LiNi
0.8Co
0.15Al
0.05O
2 cathode powders with fine size and spherical shape were prepared by solid-state reaction method using the Ni–Co–Al–O precursor powders with fine size and spherical shape. ...The Ni–Co–Al–O precursor powders with fine size and filled inner structure were prepared by spray pyrolysis from the spray solution with drying control chemical additive (DCCA), citric acid and ethylene glycol. The one LiNi
0.8Co
0.15Al
0.05O
2 cathode powder with fine size and spherical shape was formed from the one precursor powder with spherical shape and filled morphology. The mean size of the spherical shape LiNi
0.8Co
0.15Al
0.05O
2 cathode powders was 1.1
μm. The initial discharge capacity of the LiNi
0.8Co
0.15Al
0.05O
2 cathode powders prepared from the spray solution with citric acid, ethylene glycol and DCCA was 200
mAh
g
−1. The cycle properties of the cathode powders prepared from the spray solution with and without additives were compared.
Statins are potent inhibitors of hydroxyl-3-methylglutaryl co-enzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, and have emerged as potential anti-cancer agents based on preclinical evidence. In particular, compelling ...evidence suggests that statins have a wide range of immunomodulatory properties. However, little is known about the role of statins in tumour immune tolerance. Tumour immune tolerance involves the production of immunosuppressive molecules, such as interleukin (IL)-10, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) by tumours, which induce a regulatory T cell (Treg) response. In this study, we investigated the effect of simvastatin on the production of IL-10, TGF-β and IDO production and the proliferation of Tregs using several cancer cell lines, and Lewis lung cancer (3LL) cells-inoculated mouse tumour model. Simvastatin treatment resulted in a decrease in the number of cancer cells (3LL, A549 and NCI-H292). The production of the immune regulatory markers IL-10, TGF-β in 3LL and NCI-H292 cells increased after treatment with simvastatin. The expression of IDO and forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) transcription factor was also increased in the presence of simvastatin. In a murine 3LL model, there were no significant differences in tumour growth rate between untreated and simvastatin-treated mice groups. Therefore, while simvastatin had an anti-proliferative effect, it also exhibited immune tolerance-promoting properties during tumour development. Thus, due to these opposing actions, simvastatin had no net effect on tumour growth.
The purpose of this study was to define distinctive clinical features of “nasal” and “nasal-type” NK/T cell lymphomas by assessing prognostic factors. The anatomic definition of extranasal NK/T cell ...lymphoma has been vague resulting in variable definitions of extranasal sites by different groups. We analysed the clinical behavior of 90 NK/T cell lymphoma patients and attempted to elucidate the prognostic factors for risk-based stratification of therapy. We observed no significant difference between “nasal” and “nasal-type” NK/T cell lymphomas in regards to clinical features and survival using the conventional anatomic classification. We suggest the categorisation of the two subtypes of NK/T cell lymphoma as follows: UNKTL (upper aerodigestive tract NK/T cell lymphoma) including all lymphomas confined to nasal cavity, nasopharynx, and the upper aerodigestive tract and EUNKTL (extra-upper aerodigestive tract NK/T cell lymphoma) group to include all sites other than the UNKTL group. The EUNKTL group in this study had advanced stage at diagnosis, higher LDH, higher IPI score, poorer performance and inferior response to the anthracycline-based chemotherapy with statistical significance. There was a significant difference in survival rate between EUNKTL and UNKTL group (20.0%, 54.0%, respectively,
P
=
0.0068). More aggressive treatment should be sought for this particular group of patients for EUNKTL patients.
In patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-overexpressing breast cancer, treatment with trastuzumab has been shown to markedly improve the outcome. We investigated the role of ...trastuzumab on brain metastasis (BM) in HER2-positive breast cancer patients. From 1999 to 2006, 251 patients were treated with palliative chemotherapy for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer at Samsung Medical Center. The medical records of these patients were analysed to study the effects of trastuzumab on BM prevalence and outcomes. Patients were grouped according to trastuzumab therapy: pre-T (no trastuzumab therapy) vs post-T (trastuzumab therapy). The development of BM between the two treatment groups was significantly different (37.8% for post-T vs 25.0% for pre-T, P=0.028). Patients who had received trastuzumab had longer times to BM compared with patients who were not treated with trastuzumab (median 15 months for post-T group vs 10 months for pre-T group, P=0.035). Time to death (TTD) from BM was significantly longer in the post-T group than in the pre-T group (median 14.9 vs 4.0 months, P=0.0005). Extracranial disease control at the time of BM, 12 months or more of progression-free survival of extracranial disease and treatment with lapatinib were independent prognostic factors for TTD from BM.
Optical nanoantennas provide control of light at the nanoscale, which makes them important for diverse areas ranging from photocatalysis and flat metaoptics to sensors and biomolecular tweezing. They ...have traditionally been limited to metallic and dielectric nanostructures that sustain plasmonic and Mie resonances, respectively. More recently, nanostructures of organic J‐aggregate excitonic materials have been proposed capable of also supporting nanooptical resonances, although their advance has been hampered from difficulty in nanostructuring. Here, the authors present the realization of organic J‐aggregate excitonic nanostructures, using nanocylinder arrays as model system. Extinction spectra show that they can sustain both plasmon‐like resonances and dielectric resonances, owing to the material providing negative and large positive permittivity regions at the different sides of its exciton resonance. Furthermore, it is found that the material is highly anisotropic, leading to hyperbolic and elliptic permittivity regions. Nearfield analysis using optical simulation reveals that the nanostructures therefore support hyperbolic localized surface exciton resonances and elliptic Mie resonances, neither of which has been previously demonstrated for this type of material. The anisotropic nanostructures form a new type of optical nanoantennas, which combined with the presented fabrication process opens up for applications such as fully organic excitonic metasurfaces.
