Perceived shrinkage of motion paths.

We show that human observers strongly underestimate a linear or circular trajectory that a luminous spot follows in the dark. At slow speeds, observers are relatively accurate, but, as the speed increases, the size of the path is progressively underestimated, by up to 35%. The underestimation imposes little memory load and does not require tracking of the trajectory. Most importantly, we found that underestimation occurred only when successive motion vectors changed in direction. This suggests a perceptual rather than representational origin of the illusion, related to vector-sum integration over time of neural motion signals in different directions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Recognition of bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein by perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-positive sera from ulcerative colitis patients: prevalence and clinical significance

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate a) the role of bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) as a possible antigen determining perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (p-ANCA) reactivity in ulcerative colitis and b) the prevalence and clinical correlates of anti-BPI antibodies in patients with ulcerative colitis on the basis of their p-ANCA status. METHODS: p-ANCA and anti-BPI antibodies were evaluated by means of indirect immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods in a group of 112 ulcerative colitis patients (including 42 patients subjected to proctocolectomy) well defined as far as their clinical features and p-ANCA status. RESULTS: Anti-BPI antibodies were detected in 24% of non-operated patients and were significantly more frequent in p-ANCA-positive patients (32% versus 5% in p-ANCA-negative patients; P < 0.015). The prevalence of anti-BPI antibodies was similar in non-operated and operated patients and was high in men, in patients with an extensive and aggressive disease, and in patients developing pouchitis after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that BPI is a neutrophil antigen frequently recognized by p-ANCA-positive ulcerative colitis sera. The presence of anti-BPI antibodies appears to identify further immunologic and clinical heterogeneity in ulcerative colitis.     

Properties of circulating IgA molecules in Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura nephritis with focus on neutrophil cytoplasmic antigen IgA binding (IgA-ANCA): new insight into a debated issue. Italian Group of Renal Immunopathology Collaborative Study on Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura in adults and in children

BACKGROUND: The presence and the pathogenetic role of circulating IgA reacting with neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens (IgA-ANCA) in patients with Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura (HSP) is still debated. This study was aimed to investigate some characteristics of serum IgA and macromolecular IgA in HSP patients, focusing on IgA-ANCA. METHODS: Eighty-seven HSP patients with biopsy proved renal involvement (51 adults and 36 children) enrolled in a multicentre study of the Italian Group of Immunopathology were investigated. RESULTS: Significantly high levels of IgA immune complexes were found in both adults (P < 0.05) and children (P < 0.01), while the binding of IgA to jacalin, was significantly low in children with HSP (P < 0.01) only. Two series of ELISA were done for IgA-ANCA, in two different laboratories. Increased binding to PMN crude extracts (P < 0.01) without any modification in IgA binding to proteinase 3 was found by either specific ELISA. Conversely, the binding of IgA to myeloperoxidase (MPO) was found to be significantly (P < 0.05) increased with positive values in 25% of patients by one assay only. Three of four sera with positive IgA-MPO ANCA exhibited binding in Western-blot studies with the MPO preparation used in ELISA to a 28-kDa species. D-galactose and N-acetyl-glucosamine decreased the binding of serum IgA to MPO more in HSP than in controls (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The conflicting reports on IgA-ANCA may reflect some atypical characteristics of the reaction which can be detected only by some ELISAs. We suggest that not an antigen-antibody reaction but a lectinic interaction due to abnormal composition of IgA carbohydrate side chains may account for the IgA-ANCA reaction in patients with HSP nephritis.     

MAGNETIC MOMENT OF AMORPHOUS CoP ALLOYS

非晶态Co_(100-x)P_x(x=13.9—27.7)合金用电解沉积法制备。用磁天平测量了样品的饱和磁化强度与温度的关系。给出了每个Co原子的平均磁矩随磷含量的增加而下降的实验结果,用电荷转移模型和与Co原子最近邻的Co原子配位数的变化讨论了磷元素对Co的3d磁矩的影响。     

Definition of IgG Subclass-Specific Glycopatterns in Idiopathic Membranous Nephropathy: Aberrant IgG Glycoforms in Blood

The podocyte injury, and consequent proteinuria, that characterize the pathology of idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN) is mediated by an autoimmune reaction against podocyte antigens. In particular, the activation of pathways leading to abundant renal deposits of complement is likely to involve the binding of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) to aberrant glycans on immunoglobulins. To obtain a landscape of circulatory IgG Fc glycosylation characterizing this disease, we conducted a systematic N-glycan profiling study of IgG1, 2, and 4 by mass spectrometry. The cohort included 57 IMN patients, a pathological control group with nephrotic syndrome (PN) (n = 20), and 88 healthy control subjects. The effect of sex and age was assessed in all groups and controlled by rigorous matching. Several IgG Fc glycan traits were found to be associated with IMN. Interestingly, among them, only IgG4-related results were specific for IMN and not for PN. Hypo-galactosylation of IgG4, already shown for IMN, was observed to occur in the absence of core fucose, in line with a probable increase of pro-inflammatory IgG. In addition, elevated levels of fucosylated IgG4, along with low levels of hybrid-type glycans, were detected. Some of these IgG4 alterations are likely to be more pronounced in high PLA2R (phospholipase A2 receptor) patients. IgG Fc glycosylation patterns associated with IMN warrant further studies of their role in disease mechanisms and may eventually enrich the diagnostic spectrum regarding patient stratification.     

Anionic liposomes for small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) delivery to primary neuronal cells: Evaluation of alpha-synuclein knockdown efficacy

Alpha-synuclein (α-syn) deposition in Lewy bodies (LB) is one of the main neuropathological hallmarks of Parkinson's disease (PD).LB accumulation is considered a causative factor of PD,which suggests that strategies aimed at reducing α-syn levels could be relevant for its treatment.In the present study,we developed novel nanocarriers suitable for systemic delivery of small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) that were specifically designed to reduce neuronal α-syn by RNA interference.Anionic liposomes loaded with an siRNA-protamine complex for α-syn gene silencing and decorated with a rabies virus glycoprotein (RVG)-derived peptide as a targeting agent were prepared.The nanoparticles were characterized for their ability to load,protect,and deliver the functional siRNA to mouse primary hippocampal and cortical neurons as well as their efficiency to induce gene silencing in these cells.Moreover,the nanocarriers were evaluated for their stability in serum.The RVG-decorated liposomes displayed suitable characteristics for future in vivo applications and successfully induced α-syn gene silencing in primary neurons without altering cell viability.Collectively,our results indicate that RVG-decorated liposomes may be an ideal tool for further studies aimed at achieving efficient in vivo α-syn gene silencing in mouse models of PD.     

Erratum to: Anionic liposomes for small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) delivery to primary neuronal cells: Evaluation of alpha-synuclein knockdown efficacy

Nano Research - The name of the fourth author in the original version of this article was unfortunately wrongly written on the first page. Instead of Caitriona M. O’iscoll It should read...