh suatu metode dalam pengambilan keputusan yaitu metode Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) yang dikonversikan kedalam bahasa pemrograman Visual Basic.NET yang dapat menunjang dalam pengolahan data. alat bantu pemodelan sistemnya menggunakan Data Flow Diagram (DFD), sedangkan teknik perancangan basisdata menggunakan Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD). Adapun Kriteria yang ditetapkan oleh sekolah diantaranya : Nilai Toefl, Ranking, Nilai Wawancara, Nilai Pengetahuan Indonesia, Nilai Pengetahuan Australia, Nilai Kesenian, Nilai Kepribadian. Hasil akhir dari penelitian ini didapatkan bahwa sistem pendukung keputusan dalam penentuan pertukaran pelajar di SMA Negeri 2 tasikmalaya dengan metode Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) dapat membantu pengambil keputusan dalam menentukan peserta yang terpilih

Effect of prenatal exposure to bisphenol a on the vagina of albino rats: immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study

Background: Bisphenol-A (BPA) is an industrial chemical, used to manufacture polycarbonate and numerous plastic articles. It has been found to cause biological effects, mimic that of oestrogen. It belongs to a group of chemicals termed “endocrine disruptors” able to disrupt the chemical messenger system in the body. Aim of the study was to demonstrate the biological effects of BPA on the vagina of female rats, with the prediction of the neoplastic changes in relation to its potential impact. Materials and methods: Sprague-Dawley gravid dams were divided into three groups (10 per group): G1 — control group had an equivalent volume of sesame oil to that taken in the treated groups, G2 — group was administered by gavage 0.1 mg BPA/kg body weight (low-dose group) per day, and G3 — group was administered 50 mg BPA/kg body weight (high-dose group) per day, dissolved in sesame oil. Treatment was carried out on gestation days 10 through 20. The female offsprings of each group were weaned at day 21 and the vagina was dissected when became 3 months old for histological, immunohistochemical analysis (for detection of oestrogen receptors a [ERa], and the proliferation marker Ki-67), and ultrastructural study. Results: The low dose group showed degeneration of the epithelial lining with focal patches of decreased epithelial layers. The high dose group revealed cytoplasmic hydropic degeneration, and the pyknotic nuclei of epithelial cells. Oestrogen receptors demonstrated a significant decrease of positive cells in low dose treated group and this decrease markedly accentuated in the high dose one. Positive nuclei for Ki-67 were markedly increased with increasing doses of BPA. Electron microscopic study revealed cytoplasmic degeneration, vacuolation and mitochondrial degeneration in both treated groups. Conclusions: BPA showed an obvious mix of degenerative and proliferative histological changes and clear damage of the cellular organelles. This stressful condition may predispose to neoplastic changes of the vagina.

Karakteristik Tenaga Kerja Pelaku Mobilitas Sirkuler di Kecamatan Kalawat Kabupaten Minahasa Utara

This research aims to study the characteristics of circular mobility labor actors in Sub-district of Kalawat and what the encouraging and binding factors that affect labor circular mobility. The data used in this study are primary data and secondary data. The variables used in this study is the characteristics of respondents, the reason for doing the circular mobility, factors that encourage circular mobility, and the binding factor in the area of origin. Data analysis techniques in this research is descriptive and data presented in table format.The results of this study indicate that there is a dominant factor driving of labor force in the Sub-district of Kalawat to do circular mobility such as: education, transportation, and mileage. While the factors that bind labor circular mobility to remain in the Sub-district of Kalawat is the status of home ownership and living expenses

Direct observation of substitutional Ga after ion implantation in Ge by means of extended x-ray absorption fine structure

We present an experimental lattice location study of Ga atoms in Ge after ion implantation at elevated temperature (250°C). Using extended x-rayabsorption fine structure (EXAFS) experiments and a dedicated sample preparation method, we have studied the lattice location of Ga atoms in Ge with a concentration ranging from 0.5 at. % down to 0.005 at. %. At Ga concentrations ≤0.05 at.%, all Ga dopants are substitutional directly after ion implantation, without the need for post-implantation thermal annealing. At higher Ga concentrations, a reduction in the EXAFS amplitude is observed, indicating that a fraction of the Ga atoms is located in a defective environment. The local strain induced by the Ga atoms in the Ge matrix is independent of the Ga concentration and extends only to the first nearest neighbor Ge shell, where a 1% contraction in bond length has been measured, in agreement with density functional theory calculations.We acknowledge the support from the Research Foundation Flanders, the epi-team from imec, the KU Leuven GOA 09/06 project, the IUAP program P6/42 and the Australian Research Council. S.C. acknowledges support from OCAS NV by an OCAS-endowed chair at Ghent University

