2,394 research outputs found
Evaluation of the first automated thyroglobulin assay
Get PDFThe aim of this study was to investigate technical and analytical performance of the first automated thyroglobulin (Tg) assay (DPC-Immulite(R); Diagnostic Products Corporation, Los Angeles, USA). In imprecision studies using several human serum pools ranging from 21 to 58 replicates, a coefficient of variation of 9.0 % was obtained at a mean Tg concentration of 0.84 ng/ml and of 6.1 % at a Tg concentration of 62.1 ng/ml. In a method comparison with a non-automated assay (BRAHMS LUMItest Tg(R), BRAHMS, Berlin, Germany) using 383 sera of 303 patients with thyroid carcinoma, regression analysis according to Passing and Bablock yielded in the following equation: Immulite Tg=1.6 x BRAHMS Tg - 0.1 ng/ml (Pearson's r=0.979). Sera obtained from 59 patients with thyroid carcinoma enabled comparative follow-up studies; in all cases qualitative agreement was found with regard to increase or decrease of serum Tg; in eight cases, however, Tg was detected with the Immulite assay but not with the BRAHMS assay. Further follow-up proved the presence of thyroid tissue in these patients. From these and further methodological data (dilution linearity, interference studies, carry-over study, high-dose hook properties, and short report time) it is concluded that the DPC-Immulite Tg assay meets the requirements of routine diagnostic use
Analysis of vibrational Raman optical activity signatures of the (TG) and (GG) conformations of isotactic polypropylene chains in terms of localized modes
No full textIn a previous study [Lamparska, E.; Liégeois, V.; Quinet, O.; Champagne, B. ChemPhysChem 2006, 7, 2366-2376], signatures associated to the helical structure of a small oligomer of a polypropylene chain were highlighted in the vibrational Raman optical activity (VROA) spectra. Nevertheless, it was difficult to pursue the analysis of longer chains. Indeed, the number of normal modes is becoming large and they are delocalized over the whole chain, increasing the complexity of their analysis. With a new tool developed to analyze the vibrational spectra [Jacob, Ch. R.; Reiher, M. J. Chem. Phys. 2009, 130, 084106], one can understand the normal modes, the VROA intensity of the bands, and the band shapes of long polymer chains by investigating the vibrational coupling matrices and the intensity coupling matrices. The VROA couplet at around 1100 cm (previously evidenced as a signature of the (TG) helical pitch) can now be thoroughly analyzed and compared to the corresponding signature in the (GG) conformer. The mode localization approach shows that for both conformations this couplet arises from a phase difference within the localized modes of both peaks, leading to the inversion of the sign of the total VROA intensity. Comparing the (TG) and (GG) conformers, the vibrational and intensity coupling matrices completely change with the modification of the structure. This leads for the (TG) conformer to a negative-positive couplet, whereas for the (GG) conformation, a characteristic positive-negative-positive pattern is found
Analysis of Vibrational Raman Optical Activity Signatures of the (TG)<sub>N</sub> and (GG)<sub>N</sub> Conformations of Isotactic Polypropylene Chains in Terms of Localized Modes
No full textIn a previous study [Lamparska, E.; Liégeois, V.; Quinet, O.; Champagne, B. ChemPhysChem 2006, 7, 2366−2376], signatures associated to the helical structure of a small oligomer of a polypropylene chain were highlighted in the vibrational Raman optical activity (VROA) spectra. Nevertheless, it was difficult to pursue the analysis of longer chains. Indeed, the number of normal modes is becoming large and they are delocalized over the whole chain, increasing the complexity of their analysis. With a new tool developed to analyze the vibrational spectra [Jacob, Ch. R.; Reiher, M. J. Chem. Phys. 2009, 130, 084106], one can understand the normal modes, the VROA intensity of the bands, and the band shapes of long polymer chains by investigating the vibrational coupling matrices and the intensity coupling matrices. The VROA couplet at around 1100 cm−1 (previously evidenced as a signature of the (TG)N helical pitch) can now be thoroughly analyzed and compared to the corresponding signature in the (GG)N conformer. The mode localization approach shows that for both conformations this couplet arises from a phase difference within the localized modes of both peaks, leading to the inversion of the sign of the total VROA intensity. Comparing the (TG)N and (GG)N conformers, the vibrational and intensity coupling matrices completely change with the modification of the structure. This leads for the (TG)19 conformer to a negative-positive couplet, whereas for the (GG)19 conformation, a characteristic positive-negative-positive pattern is found
Bulk viscosity in F(T, TG) gravity
Get PDFThe present paper is devoted to exploring the effect of bulk viscosity in the context of F(T, TG) gravity. We consider a time-dependent viscosity model with a particular expression of Hubble parameter. We evaluate viscous effective equation of state parameter for three well-known F(T, TG) models. The behavior of the accelerated expanding universe is explored graphically through the viscous equation of state parameter. This parameter indicates the phantom-dominated era as well as crosses the phantom divide line for all three models. We conclude that the universe shows a transition from quintessence to phantom region in the presence of bulk viscosity.The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the pdf file of the accepted manuscript may differ slightly from what is displayed on the item page. The information in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript reflects the original submission by the author
() Topology of unimolecular G-quadruplex adopted by dG(TG) and -ion-binding sites
No full text<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "NMR evaluation of ammonium ion movement within a unimolecular G-quadruplex in solution"</p><p>Nucleic Acids Research 2007;35(8):2554-2563.</p><p>Published online 4 Apr 2007</p><p>PMCID:PMC1895886.</p><p>© 2007 The Author(s)</p> The three binding sites are labeled as O, I and O. The guanine bases are shown as numbered rectangles, where cyan and magenta rectangles represent nucleobases in and conformation, respectively. () Birds-eye view of a ion above an individual G-quartet
