bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Proapoptotic Chemotherapeutic Drugs Induce Noncanonical Processing and Release of IL-1β via Caspase-8 in Dendritic Cells
Authors: Antonopoulos Christina , El Sanadi Caroline , Kaiser William J. , Mocarski Edward S. , Dubyak George R. 
Published: September 2013

Abstract
The identification of noncanonical (caspase-1–independent) pathways for IL-1β production has unveiled an intricate interplay between inflammatory and death-inducing signaling platforms. We found a heretofore unappreciated role for caspase-8 as a major pathway for IL-1β processing and release in murine bone marrow–derived dendritic cells (BMDC) costimulated with TLR4 agonists and proapoptotic chemotherapeutic agents such as doxorubicin (Dox) or staurosporine (STS). The ability of Dox to stimulate release of mature (17-kDa) IL-1β was nearly equivalent in wild-type (WT) BMDC, Casp1−/−Casp11−/− BMDC, WT BMDC treated with the caspase-1 inhibitor YVAD, and BMDC lacking the inflammasome regulators ASC, NLRP3, or NLRC4. Notably, Dox-induced production of mature IL-1β was temporally correlated with caspase-8 activation in WT cells and greatly suppressed in Casp8−/−Rip3−/− or Trif−/− BMDC, as well as in WT BMDC treated with the caspase-8 inhibitor, IETD. Similarly, STS stimulated robust IL-1β processing and release in Casp1−/−Casp11−/− BMDC that was IETD sensitive. These data suggest that TLR4 induces assembly of caspase-8–based signaling complexes that become licensed as IL-1β–converting enzymes in response to Dox and STS. The responses were temporally correlated with downregulation of cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein 1, suggesting suppressive roles for this and likely other inhibitor of apoptosis proteins on the stability and/or proteolytic activity of the caspase-8 platforms. Thus, proapoptotic chemotherapeutic agents stimulate the caspase-8–mediated processing and release of IL-1β, implicating direct effects of such drugs on a noncanonical inflammatory cascade that may modulate immune responses in tumor microenvironments.
Characterization of Human Afferent Lymph Dendritic Cells from Seroma Fluids
Authors: Morandi Barbara , Bonaccorsi Irene , Mesiti Mario , Conte Romana , Carrega Paolo , Costa Gregorio , Iemmo Raffaella , Martini Stefania , Ferrone Soldano , Cantoni Claudia , Mingari Maria Cristina , Moretta Lorenzo , Ferlazzo Guido 
Published: September 2013

Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) migrate from peripheral tissues to secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) through the afferent lymph. Owing to limitations in investigating human lymph, DCs flowing in afferent lymph have not been properly characterized in humans until now. In this study, DCs present in seroma, an accrual of human afferent lymph occurring after lymph node surgical dissection, were isolated and analyzed in detail. Two main DC subsets were identified in seroma that corresponded to the migratory DC subsets present in lymph nodes, that is, CD14+ and CD1a+. The latter also included CD1abright Langerhans cells. The two DC subsets appeared to share the same monocytic precursor and to be developmentally related; both of them spontaneously released high levels of TGF-β and displayed similar T cell–activating and –polarizing properties. In contrast, they differed in the expression of surface molecules, including TLRs; in their phagocytic activity; and in the expression of proteins involved in Ag processing and presentation. It is worth noting that although both subsets were detected in seroma in the postsurgical inflammatory phase, only CD1a+ DCs migrated via afferent lymph under steady-state conditions. In conclusion, the high numbers of DCs contained in seroma fluids allowed a proper characterization of human DCs migrating via afferent lymph, revealing a continuous stream of DCs from peripheral regions toward SLOs under normal conditions. Moreover, we showed that, in inflammatory conditions, distinct subsets of DCs can migrate to SLOs via afferent lymph.
Human CD4+CD3− Innate-Like T Cells Provide a Source of TNF and Lymphotoxin-αβ and Are Elevated in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Bekiaris Vasileios , Šedý John R. , Rossetti Maura , Spreafico Roberto , Sharma Shilpi , Rhode-Kurnow Antje , Ware Brian C. , Huang Nini , Macauley Matthew G. , Norris Paula S. , Albani Salvatore , Ware Carl F. 
Published: September 2013