Spitzer-IRAC survey of molecular jets in Vela-D

We present a survey of H2 jets from young protostars in the Vela-D molecular cloud (VMR-D), based on Spitzer -IRAC data between 3.6 and 8.0 micron. Our search has led to the identification of 15 jets and about 70 well aligned knots within 1.2 squared degree. We compare the IRAC maps with observations of the H2 1-0 S(1) line at 2.12 micron, with a Spitzer-MIPS map at 24 and 70 micron, and with a map of the dust continuum emission at 1.2 mm. We find a association between molecular jets and dust peaks. The jet candidate exciting sources have been searched for in the published catalog of the Young Stellar Objects of VMR-D. We selected all the sources of Class II or earlier which are located close to the jet center and aligned with it.The association between jet and exciting source was validated by estimating the differential extinction between the jet opposite lobes. We are able to find a best-candidate exciting source in all but two jets. Four exciting sources are not (or very barely) observed at wavelengths shorter than 24 micron, suggesting they are very young protostars. Three of them are also associated with the most compact jets. The exciting source Spectral Energy Distributions have been modeled by means of the photometric data between 1.2 micron and 1.2 mm. From SEDs fits we derive the main source parameters, which indicate that most of them are low-mass protostars. A significant correlation is found between the projected jet length and the [24] - [70] color, which is consistent with an evolutionary scenario according to which shorter jets are associated with younger sources. A rough correlation is found between IRAC line cooling and exciting source bolometric luminosity, in agreement with the previous literature. The emerging trend suggests that mass loss and mass accretion are tightly related phenomena and that both decrease with time.Comment: Accepted by The Astrophysical Journa

Pauci Immune crescentic glomerulonephritis in a patient with T-cell lymphoma and argyria

Background Silver is a transition metal, toxic when ingested in significant amounts, causing argyria (skin deposition) and argyrosis (eye deposition). It is excreted mainly via the gastrointestinal tract with only small amounts eliminated by the kidneys, and rarely have cases of nephrotoxicity due to silver been reported. Here we present the case of a woman who used colloidal silver as an alternative remedy for a T cell lymphoma, who subsequently developed argyria and a pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis with evidence of extensive glomerular basement membrane silver deposition. Case Presentation A 47 year old woman of Indo-Asian descent with a T-cell lymphoma who refused conventional chemotherapy for 18 months but self-medicated with a remedy containing colloidal silver, was admitted with acute dialysis-dependent kidney injury. A kidney biopsy demonstrated a pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis with deposition of silver particles in the mesangium and along the glomerular basement membranes. The patient was treated with intravenous methylprednisolone and intravenous cyclophosphamide and recovered independent renal function. Conclusion Chronological evolution of the the pauci-immune glomerulonephritis suggests that a cellular immune-mediated process was induced, potentially mediated by lymphomatous T cells directed at the glomerular basement membrane, following silver deposition. Immunosuppressive therapy improved the situation and allowed cessation of haemodialysis, supporting the hypothesis of an immune-mediated process

The Role of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Ultraviolet Extinction. I. Probing small molecular PAHs

We have obtained new STIS/HST spectra to search for structure in the ultraviolet interstellar extinction curve, with particular emphasis on a search for absorption features produced by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The presence of these molecules in the interstellar medium has been postulated to explain the infrared emission features seen in the 3-13 $\mu$m spectra of numerous sources. UV spectra are uniquely capable of identifying specific PAH molecules. We obtained high S/N UV spectra of stars which are significantly more reddened than those observed in previous studies. These data put limits on the role of small (30-50 carbon atoms) PAHs in UV extinction and call for further observations to probe the role of larger PAHs. PAHs are of importance because of their ubiquity and high abundance inferred from the infrared data and also because they may link the molecular and dust phases of the interstellar medium. A presence or absence of ultraviolet absorption bands due to PAHs could be a definitive test of this hypothesis. We should be able to detect a 20 \AA wide feature down to a 3$\sigma$ limit of $\sim$0.02 A$_V$. No such absorption features are seen other than the well-known 2175 \AA bump.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figure, ApJ in pres