Circulating Galectin-1 and Galectin-3 in Sera From Patients With Systemic Sclerosis: Associations With Clinical Features and Treatment.

Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is a rheumatic disease characterized by fibrosis, microvascular damage and immune dysregulation. Two major subsets, limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc) and diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) can be defined, according to the extent of skin involvement. Increasing evidence indicates a role for galectins in immune and vascular programs, extracellular matrix remodeling and fibrosis, suggesting their possible involvement in SSc.

Numerical tool for estimating the dielectric constant, the thickness, and the coverage of immobilized inhomogeneous protein films on gold in aqueous solution.

A numerical simulation tool is reported for nanometer thin and inhomogeneous immobilized protein films on gold in aqueous solution. It allows for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the simultaneous assessment of refractive index, film thickness, and surface coverage. The model relies on and combines the convective diffusion equation, the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, and the Helmholtz equation, with appropriate boundary conditions.

Feeding value of whole raw soya beans as a protein supplement for beef cattle consuming low-quality forages.

Experiments (Exp) I and II were conducted to compare raw whole soya beans (WSB), roasted (rWSB) or other protein sources as supplements of low-quality forages fed ad libitum to beef cattle, upon DM intake (DMI), ruminal and blood parameters, and animal performance. Exp I: treatments for wheat straw fed to four ruminally cannulated steers were (i) Control-WS: no supplement; (ii) WSB-WS: whole soya beans; (iii) rWSB-WS: roasted WSB; and (iv) SBM-WS: soybean meal-wheat midds mixture; all fed at 1.4 kg DM/day.

Periodic protein adsorption at the gold/biotin aqueous solution interface: evidence of kinetics with time delay.

An oscillatory molecular adsorption pattern of the protein neutravidin from aqueous solution onto gold, in presence of a pre-deposited self assembled mono-molecular biotin film, is reported. Real time surface Plasmon resonance sensing was utilized for evaluation of the adsorption kinetics. Two different fractions were identified: in the initial phase, protein molecules attach irreversibly onto the Biotin ligands beneath towards the jamming limit, forming a neutravidin-biotin fraction.

Analysis of 65 Renal Biopsies From Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis (1976-2015): Change in Treatment Strategies Decreased Frequency and Modified Histopathological Findings.

Introduction: No inherent renal lesions are known in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but urinary abnormalities and renal dysfunction have been described.

Objective: First, we describe the histopathological findings of renal biopsies (RBs) in patients with RA and associated clinical manifestations. Second, we evaluated time evolution of RA and the relationship between drugs and renal disease.