Abstract
Innate lymphoid cells encompass a diverse array of lymphocyte subsets with unique phenotype that initiate inflammation and provide host defenses in specific microenvironments. In this study, we identify a rare human CD4+CD3− innate-like lymphoid population with high TNF expression that is enriched in blood from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These CD4+CD3− cells belong to the T cell lineage, but the lack of AgR at the cell surface renders them nonresponsive to TCR-directed stimuli. By developing a culture system that sustains survival, we show that CD4+CD3− innate-like T cells display IL-7–dependent induction of surface lymphotoxin-αβ, demonstrating their potential to modify tissue microenvironments. Furthermore, expression of CCR6 on the CD4+CD3− population defines a CD127high subset that is highly responsive to IL-7. This CD4+CD3− population is enriched in the peripheral blood from rheumatoid arthritis patients, suggesting a link to their involvement in chronic inflammatory disease.
Selective Ablation of Lung Epithelial IKK2 Impairs Pulmonary Th17 Responses and Delays the Clearance of Pneumocystis
Authors: Perez-Nazario Nelissa , Rangel-Moreno Javier , O’Reilly Michael A. , Pasparakis Manolis , Gigliotti Francis , Wright Terry W. 
Published: September 2013

Abstract
Pneumocystis is an atypical fungal pathogen that causes severe, often fatal pneumonia in immunocompromised patients. Healthy humans and animals also encounter this pathogen, but they generate a protective CD4+ T cell–dependent immune response that clears the pathogen with little evidence of disease. Pneumocystis organisms attach tightly to respiratory epithelial cells, and in vitro studies have demonstrated that this interaction triggers NF-κB–dependent epithelial cell responses. However, the contribution of respiratory epithelial cells to the normal host response to Pneumocystis remains unknown. IκB kinase 2 (IKK2) is the upstream kinase that is critical for inducible NF-κB activation. To determine whether IKK2-dependent lung epithelial cell (LEC) responses contribute to the anti-Pneumocystis immune response in vivo, transgenic mice with LEC-specific deletion of IKK2 (IKK2ΔLEC) were generated. Compared to wild-type mice, IKK2ΔLEC mice exhibited a delayed onset of Th17 and B cell responses in the lung and delayed fungal clearance. Importantly, delayed Pneumocystis clearance in IKK2ΔLEC mice was associated with an exacerbated immune response, impaired pulmonary function, and altered lung histology. These data demonstrate that IKK2-dependent LEC responses are important regulators of pulmonary adaptive immune responses and are required for optimal host defense against Pneumocystis infection. LECs likely set the threshold for initiation of the pulmonary immune response and serve to prevent exacerbated lung inflammation by promoting the rapid control of respiratory fungal infection.
TLR2-Induced IL-10 Production Impairs Neutrophil Recruitment to Infected Tissues during Neonatal Bacterial Sepsis
Authors: Andrade Elva B. , Alves Joana , Madureira Pedro , Oliveira Liliana , Ribeiro Adília , Cordeiro-da-Silva Anabela , Correia-Neves Margarida , Trieu-Cuot Patrick , Ferreira Paula 
Published: September 2013

