77 research outputs found

    Schwannoma-like pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid

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    Pleomorphic adenoma is the most common benign salivary gland tumour. It can occur in any salivary gland, but is most frequently found in the parotid gland. Chondroid metaplasia is a frequent finding in pleomorphic adenoma. Other forms of metaplasia have been described, but are encountered less frequently. We report a rare case of unusual pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland with schwannoma-like feature

    Rhinovirus-induced basic fibroblast growth factor release mediates airway remodeling features

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    BACKGROUND: Human rhinoviruses, major precipitants of asthma exacerbations, induce lower airway inflammation and mediate angiogenesis. The purpose of this study was to assess the possibility that rhinoviruses may also contribute to the fibrotic component of airway remodeling. METHODS: Levels of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) mRNA and protein were measured following rhinovirus infection of bronchial epithelial cells. The profibrotic effect of epithelial products was assessed by DNA synthesis and matrix metalloproteinase activity assays. Moreover, epithelial cells were exposed to supernatants from cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells, obtained from healthy donors or atopic asthmatic subjects and subsequently infected by rhinovirus and bFGF release was estimated. bFGF was also measured in respiratory secretions from atopic asthmatic patients before and during rhinovirus-induced asthma exacerbations. RESULTS: Rhinovirus epithelial infection stimulated mRNA expression and release of bFGF, the latter being positively correlated with cell death under conditions promoting rhinovirus-induced cytotoxicity. Supernatants from infected cultures induced lung fibroblast proliferation, which was inhibited by anti-bFGF antibody, and demonstrated increased matrix metalloproteinase activity. Rhinovirus-mediated bFGF release was significantly higher in an in vitro simulation of atopic asthmatic environment and, importantly, during rhinovirus-associated asthma exacerbations. CONCLUSIONS: Rhinovirus infection induces bFGF release by airway epithelium, and stimulates stroma cell proliferation contributing to airway remodeling in asthma. Repeated rhinovirus infections may promote asthma persistence, particularly in the context of atopy; prevention of such infections may influence the natural history of asthma

    A peptide derived from TIMP-3 inhibits multiple angiogenic growth factor receptors and tumour growth and inflammatory arthritis in mice

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    The binding of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) on the surface of vascular endothelial cells stimulates many steps in the angiogenic pathway. Inhibition of this interaction is proving of value in moderating the neovascularization accompanying age-related macular degeneration and in the treatment of cancer. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-3 (TIMP-3) has been shown to be a natural VEGFR-2 specific antagonistβ€”an activity that is independent of its ability to inhibit metalloproteinases. In this investigation we localize this activity to the C-terminal domain of the TIMP-3 molecule and characterize a short peptide, corresponding to part of this domain, that not only inhibits all three VEGF-family receptors, but also fibroblast growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor receptors. This multiple-receptor inhibition may explain why the peptide was also seen to be a powerful inhibitor of tumour growth and also a partial inhibitor of arthritic joint inflammation in vivo

    Comparative and Joint Analysis of Two Metagenomic Datasets from a Biogas Fermenter Obtained by 454-Pyrosequencing

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    Biogas production from renewable resources is attracting increased attention as an alternative energy source due to the limited availability of traditional fossil fuels. Many countries are promoting the use of alternative energy sources for sustainable energy production. In this study, a metagenome from a production-scale biogas fermenter was analysed employing Roche's GS FLX Titanium technology and compared to a previous dataset obtained from the same community DNA sample that was sequenced on the GS FLX platform. Taxonomic profiling based on 16S rRNA-specific sequences and an Environmental Gene Tag (EGT) analysis employing CARMA demonstrated that both approaches benefit from the longer read lengths obtained on the Titanium platform. Results confirmed Clostridia as the most prevalent taxonomic class, whereas species of the order Methanomicrobiales are dominant among methanogenic Archaea. However, the analyses also identified additional taxa that were missed by the previous study, including members of the genera Streptococcus, Acetivibrio, Garciella, Tissierella, and Gelria, which might also play a role in the fermentation process leading to the formation of methane. Taking advantage of the CARMA feature to correlate taxonomic information of sequences with their assigned functions, it appeared that Firmicutes, followed by Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria, dominate within the functional context of polysaccharide degradation whereas Methanomicrobiales represent the most abundant taxonomic group responsible for methane production. Clostridia is the most important class involved in the reductive CoA pathway (Wood-Ljungdahl pathway) that is characteristic for acetogenesis. Based on binning of 16S rRNA-specific sequences allocated to the dominant genus Methanoculleus, it could be shown that this genus is represented by several different species. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences placed them in close proximity to the hydrogenotrophic methanogen Methanoculleus bourgensis. While rarefaction analyses still indicate incomplete coverage, examination of the GS FLX Titanium dataset resulted in the identification of additional genera and functional elements, providing a far more complete coverage of the community involved in anaerobic fermentative pathways leading to methane formation