Competition of the 13 bp substrate duplexes and the Tg-containing duplexes in the Endo III reaction
No full text<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Synthesis and characterization of oligonucleotides containing 2′-fluorinated thymidine glycol as inhibitors of the endonuclease III reaction"</p><p>Nucleic Acids Research 2006;34(5):1540-1551.</p><p>Published online 17 Mar 2006</p><p>PMCID:PMC1409675.</p><p>© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved</p> The P-labeled substrates without fluorine were incubated with Endo III in the presence of the competitors containing Tg. The amounts of the nicked products (standardized to those without the competitors) were plotted against the concentrations of the competitor. Open circles, P-5-Tg + 5-Tg; filled circles, P-5-Tg + 5-Tg; open triangles, P-5-Tg + 5-Tg; filled triangles, P-5-Tg 5-Tg
DNA fusion gene vaccination mobilizes effective anti-leukemic cytotoxic T lymphocytes from a tolerized repertoire
No full textThe majority of known human tumor-associated antigens derive from non-mutated self proteins. T cell tolerance, essential to prevent autoimmunity, must therefore be cautiously circumvented to generate cytotoxic T cell responses against these targets. Our strategy uses DNA fusion vaccines to activate high levels of peptide-specific CTL. Key foreign sequences from tetanus toxin activate tolerance-breaking CD4+ T cell help. Candidate MHC class Ibinding tumor peptide sequences are fused to the C terminus for optimal processing and presentation. To model performance against a leukemia-associated antigen in a tolerized setting, we constructed a fusion vaccine encoding an immunodominant CTL epitopederived from Friend murine leukemia virus gag protein (FMuLVgag) and vaccinated tolerant FMuLVgag-transgenic (gag-Tg) mice. Vaccination with the construct induced epitopespecificIFN-c-producing CD8+ T cells in normal and gag-Tg mice. The frequency and avidity of activated cells were reduced in gag-Tg mice, and no autoimmune injury resulted. However, these CD8+ T cells did exhibit gag-specific cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. Also, epitope-specific CTL killed FBL-3 leukemia cells expressing endogenous FMuLVgag antigen and protected against leukemia challenge in vivo. These results demonstrate a simple strategy to engage anti-microbial T cell help to activate epitope-specific polyclonal CD8+ T cell responses from a residual tolerized repertoire
INSIG1 influences obesity-related hypertriglyceridemia in humans
Get PDFIn our analysis of a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for plasma triglyceride (TG) levels [logarithm of odds (LOD) = 3.7] on human chromosome 7q36, we examined 29 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across INSIG1, a biological candidate gene in the region. Insulin-induced genes (INSIGs) are feedback mediators of cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis in animals, but their role in human lipid regulation is unclear. In our cohort, the INSIG1 promoter SNP rs2721 was associated with TG levels (P = 2 × 10−3 in 1,560 individuals of the original linkage cohort, P = 8 × 10−4 in 920 unrelated individuals of the replication cohort, combined P = 9.9 × 10−6). Individuals homozygous for the T allele had 9% higher TG levels and 2-fold lower expression of INSIG1 in surgical liver biopsy samples when compared with individuals homozygous for the G allele. Also, the T allele showed additional binding of nuclear proteins from HepG2 liver cells in gel shift assays. Finally, the variant rs7566605 in INSIG2, the only homolog of INSIG1, enhances the effect of rs2721 (P = 0.00117). The variant rs2721 alone explains 5.4% of the observed linkage in our cohort, suggesting that additional, yet-undiscovered genes and sequence variants in the QTL interval also contribute to alterations in TG levels in humans
O CONTO DA AIA: AS CONSTRUÇÕES DE MASCULINIDADE E FEMINILIDADE BASEADAS NA RELIGIÃO
Get PDFThis essay intends to understand the connection between religion and the social construction of gender roles in The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood (1985). In a dystopian future, a Christian fundamentalist group self-proclaimed “Sons of Jacob” articulates and executes a coup d’état against the United States government and establishes the Republic of Gilead. In this new totalitarian regime, a rigged social structure is established based on a biased interpretation of the Bible, that categorizes and standardizes gender performances. The new social roles, established by a social, moral and legal author- ity, enhance the gender roles, turning the male domination into a sacred element and justifying the female submission in a family unit parody of Jacob, Rachel and Leah.Esse ensaio busca compreender a relação entre a religião e a construção social dos papéis de gênero no livro O Conto da Aia, de Margaret Atwood (1995). Em um futuro distópico, um grupo fundamentalista cristão autodenominado “Filhos de Jacó” articula e executa um golpe de Estado contra o governo dos Estados Unidos e estabelece a República de Gilead. Neste novo regime totalitário se estabelece uma rígida estrutura social fundamentada em uma interpretação tendenciosa da Bíblia, que categoriza e normatiza os comportamentos de gênero. As novas funções sociais, estabelecidas através de uma autoridadesocial, moral e legal, reforçam os papéis de gênero, sacralizando a dominação masculina e justi cando a submissão femininaem uma paródia da unidade familiar de Jacó, Raquel e Bila
Aromatic () and imino () regions of H NMR spectrum of form of dG(TG) G-quadruplex at 298 K
No full text<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "NMR evaluation of ammonium ion movement within a unimolecular G-quadruplex in solution"</p><p>Nucleic Acids Research 2007;35(8):2554-2563.</p><p>Published online 4 Apr 2007</p><p>PMCID:PMC1895886.</p><p>© 2007 The Author(s)</p> Plot of 2D N–H HSQC spectrum (). The cross-peak corresponding to ions in bulk is labeled as B, while those residing at the binding sites within the G-quadruplex are labeled as O, O and I
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