Resting respiratory tract dendritic cells preferentially stimulate T helper cell type 2 (Th2) responses and require obligatory cytokine signals for induction of Th1 immunity

Consistent with their role in host defense, mature dendritic cells (DCs) from central lymphoid organs preferentially prime for T helper cell type 1 (Th1)-polarized immunity. However, the "default" T helper response at mucosal surfaces demonstrates Th2 polarity, which is reflected in the cytokine profiles of activated T cells from mucosal lymph nodes. This study on rat respiratory tract DCs (RTDCs) provides an explanation for this paradox. We demonstrate that freshly isolated RTDCs are functionally immature as defined in vitro, being surface major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II lo, endocytosishi, and mixed lymphocyte reactionlo, and these cells produce mRNA encoding interleukin (IL)-10. After ovalbumin (OVA)-pulsing and adoptive transfer, freshly isolated RTDCs preferentially stimulated Th2-dependent OVA-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)G1 responses, and antigen-stimulated splenocytes from recipient animals produced IL-4 in vitro. However, preculture with granulocyte/macrophage colony stimulating factor increased their in vivo IgG priming capacity by 2-3 logs, inducing production of both Th1- and Th2-dependent IgG subclasses and high levels of IFN-gamma by antigen-stimulated splenocytes. Associated phenotypic changes included upregulation of surface MHC II and B7 expression and IL-12 p35 mRNA, and downregulation of endocytosis, MHC II processing- associated genes, and IL-10 mRNA expression. Full expression of IL-12 p40 required additional signals, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha or CD40 ligand. These results suggest that the observed Th2 polarity of the resting mucosal immune system may be an inherent property of the resident DC population, and furthermore that mobilization of Th1 immunity relies absolutely on the provision of appropriate microenvironmental costimuli.     

Detection and preliminary characterization of matrix metalloproteinase activity in temporomandibular joint lavage fluid

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the period 1986-1994, 2950 patients with cardiovascular diseases were surgically treated. In 2104 cases we placed biological or synthetic grafts to maintain vascular continuity. The most common has turned out to be abdominal aortic aneurysm. We treated 783 cases in emergency conditions. Staging and localization of infection has been the first aim in patients with synthetic vascular grafts. We studied signs and symptoms related to infections. In all cases we discovered the microorganism responsible of infection we started antibiotic therapy. RESULTS: Surgical infection incidence is 4.9% (154 cases). Series analysis has evidenced a decrease in infection incidence in the period 1986-1994. The most frequent infections are: the urinary tract infection (59 cases, 38.5%) followed by surgical wound infection (37 cases, 24.1%), respiratory tract infection (27 cases, 17.5%), vascular graft infection (23 cases, 14.4%). All patients underwent a preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis with 2 degrees-3 degrees generation cephalosporines. We noted a higher graft infection incidence in patients treated with aortobifemoral reconstruction. We handled surgical infection following two main directions: 1-antibiotic therapy, 2-surgical treatment and antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: We noted surgical technique improvement and correct application of an antibiotic prophylaxis form has turned out to be the "gold standard" in order to reduce cardiovascular surgical infections. To reduce sepsis or graft infection we can work on either of the following: 1) antibiotic therapy; 2) operative time reduction; 3) try to limit vascular surgery in case of concomitant gastrointestinal surgical disease; 4) using alloplastic vascular grafts with high biological compliance; 5) patency time reduction of invasive diagnostic technique.     

Higher earnings, bursting trains and exhausted bodies: the creation of travelling psychosis in post-reform China

This paper examines the biomedical construction of "travelling psychosis" (TP), a contested psychiatric diagnosis pertaining to a severe mental disturbance that occurs among migrant workers who travel long distance in China's overcrowded trains. Although TP can produce substantial psychiatric morbidity, it is also a socially constructed entity that serves social uses. By subscribing to a ritualistic model of validation and by invoking the rhetoric of scientific authority, Chinese psychiatrists who created TP have been able to accomplish such goals as legitimating its forensic function, securing research funds, enhancing their academic status and raising railway authorities' consciousness about passengers' safety issues. But the "biopsychosocial" paradigm they espouse supplies only a parochial form of social analysis and a spurious sense of comprehensiveness. By privileging proximate risk factors, it fails to address the wider environment of the post-reform political economy that ultimately governs population movement and put migrant workers at risk of health problems. This paper submits that a critical examination of this sanitised biopsychosocial paradigm will enliven biomedical research as well as augment its impact on policy development in China.     

Digital imaging of clear-sky polarization

If digital images of clear daytime or twilight skies are acquired through a linear polarizing filter, they can be combined to produce high-resolution maps of skylight polarization. Here polarization P and normalized Stokes parameter Q are measured near sunset at one inland and two coastal sites. Maps that include the principal plane consistently show that the familiar Arago and Babinet neutral points are part of broader areas in which skylight polarization is often indistinguishably different from zero. A simple multiple-scattering model helps explain some of these polarization patterns.     

Single- and dual-ion-beam sputter deposition of titanium oxide films

The optical properties and the surface morphologies of single-ion-beam sputtering (SIBS) and dual-ion-beam sputtering (DIBS) depositions of titanium oxide films are investigated and compared. In the DIBS process, the ion-assisted deposition by the voltage of a low ion beam ranged from 50 to 300 V at a 0% and 44% oxygen percentage. Cosputtering with materials of Si, SiO(2) (fused silica), and Al is also utilized in SIBS to improve amorphous-structure film. For the low-absorption and surface-roughness film, the optimum deposition condition of DIBS and postdeposition baking temperature for SIBS and DIBS are essential to the process.     

