julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Helminth Infection with Litomosoides sigmodontis Induces Regulatory T Cells and Inhibits Allergic Sensitization, Airway Inflammation, and Hyperreactivity in a Murine Asthma Model
2008-02-01

Abstract Numerous epidemiological studies have shown an inverse correlation between helminth infections and the manifestation of atopic diseases, yet the immunological mechanisms governing this phenomenon are indistinct. We therefore investigated the effects of infection with the filarial parasite Litomosoides sigmodontis on allergen-induced immune reactions and airway disease in a murine model of asthma. Infection with L. sigmodontis suppressed all aspects of the asthmatic phenotype: Ag-specific Ig production, airway reactivity to inhaled methacholine, and pulmonary eosinophilia. Similarly, Ag-specific recall proliferation and overall Th2 cytokine (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-3) production were significantly reduced after L. sigmodontis infection. Analysis of splenic mononuclear cells and mediastinal lymph nodes revealed a significant increase in the numbers of T cells with a regulatory phenotype in infected and sensitized mice compared with sensitized controls. Additionally, surface and intracellular staining for TGF-β on splenic CD4+ T cells as well as Ag-specific TGF-β secretion by splenic mononuclear cells was increased in infected and sensitized animals. Administration of Abs blocking TGF-β or depleting regulatory T cells in infected animals before allergen sensitization and challenges reversed the suppressive effect with regard to airway hyperreactivity, but did not affect airway inflammation. Despite the dissociate results of the blocking experiments, these data point toward an induction of regulatory T cells and enhanced secretion of the immunomodulatory cytokine TGF-β as one principle mechanism. In conclusion, our data support the epidemiological evidence and enhance the immunological understanding concerning the impact of helminth infections on atopic diseases thus providing new insights for the development of future studies.
Clinical Grade Generation of Hexon-specific T Cells for Adoptive T-cell Transfer as a Treatment of Adenovirus Infection After Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation
2008-02-01

Adenovirus infection after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is still causing significant morbidity and mortality, especially in children. It has been demonstrated that a sufficient host T-cell response is essential to clear the virus. Adoptive transfer of specific T-cell immunity from the donor to the recipient has become a new treatment option for patients with systemic adenoviral infection who lack specific T-cell responses. The adenoviral hexon protein was shown to be an immunodominant T-cell target. We describe here a Good Manufacturing Practice-compatible generation of hexon-specific T cells developed by isolating interferon-gamma-secreting T cells after stimulation of mononuclear cells ex vivo with hexon protein. Phenotypical and functional characterization of the generated, specific T-cell product resulted in a mixed population of CD4 and CD8-positive T cells with an intermediate effector memory phenotype. Isolated hexon-specific T cells showed high expansion potential in vitro and specific cytotoxicity. T-cell lines, directed against type 5 hexon protein showed good crossreactivity against viral strains from other adenovirus species. The availability for isolation of hexon-specific T cells among 76 hematopoietic stem cell transplantation donors showed in > 72% a sufficient T-cell response (0.05% of T cells). In conclusion, Good Manufacturing Practice-grade selection of adenovirus-specific T cells for adoptive immunotherapy by hexon-induced secretion of interferon-gamma has been established. Adoptive T-cell transfer could potentially restore T-cell immunity against adenovirus after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.
Evidence and interdisciplinary consensus-based German guidelines: surgical treatment and radiotherapy of melanoma
2008-02-01