Optical nanoantennas based on organic anisotropic J‐aggregate materials with strong exciton absorption provide dual functionality in the same nanostructure. They can support hyperbolic localized surface‐exciton polariton resonances on one spectral side of the exciton resonance while they support elliptic Mie resonances on the other side.
A p–n homojunction was obtained by Nd:YAG laser annealing of Zn3P2/n-ZnO thin film. The deposition process of ZnO and Zn3P2 thin film was performed by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). A p–n junction ...was formed by Nd:YAG laser annealing of Zn3P2/n-ZnO thin film and showed typical I–V characteristics of a diode. Laser annealing could be a useful technique for the fabrication of an ultraviolet light-emitting diode or an ultraviolet laser diode.
The effects of early feeding time on growth performance, organ weight, blood biochemical, and leukocyte profile were investigated in posthatch broiler chickens to 35 d of age. From 7 to 21 d, early ...feeding (3 h after hatching) had a significant (p < 0.01) effect on body weight gain, and at 14 d, chicks fed 3 and 12 h after hatching were significantly heavier (p < 0.01) than those fed later. At 7 d, feed intake (FI) was significantly higher (p < 0.01) among chicks fed 3 and 12 h after hatching. At 21 d, chicks fed 3 h after hatching showed significantly higher FI (p < 0.01) than those fed later. At 3 d, gizzard weight was significantly heavier (p < 0.05) in chicks fed 24, 36, and 48 h after hatching than in those fed earlier, and small intestinal weight was also significantly higher (p < 0.05). At 35 d of age, alanine aminotransferase was higher (p < 0.01) in chicks fed 36 and 48 h after hatching, and the eosinophil level was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in chicks fed 3, 24, 36, and 48 h after hatching.
To evaluate the association between trabecular bone score (TBS) and new bone formation in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients, and to investigate whether TBS is independently associated with new ...bone formation.
Sixty-eight patients with AS underwent spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry of the lumbar spine to measure TBS and bone mineral density at baseline. Lateral radiographs of the cervical and lumbar spine (baseline and 2 years) were assessed for new bone formation (syndesmophyte formation and/or growth combined), and spinal MRIs were assessed for the presence or absence of fat metaplasia (FM) at the first to fourth lumbar vertebrae. The factors associated with new bone formation were analysed at the patient level and the vertebral level.
New bone formation had developed in 17 patients (25%) at 2 year follow-up. Patients with new bone formation had a higher prevalence of FM and lower TBS at baseline than patients without new bone formation (p = 0.013 and p = 0.041). At the patient level, FM on MRI and low TBS (< 1.23) were significantly associated with new bone formation. At the vertebral level, new bone formation had developed in 25 out of 231 vertebrae (11%) after 2 years. Vertebrae with both FM on MRI and low TBS tended to have more new bone formation (p < 0.001). Syndesmophytes and low TBS (< 1.23) independently increased the risk of new bone formation at the level of individual vertebrae.
At both patient and individual vertebral levels, low TBS was associated with new bone formation independently of FM on MRI.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Cord blood transplantation (CBT) is a promising alternative means of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. However, limited cell doses may compromise outcome. To enhance engraftment, CBT has been ...conducted using two units with promising results. However, little is known about the mechanism of engraftment. Here, we analyzed the early engraftment kinetics of eight patients given two unit umbilical CBT. Early engraftment kinetics revealed dominancy of one of two units from the day of engraftment (absolute neutrophil count > 0.5 x 10(9)/l). The median value of percentage of the predominant unit by chimerism analysis at the time of engraftment was 88% (60-100%). Two units CBT was found to be a safe, effective and promising alternative treatment option with good engraftment potential. Dominancy occurred early after CBT and is probably influenced by multiple factors.
Abstract Background The dog has served as an important experimental model for biomedical research such as transplantation and developing immunosuppressive agents. Although major histocompatibility ...complex (MHC) in dogs is a dominant factor of graft rejection, it has not been well investigated in dogs compared with human. For that reason, imprecise cross-matching or time-consuming sequence-based typing methods have generally been used to choose specific donor and recipient pairs. Investigation of matching distribution of MHC in dogs with the use of simple and accurate methods would be beneficial for biomedical researchers. The aim of this study was to identify the diversity of dog leukocyte antigen (DLA) types in genetically unrelated dogs by means of microsatellite markers. Methods Thirty-three Beagle and Shih-Tzu dogs, which were negative in cross-matching, were chosen. The genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood leukocytes, and highly polymorphic short tandem repeats located in MHC class I and II were amplified with the use of specific primers. Results Among all of the dogs, MHC matching groups, including class I full match–class II full match (M-M), class I full match–class II haplo match (M-H), class I haplo match–class II full match (H-M), class I haplo match–class II haplo match (H-H) groups, were ∼1.55%, 0.39%, 1.94%, and 6.59%, respectively. MHC class I nonmatch–class II nonmatch (U-U) groups were 58.14% of the total dogs. Conclusions Because differences of histocompatibility between donor and recipient leads to various allograft rejections, knowledge of the distribution of MHC matching in unrelated dogs would be helpful in designing studies and to get more accurate results from experiments using dog transplantation models.