Platelet-Released Factors: Their Role in Viral Disease and Applications for Extracellular Vesicle (EV) Therapy

Platelets, which are small anuclear cell fragments, play important roles in thrombosis and hemostasis, but also actively release factors that can both suppress and induce viral infections. Platelet-released factors include sCD40L, microvesicles (MVs), and alpha granules that have the capacity to exert either pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory effects depending on the virus. These factors are prime targets for use in extracellular vesicle (EV)-based therapy due to their ability to reduce viral infections and exert anti-inflammatory effects. While there are some studies regarding platelet microvesicle-based (PMV-based) therapy, there is still much to learn about PMVs before such therapy can be used. This review provides the background necessary to understand the roles of platelet-released factors, how these factors might be useful in PMV-based therapy, and a critical discussion of current knowledge of platelets and their role in viral diseases.     

Identification of Tone Duration, Line Length, and Letter Position: An Experimental Approach to Timing and Working Memory Deficits in Schizophrenia.

Patients with schizophrenia display numerous cognitive deficits, including problems in working memory, time estimation, and absolute identification of stimuli. Research in these fields has traditionally been conducted independently. We examined these cognitive processes using tasks that are structurally similar and that yield rich error data. Relative to healthy control participants (n = 20), patients with schizophrenia (n = 20) were impaired on a duration identification task and a probed-recall memory task but not on a line-length identification task. These findings do not support the notion of a global impairment in absolute identification in schizophrenia. However, the authors suggest that some aspect of temporal information processing is indeed disturbed in schizophrenia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

High concentrations of essential and toxic elements in infant formula and infant foods – A matter of concern

This study assessed concentrations in and intake of toxic and essential elements from formulas and foods intended for infants during their first 6 months of life. Concentrations of the essential elements Ca, Fe, Zn, Mn and Mo were significantly higher in most formulas than in breast milk. Daily intake of Mn from formula varies from ten up to several hundred times the intake of the breast fed infant, levels that may be associated with adverse health effects. One portion of infant food provided significantly more Fe, Mn, Mo, As, Cd, Pb and U than one feeding of breast milk, but less Ca, Cu and Se. Rice-based products in particular contained elevated As concentrations. Drinking water used to mix powdered formula may add significantly to the concentrations in the ready-made products. Evaluation of potentially adverse effects of the elevated element concentrations in infant formulas and foods are warranted.     

HLA-DOB1 "low-resolution' typing by PCR amplification with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP)

In the study described here primers were designed for DQB1 'low-resolution', i.e. generic, typing by PCR amplification with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) considering all the currently recognized DQB1 alleles, i.e. 0501-0504, 0601-0609, 0201, 0301-0305 and 0401-0402. This resolution was achieved by performing eight PCR reactions per individual. The DQB1 alleles corresponding to the serological specificities DQ4, DQ5, and DQ6 were uniquely identified, whereas the DQ2, DQ7, DQ8 and DQ9 specificities were amplified by two primer mixes. All homozygous and heterozygous combinations of the serological series DQ1 to DQ9 could be distinguished. The yield of amplified products were increased compared to our previously described DQB1 'high-resolution' typing technique by lengthening many of the primers, modifying the PCR cycling parameters and by including glycerol in the PCR reaction mixtures. Thirty-one cell lines and 90 donor spleen cells were investigated by the DQB1 'low-resolution' PCR-SSP technique as well as by TaqI DRB-DQA-DQB RFLP analysis. The concordance between PCR-SSP typing and RFLP analysis was 100%. The cell lines and 20 of the spleen cells were typed twice with complete reproducibility. No false positive or false negative typing results were obtained. DQB1 'low-resolution' PCR-SSP typing, including DNA extraction, PCR amplification, gel detection, documentation and interpretation, were performed in 2 h which renders the PCR-SSP technique suitable also for the genotyping of cadaveric organ donors.     