The primary treatment of a melanoma is surgical excision. An excisional biopsy is preferred, and safety margins of 1 cm for tumor thickness up to 2 mm and 2 cm for higher tumor thickness should be applied either at primary excision or in a two-step procedure. When dealing with facial, acral or anogenital melanomas, micrographic control of the surgical margins may be preferable to allow reduced safety margins and conservation of tissue. The sentinel lymph node biopsy should be performed in patients whose primary melanoma is thicker than 1.0 mm and this operation should be performed in centers where both the operative and nuclear medicine teams are experienced. In clinically identified lymph node metastases, radical lymph node dissection is considered standard therapy. If distant metastases involve just one internal organ and operative removal is feasible, then surgery should be seen as therapy of choice. Radiation therapy for the primary treatment of melanoma is indicated only in those cases in which surgery is impossible or not reasonable. In regional lymph nodes, radiation therapy is usually recommended when excision is not complete (R1 resection) or if the nodes are inoperable. In distant metastases, radiation therapy is particularly indicated in bone metastases, brain metastases and soft tissue metastases.
High NA particle‐ and tip‐enhanced nanoscale Raman spectroscopy with a parabolic‐mirror microscope
2008-02-01

Summary Detecting efficiently the plasmon‐enhanced Raman signal of molecules created in the nanometre‐sized gap between a metal nanoparticle or the apex of a sharp tip and a metal surface is the key problem in particle‐ or tip‐enhanced local surface spectroscopy ( Pettinger et al. , 2004 ; Roth et al. , 2006 ). The optical excitation field has to be polarized along the gap, and the field emerging from the gap has to be observed from the side. These geometrical restrictions usually limit the numerical aperture of the lens used for exciting the gap and collecting the scattered photons created in the gap. We present a novel method to overcome this problem. The solution is based on a confocal optical microscope with a high numerical aperture parabolic mirror for excitation and detection. Localized plasmons can be efficiently excited parallel to the surface normal by illuminating the parabolic mirror with a radially polarized doughnut mode and the field emerging sidewise from the gap can be efficiently collected by the rim of the parabolic mirror and directed to the detection system. First results on particle‐ and tip‐enhanced Raman spectroscopic measurements of benzotriazole molecules adsorbed on gold films are presented.
A novel approach to detect and characterize the scattering patterns of single Au nanoparticles using confocal microscopy
2008-02-01

Summary We demonstrate a novel optical method for characterizing single Au nanoparticles by acquiring their scattering patterns. This technique combines confocal microscopy and higher‐order laser modes for detecting the light scattered by sub‐wavelength–sized nanoobjects. The optical patterns are generated by the coherent superposition of the field scattered by individual metallic particles and the excitation field reflected at the cover slide–air interface and provide information about the particles' position, orientation, size and shape. Detectable changes in the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the signal intensity permit to distinguish between 20‐ and 60‐nm diameter Au spheres. The confocal images are also very sensitive to the particle's geometry and polarizability, that is, Au nanospheres, Au nanorods and triangular Au nanoplates give different characteristic patterns if the excitation wavelength is varied.
Cystic lesion of the ventriculus terminalis: proposal for a new clinical classification
2008-02-01

✓ The ventriculus terminalis is a small cavity inside the conus medullaris that is formed during the embryonic development. Previous reports regarding cystic lesion of the ventriculus terminalis (CLVT) in adults have detailed a broad and diversified distribution in terms of clinical symptoms, clinical evolution, neurological findings, and treatment. Therefore, nonstandardized management has led to unsatisfactory outcomes. Thus, the authors propose a new classification system in which the clinical presentation is taken into account to standardize the cases and facilitate the proper management of these lesions. Two more cases are described. The literature was reviewed, dividing the patients into 3 groups by clinical presentation as follows: CLVT Type I, patients with nonspecific neurological symptoms or nonspecific complaints; CLVT Type II, presence of focal neurological deficit; and CLVT Type III, presence of sphincter disturbances (bowel or bladder dysfunction). Two patients were classified as CLVT Type I, 3 as CLVT Type II, and 12 as CLVT Type III. In Type I, no improvement was observed in clinical evaluation after surgery, and stable symptoms were achieved with clinical management. In Type II, 2 patients had total improvement and 1 had subtotal improvement after surgery. Finally, in Type III, 92% of the patients improved postoperatively; among these 33% presented with total improvement. Only 1 case in this group was handled conservatively and no improvement was documented. This new classification is useful to group the patients into 3 clinical types to provide guidance as to the best management options. Treatment for the Type I lesion seems to be best conducted conservatively, whereas Types II and III seem to be best handled surgically.
A review of the time-dependent variational principle
2008-02-01

