Chiral microstructures (spirals) fabrication by holographic lithography

We present an optical interference model to create chiral microstructures (spirals) and its realization in photoresist using holographic lithography. The model is based on the interference of six equally-spaced circumpolar linear polarized side beams and a circular polarized central beam. The pitch and separation of the spirals can be varied by changing the angle between the side beams and the central beam. The realization of the model is carried out using the 325 nm line of a He-Cd laser and spirals of sub-micron size are fabricated in photoresist.Comment: 6 page

Food-borne bacteremic illnesses in febrile neutropenic children

Bacteremia following febrile neutropenia is a serious complication in children with malignancies. Preventive measures are currently targeted at antimicrobial prophylaxis, amelioration of drug-induced neutropenia, and nosocomial spread of pathogens, with little attention to community-acquired infections. A retrospective study was conducted at a pediatric oncology center during a 3-year period to identify probable cases of food-borne infections with bacteremia. Twenty-one bacteremic illnesses affecting 15 children receiving chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were reviewed. Three (14%) episodes were highly suspected of a food-borne origin: a 17-year-old boy with osteosarcoma contracted Sphingomonas paucimobilis septicemia after consuming nasi lemak bought from a street hawker; a 2-year-old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia developed Chryseobacterium meningosepticum septicemia after a sushi dinner; a 2-year-old girl was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and Lactobacillus bacteremia suspected to be of probiotic origin. All of them were neutropenic at the time of the infections and the bacteremias were cleared with antibiotic treatment. Food-borne sepsis may be an important, but readily preventable, cause of bloodstream infections in pediatric oncology patients, especially in tropical countries with an abundance of culinary outlets

Differential effects of neurotrophins and schwann cell-derived signals on neuronal survival/growth and synaptogenesis

Recent studies have shown that the survival of mammalian motoneurons in vitro is promoted by neurotrophins (NTs) and cAMP. There is also evidence that neurotrophins enhance transmitter release.Wethus investigated whether these agents also promote synaptogenesis. Cultured Xenopus spinal cord neurons were treated with a mixture of BDNF, glia-derived neurotrophic factor, NT-3, and NT-4, in addition to forskolin and IBMX or the cell-permeant form of cAMP, to elevate the cAMP level. The outgrowth and survival of neurons were dramatically increased by this trophic stimulation. However, when these neurons were cocultured with muscle cells, the trophic agents resulted in a failure of synaptogenesis. Specifically, the induction ofAChreceptor (AChR) clustering in cultured muscle cells was inhibited at nerve–muscle contacts, in sharp contrast to control, untreated cocultures. Because AChR clustering induced by agrin or growth factor-coated beads in muscle cells was unaffected by trophic stimulation, its effect on synaptogenesis is presynaptic in origin. In the control, agrin was deposited along the neurite and at nerve–muscle contacts. This was significantly downregulated in cultures treated with trophic stimuli. Reverse transcriptase-PCR analyses showed that this decrease in agrin deposition was caused by an inhibition of agrin synthesis by trophic stimuli. Both agrin synthesis and induction of AChR clustering were restored under trophic stimulation when Schwann cell-conditioned medium was introduced. These results suggest that trophic stimulation maintains spinal neurons in the growth state, and Schwann cell-derived factors allow them to switch to the synaptogenic state

Neuroendocrine Immunoregulation in Multiple Sclerosis

Currently, it is generally accepted that multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex multifactorial disease involving genetic and environmental factors affecting the autoreactive immune responses that lead to damage of myelin. In this respect, intrinsic or extrinsic factors such as emotional, psychological, traumatic, or inflammatory stress as well as a variety of other lifestyle interventions can influence the neuroendocrine system. On its turn, it has been demonstrated that the neuroendocrine system has immunomodulatory potential. Moreover, the neuroendocrine and immune systems communicate bidirectionally via shared receptors and shared messenger molecules, variously called hormones, neurotransmitters, or cytokines. Discrepancies at any level can therefore lead to changes in susceptibility and to severity of several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Here we provide an overview of the complex system of crosstalk between the neuroendocrine and immune system as well as reported dysfunctions involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity, including MS. Finally, possible strategies to intervene with the neuroendocrine-immune system for MS patient management will be discussed. Ultimately, a better understanding of the interactions between the neuroendocrine system and the immune system can open up new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of MS as well as other autoimmune diseases

Immunomodulatory Effects of 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D on Dendritic Cells Promote Induction of T Cell Hyporesponsiveness to Myelin-Derived Antigens

Altres ajuts: This work was supported by positive discussion through the A FACTT network (Cost Action BM1305: http://www.afactt.eu/). COST is supported by the EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020. Further support was provided by Grant no. G.0168.09 of the Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders, Belgium (FWO-Vlaanderen), by an applied biomedical research project of the Institute for the Promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders (IWT-TBM 140191), by the grants of the University of Antwerp through the Special Research Fund (BOF), a BOF-GOA grant (ID PS 28313), Medical Legacy Fund, the Methusalem funding programme, the Belgian Hercules Foundation, by grants of the Charcot Foundation, Belgium, and of the "Belgische Stichting Roeping," Belgium, ∑. The authors also thank the NIH AIDS Research and Reference Reagent Programme for providing the CMV pp65 peptide pool. WaiPing Lee held a Ph.D. fellowship of the Flemish Institute for Science and Technology (IWT).While emerging evidence indicates that dendritic cells (DC) play a central role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), their modulation with immunoregulatory agents provides prospect as disease-modifying therapy. Our observations reveal that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)D) treatment of monocyte-derived DC results in a semimature phenotype and anti-inflammatory cytokine profile as compared to conventional DC, in both healthy controls and MS patients. Importantly, 1,25(OH)D-treated DC induce T cell hyporesponsiveness, as demonstrated in an allogeneic mixed leukocyte reaction. Next, following a freeze-thaw cycle, 1,25(OH)D-treated immature DC could be recovered with a 78% yield and 75% viability. Cryopreservation did not affect the expression of membrane markers by 1,25(OH)D-treated DC nor their capacity to induce T cell hyporesponsiveness. In addition, the T cell hyporesponsiveness induced by 1,25(OH)D-treated DC is antigen-specific and robust since T cells retain their capacity to respond to an unrelated antigen and do not reactivate upon rechallenge with fully mature conventional DC, respectively. These observations underline the clinical potential of tolerogenic DC (tolDC) to correct the immunological imbalance in MS. Furthermore, the feasibility to cryopreserve highly potent tolDC will, ultimately, contribute to the large-scale production and the widely applicable use of tolDC

Traditional auriculotherapy for hypertension: a pilot randomized trial

Author name used in this publication: Lorna Kwai-ping Suen2013-2014 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe