New principle for large-scale preparation of purified human pancreas islets

Because successful human islet transplantation requires large quantities of viable islets that must be separated from the highly immunogenic exocrine tissue and because handpicking is too time-consuming and laborious to be clinically relevant, a new approach for solving this problem has been established in rat models. It is based on the principle that magnetic microspheres (MMSs) coupled to lectins with binding specificity for the exocrine tissue portion are trapped in an electromagnetic field, thus providing effluent islets of a high degree of purity. In this study our aim was to adapt this princip'le to human islet preparations. In this context our prime interest was focused on a lectin suitable for human pancreatic tissue. Of 19 different lectins tested, only 1, Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA), is suitable, as shown by immunofluorescence, MMS-Iectin binding, and magnetic separatio

Интенсификация возделывания картофеля

В статье описаны требования к качеству посадочного материала. Проведен анализ существующих технологий посадки картофеля. Предложена модернизированная конструкция посадочной машины и соответственно усовершенствованная технология посадки картофеля.The article describes the requirements for the quality of planting material. The analysis of existing potato planting technologies is carried out. A modernized planting machine design and, correspondingly, an improved technology for planting potatoes are proposed

Совершенствование системы нормирования труда рабочих

Объект исследования - ЗАО "СИБУР-Транс". Предмет исследования – система нормирования труда на предприятия. Цель ВКР ? совершенствование системы нормирования труда на предприятии для активизации трудового потенциала на повышение производительности труда работников.The object of study - CJSC "SIBUR-TRANS". Subject of research - the system of regulation of labor in the enterprise. The purpose of WRC-improving the system of regulation of labor in the enterprise to enhance the labor potential to increase productivity of workers

Caspase-8 and caspase-7 sequentially mediate proteolytic activation of acid sphingomyelinase in TNF-R1 receptosomes

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-induced cell death involves the generation of ceramide by endosomal acid sphingomyelinase (A-SMase). This study reveals that in TNF-receptosomes, A-SMase is activated by caspase-7-mediated proteolytic cleavage downstream of caspase-8 activation

Hodgkin-Reed-Sternberg cells in classical Hodgkin lymphoma show alterations of genes encoding the NADPH oxidase complex and impaired reactive oxygen species synthesis capacity

The membrane bound NADPH oxidase involved in the synthesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a multi-protein enzyme encoded by CYBA, CYBB, NCF1, NCF2 and NCF4 genes. Growing evidence suggests a role of ROS in the modulation of signaling pathways of non-phagocytic cells, including differentiation and proliferation of B-cell progenitors. Transcriptional downregulation of the CYBB gene has been previously reported in cell lines of the B-cell derived classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). Thus, we explored functional consequences of CYBB downregulation on the NADPH complex. Using flow cytometry to detect and quantify superoxide anion synthesis in cHL cell lines we identified recurrent loss of superoxide anion production in all stimulated cHL cell lines in contrast to stimulated non-Hodgkin lymphoma cell lines. As CYBB loss proved to exert a deleterious effect on the NADPH oxidase complex in cHL cell lines, we analyzed the CYBB locus in Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells of primary cHL biopsies by in situ hybridisation and identified recurrent deletions of the gene in 8/18 cases. Immunohistochemical analysis to 14 of these cases revealed a complete lack of detectable CYBB protein expression in all HRS cells in all cases studied. Moreover, by microarray profiling of cHL cell lines we identified additional alterations of NADPH oxidase genes including CYBA copy number loss in 3/7 cell lines and a significant downregulation of the NCF1 transcription (p=0.006) compared to normal B-cell subsets. Besides, NCF1 protein was significantly downregulated (p<0.005) in cHL compared to other lymphoma cell lines. Together this findings show recurrent alterations of the NADPH oxidase encoding genes that result in functional inactivation of the enzyme and reduced production of superoxide anion in cHL

Acid Sphingomyelinase Serum Activity Predicts Mortality in Intensive Care Unit Patients after Systemic Inflammation: A Prospective Cohort Study

<div><p>Introduction</p><p>Acid sphingomyelinase is involved in lipid signalling pathways and regulation of apoptosis by the generation of ceramide and plays an important role during the host response to infectious stimuli. It thus has the potential to be used as a novel diagnostic marker in the management of critically ill patients. The objective of our study was to evaluate acid sphingomyelinase serum activity (ASM) as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in a mixed intensive care unit population before, during, and after systemic inflammation.</p><p>Methods</p><p>40 patients admitted to the intensive care unit at risk for developing systemic inflammation (defined as systemic inflammatory response syndrome <i>plus</i> a significant procalcitonin [PCT] increase) were included. ASM was analysed on ICU admission, before (<i>PCT_before)</i>, during (<i>PCT_peak</i>) and after (<i>PCT_low)</i> onset of SIRS. Patients undergoing elective surgery served as control (N = 8). Receiver-operating characteristics curves were computed.</p><p>Results</p><p>ASM significantly increased after surgery in the eight control patients. Patients from the intensive care unit had significantly higher ASM on admission than control patients after surgery. 19 out of 40 patients admitted to the intensive care unit developed systemic inflammation and 21 did not, with no differences in ASM between these two groups on admission. In patients with SIRS and PCT peak, ASM between admission and <i>PCT_before</i> was not different, but further increased at <i>PCT_peak</i> in non-survivors and was significantly higher at <i>PCT_low</i> compared to survivors. Survivors exhibited decreased ASM at <i>PCT_peak</i> and <i>PCT_low</i>. Receiver operating curve analysis on discrimination of ICU mortality showed an area under the curve of 0.79 for ASM at <i>PCT_low</i>.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>In summary, ASM was generally higher in patients admitted to the intensive care unit compared to patients undergoing uncomplicated surgery. ASM did not indicate onset of systemic inflammation. In contrast to PCT however, it remained high in non-surviving ICU patients after systemic inflammation.</p></div

Kinetics of acid sphingomyelinase serum activity in the control group.

<p>The box plots display the minima/maxima (whiskers), 25%/75% percentile (box), median (−) and mean (+) values. Statistically significant differences (<i>P</i><0.05) between baseline (BL) and post-operative values are marked with an asterisk (*). ASM: acid sphingomyelinase activity; BL: baseline (before surgery); d: days.</p