The role of B cells in transplant tolerance remains unclear. Although B‐cell depletion often prolongs graft survival, sometimes it results in more rapid rejection, suggesting that B cells may have ...regulatory activity. We previously demonstrated that tolerance induction by anti‐CD45RB antibody requires recipient B cells. Here, we show that anti‐CD45RB in combination with anti‐TIM‐1 antibody has a synergistic effect, inducing tolerance in all recipients in a mouse islet allograft model. This effect depends on the presence of recipient B cells, requires B‐cell IL‐10 activity, and is antigen‐specific. These data suggest the existence of a regulatory B‐cell population that promotes tolerance via an IL‐10‐dependent pathway.
The authors demonstrate that B cells are necessary for tolerance induction in some transplant models, and also may confer tolerance induction upon adoptive transfer.
Although outbreaks of Mycobacterium abscessus infection have been reported, none of these reports has identified the potential sources of infection and modes of transmission. In April 2008, we ...identified and investigated an outbreak of M. abscessus skin and soft tissue infections following acupuncture among the patients who visited an oriental medical clinic. Active surveillance of patients who had visited the clinic was conducted to define the extent of the outbreak. Environmental cultures and a case–control study were performed to elucidate the source of infection and mode of transmission. From 1002 patients interviewed, 109 patients were identified as having suffered M. abscessus skin and soft tissue infections at acupuncture sites. A single strain of M. abscessus was isolated from the wounds of 31 patients and nine environmental samples, including a diluted glutaraldehyde solution. The case–control study revealed that a higher numbers of visits to the clinic for acupuncture (adjusted OR (aOR) 20.12; 95% CI 4.34–93.35) and the use of interferential current therapy or low-frequency therapy (aOR 36.12; 95% CI 5.54–235.44) were associated with the development of M. abscessus infection. The contaminated diluted glutaraldehyde solution that was used to disinfect the physical therapy devices may have been the source of the outbreak of M. abscessus infection in the 109 patients who underwent acupuncture.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory disorder affecting approximately 1.3 million adults in the United States. Approximately 10% of these individuals with RA have clinically evident ...interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD), and an additional one-third demonstrate subclinical ILD on chest CT scan. The risk of death for individuals with RA-ILD is three times higher than for patients with RA without ILD, with a median survival after ILD diagnosis of only 2.6 years. Despite the high prevalence and mortality of RA-ILD, little is known about its molecular features and its natural history. At present, we lack a standard validated approach to the definition, diagnosis, risk stratification, and management of RA-ILD. In this perspective, we discuss the importance of clinical and translational research and how ongoing research efforts can address important gaps in our knowledge over the next few years. Furthermore, recommendations are made to design multicenter collaborative studies that will expedite the development of clinical trials designed to decrease the significant morbidity and mortality associated with RA-ILD.
Summary
Hydrothermal gasification (HTG) at supercritical water has been used to convert poultry litter into value‐added products. In this research study, a process simulation model of HTG for syngas ...from poultry litter has been developed using Aspen Plus software, and it has been validated at four distinct temperature levels. The effects of the three parameters, including temperature, pressure, and biomass concentration on syngas quality and net heat steam have been analyzed. The results show that the model has a better yield of hydrogen and methane gas with a superior lower heating value (LHV) at 540°C, 25 MPa, and 20% feedstock concentration. Feedstock concentration is the biggest contributing factor in the production of hydrogen. Energy analysis of the HTG has been carried out using the Sankey diagrams technique, which shows that the energy efficiency of this process is about 61%. Similarly, an economic analysis of the process has been conducted based on heat steam production costs, and it reveals that the HTG method is at least 10% cost‐effective than coal, natural gas, or distillated oil. In comparative results of life cycle assessment (LCA) with the HTG process and direct land disposal, the HTG process has outperformed direct land disposal. Therefore, the outcomes of this study suggest that this process is economical, environmentally friendly, and energy efficient as compared to direct land disposal.
Exploring new magnetic materials is essential for finding advantageous functional properties such as magnetoresistance, magnetocaloric effect, spintronic functionality, and multiferroicity. Versatile ...classes of double perovskite compounds have been recently investigated because of intriguing physical properties arising from the proper combination of several magnetic ions. In this study, it is observed that the dominant ferrimagnetic phase is coexisted with a minor multiferroic phase in single-crystalline double-perovskite Er
CoMnO
. The majority portion of the ferrimagnetic order is activated by the long-range order of Er
moments below T
= 10 K in addition to the ferromagnetic order of Co
and Mn
moments arising at T
= 67 K, characterized by compensated magnetization at T
= 3.15 K. The inverted magnetic hysteresis loop observed below T
can be described by an extended Stoner-Wohlfarth model. The additional multiferroic phase is identified by the ferroelectric polarization of ~0.9 μC/m
at 2 K. The coexisting ferrimagnetic and multiferroic phases appear to be strongly correlated in that metamagnetic and ferroelectric transitions occur simultaneously. The results based on intricate magnetic correlations and phases in Er
CoMnO
enrich fundamental and applied research on magnetic materials through the scope of distinct magnetic characteristics in double perovskites.