AbstractSepsis is the third most common cause of neonatal death, with Group B Streptococcus (GBS) being the leading bacterial agent. The pathogenesis of neonatal septicemia is still unsolved. We described previously that host susceptibility to GBS infection is due to early IL-10 production. In this study, we investigated whether triggering TLR2 to produce IL-10 is a risk factor for neonatal bacterial sepsis. We observed that, in contrast to wild-type (WT) pups, neonatal TLR2-deficient mice were resistant to GBS-induced sepsis. Moreover, if IL-10 signaling were blocked in WT mice, they also were resistant to sepsis. This increased survival rate was due to an efficient recruitment of neutrophils to infected tissues that leads to bacterial clearance, thus preventing the development of sepsis. To confirm that IL-10 produced through TLR2 activation prevents neutrophil recruitment, WT pups were treated with the TLR2 agonist Pam3CSK4 prior to nebulization with the neutrophil chemotactic agent LTB4. Neutrophil recruitment into the neonatal lungs was inhibited in pups treated with Pam3CSK4. However, the migration was restored in Pam3CSK4-treated pups when IL-10 signaling was blocked (either by anti–IL-10R mAb treatment or by using IL-10–deficient mice). Our findings highlight that TLR2-induced IL-10 production is a key event in neonatal susceptibility to bacterial sepsis.
Characterization of Distinct Immunophenotypes across Pediatric Brain Tumor Types
Authors: Griesinger Andrea M. , Birks Diane K. , Donson Andrew M. , Amani Vladimir , Hoffman Lindsey M. , Waziri Allen , Wang Michael , Handler Michael H. , Foreman Nicholas K. 
Published: September 2013

Abstract
Despite increasing evidence that antitumor immune control exists in the pediatric brain, these findings have yet to be exploited successfully in the clinic. A barrier to development of immunotherapeutic strategies in pediatric brain tumors is that the immunophenotype of these tumors’ microenvironment has not been defined. To address this, the current study used multicolor FACS of disaggregated tumor to systematically characterize the frequency and phenotype of infiltrating immune cells in the most common pediatric brain tumor types. The initial study cohort consisted of 7 pilocytic astrocytoma (PA), 19 ependymoma (EPN), 5 glioblastoma (GBM), 6 medulloblastoma (MED), and 5 nontumor brain (NT) control samples obtained from epilepsy surgery. Immune cell types analyzed included both myeloid and T cell lineages and respective markers of activated or suppressed functional phenotypes. Immune parameters that distinguished each of the tumor types were identified. PA and EPN demonstrated significantly higher infiltrating myeloid and lymphoid cells compared with GBM, MED, or NT. Additionally, PA and EPN conveyed a comparatively activated/classically activated myeloid cell–skewed functional phenotype denoted in particular by HLA-DR and CD64 expression. In contrast, GBM and MED contained progressively fewer infiltrating leukocytes and more muted functional phenotypes similar to that of NT. These findings were recapitulated using whole tumor expression of corresponding immune marker genes in a large gene expression microarray cohort of pediatric brain tumors. The results of this cross-tumor comparative analysis demonstrate that different pediatric brain tumor types exhibit distinct immunophenotypes, implying that specific immunotherapeutic approaches may be most effective for each tumor type.
Pervaporation
Authors: Jonquières Anne , Arnal‐Herault Carole , Babin Jérôme 
Published: October 2013

AbstractWith more than 250 plants in operation worldwide, pervaporation is now a mature membrane process for the separation of liquid mixtures. In a first part, this review describes the general principles of pervaporation and its main advantages compared to other common separation techniques such as distillation. The influence of operating conditions (e.g., feed flow rate, temperature, and pressure) is discussed and an introduction on mass‐transfer modeling in pervaporation is included.The different types of pervaporation separations are reviewed for organic solvent dehydration, extraction of volatile organic compounds from water, and purely organic mixture separation. A focus is then placed on commercial pervaporation membranes and examples for key industrial applications of this technology. Although alcohol dehydration remains the first industrial application of pervaporation, important breakthroughs have recently been made for separating purely organic mixtures in the fine chemistry and petrochemical industries. Finally, the challenges and future prospects of pervaporation are pointed out. By offering cost‐effective alternatives to other separation processes and important energy savings, pervaporation is a sustainable membrane process that is currently finding new opportunities driven by major developments in the petrochemical and biorefinery industries.
Oxygen–Nitrogen Separation
Authors: Rana Dipak , Matsuura Takeshi 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
This article outlines briefly the current status of material design, module design, process and system design, and commercial applications of membrane air separation. In particular, efforts were made to collect the latest experimental data available in the scientific literature. As a result of the literature search, it was found that investigation of various polyimides has been dominating in the material design of polymers, while development of mixed‐matrix membranes has been attempted to combine advantageous features of inorganic and polymeric materials. Module designs are mostly based on hollow fiber and spiral‐wound modules. Economic optimization is the criteria for the process and system design. Applications are mainly in the production of oxygen‐enriched air and nitrogen gas. Production of high purity oxygen from air has not yet been achieved commercially.
This review is focused on polymeric and polymer‐related membranes for air separation. Therefore, only limited information is given on inorganic membrane materials that are based on oxygen ion transport mechanism, for example, perovskite.
Gas Transport in Dense Polymeric Membranes, Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Authors: Neyertz Sylvie 
Published: October 2013