The time-dependent variational principle associates to a Hamiltonian quantum system a set of trajectories running on a classical phase space with canonical equations of motion. When the quantum observables generate a Lie group G and the states are taken as functions on an appropriate homogeneous quotient space space := G/G0 under under G, they can be equipped with a classical Poisson bracket which reproduces the commutators of the Lie group. The quantum system maps into a classical system whose equations of motion are governed by the expectation value of the quantum Hamiltonian H. We consider examples of this construction and show that the analysis of generalized classical systems provides insight into quantum many-body dynamics like chemical reactions.
The pupil
2008-02-01

Pupil studies in blind patients may give new insights into the function of the pupillary system. Testing for sleepiness by means of pupillography might be used more frequently. Testing for Horner syndrome still needs to be done with cocaine eye drops. Clinical evaluation has to be focused on detecting additional signs and symptoms. Unknown malignancy is very rare. In the tonic pupil (Adie syndrome) autoantibodies may play a role, in exceptional cases it might represent a paraneoplastic disorder.
Technological Creativity and Cheap Labour? Explaining the Growing International Competitiveness of German Mechanical Engineering before World War I
2008-02-01

Abstract Which factors caused the growing international competitiveness of German mechanical engineering industry in the pre-World War I period? In this paper, we want to address this question and elucidate whether or not the international market success of machine builders in the German Empire was determined by technological creativity and the availability of a comparatively cheap labour force. Based on an unbalanced panel, we therefore investigate the influence of demand, labour costs and technological creativity on export performance of 32 different machinery types. We find robust evidence that the development of export- import ratios in mechanical engineering was positively influenced by the growth of patent stocks that represent the new knowledge being available for German machine builders. In addition, we present some evidence for the assumption that the growing international competitiveness of German mechanical engineering was also caused by decreasing relative unit labour cost.
Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Outbreak, Germany, and Calculation of Outbreak Start
2008-02-01

On the basis of a large outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in a German university hospital, we estimated costs ( approximately 1 million Euros) that could have been avoided by early detection of the imminent outbreak. For this purpose, we demonstrate an easy-to-use statistical method.
Reaction of N‐Nonaflyl and N‐Cyano‐Benzotriazoles with Enamines
2008-02-01

Abstract Abstract N‐Nonaflyl‐benzotriazole 1a reacts with enamines 2 in tetrahydrofurane (THF) at room temperature to afford o‐nonafluorobutansulfonamido‐phenylazo‐enamines 3 in 74–81% yield. Compound 1a reacts with 1‐diethylaminobutadien 2f twice, affording pyridazine derivative 3f in 20% yield. Ringopening of N‐cyano‐benzotriazole 1b with pyrrolidinocyclohexene 2a affords, under cleavage of pyrrolidine 1,2,3,4‐tetrahydro‐dibenzo[4,5:e]imidazo[1,2‐b][1,2,4]triazine 4 in 43% yield. Keywords: benzotriazoleenaminepyridazinering openingtriazine Acknowledgment The authors thank K.‐P. Zeller and G. Nicholson for performing the mass spectra and K. Albert for performing the NMR spectra. This work was financially supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie.
Metabolic Profiling of Lignan Variability in Linum species of Section Syllinum native to Bulgaria
2008-02-01

