Regulation of CD95 (Apo-1/Fas) ligand and receptor expression in squamous-cell carcinoma by interferon-gamma and cisplatin

CD95 (Apo-1/Fas) ligand (CD95L) expression has been observed in various malignancies. In human primary cell lines from a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the vulva, the effect of cisplatin (CDDP) and IFNgamma on the expression of CD95L and its 2 receptor isoforms, CD95 transmembrane (CD95tm) and CD95 soluble receptor, was studied at the mRNA and protein levels. Addition of CDDP and IFNgamma increased CD95L mRNA levels in the primary cell line 6-fold and 1.7-fold, respectively. In comparison, CD95tm mRNA levels were diminished by CDDP but increased 8-fold upon IFNgamma challenge. CD95L expressed by SCC cells was functionally relevant since these cells were able to induce CD95-specific apoptosis in autologous lymphocytes from the SCC-bearing patient. Thus, CD95L expression in SCC may contribute to tumor-associated immunosuppression, which may be modulated by CDDP and IFNgamma. In tumor samples of the primary SCC, CD95L expression was enhanced in the area of the border between invasive tumor tissue and surrounding stroma cells. The locally restricted over-expression of CD95L was congruent with the arrangement of apoptotic stroma cells in the direct vicinity of invading tumor tongues, suggesting a role as invasion factor for CD95L.     

配电变压器的后续运行

1　引言配电变压器负荷的特点是逐年缓慢而连续的增长。因此 ,非但须检查其负荷不超过其技术极限 ,而且还要确定最经济的调大变压器的时刻。本报告中首先考虑了变压器的后续负荷的技术标准和对避免过负荷而须采取措施的极限情况的确定。进而通过预期的变压器调大寻找节约的机会。最后简短地评述了可能的监视方法。2　变压器运行的技术极限2 .1　额定值和过负荷能力配电变压器的额定功率是它在稳态和在标准周围温度 (2 0℃ )时可供电 3 0年的功率。对油纸绝缘热老化的问题 ,数十年来一直以 Montsinger规则为参考 :即每 6K的绝缘温升 ,使老化…     

Unison,canon, and sluggish clocks in networks controlled by a synchronizer

The effect of using a simple synchronizer on the performance of a directed, strongly connected, distributed network, is analysed. In this paper we assume that the time of message transmission is positive but negligible. It is shown that the synchronizer is sufficient to assure that a full rate of computation is achieved in networks with a global clock, in spite of the absence of a global start-up signal. In fact,unison is reached within linear time. A similar phenomenon occurs if there is no global clock, but all local clocks have the same rate. In case the local clocks do not have the same rate, it is shown that the computational rate is not slower than anysluggish clock; i.e., a clock such that between any two of its ticks, every local clock ticks at least once.The first author was supported by the Fund for the Promotion of Research at the Technion. The work of the second author was done while he was in the Computer Science Department of the Technion; he is presently visiting the Laboratory for Computer Science, MIT.     

A construction of a cipher from a single pseudorandom permutation

We suggest a scheme for a block cipher which uses only one randomly chosen permutation,F. The key, consisting of two blocks,K ₁ andK ₂, is used in the following way. The message block is XORed withK ₁ before applyingF, and the outcome is XORed withK ₂, to produce the cryptogram block. We show that the resulting cipher is secure (when the permutation is random or pseudorandom). This removes the need to store, or generate a multitude of permutations. Shimon Even was supported by the Fund for the Promotion of Research at the Technion, and by Bellcore, Morristown, NJ 07940, U.S.A. Part of the work was done while Yishay Mansour was in the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center.     

Ultrasonic images interpretation improvement for microassembling technologies characterisation

This paper deals with two techniques for improvement of ultrasonic images interpretation based on image and digital signal processing. The first technique concerns image processing. We propose an analytical model to evaluate the effective Point Spread Function (PSF) of a reflection scanning ultrasonic system. We present the great interest of the knowledge of the PSF for deconvolution of ultrasonic images based on Lucy-Richardson algorithm. With this technique, lateral resolution is strongly improved and real dimensions of an object can be reached that is necessary to improve the understanding and interpretation of an image. The second technique concerns ultrasonic images showing different nature of defects. A better understanding of these images can be realized by means of time of flight detection. This technique concerns Time-Frequency (TF) analysis to determine nature and depth of defects with accuracy. Two applications of microassembling die-attach characterisation are presented using these methods.     