AbstractClassical simulations such as molecular dynamics (MD) are powerful tools to either complement experimental evidence or to predict gas transport properties in polymers. They can reproduce the gas uptake curves and characterize at the molecular level both the mechanisms of gas mobility and the structural and dynamical changes of the matrices. It is also possible to evaluate the gas diffusion and solubility coefficients, thus leading to model permeabilities. However, realistic fully atomistic simulations are currently restricted to the 10−9to 10−7 s timescale, which is hardly compatible with the longer relaxations of high molecular weight polymers and the establishment of the Fickian diffusion regime for slowly diffusing gases. Consequently, pure MD will often have to be coupled with other simulation techniques in order to overcome these shortcomings, both during the model preparation procedures and the analyses of gas transport.
Applications of Pertraction in Biotechnology
Authors: Caşcaval Dan , Galaction Anca‐Irina , Boldureanu Daniel 
Published: October 2013

AbstractPertraction, also defined as the extraction and transport through liquid membranes, consists in the transfer of a solute between two aqueous phases of different pH values or other chemical properties, phases that are separated by a solvent layer of various sizes. Pertraction efficiency and selectivity can be significantly enhanced by adding one or more carriers, such as organophosphoric compounds, long‐chain amines, or crown ethers, into the liquid membrane, the separation process being calledfacilitatedorsynergic pertraction.Compared to the physical or reactive liquid‐liquid extraction, the pertraction method reduces the loss of solvent during the separation cycle, needs small quantity of solvent and carrier due to their continuous regeneration, and offers the possibility of solute transport against its concentration gradient as long as the pH gradient between the two aqueous phases is maintained.In this context, this article overviews representative applications of pertraction for separating individually or selectively the biosynthetic products of carboxylic acids, amino acids, antibiotics, and vitamins. The main influences of the operating parameters on pertraction efficiency, the optimum separation conditions, and the models describing the behavior of pertraction systems are discussed in direct correlation with the practical potential of this separation technique for biotechnology.
Organic Solvent Nanofiltration
Authors: Székely György , Marchetti Patrizia , Jimenez‐Solomon Maria F. , Livingston Andrew G. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractOrganic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) is a pressure‐driven membrane process discriminating molecules in the range of 200‐1000 Da, providing high quality products through gentle operating conditions. OSN has significant potential in chemical‐related industries employing organic solvents including ionic liquids. The main advantages of OSN technologies include low energy consumption, operation time, and process complexity as well as improved production sustainability, quality, and yield. The article seeks to provide insight into the state‐of‐the‐art research in the field, including the development of new polymeric and ceramic OSN membranes, modeling studies of the transport mechanisms through OSN membranes, engineering of membrane modules, development of new membrane characterization techniques, and novel OSN application.
Food Industry Applications
Authors: Lipnizki Frank , Dupuy Aurélie 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThis article provides an overview on established membrane applications in the food industry and focuses on applications of membrane processes in the production of beer, wine, fruit juice, food additives, and dairy products such as milk, whey, and cheese. Furthermore, as the food industry is a highly water consuming industry one section of this article is dedicated to water preparation and wastewater treatment with membranes. The concluding sections will provide an outlook on the future of membrane technologies in the food industry.
Gold Nanotube Membranes
Authors: Velleman Leonora , Shapter Joe G. , Losic Dusan 
Published: October 2013

