Neutrophil elastase cleaves the murine hemidesmosomal protein BP180/type XVII collagen and generates degradation products that modulate experimental bullous pemphigoid.

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune subepidermal blistering disease associated with autoantibodies against the hemidesmosomal proteins BP180 and BP230. In the IgG passive transfer model of BP, blister formation is triggered by anti-BP180 IgG and depends on complement activation, mast cell degranulation, and neutrophil recruitment. Mice lacking neutrophil elastase (NE) do not develop experimental BP.

Phylogenetic relationships of the mockingbirds and thrashers (Aves: Mimidae).

The mockingbirds, thrashers and allied birds in the family Mimidae are broadly distributed across the Americas. Many aspects of their phylogenetic history are well established, but there has been no previous phylogenetic study that included all species in this radiation. Our reconstructions based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence markers show that an early bifurcation separated the Mimidae into two clades, the first of which includes North and Middle American taxa (Melanotis, Melanoptila, Dumetella) plus a small radiation that likely occurred largely within the West Indies (Ramphocinclus, Allenia, Margarops, Cinclocerthia).

Glycated albumin modulates endothelial cell thrombogenic and inflammatory responses.

Background: It has become established that a diabetic vasculature promotes cardiovascular disease progression via changes to endothelial cells, platelets, and the interactions of these cells. It is believed that the majority of these changes are induced by the presence of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which permanently alter various functions. Studies have shown that platelets perpetuate endothelial cell responses under these conditions.

The role of intracellular protein O-glycosylation in cell adhesion and disease.

Post-translational protein modification, including phosphorylation, is generally quick and reversible, facilitating rapid biologic adjustments to altered cellular physiologic demands. In addition to protein phosphorylation, other post-translational modifications have been identified. Intracellular protein O-glycosylation, the addition of the simple sugar O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) to serine/threonine residues, is a relatively recently identified post-translational modification that has added to the complexity by which protein function is regulated.

Spatiotemporal environmental variation, risk aversion, and the evolution of cooperative breeding as a bet-hedging strategy.

In cooperatively breeding systems in which some individuals delay reproduction to help raise others' offspring, environmental variation in space and time influences individual reproductive strategies as well as interspecific patterns of sociality. Although most environmental explanations for cooperative breeding emphasize the mean fitness gains of living socially, the fittest individuals are not always those that produce on average the highest number of offspring. At times, variance in fecundity can influence fitness as much as mean fecundity, particularly in small populations like those of cooperative breeders.

Effects of physiologically relevant dynamic shear stress on platelet complement activation.

Disturbed shear stress, commonly found in cardiovascular diseases, plays important roles in platelet activation and functions. It has been reported that when activated by elevated shear stress, platelets were able to support complement activation to completion. In this study, through a dynamic cone and plate shearing device, three physiologically relevant shear stresses were applied to platelets, mimicking the shear conditions when platelets pass through a normal left coronary artery (0.

Characterization of the physical properties and biocompatibility of polybenzoxazine-based aerogels for use as a novel hard-tissue scaffold.

The process to successfully synthesize polybenzoxazine (PBO)-based aerogels has recently been optimized; however, the biocompatibility of these materials has never been investigated. PBO is synthesized from bisphenol A and aniline, which are both precursors to many commonly used biomaterials, including polyurethane. Surface-wise these new aerogels resemble the innate extracellular matrix of bone and if these new aerogels exhibit acceptable biocompatibility, they may be used as a scaffold for bone tissue engineering.

Aggression, grooming and group-level cooperation in white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus): insights from social networks.

The form of animal social systems depends on the nature of agonistic and affiliative interactions. Social network theory provides tools for characterizing social structure that go beyond simple dyadic interactions and consider the group as a whole. We show three groups of capuchin monkeys from Barro Colorado Island, Panama, where there are strong connections between key aspects of aggression, grooming, and proximity networks, and, at least among females, those who incur risk to defend their group have particular "social personalities.

Retrograde buddy wire technique for coronary sinus lead placement--an approach to overcome coronary vein angulation.

Implantation of a left ventricular pacing lead via the coronary sinus to deliver cardiac resynchronization therapy has become standard therapy for patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III or IV heart failure and significant intraventricular conduction delay. Biventricular pacing has been shown to provide both symptomatic and mortality benefit in appropriately selected patients. There is significant variability in the anatomy of the coronary sinus and the epicardial coronary venous system.

The C5a receptor on mast cells is critical for the autoimmune skin-blistering disease bullous pemphigoid.

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune skin-blistering disease characterized by the presence of autoantibodies against the hemidesmosomal proteins BP230 and BP180. In the IgG passive transfer mouse model of BP, subepidermal blistering is triggered by anti-BP180 antibodies and depends on the complement system, mast cell (MC) degranulation, and neutrophil infiltration. In this study, we have identified the signaling events that connect the activation of the complement system and MC degranulation.

Catabolism of pemphigus foliaceus autoantibodies by high-dose IVIg therapy.

High-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (HD-IVIg) has several distinguishing therapeutic characteristics. However, a certain number of pemphigus cases have been experienced, which did not respond to HD-IVIg. This is the first case report that the serum level of anti-desmoglein (Dsg) 1 antibody rebounded, critically associated with IgG serum level.

