Disorders of haemostasis and haemocoagulation are often seen in cancer patients as a part of the paraneoplastic syndrome. This study describes a novel compound that activates coagulation and also ...inhibits fibrinolytic system and fibrin degradation products in the gastric juice of 33 patients with gastric cancer. Similar, but less pronounced changes have been found in gastric juice of patients with gastric precancerosis. Procoagulant activity, induced by pathologically changed cells or monocytes, macrophages from tumor stroma, indicates the activation of local coagulation with the production of fibrin. It can be concluded that the local changes of coagulation and fibrinolysis may precede coagulopathies in cancer patients (Tab. 2, Ref. 15). Full Text (Free, PDF) www.bmj.sk.
Apalbumin1 (Apa1) is the major royal jelly (RJ) and honey glycoprotein having various biological properties. We have previously demonstrated that Apa1 is a regular component of honey and honeybee ...pollen and stimulates macrophages to release tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα). The recombinant Apa1 (rApa1) and its four recombinant protein fragments derived on the basis of partial tryptic products of Apa1 were prepared by heterologous expression in Escherichia coli BL21-CodonPlus(DE3)-RIL. l-Arginine at 50 mM concentration was used for improving the recombinant protein solubility. We report that the proteinous moiety of glycoprotein is responsible for stimulation of TNFα production by murine peritoneal macrophages. Moreover, we have shown that immunostimulatory effect is significantly increased after partial tryptic digestion of Apa1. It has been determined that recombinant N-terminal fragment of Apa1 is the most active elicitor of TNFα release in comparison to other three protein fragments of Apa1, as well as to the native Apa1 and rApa1.
Furthermore, it was found that native honey was able to stimulate TNFα secretion from murine macrophages, whereas the deproteinized honey had no effect on the release of TNFα. This result suggests that immunostimulatory effect of honey is based on its RJ-protein content, primarily on its dominant protein Apa1.
Very thin carbon films were deposited by electron beam-plasma vacuum deposition technique on quartz and sapphire substrates. The concentration of elements was determined by RBS and ERD analytical ...method simultaneously. Concentrations of elements were practically the same for all samples. Raman spectroscopy and deconvolution of Raman spectra was used for chemical structural features determination of carbon films. Raman spectroscopy results showed that films contained several carbon phases. The photo-induced electron emission characteristics of very thin carbon films on quartz and sapphire substrates as back-side illuminated transmission photocathode are discussed. Best electron emission properties exhibit transmission photocathode with very thin carbon film prepared on sapphire substrate at lower substrate temperature.
In this study, authors describe a rare case of a 40-year old patient with a history of chronic pancreatitis due to ethanol abuse, repeatedly hospitalized for intermittent bleeding into ...gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The sources of bleeding were pseudoaneurysms of the peripancreatic arteries (gastroduodenal artery, right hepatic artery) bleeding into GIT via pancreatic duct. This type of bleeding is referred as hemosuccus pancreaticus and belongs to a rare form of bleeding into upper GIT. Development of each pseudoaneurysm was monitored with a 6 month time interval. The diagnosis was established using endoscope, Doppler ultrasound and CT angiography. During the therapeutic process, while stopping bleeding, two different radiological interventions were used. In pseudoaneurysm of gastroduodenal artery, hemostasis was achieved using selective transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) with steel coils. In the second intervention, a stent was inserted into vascular lesion. In the discussion, authors review the problems of hemosuccus pancreaticus, epidemiology, symptoms, diagnostic and possible therapeutic approaches (Fig. 3, Ref. 31). Full Text (Free, PDF) www.bmj.sk.
Nanocrystalline silicon carbide was prepared by PECVD technology in capacitively parallel plate plasma reactor, where both silane and methane were introduced into the plasma reactor. The ...concentration of species in the SiC films was determined by RBS and ERD. Chemical compositions were analyzed by IR spectroscopy. Film morphology was assessed by AFM. The RBS results showed the main concentrations of Si and C in the films. The concentration of hydrogen was approximately 20 at.%. IR results showed the presence of Si-C, Si-O, Si-N, Si-H, N-H, C-H, C-N specific bonds. The AFM micrographs revealed the film surface smooth and compact. Results of I-V measurements before and after samples irradiation by neutrons are presented.