Control of the leakage current in SrTiO3 films by acceptor doping

Stoichiometric SrTiO3 (STO) films doped with Fe or Cr were prepared by r.f. magnetron sputtering technique. The effects of Fe or Cr doping in the SrTiO3 films were studied on the leakage current property which was discussed by defect chemistry. The experimental results can be explained by a model in which oxygen vacancies are the key defects responsible for the leakage current. Acceptor doping, with a small concentration of Fe or Cr, has led to a substantial improvement to 10–9 order in the leakage current density. Above the concentration of 0.010.02 mol% Fe2O3, Cr2O3, however, as the concentration increased, the leakage current increased. These acceptors in Ti4+ site are expected to electrically compensate for donor species such as oxygen vacancies, thereby reducing the concentration of mobile carriers that contribute to electrical conduction. Consequently, acceptor doped STO films have been shown to be superior to undoped films for applications requiring high leakage resistance, such as dynamic random access memory capacitors. © 1998 Chapman & Hall     

Electrophysicochemical characteristics of a waterpen point coronadischarge

Some interesting electrophysicochemical characteristics of waterpen point-to-plate discharges with DC and AC power have been investigated in a room atmosphere. The metal point electrode of a conventional point-to-plate air gap is severely bombarded by energetic ions from the discharge region near the point. Concurrently, the temperature of the point is greatly increased. There are different characteristics for the waterpen point discharge, because the surface temperature of the waterpen point stays low due to the evaporation of the moisture from the waterpen point. In this paper, the discharges and electrophysicochemical characteristics of a waterpen point and a Pt metal point have been studied to evaluate the differences. It was found that mists and sprays are dispersed from the waterpen point due to the bombardment of ions. Also, a positive corona is effective for mist dispersion, a negative corona disperses sprays, and AC corona disperses both mists and sprays. The AC discharge of the waterpen point generated more ozone of 56 ppm, while it was the negative DC discharge of the Pt point that produced more ozone of 30 ppm. The AC discharge of the waterpen point produced 0.11 ppm at 10 kV, and the Pt point produced 0.10 ppm at 15 kV. The DC discharge of the both points showed no NO formation     

High-resolution venography of the brain using magnetic resonance imaging

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a non-flow related magnetic resonance imaging method to visualize small veins independent of arteries in the human brain. A long TE, high-resolution 3D gradient echo MR acquisition was used to highlight venous information. The method is based on the paramagnetic property of deoxyhemoglobin and the resulting phase difference between veins and brain parenchyma at long echo times. The MR magnitude images were masked with a phase mask filter to enhance small structure visibility.. Venous information down to sub-pixel vessel diameters of several hundred microns is visible. Venous data are displayed in an angiographic manner using a minimum intensity projection algorithm. Both superficial veins and deep white matter veins are visible. The method has been successfully applied in volunteers. Preliminary results in patients with cerebral arteriovenous malformations indicate its potential in clinical applications. The proposed method is easy to implement and does not require administration of a contrast agent or application of specially designed rf pulses to highlight the veins. Rather it exploits the intrinsic magnetic properties (BOLD-effect) and the prolonged T ^_2* of venous blood. The method may be of diagnostic potential in the assessment of arteriovenous malformations or other vascular venous lesions. © 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.     

Phase separation in segmented polyurethanes derived from mixtures of polyether polyols with different functionality

A series of segmented polyurethanes containing 60 wt° of hard segments (HS) was prepared from MDI (4,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate) ethylene glycol and mixtures of a polyoxyethylene end-capped polyoxypropylene triol and a polyoxyethylene end-capped polyoxypropylene diol. The effects of the content of polyether diol in polyether polyols on phase separation and properties was investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and investigation of tensile properties. The DSC and DMA results indicate that the polyurethane derived from only polyether triol exhibits obvious phase separation and that the HS is immiscible with the SS, but that the HS is compatible with the HS for the polyurethane derived from polyether diol. As the content of polyether diol increases, the compatibility between HS and SS increases. As the content of polyether diol increases, the tensile strength. elongation. toughness and tear resistance of the polyurethanes increases. but their moduli decrease. The modulus-temperature dependence in the temperature region of –30 to 65 °C increases as the polyether diol content increases.     

Method to derive ocean absorption coefficients from remote-sensing reflectance

A method to derive in-water absorption coefficients from total remote-sensing reflectance (ratio of the upwelling radiance to the downwelling irradiance above the surface) analytically is presented. For measurements made in the Gulf of Mexico and Monterey Bay, with concentrations of chlorophyll-a ranging from 0.07 to 50 mg/m(3), comparisons are made for the total absorption coefficients derived with the suggested method and those derived with diffuse attenuation coefficients. For these coastal to open-ocean waters, including regions of upwelling and the Loop Current, the results are as follows: at 440 nm the difference between the two methods is 13.0% (r(2) = 0.96) for total absorption coefficients ranging from 0.02 to 2.0 m(-1); at 488 nm the difference is 14.5% (r(2) = 0.97); and at 550 nm the difference is 13.6% (r(2) = 0.96). The results indicate that the method presented works very well for retrieval of in-water absorption coefficients exclusively from remotely measured signals, and that this method has a wide range of potential applications in oceanic remote sensing.