Cross-Sectional Study of the Relationship Between Medial Plantar Nerve Conduction Studies and Severity of Diabetic Neuropathy.

Objective: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), a complication of diabetes, is detected only in later stages. Medial plantar nerve (MPL) can identify earlier stages of neuropathy. We evaluated the correlation of MPL sensory nerve action potentials (SNAPs) and severity of DPN measured using the Toronto Clinical Neuropathy Score (TCNS).

Comparative Phenotypic and Agronomic Assessment of Transgenic Potato with 3-Gene Stack with Complete Resistance to Late Blight Disease.

Transgenic potato event Vic.172, expressing three naturally occurring resistance genes ( genes) conferring complete protection against late blight disease, was evaluated for resistance to late blight, phenotypic characterization, and agronomic performance in field conditions at three locations during three seasons in Uganda. These trials were conducted by comparison to the variety Victoria from which Vic.

Dataset on sustainable construction practices of foreign and indigenous construction firms.

This dataset conducted a comparative analysis of sustainable construction practices of foreign and indigenous construction firms in Lagos state, Nigeria using a structured questionnaire survey. The dataset contains the level of awareness and consistency of practice of sustainable development on construction projects between the foreign and indigenous construction firms and the impact of implementing sustainable development practices. Descriptive analysis such as frequencies, percentage and mean score were used to present the quantitative data in form of tables.

Maxillofacial injuries among trauma patients undergoing head computerized tomography; A Ugandan experience.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate epidemiological features of maxillofacial fractures within trauma patients who had head and neck computed tomography (CT) scan at the Mulago National referral hospital.

Methods: CT scan records of trauma patients who had head scans at the Department of Radiology over 1-year period were accessed. Data collected included sociodemographic factors, type and etiology of injury, and concomitant maxillofacial injuries.

Brain dynamics based automated epileptic seizure detection.

We developed and tested a seizure detection algorithm based on two measures of nonlinear and linear dynamics, that is, the adaptive short-term maximum Lyapunov exponent (ASTLmax) and the adaptive Teager energy (ATE). The algorithm was tested on long-term (0.5-11.

The future of decision-making in critical care after Cuthbertson v. Rasouli.

Purpose: The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) ruling on Cuthbertson v. Rasouli has implications for all acute healthcare providers. This well-publicized case involved a disagreement between healthcare providers and a patient's family regarding the principles surrounding withdrawal of life support, which the physicians involved considered no longer of medical benefit and outside the standard of care, and whether consent was required for such withdrawals.

A novel spatiotemporal analysis of peri-ictal spiking to probe the relation of spikes and seizures in epilepsy.

The relation between epileptic spikes and seizures is an important but still unresolved question in epilepsy research. Preclinical and clinical studies have produced inconclusive results on the causality or even on the existence of such a relation. We set to investigate this relation taking in consideration seizure severity and spatial extent of spike rate.

Urban particulate matter suppresses priming of T helper type 1 cells by granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor-activated human dendritic cells.

Urban particulate matter (UPM) exacerbates asthmatic lung inflammation and depresses lung immunity. Lung dendritic cells (DCs) react to airway particulates, and have a critical role in linking innate and adaptive immunity, but the direct effects of UPM on DCs, that have been activated by granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a product of stimulated normal human bronchial epithelial cells, has not been investigated. Human blood CD1c(+) DCs were purified and activated with UPM in the presence or absence of GM-CSF with and without LPS, and DC maturation was assessed by flow cytometry.

T cells producing the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 regulate allergen-specific Th2 responses in human airways.

Background: Murine models suggest a critical functional role for the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in local regulation of allergic airways inflammation. There is little corresponding information on human airway cells. This study aimed to investigate whether local IL-10 production regulates responses by respiratory mucosal leucocytes isolated from nasal polyps.

Interactive rehabilitation and dynamical analysis of scalp EEG.

Electroencephalography (EEG) has been used for decades to measure the brain's electrical activity. Planning and performing a complex movement (e.g.

Resetting of brain dynamics: epileptic versus psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.

We investigated the possibility of differential diagnosis of patients with epileptic seizures (ES) and patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) through an advanced analysis of the dynamics of the patients' scalp EEGs. The underlying principle was the presence of resetting of brain's preictal spatiotemporal entrainment following onset of ES and the absence of resetting following PNES. Long-term (days) scalp EEGs recorded from five patients with ES and six patients with PNES were analyzed.

Counter regulation of the high affinity IgE receptor, FcepsilonRI, on human airway dendritic cells by IL-4 and IL-10.

Background: Immunoglobulin E is a signalling molecule within the environment of the respiratory tract, the high affinity receptor for which, FcepsilonRI, is expressed by dendritic cells (DC). Little is known, however, of the expression and function of FcepsilonRI on DC in the human respiratory tract.

Methods: CD1c(+) DC were purified from surgically resected nasal turbinates of 11 atopic and 12 nonatopic patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

Role of cysteinyl leukotrienes in human allergen-specific Th2 responses induced by granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor.