Potentiometrische Titration des Gesamts?uregehaltes von Weinen und Lik?ren

Zusammenfassung Es wird eine potentiometrische Methode für die Bestimmung des Gesamtsäuregehaltes der Weine und Liköre beschrieben und auf Grund experimenteller Versuche der Einfluß verschiedener Faktoren auf die Resultate diskutiért.     

Conjugated linoleic acid isomer concentrations in milk from high‐ and low‐input management dairy systems

BACKGROUND: Different conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers are known to have contrasting physiology or health effects and there is growing evidence that the profile of natural isomers in milk is influenced by the production system. This survey is the first to compare feeding regimes and concentrations of 14 CLA isomers in milk from three production systems in the UK. RESULTS: Total CLA and seven isomers (including C18:2 c9t11 which comprised > 80% of total) were significantly higher in milk from both organically certified and non‐certified low input (LI) systems compared with milk from conventional high input farms. Sampling date also affected concentrations of total CLA and nine isomers; being lowest in March and highest in August. Seasonal differences were greater in milk from LI herds, thought to be due to changes in herbage and/or stage of lactation. Multivariate analysis showed a strong positive relationship between several CLA isomers and increasing levels of fresh forage in the diet. CONCLUSIONS: These results add to the evidence on how management adjustment may improve the profile of CLA isomers in milk fat, although animal or human intervention studies are required to identify the effects of consuming milk with different CLA levels and isomer profiles on human health. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Application of different concepts for fatigue design of welded joints in rotating components in mechanical engineering

Several concepts are used for the fatigue design of welded joints. In this paper investigations are presented, which were carried out in a joint project between five research institutes [1]. The aim is to investigate currently applied fatigue concepts with respect to their limitations, compatibility and reliability, in order to improve the accuracy of lifetime estimation and to simplify the choice of the optimum fatigue concept. Here, the results of the investigation of welded joints in rotating universal joint shafts are shown [2]. In the critical weld, a structural steel and a quenched and tempered steel are joined. In practice, stresses result from rotating bending, torsion and also residual stresses are sometimes present. Several welding techniques, MAG, TIG and laser welding, and two seam geometries were investigated with regard to their influence on fatigue strength. Experiments were conducted with welded tube specimens representative of the actual component application and with derived flat specimens as detail specimens. The welded sheet thickness was 5.5 mm. Fatigue strength was investigated from 10⁴ to 10⁷ numbers of cycles. In numerical analyses, nominal stress, structural hot spot stress and elastic notch stress with reference radii of 0.3 mm and 0.05 mm were calculated. In the comparison of the concepts, their respective advantages and disadvantages have been demonstrated. A comparison of the results with the IIW recommendation for fatigue design of welded joints and components [3] has been carried out and improvements have been suggested.     

On T-cell recognition of nickel as a hapten

T-cells recognize antigens as peptides associated with self-molecules encoded by genes of the HLA region. In patients with contact allergy to nickel, T-cells that are specific for non-peptide haptens have been described. Previously, we have isolated HLA class II-restricted nickel-specific T-cell clones from patients with nickel sensitivity. In this paper, data on the fine specificity of a nickel-specific HLA-DR4-restricted clone have been reevaluated. Genomic tissue typing employing polymerase chain reaction and sequence-specific primers were used. Nickel was presented to the T-cell clone by all three subtypes of HLA-DR4 included in our panel. Two different DRB4*0404-positive cells presented nickel, whereas only 3 of the 7 DRB1*0401-positive and one of the 3 DRB1*0408-positive cells restimulated the T-cell clone. These findings are compatible with the notion that nickel interacts with endogenous peptides in the antigen-presenting groove of the HLA molecule, thereby changing these peptides' antigenicity rather than their ability to bind to the HLA molecule. Variations of the endogenous peptide in the antigen-presenting groove as well as differences of the HLA molecules give the DR4 specificity of the nickel-specific clone MCE2.