    First international consensus on the methodology of lymphangiogenesis quantification in solid human tumours

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    The lymphatic system is the primary pathway of metastasis for most human cancers. Recent research efforts in studying lymphangiogenesis have suggested the existence of a relationship between lymphatic vessel density and patient survival. However, current methodology of lymphangiogenesis quantification is still characterised by high intra- and interobserver variability. For the amount of lymphatic vessels in a tumour to be a clinically useful parameter, a reliable quantification technique needs to be developed. With this consensus report, we therefore would like to initiate discussion on the standardisation of the immunohistochemical method for lymphangiogenesis assessment

    Nominal Growth of A Small Open Economy

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    This paper develops a flexible price, two-sector nominal growth model, in order to study the nominal aspects of capital accumulation (convergence). We adopt a classical model of a small open economy with traded and nontraded goods, and enrich its structure with gradual investment and a preference for real money holdings. This latter is motivated by the fact that a large fraction of less developed OECD country (in particular: new EU members) households' assets are local currency bank deposits. The modelling framework gives the following results: (1) the flexibility of the monetary regime (whether money or the exchange rate is allowed to fluctuate freely) matters; (2) under imperfect floating (like in a currency board), the level of the exchange rate has a medium-run impact on nominal and real variables but no long-run real effect; (3) along the real equilibrium path (which can be implemented by flexible exchange rates), capital accumulation implies an increase in the price of nontradables (a real appreciation); (4) under flexible exchange rates, capital accumulation also implies a nominal appreciation

    Capital Inflows and Asset Prices: Evidence from Emerging Asia

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    The withdrawal of foreign capital from emerging countries at the height of the recent financial crisis and its quick return sparked a debate about the impact of capital flow surges on asset markets. This paper addresses the response of property prices to an inflow of foreign capital. For that purpose we estimate a panel VAR on a set of Asian emerging market economies, for which the waves of inflows were particularly pronounced, and identify capital inflow shocks based on sign restrictions. Our results suggest that capital inflow shocks have a significant effect on the appreciation of house prices and equity prices. Capital inflow shocks account for - roughly - twice the portion of overall house price changes they explain in OECD countries. We also address crosscountry differences in the house price responses to shocks, which are most likely due to differences in the monetary policy response to capital inflows

    Sampling with unequal probabilities

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    Since the mid 1950s, there has been a well-developed theory of sample survey design inference embracing complex designs with stratification and unequal probabilities (Smith, 2001). Unequal probability sampling was first suggested by Hansen and Hurwitz (1943) in the context of sampling with replacement. Narain (1951), Horvitz and Thompson (1952) developed the corresponding theory for sampling without replacement. A large part of survey sampling literature is devoted to unequal probabilities sampling, and more than 50 sampling algorithms have been proposed.<br/

    Optimal sampling and estimation strategies under the linear model

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    In some cases model-based and model-assisted inferences can lead to very different estimators. These two paradigms are not so different if we search for an optimal strategy rather than just an optimal estimator, a strategy being a pair composed of a sampling design and an estimator. We show that, under a linear model, the optimal model-assisted strategy consists of a balanced sampling design with inclusion probabilities that are proportional to the standard deviations of the errors of the model and the Horvitz--Thompson estimator. If the heteroscedasticity of the model is &lsquor;fully explainable&rsquor; by the auxiliary variables, then this strategy is also optimal in a model-based sense. Moreover, under balanced sampling and with inclusion probabilities that are proportional to the standard deviation of the model, the best linear unbiased estimator and the Horvitz--Thompson estimator are equal. Finally, it is possible to construct a single estimator for both the design and model variance. The inference can thus be valid under the sampling design and under the model. Copyright 2008, Oxford University Press.

    New tests for departures from random behavior in spatial memory experiments

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    We present statistical tests for departures from random expectation in spatial memory tasks. We consider two common protocols for spatial memory experiments. In the first one, subjects are allowed to search a fixed number of sites. In the second protocol, subjects are allowed to search until they achieve a fixed number of successes. In either of these protocols, the subjects involved may or may not revisit sites that have been previously searched or exploited. This yields four situations to consider: fixed number of sites searched or fixed number of successes, with or without revisits. We derive analytical expressions for the probability mass functions, expectations, and variances associated with each type of null hypothesis. We present three statistical tests of these hypotheses: the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, the ordinary sign test, and the Z test. We use our results to demonstrate a priori calculation of sample sizes and statistical power and to consider a mixed model of sampling with and without replacement.</p
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