Selection of T cells reactive against autologous B lymphoblastoid cells during chronic rheumatoid arthritis

The repertoire and Ag specificity of T cells infiltrating inflamed joints from a chronic rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patient were studied in detail. Repertoire analysis demonstrated a reduced clonality of joint-infiltrating lymphocytes (JIL) as compared with patient's PBL, which was presumably due to an intra-articular expansion of T cell clones with recurrent TCR features. Strikingly, a large fraction of these JIL T cell clones, which were predominantly CD8+, proliferated in vitro when exposed to autologous B lymphoblastoid cells (BLC), unlike randomly chosen PBL clones derived from the same patient. This proliferative response was HLA-restricted, which confirmed a classical TCR-mediated recognition of BLC and was not observed against autologous PHA blasts, suggesting recognition of either EBV or B cell-specific Ags. Finally, a preliminary analysis of synovial lymphocytes derived from another chronic RA patient demonstrated a similar enrichment for T cells reactive against autologous BLC within JILs as compared with patient's PBLs. Taken together, these results, which suggest frequent expansions of autologous BLC-reactive T cells within inflamed joints of chronic RA patients, provide a basis for future studies evaluating the fine specificity and pathogenicity of these lymphocytes.     

A Simulation Model for Heat Pump Dryer Plants for Fruits and Roots.

Dryer design requires food properties, drying rate and mass-heat transfer coefficients. These values change continuously during drying due to changes in food fractions, particularly the water fraction. The high energy demand and costs allied to inefficient devices, creates a great need for new processing equipment. Along these guide-lines, several heat pump drying research projects were established at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The heat pump dryer provides high quality final product as its drying conditions can be controlled. Its efficiency and non-polluting operation come from closed air-refrigerant circuits and from its ability to fully recover the latent heat of moist air as it exits the drying chamber. Most of the above features are quite the opposite of the conventional dryer characteristics. Several experiments were made on heat pump drying of fruits and roots at temperatures from -22.5 to 40°C to obtain data and correlations on thermophysical properties, specific enthalpy and rehydration. Also, tests were done on drying rate, moisture content, drying constant, effective mass diffusivity and heat and mass transfer equations. The next important phase is the development of a simulation model to predict the performance and characteristics of the heat pump dryer plant. The objectives of the present work are to develop and lo test a heat pump dryer simulation model. The simulation provides results on the characteristics of both plant and components which are integrated by heat and mass transfer equations. The program has menus with click-on icons, input and output pop-up dialogue boxes. The usual commands such as, file-open, file-save, edit-delete are available in this program simply called Hpdryer. The model contains moist air psychrometric. natural and conventional refrigerant property libraries. Ammonia is a time-tested, self-alarming and natural refrigerant. It has been used extensively in the past, and it has better thermodynamic and transport properties than halocarbons. Safety is easily attained by design and its restrictive standards have helped increase its use in several countries. There are 36 ammonia installations in Norway and in the United Kingdom, including a drying plant. Ammonia has zero Odp, zero Gwp and the recent R&D has led to viable small-sale heat pump plants. Ammonia and dichlarodifluoromethane refrigerants were used in the test cases simulated by Hpdryer madel.     

Molecular epidemiology and disinfectant susceptibility of Listeria monocytogenes from meat processing plants and human infections

We have investigated the molecular epidemiology of Listeria monocytogenes from the meat processing industry producing cold cuts and from cases of human listeriosis by discriminative pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). A subset of the isolates was also investigated for susceptibility to a disinfectant based on quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC) frequently used in the meat processing industry. The purpose of this investigation was to obtain knowledge of sources, routes of contamination and genetic types of L. monocytogenes present along the production line in the meat processing industry, and to compare meat industry isolates and human isolates. Of the 222 isolates from four meat-processing plants, 200 were from two plants responsible for nearly 50% of the production of cold cuts in the Norwegian market. The strain collection included historical routinely sampled isolates (1989-2002) and isolates systematically sampled through a one year period (November 2001 to November 2002) from fresh meat and production environments in three plants. No isolates were obtained in samples from employees (throat, faeces). Human strains included all available reported isolates from Norwegian patients in selected time periods. The L. monocytogenes PFGE data showed a large genetic heterogeneity, with isolates separated into two genetic lineages and further subdivided into 56 different PFGE profiles. Certain profiles were observed on both sides of production (before and after heat treatment) indicating contamination of end products by fresh meat or fresh meat environments. While fresh meat isolates almost exclusively grouped within lineage I, isolates from end products showed a more balanced distribution between lineages I and II. Ten profiles were common among isolates from human and meat industry. Typing of human isolates identified a previously unrecognised outbreak. Generally, a higher QAC resistance incidence was observed among isolates from the meat processing industry than among human isolates although large plant to plant differences were indicated. No correlation between resistance and PFGE profile or resistance and persistence was observed.