Conservation breeding programmes have become widespread as natural habitats shrink, and have been historically managed using pedigree data and an assumption that population founders are unrelated. ...Molecular genotyping is able to determine founder relatedness, but is rarely used. To empirically test the impact of assuming founders to be unrelated, we utilized data from 203 founding individuals and 11 subsequent years of breeding records for the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) insurance population. We integrated molecular data (N = 119 founders) and detailed trapping information (N = 203 founders) to test how founder relationship assumptions impacted the genetic characteristics of the population over time (N = 942 unique individuals). We developed a method to combine molecular kinship (using the TrioML estimator), year of birth and trapping location, and integrated the resulting empirical kinship estimates into population management software. We tested the effect of using pedigree data only, versus our integrated approach, on population outcomes. Inbreeding coefficients evaluated using the integrated approach were significantly higher than pedigree‐only inbreeding coefficients in the first few years following population establishment. A geographic distance‐only approach showed an association between kinship and probability of successful breeding. Our results show the value in using field and/or molecular data combined with pedigree data in conservation breeding programmes to provide new information for managing crucial populations and improving their success. We caution population managers against commencing expensive conservation breeding programmes in the absence of understanding founder relatedness, especially when wild augmentation is a goal. Long‐term costs of assuming founders are unrelated include financial costs, reduced productivity and release of potentially highly inbred individuals.
Conservation breeding programmes have become widespread as natural habitats shrink, and have been historically managed using pedigree data and an assumption that population founders are unrelated. Here we present a new method for integrating empirical kinships into pedigree management to account for potential founder relationships. Our results show the value in using field and/or molecular data combined with pedigree data in conservation breeding programmes to provide new information for managing crucial populations and improving their success.
In the framework of the Generation IV Sodium Fast Reactor Program, the Advanced Fuel Project has conducted an evaluation of the available fuel systems supporting future sodium cooled fast reactors. ...This paper presents an evaluation of metallic alloy fuels. Early US fast reactor developers originally favored metal alloy fuel due to its high fissile density and compatibility with sodium. The goal of fast reactor fuel development programs is to develop and qualify a nuclear fuel system that performs all of the functions of a conventional fast spectrum nuclear fuel while destroying recycled actinides. This will provide a mechanism for closure of the nuclear fuel cycle. Metal fuels are candidates for this application, based on documented performance of metallic fast reactor fuels and the early results of tests currently being conducted in US and international transmutation fuel development programs.
Summary Objective We sought to determine (1) whether change in the tibial plateau inclination (TPI) after high tibial osteotomy (HTO) is different from change in the knee joint line orientation ...(KJLO) relative to the ground; (2) whether, in varus knee OA patients before and after HTO, these radiographic measures are different from those in normal control; and (3) whether the postoperative values of the TPI and KJLO relative to the ground are associated with short term clinical outcome scores after HTO. Design Fifty patients who underwent HTO and 75 normal controls were assessed with four radiographic measures. We compared the measures before HTO with those after HTO and with those of the normal controls, then examined associations between the postoperative radiographic measures and clinical outcome scores 1-year after HTO. Results After HTO, TPI increased 9.0°, whereas KJLO relative to the ground only increased 4.1°, with a compensatory change of the ankle joint line orientation. However, the postoperative KJLO relative to the ground in the HTO group was significantly different from that of the normal controls (mean difference, 4.9°; P < 0.001). In the multiple regression analyses, the postoperative radiographic measures were not associated with outcome clinical scores 1 year after HTO. Conclusion After HTO the relative KJLO changed significantly less than did the anatomical geometry of the proximal tibia. Although the KJLO after the HTO was still significantly different from that of normal knees, its value did not adversely affect clinical outcome scores 1 year after HTO.
Summary
Objective Lipocalin family proteins, including adipocyte fatty acid‐binding protein (A‐FABP), lipocalin‐2 and retinol‐binding protein 4 (RBP4), have recently been identified as novel ...adipokines associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. We have evaluated the effect of exercise training on lipocalin family proteins and inflammatory markers.
Study subjects Thirty obese Korean women and 15 age‐matched nonobese control subjects were studied.
Design Concentrations of the lipocalin family proteins were compared between obese and nonobese women and were evaluated before and 3 months after an exercise programme consisting of aerobic exercise (45 min/session, 300 kcal/day) and muscle strength training (20 min/session, 100 kcal/day) five times a week.
Results Obese women exhibited higher A‐FABP levels compared to nonobese women (21·4 ± 6·4 µg/l vs. 13·6 ± 4·4 µg/l, P < 0·001). However, neither lipocalin‐2 nor RBP4 levels were significantly different between the two groups, although the difference in lipocalin‐2 was marginally significant (P = 0·054). Circulating A‐FABP levels were significantly associated with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, triglyceride, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lipocalin‐2 and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hsCRP) levels. After 3 months of the exercise training programme, serum A‐FABP levels decreased significantly from 21·4 ± 6·4 µg/l to 19·3 ± 6·8 µg/l (P = 0·038), along with a reduction in weight, BMI, waist circumference, fasting glucose and total cholesterol levels. There was no significant change in the lipocalin‐2 and RBP4 levels, although IL‐6 levels increased after the exercise programme.
Conclusion Exercise training with weight loss induced a significant reduction in circulating A‐FABP levels in obese Korean women.
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