1,554 research outputs found
Structural and functional characterization of thrombin binding aptamer minor loop
No full textThe thrombin binding aptamer (29hTBA), identified with a SELEX approach, shows a significant affinity for the coagulation factor thrombin by recognizing the protein Exosite II (heparin binding site). The structure of 29hTBA consists of a G-quadruplex core flanked by two partially paired terminal strands. Literature data underline that the structure and stability of intramolecular G-quadruplexes can be profoundly influenced by the length and composition of the loops. Here, we investigated the role of the minor loop (10-11) composition by introducing a single A-T mutation at position 11. A comparative structural investigation of the wild type and the mutant aptamers evidenced that this loop is not largely impairing the folding of the G-quadruplex core. Additionally, thrombin binding analysis suggested that this loop is not directly involved in protein binding at exosite II
A Short Walk along the Gravimeters Path
No full textThe history of gravity measurements begun in 1604 with Galileo Galilei experiments on the acceleration due to the gravity force of the earth, g, along inclined planes. In his memory, the most used unit to measure g is the gal (10−2 m/s2). The paper takes the interested reader through a walk along some of the most important achievements in gravity measurements and gives some perspectives for future developments in terrestrial gravity
Landscape in Spatial Planning: Some Evidence on Methodological Issues and Political Challenges
No full textIn recent decades, the landscape has given a new impulse to the renewal of spatial planning. This process has nevertheless raised several methodological issues about how to deal with sensitive non-functional aspects in spatial planning tools and procedures, as well as new challenges for policy design. Placemaking, landscape urbanism, and landscape planning do not differ just in scale but in their very idea of public/collective interest and the action that is required to reach them. Reflecting on some evidence from the recent Italian experience of landscape plans and policies, based on direct involvement in practice and academic debate, the author will highlight several main issues at stake today in this field. The conclusions will argue some potentially promising innovation perspectives, on both processes and contents regarding landscape-based spatial planning and policies, as well as some critical conditions of an institutional context
Granulocyte transfusions from G-CSF-stimulated donors for the treatment of severe infections in neutropenic pediatric patients with onco-hematological diseases
No full textFrom March 1994 to January 2001, 15 courses of granulocyte transfusion (GTX) were administered to 13 neutropenic patients (6 male and 7 female patients; median age 7 years, range 3 months to 14 years) affected by: acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in 6 cases, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in 5, very severe aplastic anemia in 1, and familial erythrophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FEL) in 1. Infections were classified as microbiologically defined and clinically defined infections in 8 and 7 episodes, respectively. Before the GTX transfusions, broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal therapy had been administered for a median of 12 (range 5-28) and 8 days (range 2-50), respectively, with no improvement. G-CSF was administered prior to GTX in 9 episodes of infection, with a median of 9 days of treatment (range 4-30). Leukapheresis was obtained from 15 related donors (father, 10; mother, 3; sister, 1; aunt, 1) after s.c. stimulation with G-CSF, 300 micro g daily, starting from day -3 (where day 0 was the day of the first granulocyte collection) and continuing throughout the period of GTX treatment. The donors' median white blood cell (WBC) count at leukapheresis was 31.6 x 10(9)/l (range 12-56), and the median yield was 31.39 x 10(9) WBC (range 2.96-64.73 x 10(9)), with a proportion of PMN of 90-95%. Overall, 70 GTX were administered, with a median of 4 GTX per episode of infection (range 2-11). The combination of GTX with antimicrobial therapy led to complete or partial recovery in 6 and in 3 of 15 episodes (60%), respectively. Priming of the donor with G-CSF was well tolerated, the most common side-effects being bone pain, malaise and paresthesia. All donors are alive and well after a median of 4.5 years (range 0.8-7.7) from donation. We conclude that GTX is potentially useful when the severity of the infection and the host's immunodeficiency make any other antimicrobial treatment ineffectual. Long-term safety data on the stimulation of donors with G-CSF have been reassuring to date. Further controlled studies are needed to assess the exact role of GTX in the outcome of neutropenic patients with severe infection and any criteria for patient selection and the timing of GTX administration
Stability of front tracking solutions to the initial and boundary value problem for systems of conservation laws
No full textWe deal with the non characteristic initial and boundary value problem
for an strictly hyperbolic system of conservation laws in
one space dimension
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\partial_t u+ \partial_x F(u)=0,\qquad u(0,x) = \bar u (x)\,,\qquad
b\big( u(\psi(t),t) \big) = g(t)\,.\eqno (\ast)
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Here is a smooth vector field defined in an open, convex
neighborhood of the origin of , and are
functions with small total variation, is a non
characteristic Lipschitz boundary profile, and a
function. We prove that the front tracking solutions to ()
constructed by D. Amadori in \cite{Amadori} are stable for the
\elleuno topology. This implies the existence of a Standard Riemann
Semigroup and hence the well-posedness of ()
A short history of anti-rheumatic therapy - VII. Biological agents
No full textThe introduction of biological agents has been a major turning-point in the treatment of rheumatic diseases, particularly in rheumatoid arthritis. This review describes the principle milestones that have led, through the knowledge of the structure and functions of nucleic acids, to the development of production techniques of the three major families of biological agents: proteins, monoclonal antibodies and fusion proteins. A brief history has also been traced of the cytokines most involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IL-1 and TNF) and the steps which have led to the use of the main biological drugs in rheumatology: anakinra, infliximab, adalimumab, etanercept and rituximab
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