Ex vivo generation of functional dendritic cells from mobilized CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells

Gene engineering to enhance tumour immunogenicity and elicit curative responses against established tumours and tumour recurrences has become an attractive prospect. Gene engineering enables new genes to be selectively inserted into the genome of a tumour cell, or the construction of new fusion plasmids coding tumour antigens and immunomodulatory molecules. The rationale behind current research is to enhance the immune recognition of tumour antigens through their association with the molecules on which immune recognition depends. The immunotherapy data obtained in many experimental tumour systems provide a realistic assessment of the potential and limits of this technological approach. Experimental vaccination of rodents has been shown to induce a significant immune memory, even against poorly immunogenic tumours, that can prevent tumour growth and cure initial metastases, but is poorly effective against established tumours. Its use in tumour prevention is a fresh dawning perspective.     

Calibration of human locomotion and models of perceptual-motor organization.

People coordinate the force and direction of skilled actions with target locations and adjust the calibrations to compensate for changing circumstances. Are the adjustments globally organized (adjusting a particular action to fit a particular circumstance would generalize to all actions in the same circumstance); anatomically specific (every effector is adjusted independently of others); or functional (adjustments would generalize to all actions serving the same goal and generating the same perceptible consequences)? Across 10 experiments, changes in the calibration of walking, throwing, and turning-in-place were induced, and generalization of changes in calibration to functionally related and unrelated actions were tested. The experiments demonstrate that humans rapidly adjust the calibration of their walking, turning, and throwing to changing circumstances, and a functional model of perceptual-motor organization is suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pyrazoline bisphosphonate esters as novel antiinflammatory and antiarthritic agents

Vinylidenebisphosphonic acid tetraethyl ester (1) and diazo ketones 7a-1 in ether at 22 degrees C yield pyrazoline bisphosphonate tetraethyl esters 8a-1 in moderate to good yield. These compounds were evaluated in animal models of arthritis: rat adjuvant-induced polyarthritis (AIP) and murine antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) and a murine model of chronic inflammation, the delayed type hypersensitivity granuloma reaction (DTH-GRA). (5-Benzoyl-2,4-dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-ylidene)-bisphosphonic acid tetraethyl ester (8a), and [5-(3-fluorobenzoyl)-2,4-dihydro-3H-pyraxol-3-ylidene]- bisphosphonic acid tetraethyl ester (8d) significantly inhibited the arthritis models, AIP (15 mg/kg) and AIA (25 mg/kg), as well as the DTH-GRA (25 mg/kg). Conversion of 8a to the corresponding bisphosphonic acid, 10a, resulted in loss of activity. Compounds with alkyl substituents on the pyrazoline nitrogen, 9a-d, were inactive in the DTH-GRA. These results show that 8a and 8d have novel antiinflammatory activity and are capable of inhibiting chronic arthritis and inflammation in animals. Such compounds might be useful in man for treating chronic tissue injury associated with arthropathies such as inflammatory joint disease as well as other chronic inflammatory diseases.     

The modulation of cellular responses to poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogel surfaces: phosphorylation decreases macrophage collagenase production in vitro

We examined the regulation of collagenase production by the monocyte/macrophage THP-1 cell line when these cells were exposed to poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) hydrogel surfaces with different chemistries and morphologies. Tissue culture modified polystyrene (TCP), used as a control surface, induced the maximum collagenase response. Copolymer hydrogels containing 2-ethoxyethyl methacrylate (EMA) or methyl methacrylate (MMA) also induced a high response, while PHEMA hydrogels induced a low level response and the phosphorylated hydrogel induced no response. This pattern was altered when the morphology of the hydrogels was changed to that of a sponge. The overall enzyme response to the sponge hydrogels was lower than that to the homogeneous hydrogels. Sponges containing EMA and MMA produced low level response relative to the TCP control. PHEMA and phosphorylated sponges produced little and no response respectively. The dramatically reduced enzyme response to phosphorylated surfaces was not a consequence of cell death, and may be a phenomenon related to changes in cell surface charge.     

Effect of low-volatile additives on the structure and strength of cokes

Blends of medium-volatile or high-volatile coals have been carbonized in a 7 kg oven with low-volatile coals (6–16% VM, dmmf). A comparison is made of the strength and structural properties of these cokes with those of the cokes made under corresponding conditions from the medium or high-volatile coals alone. With increasing levels of addition of the low-volatile coals the tensile strength of the blend cokes generally attains a maximum and then decreases. These strength changes are related to changes in porosity, pore-wall thickness and pore dimensions. Coals which display some degree of plasticity and which are weakly caking improve coke quality by altering the pore-structure due to the combined effects of decreasing the pore diameter and slightly increasing the wall thickness. Those additives which are non-caking act primarily as wall thickeners.     

Modification of avoidance behavior: Expectancy, autonomic reactivity, and verbal report.

Evaluated the effects of manipulated cognitive expectancy on avoidance behavior in an experimental paradigm that simulated systematic desensitization. 72 female undergraduates with moderate fear of spiders were divided among 4 expectancy conditions ranging from a set to improve to a set that fear would increase. 2 measures of electrodermal activity were continuously recorded while the Ss, who relaxed in a reclining chair, were exposed to a preserved tarantula. Results indicate that both overt avoidance behavior and 2 verbal indexes were differentially affected by expectancy and that no relationship between avoidance behavior and autonomic reactivity was evident. It is concluded that the processes which mediate systematic desensitization can not adequately be explained by the counterconditioning model alone. (34 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sampling improvements in atomic absorption spectroscopy

Atomic absorption spectroscopy is being used as a routein method to determine sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper and many other metallic elements in oils, fats, milk and other substances. Copper and iron can be measured directly in milk without sample preparation. When highly acidified samples are run, a new plastic-lined nebulizer is useful to prevent spurious results due to corrosion. A new sampling device, the Graphite Furnace, can analyze extremely small samples and gives detection limits in the picogram (10⁻¹² g) range. One of 28 papers presented at the Symposium, “Metal-Catalyzed Lipid Oxidation,” ISF-AOCS World Congress, Chicago, September 1970.