Background: The pro-inflammatory cytokine, granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), which is elevated in the lungs of atopic asthmatic patients, has been shown to enhance major histocompatibility class II expression of alveolar macrophages (AM). We hypothesized that exposure of AM and monocytes from atopic asthmatic patients to GM-CSF would enhance their antigen presenting function, and investigated putative mechanisms for this effect.

Methods: Alveolar macrophages were purified from bronchoalveolar lavage by plastic adherence.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells from human lung cancer draining lymph nodes induce Tc1 responses.

Dendritic cells (DC) resident in draining lymph nodes (LN) of patients with lung cancer are proposed to have a critical role in stimulating anti-tumor immunity. CpG oligodeoxynucleotides are undergoing clinical trials in patients with lung cancer and are likely to target plasmacytoid-DC. The present study, therefore, investigated the capacity of plasmacytoid-DC from human lung cancer draining LN to respond to CpG for activation of T cell responses relevant to anti-tumor immunity.

Functional plasticity of human respiratory tract dendritic cells: GM-CSF enhances T(H)2 development.

Background: Dendritic cells within the human respiratory mucosa (RTDCs) are proposed to initiate immune responses to foreign antigens. Their capacity to polarize T-cell responses, however, has not been investigated.

Objective: To compare RTDCs with peripheral blood dendritic cells (PBDCs) with regard to phenotype, cytokine production, capacity to polarize T-cell responses, and effects of exposure to the pleiotropic cytokine, GM-CSF.

Interleukin-10-secreting "regulatory" T cells induced by glucocorticoids and beta2-agonists.

Greater clinical benefit in controlling the symptoms of asthma is frequently observed through combining moderate doses of inhaled glucocorticoids together with long-acting beta(2)-agonists, as compared with increasing glucocorticoid dosage alone. To address in vitro whether glucocorticoids plus beta(2)-agonists, compared with glucocorticoids alone, have greater inhibitory activity on CD4+ T cell responses to allergen, peripheral blood CD4+ T cell responses to allergen were compared in the presence or absence of the glucocorticoid fluticasone proprionate and the short- and long-acting beta(2)-agonists salbutamol and salmeterol, respectively. Fluticasone proprionate inhibited interleukin (IL)-5 and IL-13 and enhanced IL-10 synthesis in allergen-stimulated cultures in a concentration-dependent manner.

Impaired secretion of interleukin-4 and interleukin-13 by allergen-specific T cells correlates with defective nuclear expression of NF-AT2 and jun B: relevance to immunotherapy.

Background: Allergen immunotherapy (IT) is a successful treatment associated with decreased Th2 cytokine production by allergen-specific T cells. We have previously demonstrated (Faith et al., J Immunol 1997; 159:53-57) that inhibition of Th2 cytokine production in vitro correlates with impaired tyrosine kinase activity through the TCR.

Differential regulation of allergen-specific antibodies in allergy and specific immunotherapy.

Allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) aims to specifically skew an allergic response into a normal immune reaction against an allergen. The response to bee venom (BV) provides an especially suited model to study the immunological mechanisms of SIT in human. The BV-phospholipase A2 (PLA) represents the major antigen/allergen of BV.

IL-10 directly acts on T cells by specifically altering the CD28 co-stimulation pathway.

IL-10 induces T cell anergy in numerous mouse models and specific immunotherapy of allergy in humans. Here, we demonstrate that IL-10 directly acts on T cells which are stimulated via CD28 by efficiently blocking proliferation and cytokine production. T cells tolerized by IL-10 showed high viability and the unresponsive state was reversed by anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) stimulation and IL-2, but not by anti-CD28 mAb stimulation.

An altered peptide ligand specifically inhibits Th2 cytokine synthesis by abrogating TCR signaling.

Altered peptide ligands (APL) can modify T cell effector function by their diversity in binding to the TCR or MHC class II-presenting molecules. The capacity to inhibit Th2 cytokine production by allergen-specific T cells would contribute to combating allergic inflammation. The presence of APL generated by Ala-substitutions in a synthetic dodeca-peptide spanning an immunodominant epitope of bee venom phospholipase A2 (PLA) was investigated in human T cells.

Determinants and mechanisms of human immune responses to bee venom phospholipase A2.

The elicitation of an immune response to protein antigens depends on the specific recognition of antigenic determinants (epitopes) by T and B lymphocytes. Bee venom phospholipase A2 (PLA) represents the major antigen/allergen of honey bee venom. It displays three dominant immunogenic peptide and one glycopeptide T cell recognition sites.

Defective TCR stimulation in anergized type 2 T helper cells correlates with abrogated p56(lck) and ZAP-70 tyrosine kinase activities.

Development of IgE-mediated allergic conditions is dependent on the secretion of a Th2 cytokine pattern, including IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13. The induction of anergy would be one mechanism to abrogate cytokine secretion by Th2 cells, which may be pivotal to the allergic response. We demonstrate here that incubation of cloned human CD4+ phospholipase A2 (PLA)-specific Th2 cells with antigenic peptide, in the absence of professional APC, results in a state of nonresponsiveness.