Environmental uncertainty and the global biogeography of cooperative breeding in birds.

Understanding why organisms as different as amoebas, ants, and birds cooperate remains an important question in evolutionary biology. Although ecology can influence cooperation and conflict within animal societies and has been implicated in species differences in sociality, the environmental predictors of sociality across broad geographic and taxonomic scales remain poorly understood. In particular, the importance of temporal variation in selection pressure has been underestimated in most evolutionary studies.

The effect of physiologically relevant dynamic shear stress on platelet and endothelial cell activation.

Introduction: Blood flow induced shear stress plays an important role in platelet and endothelial cell functions. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of physiologically relevant dynamic shear stress on platelet and endothelial cells.

Materials And Methods: Pulsatile shear stress waveforms mimicking the flow in a normal left coronary artery (0.

Immunocontraception in wild horses (Equus caballus) extends reproductive cycling beyond the normal breeding season.

Background: Although the physiological effects of immunocontraceptive treatment with porcine zona pellucida (PZP) have been well studied, little is known about PZP's effects on the scheduling of reproductive cycling. Recent behavioral research has suggested that recipients of PZP extend the receptive breeding period into what is normally the non-breeding season.

Methodology/principal Findings: To determine if this is the case, we compiled foaling data from wild horses (Equus caballus) living on Shackleford Banks, North Carolina for 4 years pre- and 8 years post-contraception management with PZP (pre-contraception, n = 65 births from 45 mares; post-contraception, n = 97 births from 46 mares).

Protective endogenous cyclic adenosine 5'-monophosphate signaling triggered by pemphigus autoantibodies.

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune skin disease mediated by autoantibodies directed against the cadherin-type cell adhesion molecules desmoglein (Dsg) 3 and Dsg1 and is characterized by loss of keratinocyte cohesion and epidermal blistering. Several intracellular signaling pathways, such as p38MAPK activation and RhoA inhibition, have been demonstrated to be altered following autoantibody binding and to be causally involved in loss of keratinocyte cohesion. In this paper, we demonstrate that cAMP-mediated signaling completely prevented blister formation in a neonatal pemphigus mouse model.

Advances in pemphigus research, signaling, and acantholysis.

Pemphigus is a family of human autoimmune blistering diseases in which pathogenic autoantibodies induce blistering in skin and mucosa. The mechanisms by which pemphigus autoantibodies induce disease in the skin is under active investigation. A large number of cellular events induced in the target keratinocytes by pemphigus IgG have been described and suggest that pemphigus IgG binding to desmogleins trigger a complicated cascade of intracellular signaling and regulatory events.

Blocking O-linked GlcNAc cycling in Drosophila insulin-producing cells perturbs glucose-insulin homeostasis.

A dynamic cycle of O-linked GlcNAc (O-GlcNAc) addition and removal is catalyzed by O-GlcNAc transferase and O-GlcNAcase, respectively, in a process that serves as the final step in a nutrient-driven "hexosamine-signaling pathway." Evidence points to a role for O-GlcNAc cycling in diabetes and insulin resistance. We have used Drosophila melanogaster to determine whether O-GlcNAc metabolism plays a role in modulating Drosophila insulin-like peptide (dilp) production and insulin signaling.

Effect of geometrical assumptions on numerical modeling of coronary blood flow under normal and disease conditions.

Shear stress plays a pivotal role in pathogenesis of coronary heart disease. The spatial and temporal variation in hemodynamics of blood flow, especially shear stress, is dominated by the vessel geometry. The goal of the present study was to investigate the effect of 2D and 3D geometries on the numerical modeling of coronary blood flow and shear stress distribution.

Toward an integrative understanding of social behavior: new models and new opportunities.

Social interactions among conspecifics are a fundamental and adaptively significant component of the biology of numerous species. Such interactions give rise to group living as well as many of the complex forms of cooperation and conflict that occur within animal groups. Although previous conceptual models have focused on the ecological causes and fitness consequences of variation in social interactions, recent developments in endocrinology, neuroscience, and molecular genetics offer exciting opportunities to develop more integrated research programs that will facilitate new insights into the physiological causes and consequences of social variation.

Apoptotic pathways in pemphigus.

Pemphigus is a group of human autoimmune blistering diseases of the skin in which autoantibodies to desmosome cadherins induce loss of cell-cell adhesion (acantholysis). In addition to steric hindrance and activation of intracellular signaling, apoptosis has been suggested to contribute to the mechanism by which pathogenic IgG induces acantholysis. We review the current literature examining the role of apoptosis in pemphigus.

The combined effects of sidestream smoke extracts and glycated serum albumin on endothelial cells and platelets.

Background: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that sidestream tobacco smoke extracts would inhibit the culture of endothelial cells and enhance platelet aggregation under diabetic vascular conditions. Sidestream tobacco smoke and advanced glycation end products are known cardiovascular risk factors and we aimed to determine the combined interaction between these two risk factors to promote cardiovascular diseases associated with diabetes.

Methods: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured in the presence of sidestream tobacco smoke extracts (SHS) or nicotine and glycated albumin (AGE) or non-glycated albumin.