Coffee inventory through orbital imagery

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Deconvolving the information from an imperfect spherical gravitational wave antenna

We have studied the effects of imperfections in spherical gravitational wave antenna on our ability to properly interpret the data it will produce. The results of a numerical simulation are reported that quantitatively describe the systematic errors resulting from imperfections in various components of the antenna. In addition, the results of measurements on a room-temperature prototype are presented that verify it is possible to accurately deconvolve the data in practice.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, to be published in Europhysics Letter

Gad65 is recognized by t-cells, but not by antibodies from nod-mice

Since the 64kDa-protein glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) is one of the major autoantigens in T-cell mediated Type 1 diabetes, its relevance as a T-cell antigen needs to be clarified. After isolation of splenic T-cells from non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, a useful model for human Type 1 diabetes, we found that these T-cells proliferate spontaneously when incubated with human GAD65, but only marginally after incubation with GAD67, both recombinated in the baculovirus system. No effect was observed with non-diabetic NOD mice or with T-cells from H-2 identical NON-NOD-H-2g7 control mice. It has been published previously that NOD mice develop autoantibodies against a 64kDa protein detected with mouse beta cells. In immunoprecipitation experiments with sera from the same NOD mice and 33S-methionine-labelled GAD, no autoantibody binding could be detected. We conclude firstly that GAD65 is an important T-cell antigen which is relevant early in the development of Type 1 diabetes and secondly that there is an antigenic epitope in the human GAD65 molecule recognized by NOD T-cells, but not by NOD autoantibodies precipitating conformational epitopes. Our results therefore provide further evidence that GAD65 is a T-cell antigen in NOD mice, being possibly also involved in very early processes leading to the development of human Type 1 diabetes

Association between Antibodies to the MR 67,000 Isoform of Glutamate Decarboxylase (GAD) and Type 1 (Insulin-Dependent) Diabetes Mellitus with Coexisting Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome Type II

By using an immunoprecipitation assay, we analysed reactivity of autoantibodies to human recombinant GAD65 and GAD67 in sera from patients with autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome Type II (APS II) with and without Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus (IDDM) compared to patients with organ-specific autoimmunity. Overall antibodies to GAD65 were correlated with IDDM in all study groups, whereas GAD67 antibodies were associated with IDDM when APS II coexists. Antibodies to GAD65 and GAD67 were detected in 13 (44.8%) and 7 (24.1%) out of 29 APS II patients with IDDM, but in only 4 (13.8%) and 2 (6.9%) out of 29 APS II patients without IDDM, respectively (p < 0.05). In short-standing IDDM (< 1 year), antibodies to GAD67 were significantly more frequent in patients with APS II (5 of 9 [55.6%] subjects) compared to matched diabetic patients without coexisting polyendocrinopathy (1 of 18 [5.6%] subjects) (p < 0.02). The levels of GAD65 (142 ± 90 AU) and GAD67 antibodies (178 ± 95 AU) were significantly higher in patients with polyglandular disease than in patients with isolated IDDM (91 ± 85 AU and 93 ± 57 AU) (p < 0.02). Interestingly, all 11 GAD67 antibody positive subjects also had GAD65 antibodies (p < 0.0001), and in 10 of 11 anti-GAD67 positive sera the GAD67 antibodies could be blocked by either GAD67 or GAD65, suggesting the presence of cross-reactive autoantibodies. No correlation was observed between GAD antibodies and age, sex or any particular associated autoimmune disease, besides IDDM. GAD antibodies were present in only 1 of 6 (16.7%) patients with APS Type I, in 1 of 26 (3.9%) patients with autoimmune thyroid disease but in none of the patients with Addison's disease (n = 16), pernicious anaemia (n = 7) or normal controls (n = 50). Our data suggest distinct antibody specificities reactive to GAD isoforms in APS II and IDDM, which might reflect different mechanisms of autoimmune response in IDDM with coexisting autoimmune polyendocrine autoimmunity

Toll-like Receptor 4, F4/80 And Pro-inflammatory Cytokines In Intestinal And Mesenteric Fat Tissue Of Crohn's Disease.

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic intestinal ailment with a multifactorial etiology, whose incidence has increased during the last three decades. Recently, a role for mesenteric fat has been proposed in CD pathophysiology, since fat hypertrophy is detected nearby the affected intestinal area; however, there are few studies on this aspect. To evaluate inflammatory activity in intestinal mucosa and mesenteric fat tissue of patients with CD and controls. Ten patients with ileocecal CD and 16 patients with non-inflammatory disease (control groups) were studied. The specimens were snap-frozen and the expression of TLR-4, F4/80, IL1-β and IL-6 were determined by immunoblot of protein extracts. TLR4 RNA level were measured using RT-PCR. The t Test was applied (p<0.05). The local ethical committee approved the study. The intestinal mucosa of CD group had significantly higher protein levels of TLR-4, F4/80, IL-1β and IL-6 than the controls. The gene expression of TLR4 was lower in the intestinal mucosa of CD compared to the control group. Regard the mesenteric fat tissue, there was no statistical difference related to TLR-4, F4/80, IL-1β and IL-6 proteins expression. These findings may result from an up-regulation of macrophage activation and intracellular pathways activated by bacterial antigens, which are more important in intestinal mucosa than fat tissue in CD patients. This may represent an anomalous regulation of innate immunity and could contribute to the production of proinflammatory mediators and disease development.698-10