Lignans in eighteen samples of Linum species ( L. tauricum ssp. tauricum, serbicum, bulgaricum and linearifolium; L. elegans; L. flavum ssp. sparsiflorum, L. capitatum var. laxiflorum), all members of the section Syllinum occurring in Bulgaria, were analysed by HPLC-ESI/MS and HPLC-UV/DAD. The ESI/MS fragmentation pathways recently established for aryltetralin lignans are now extended to ester and glycoside derivatives. In total, 22 different lignans, mainly of the aryltetralin type, were identified. 6-Methoxypodophyllotoxin and its glucoside were present as major constituents in all samples. Differences between the investigated taxa were observed especially with respect to the accumulation of 6-deoxy-7-hydroxy-aryltetralins such as podophyllotoxin and of 6-hydroxy-7-deoxy-aryltetralin lignans of the peltatin type. The distribution of aryltetralin lignans with different oxygenation patterns in the various samples, and correlations between the chemical data and the molecular phylogeny based on an analysis of ITS sequences of the investigated species are discussed.
Flexibility in HRM and foreign direct investment: Do international investors self-select?
2008-02-01

Only a few studies so far have tried to assess the role of HRM-flexibility in cross-national location decisions. None of these, however, investigates a potential heterogeneity across multinationals in terms of their specific needs concerning different types of flexibility in HRM. In this paper, I theoretically and empirically analyse the impact of HRM-flexibility on the type of investment being attracted. The theoretical implications are based on a real options framework and are derived in the context of a British–German comparison. They are confronted with data from an original survey on US-multinationals with manufacturing subsidiaries in Germany and the UK. The analysis reveals that in UK subsidiaries, investments in R&D are significantly lower, and technological uncertainty is significantly felt less strongly than in their German counterparts. Both results are compatible with the implications derived from the real options framework.
Leadership, governance and management in dental education – new societal challenges
2008-02-01

Abstract Dental schools around the world face new challenges that raise issues with regard to how they are governed, led and managed. With rapid societal changes, including globalization and consumerism, the roles of universities and their funding have become intensely debated topics. When financial burdens on universities increase, so does the pressure on dental schools. This is exacerbated by the relative expense of running dental schools and also by the limited understanding of both university managers and the public of the nature and scope of dentistry as a profession. In these circumstances, it is essential for dental schools to have good systems of leadership and management in place so that they can not only survive in difficult times, but flourish in the longer term. This paper discusses the concept of governance and how it relates to leadership, management and administration in dental schools and hospitals. Various approaches to governance and management in dental schools on different continents and regions are summarized and contrasted. A number of general governance and leadership issues are addressed. For example, a basic principle supported by the Working Group is that an effective governance structure must link authority and responsibility to performance and review, i.e. accountability, and that the mechanism for achieving this should be transparent. The paper also addresses issues specific to governing, leading and managing dental schools. Being a dean of a modern dental school is a very demanding role and some issues relating to this role are raised, including: dilemmas facing deans, preparing to be dean and succession planning. The importance of establishing a shared vision and mission, and creating the right culture and climate within a dental school, are emphasized. The Working Group advocates establishing a culture of scholarship in dental schools for both teaching and research. The paper addresses the need for effective staff management, motivation and development, and highlights the salience of good communication. The Working Group suggests establishing an advisory board to the dean and school, including lay persons and other external stakeholders, as one way of separating governance and management to some extent and providing some checks and balances within a dental school. Several other suggestions and recommendations are made about governance, management and leadership issues, including the need for schools to promote an awareness of their roles by good communication and thereby influence perceptions of others about their roles and values.
Brassinosteroid-independent functions of the BRI1-associated kinase BAK1/SERK3
2008-02-01

Eukaryotes have evolved programmed cell death (PCD) mechanisms that play important roles in both, development and immunity.1-3 We demonstrated a requirement for the Arabidopsis thaliana leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase (LRR-RLK), BAK1/SERK3 (BRI1-Associated receptor Kinase 1/Somatic Embryogenesis Receptor Kinase 3) in regulating the containment of microbial infection-induced necrosis. BAK1-deficient plants showed constitutive expression of defense-related genes and developed spreading cell death upon infection by necrotizing pathogens that result in enhanced susceptibility to necrotrophic pathogens. This reaction was not inducible by exposition of bak1 mutants to general stresses but appeared to be solely inducible by necrotizing pathogen infection. BAK1 is known to interact with the brassinosteroid receptor, BRI1, and thereby facilitates plant growth and development in a brassinolide (BL)-dependent manner.4,5 Surprisingly, the cell death-related phenotype in bak1 mutants is brassinolide-independent. In this addendum we want to present recent new data on BAK1 and discuss its role as a general regulator in plant processes being as diverse as brassinosteroid signaling in development, perception of pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), and cell-death control in innate immunity.
Failure of Lamivudine to Reverse Hepatitis B Virus-Associated Changes in ERK, Akt and Cell Cycle Regulatory Proteins
2008-02-01