Laboratory animals (mice and guinea pigs) were infected with the isolates of Coxiella burnetti obtained from bovine milk (M18 and M35) and the ticks Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor marginatus (Kl3 an ...Kl6, respectively), and with the reference strain Nine Mile. Neither mortality nor lethality occurred with the mice. Antibody response in mice infected with isolates from milk was lower (1:16-512) than that from ticks (1:32-4096). Onset of seropositivity also occurred later - on the 10th day post-infection for M18 and M35 in comparison with the 7th day for Kl3 and Kl6. In guinea pigs, infection manifested by fever. The fever was less evident in guinea pigs infected with isolates from milk (39.5-40.1 deg C) than in guinea pigs infected with isolates from ticks (39.5-40.6 deg C). Partially engorged females of Dermacentor reticulatus were inoculated with isolates M18 and Kl3. No differences in the multiplication of C. burnetii in haemocytes between these two isolates were ascertained.
In the district of Grafenau/Freyung (Bavaria, Germany), 266 specimens of small terrestrial mammals of 8 species were captured using live traps. From these mammals, Apodemus flavicollis (42.1%) and ...Clethrionomys glareolus (39.5%) were prevalent. All animals were tested for neutralizing antibodies to tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus and agglutinating antibodies to leptospirae. Seropositivity against TBE virus was 14.0% and against leptospirae 7.9%, respectively. Seropositivity to leptospirae appeared to be primarily to Leptospira grippotyphosa, less to Australis and occasionally to Javanica serovars. Only one A. flavicollis specimen was positive to both pathogens tested. The parasitocoenosis of trapped micromammals with ectoparasites consisted of 69.5% from ticks (mainly Ixodes ricinus, less from I. trianguliceps), 16.1% of mites (primarily Laelaps agilis) and 14.3% of fleas (mostly Ctenophthalmus agyrtes).
A lipid A - deprived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Coxiella burnetii (C.b.) Priscilla strain in virulent phase I was separated by steric-exclusion chromatography and high performance liquid ...chromatography (HPLC). The isolated O-specific polysaccharide (PS) fractions were analyzed by different physico-chemical methods and showed noticeable differences in their overall composition. The antigenic potential of the PS fractions was evaluated by ELISA with animal and human sera and in comparison with those of the native C.b. LPSs and phase I and II C.b. Nine Mile stain cells of which the latter are routinely used in diagnosis of Q fever. The results indicate that the high molecular mass PS antigen SG501 could be used in ELISA for a sensitive and specific detection of anti-C.b. antibodies in the examined sera.
In this paper we have focused on characteristics of detectors based on 4H--SiC semiconductor. The typical thickness of the active layer was between 25 ,pan and 100 jim. Circular Schottky contacts ...with diameters of 2.0 mm and 3.0 mm were prepared by evaporation of Au/Ni double layer. The reverse and forward currentvoltage and also capacitance-voltage characteristics were measured at room temperature up to 600 V The doping concentration profile was calculated. The obtained concentration of doping was below 1 x 1014 cm 3. The detection properties of 4H--SiC particle detector were tested using two radioisotopes: 241Am and 23813u.
Two monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) of Coxiella burnetii (C.b.) strains Priscilla and Nine Mile were prepared characterized by their interaction with synthetic ...glycoconjugates representing parts of LPSs of C.b. in virulent phase. Both MAbs were directed against immunodominant epitopes comprising core constituent of LPSs, Kdo (3-deoxy-alpha-D-manno-2-octulo-pyranosylonic acid). ELISA showed that the anti-Nine Mile MAb 4/11 bound preferably to disaccharides (alpha-Kdo (2 --> 4) alpha-Kdo and alpha-Kdo (2 --> 4) alpha-(5d) Kdo), while the anti-Priscilla MAb 1/4/H bound to all conjugates, though with various intensity. On the other hand, immunoelectron microscopy revealed a positive binding of only one glycoconjugate, namely the trisaccharide alpha-Kdo (2 --> 4) alpha-Kdo (2 --> 4) alpha-Kdo-BSA, to both MAbs. In competitive ELISA (cELISA), the anti-Priscilla MAb 1/4/H distinguished the strains Nine Mile and Priscilla, while the anti Nine Mile MAb 4/11 did not.
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