AbstractIn this review, we discuss gold nanotube membranes, which are of interest in the field of membrane separations. The review briefly describes the template synthesis approach based on electroless gold deposition for production of these membranes using polymer track‐etched and porous alumina membranes as a template. Separation using gold nanotube membranes based on strategies such as molecular size exclusion, charge, and molecular recognition are also presented. Gold nanotube membranes can perform various separations of ions, organic molecules, proteins, and nucleic acid. This review covers the concepts underlying the separation mechanisms as well as representative applications of gold nanotube membranes in biosensing, catalysis, and biomedical applications. The review concludes with an outlook providing a perspective for further developments and applications of gold nanotube membranes.
Membrane Bioreactors, Applications to Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
Authors: Krause Stefan , Thiemig Christoph 
Published: October 2013

AbstractMembrane bioreactor (MBR) technology for wastewater treatment has attracted enormous attention worldwide over the past 15 years. MBRs combine biological wastewater treatment with membrane technology. Ultra‐ or microfiltration membranes separate the biomass from the mixed liquor during the activated sludge process (ASP). Herein, the membrane is employed as a filter and rejects the solids to provide a clarified product. The main advantages of the process are the superior effluent quality as a result of complete solid removal and the small footprint of the plant due to more compact aeration tanks and the absence of a final sedimentation tank. The disadvantages can be the membrane fouling and the higher energy demand of the process. Worldwide, MBR systems have been implemented in more than 200 countries. Key drivers for this technology are the legislation relating to environmental protection and wastewater management, local water scarcity, the cost (return on investment), and the increase in the acceptance of MBR technology and wastewater reuse.To optimize the MBR process, the design of the conventional ASP needs to be modified at several points. The mechanical pretreatment, particularly the screening process, has to be adapted as classical screens of around 6 mm rating are insufficient for an MBR. Most MBRs are operated with 1 mm up to 3 mm screen gap size. The biological stage can be operated with higher mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration. The content can be increased from about 3000 mg/l in conventional ASP to about 12,000 mg/l in MBR systems resulting in a lower foot print and lower hydraulic retention time (HRT). Also, the control of the MBR plant is more complex in comparison with conventional ASP as the membrane process must be embedded into the control system. In addition, the cleaning of the membrane must be implemented into design, operation, and control.
Single‐incision and NOTES Cholecystectomy, Are There Clinical or Cosmetic Advantages When Compared to Conventional Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy? A Case–control Study Comparing Single‐incision, Transvaginal, and Conventional Laparoscopic Technique for Cholecystectomy
Authors: van den Boezem Peter B. , Velthuis Simone , Lourens Harm J. , Cuesta Miguel A. , Sietses Colin 
Published: October 2013

AbstractBackgroundThe aim of the present study was to compare the clinical and cosmetic results of transvaginal hybrid cholecystectomy (TVC), single‐port cholecystectomy (SPC), and conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy (CLC). Recently, single‐incision laparoscopic surgery and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery have been developed as minimally invasive alternatives for CLC. Few comparative studies have been reported.MethodsFemale patients with symptomatic gallstone disease who were treated in 2011 with SPC, TVC, or CLC were entered into a database. Patients were matched for age, body mass index, and previous abdominal surgery. After the operation all patients received a survey with questions about recovery, cosmesis, and body image.ResultsA total of 90 patients, 30 in each group, were evaluated. Median operative time for CLC was significantly shorter (p < 0.001). There were no major complications. Length of hospital stay, postoperative pain, and postoperative complications were not significantly different. The results for cosmesis and body image after the transvaginal approach were significantly higher. None of the sexually active women observed postoperative dyspareunia.ConclusionsBoth SPC and TVC are feasible procedures when performed in selected patients. CLC is a faster procedure, but other clinical outcomes and complication rates were similar. SPC, and especially TVC, offer a better cosmetic result. Randomized trials are needed to specify the role of SPC and TVC in the treatment of patients with symptomatic gallstone disease.