Requirement for multiple lymphocyte subsets in protection by a live attenuated vaccine against retroviral infection

STUDY DESIGN: A case report and literature review of thoracic hyperkyphosis deformity secondary to glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in Cushing's disease. OBJECTIVES: To identify the pathophysiology of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis and to outline the diagnosis and treatment options for a patient with severe spinal deformity secondary to unrecognized excess glucocorticoid activity. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis is seen in patients exposed to supraphysiologic levels of endogenous or exogenously administered glucocorticoids. In these patients, glucocorticoids act to suppress bone formation and increase bone resorption by indirect and direct effects. These patients have a high prevalence of trabecular bone loss, resulting in much higher rates of vertebral body collapse and pathologic fracture and thus causing an increased propensity toward kyphotic spinal malalignment. METHODS: The literature was reviewed and case reports studied. This case report highlights the pathophysiology of the disease process that caused the spinal deformity and the surgical intervention used to correct the kyphotic deformity after the metabolic problem was resolved. RESULTS: This patient has responded well to treatment and surgical intervention to correct a thoracic hyperkyphotic deformity without complication. CONCLUSIONS: Unrecognized endogenous production of glucocorticoids in Cushing's disease should be considered in young adult patients with progressive osteoporotic spinal deformities.     

A candidate recombination modifier gene for Zea mays L

Maize meiotic mutant desynaptic (dy) was tested as a candidate recombination modifier gene because its effect is manifested in prophase I. Recombination rates for desynaptic (dy) and its wild type were compared in two ways: (1) segregation analysis using six linked molecular markers on chromosome 1L and (2) cytogenetic analysis using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)-aided meiotic configurations observed in metaphase I. Chromosome 1L map lengths among the six linked markers were 45-63 cM for five F2 dy/dy plants, significantly lower than the wild-type F2 map distance of 72 cM. Chromosomes 2 and 6 were marked with rDNA FISH probes, and their map lengths were estimated from FISH-adorned meiotic configurations using the expectation-maximization algorithm. Chiasma frequencies for dy/dy plants were significantly reduced for both arms of chromosome 2, for chromosome arm 6L, and for eight unidentified chromosomes. There was a notable exception for the nucleolus-organizing region-bearing arm chromosome arm 6S, where dy increased chiasma frequency. Maize meiotic mutant desynaptic is a recombination modifier gene based on cytogenetic and segregation analyses.     

And Yet It Moves: Oxidation of the Nuclear Autoantigen La/SS-B Is the Driving Force for Nucleo-Cytoplasmic Shuttling

Decades ago, we and many other groups showed a nucleo-cytoplasmic translocation of La protein in cultured cells. This shuttling of La protein was seen after UV irradiation, virus infections, hydrogen peroxide exposure and the Fenton reaction based on iron or copper ions. All of these conditions are somehow related to oxidative stress. Unfortunately, these harsh conditions could also cause an artificial release of La protein. Even until today, the shuttling and the cytoplasmic function of La/SS-B is controversially discussed. Moreover, the driving mechanism for the shuttling of La protein remains unclear. Recently, we showed that La protein undergoes redox-dependent conformational changes. Moreover, we developed anti-La monoclonal antibodies (anti-La mAbs), which are specific for either the reduced form of La protein or the oxidized form. Using these tools, here we show that redox-dependent conformational changes are the driving force for the shuttling of La protein. Moreover, we show that translocation of La protein to the cytoplasm can be triggered in a ligand/receptor-dependent manner under physiological conditions. We show that ligands of toll-like receptors lead to a redox-dependent shuttling of La protein. The shuttling of La protein depends on the redox status of the respective cell type. Endothelial cells are usually resistant to the shuttling of La protein, while dendritic cells are highly sensitive. However, the deprivation of intracellular reducing agents in endothelial cells makes endothelial cells sensitive to a redox-dependent shuttling of La protein.     

Errors made by animals in memory paradigms are not always due to failure of memory

It is commonly assumed that errors in animal memory paradigms such as delayed matching to sample, radial mazes, and food-cache recovery are due to failures in memory for information necessary to perform the task successfully. A body of research, reviewed here, suggests that this is not always the case: animals sometimes make errors despite apparently being able to remember the appropriate information. In this paper a case study of this phenomenon is described, along with a demonstration of a simple procedural modification that successfully reduced these non-memory errors, thereby producing a better measure of memory.     

无色透明新型光纤油膏的研制开发

光纤油膏是光缆中必不可少的新型防水材料，光纤油膏直接与光纤接触，质量指标要求很高．在国内原料无法满足生产高质量的光纤油膏的前提下，用自制的主要原料高吸油性聚合物、抗下垂剂进一步与石油烃、有机增稠剂、无机填料充分混合均匀，制成了析氢值低、油分离小、锥入度大、高低温性能好、指标达到进口指标的光纤油膏．     

Genetic vaccination against Coccidioides immitis: comparison of vaccine efficacy of recombinant antigen 2 and antigen 2 cDNA

Previous studies from our laboratory established that C-ASWS, an alkali-soluble, water-soluble extract from cell walls of Coccidioides immitis, protects mice against lethal challenge with this fungus. The C-ASWS extract contains a glycosylated protein, designated antigen 2 (Ag2), and a polysaccharide antigen. We recently cloned Ag2 cDNA and showed that the recombinant fusion protein elicited strong delayed-type hypersensitivity responses in immunized mice. This investigation was undertaken to determine if the recombinant Ag2 protein, expressed as an Ag2-glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion protein, or Ag2 cDNA would protect mice against lethal challenge with C. immitis. The recombinant Ag2-GST protein protected BALB/c mice against intraperitoneal challenge with 250 arthroconidia, as assessed by a decrease in fungal CFU in tissues. The Ag2-GST-immunized mice did not show, however, an increased survival during a 30-day period postinfection. By contrast, immunization of mice with Ag2 cDNA ligated into the pVR1012 plasmid engendered protection against intraperitoneal challenge with 2,500 arthroconidia and against pulmonary challenge with 50 arthroconidia. Vaccine efficacy paralleled the development of delayed-type hypersensitivity responses to C. immitis antigen. Whereas mice vaccinated with the recombinant Ag2-GST protein did not mount footpad hypersensitivity to C-ASWS or the recombinant Ag2-GST protein, mice vaccinated with the pVR1012-Ag2 construct mounted a strong footpad hypersensitivity and their spleen cells secreted gamma interferon upon in vitro stimulation with the Ag2-containing C-ASWS extract. This is the first investigation to show that genetic immunization can protect against lethal challenge with C. immitis.