Background Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major factor associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, but the mechanism by which this occurs is unknown. Treatment of chronic hepatitis B with lamivudine results in virological suppression and histological improvement; however, the role of lamivudine in preventing the development of hepatocellular carcinoma is less well defined. We recently reported that replication of HBV in a cell-culture system was associated with the upregulation of pERK, pAkt, pc-Myc, nuclear cyclin B1, p21 cip1 and p53 together with G2 cell cycle arrest. Methods In order to determine whether lamivudine is able to reverse the HBV-induced changes on signal transduction and cell cycle, we infected Huh7 cells with a recombinant adeno-HBV virus in the presence of 0–50 μM of lamivudine. Signal transduction and cell cycle regulatory proteins were analysed by western immunoblot. Results Although lamivudine was able to inhibit HBV replication, it failed to reverse the changes on ERK and Akt phosphorylation. Correspondingly, levels of phospho-GSK3β and p21 cip1/waf1 were increased, as were cyclin D1, cyclin B1, p53 and pc-Myc. Conclusions Lamivudine was ineffective in reversing the HBV-induced changes in signal transduction pathways and cell cycle regulatory proteins, indicating that the HBV-infected cells remained primed for oncogenic transformation despite viral suppression.
Grain growth and biaxial texture of chemically deposited La2Zr2O7buffer layers for YBCO-coated conductors
2008-02-01

Chemically deposited La2Zr2O7 (LZO) thin films are crucial for coated conductor production since they transfer the texture from a highly biaxially textured nickel substrate to the YBCO superconducting layer and act as nickel diffusion barriers. The misfit of LZO with respect to Ni is 7.6%. The LZO buffer layers studied in this work were deposited on biaxially textured Ni-5at%W substrates by chemical solution deposition (CSD) using the same precursor starting solutions and were annealed at temperatures ranging from 600 to 1000°C for 1 h. Samples were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in plan-view and cross-section. By combined TEM and XRD investigations on the same samples we found a clear difference in the microstructure of the LZO thin films: (i) a nanocrystalline state for T < 800°C with grains 5-10 nm in size (ii) and a polycrystalline state for T > 800°C with an average grain size of up to 200 nm. Thus, the LZO grain size is much smaller than the Ni grain size and the LZO buffer layers are highly biaxially textured, but no epitaxial growth occurs. Grain growth started at 800°C and nanovoid formation and growth occurred during the grain growth process. The nanovoid size was determined to be 10-20 nm and small-angle grain boundaries were observed in the LZO buffer layers. The facetting of the LZO grain boundaries play an important role in the grain growth process, samples annealed at higher temperatures had less strongly facetted grain boundaries than at lower temperatures. On top of the LZO buffer layers YBCO thin films were deposited by PLD and CSD yielding critical current densities of >1 MA/cm2 at 77 K.
Stereochemistry of Lignans in Phaleria macrocarpa (Scheff.) Boerl.
2008-02-01

Phaleria macrocarpa (Scheff.) Boerl., a member of the Thymelaeaceae, is traditionally used in Indonesia as medicinal plant against cancer. In this context, we isolated the lignans pinoresinol, lariciresinol and matairesinol from different parts of this plant. The enantiomeric composition of these lignans was determined by chiral column analysis. Pinoresinol and lariciresinol were mixtures of both enantiomers with (79 ± 4)% and (55 ± 6)% enantiomeric excess for the (−)-enantiomers, respectively, whereas matairesinol was found as pure (+)-enantiomer.