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Boundary finding in simulated medical images is performed by optimizing the Fourier coefficients in a parametric surface representation with respect to an objective function. The deformable model is fitted to the data using the brightness gradient component which is normal to the surface. A low order (<10) Fourier series expansion offers a sufficiently accurate representation for many inherently s
In this study, we show that distinct compartmentalization patterns of the IL-1 molecules (IL-1alpha and IL-1beta), in the milieu of tumor cells that produce them, differentially affect the malignant process. Active forms of IL-1, namely precursor IL-1alpha (pIL-1alpha), mature IL-1beta (mIL-1beta), and mIL-1beta fused to a signal sequence (ssIL-1beta), were transfected into an established fibrosar
"When we celebrate the days of our deceaced brothers" -- texts for the Office of the dead in Liber daticus vetustior
OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate a recombinant vaccine to attenuate inflammation in arthritis by sustained neutralization of the anaphylatoxin C5a. METHODS: We constructed and expressed fusion protein of C5a and maltose binding protein. Efficacy of specific C5a neutralization was tested using the fusion protein as vaccine in three different arthritis mouse models: collagen induced arthritis (CI
We have combined experiments with atomic-scale molecular dynamics simulations to consider the influence of ethanol on a variety of lipid membrane properties. We first employed isothermal titration calorimetry together with the solvent-null method to study the partitioning of ethanol molecules into saturated and unsaturated membrane systems. The results show that ethanol partitioning is considerabl
Plasma cystatin C is increasingly used as a marker of glomerular filtration rate. Most assays for cystatin C are based on turbidimetric or nephelometric detection and studies of other rapid methods are limited. This study aimed to develop and compare differently configured immunoassays for quantification of plasma cystatin C, using recombinant cystatin C and two cystatin C-specific antibodies. Met
The immobilization of functional biomolecules to surfaces is a critical process for the development of biosensors for disease diagnostics. In this work we report the patterned attachment of single chain fragment variable (scFv) antibodies to the surface of metal oxides by the photodeprotection of self-assembled monolayers, using near-UV light. The photodeprotection step alters the functionality at
Galectin-1 (Gal-1) and galectin-3 (Gal-3) exhibit profound but unique immunomodulatory activities in animals but their molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. Early studies suggested that Gal-1 inhibits leukocyte function by inducing apoptotic cell death and removal, but recent studies show that some galectins induce exposure of the common death signal phosphatidylserine (PS) independent
BACKGROUND: Calcitonin-related peptides have been found in the human prostate, and calcitonin (CT) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) have been demonstrated in subpopulations of neuroendocrine (NE) cells. The purpose of this study was to determine the concentrations of CT and CGRP as well as the densities of NE cells in normal prostates, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and carcinoma of
Chemokine receptor CX3CR1(+) dendritic cells (DCs) have been suggested to sample intestinal antigens by extending transepithelial dendrites into the gut lumen. Other studies identified CD103(+) DCs in the mucosa, which, through their ability to synthesize retinoic acid (RA), appear to be capable of generating typical signatures of intestinal adaptive immune responses. We report that CD103 and CX3C
New basis sets of the atomic natural orbital (ANO) type have been developed for the lanthanide atoms La-Lu. The ANOs have been obtained from the average density matrix of the ground and lowest excited states of the atom, the positive ions, and the atom in an electric field. Scalar relativistic effects are included through the use of a Douglas-Kroll-Hess Hamiltonian. Multiconfigurational wave funct
The study of religion has its historical origin in the confessional education of religious functionaries, which has influenced the structuring of the study. The order of the topics studied has been, as a rule, first, languages relevant for the study of the normative texts, then the interpretation of these texts, followed by the historical development within the religion, its doctrines (systematic
All is a 17-kDa chromosomally encoded outer membrane protein that mediates serum resistance (complement resistance) in the pathogenic Yersiniae (Yersinia pestis, Y. enterocolitica, and Y. pseudotuberculosis). In this article, we demonstrate that Y pseudotuberculosis Ail from strains PB1, 2812/79, and YPIII/pIB1 (serotypes O:1a, O:1b, and O:3, respectively) can bind the inhibitor of the classical a
The globular protein γB-crystallin exhibits a complex phase behavior, where liquid-liquid phase separation characterized by a critical volume fraction ϕc = 0.154 and a critical temperature Tc = 291.8 K coexists with dynamical arrest on all length scales at volume fractions around ϕ ≈ 0.3-0.35, and an arrest line that extends well into the unstable region below the spinodal. However, although the s
Screening mammography plays a key role in the early detection of breast cancer, however, estimates of sensitivities (48-88%) and specificities (82-98%) suggest that the diagnostic accuracy can be improved (1, 2, 3). Breast tomosynthesis (BT) is a 3D technique that is expected to improve breast cancer detection compared to screen-film and digital mammography DM). This work presents two clinical obs
