Plasma cells are not restricted to the CD27+ phenotype: characterization of CD27-CD43+ antibody-secreting cells.

Unlabelled: Circulating antibody-secreting cells are present in the peripheral blood of healthy individuals reflecting the continued activity of the humoral immune system. Antibody-secreting cells typically express CD27. Here we describe and characterize a small population of antibody-secreting class switched CD19+CD43+ B cells that lack expression of CD27 in the peripheral blood of healthy subjects.

Theory and practice of corrosion related to ashes and deposits in a WtE boiler.

Corrosion of heat-exchanging components is one of the main operational problems in Waste-to-Energy plants, limiting the electrical efficiency that can be reached. Corrosion is mainly related to the devolatilization and/or formation of chlorides, sulphates and mixtures thereof on the heat-exchanging surfaces. Theoretical considerations on this corrosion were already put forward in literature, but this paper now for the first time combines theory with a large scale sampling campaign of several Waste-to-Energy plants.

Regulatory T Cell-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms of Immune Suppression by CD28/B7 and CD40/CD40L Costimulation Blockade.

Blocking of costimulatory CD28/B7 and CD40/CD40L interactions is an experimental approach to immune suppression and tolerance induction. We previously reported that administration of a combination of CTLA-4Ig and MR1 (anti-CD40L mAb) for blockade of these interactions induces tolerance in a fully mismatched allogeneic splenocyte transfer model in mice. We now used this model to study whether regulatory T cells (Tregs) contribute to immune suppression and why both pathways have to be blocked simultaneously.

Immobilization of antimony in waste-to-energy bottom ash by addition of calcium and iron containing additives.

The leaching of Sb from waste-to-energy (WtE) bottom ash (BA) often exceeds the Dutch limit value of 0.32mgkg(-1) for recycling of BA in open construction applications. From the immobilization mechanisms described in the literature, it could be concluded that both Ca and Fe play an important role in the immobilization of Sb in WtE BA.

Adsorption of Oxyanions from Industrial Wastewater using Perlite-Supported Magnetite.

Most studies on oxyanion adsorption focus on their removal from synthetic solutions. It is often claimed that the considered adsorbents can be used to treat real (industrial) wastewaters, but this is seldom tested. Perlite-supported magnetite was characterized first by determining its specific surface area, magnetite content and by examining the coating.

Recycling of spent adsorbents for oxyanions and heavy metal ions in the production of ceramics.

Spent adsorbents for oxyanion forming elements and heavy metals are classified as hazardous materials and they are typically treated by stabilization/solidification before landfilling. The use of lime or cement for stabilization/solidification entails a high environmental impact and landfilling costs are high. This paper shows that mixing spent adsorbents in the raw material for the production of ceramic materials is a valuable alternative to stabilize oxyanion forming elements and heavy metals.

Anti-Pneumococcal Capsular Polysaccharide Antibody Response and CD5 B Lymphocyte Subsets.

The role of CD19(+) CD5(+) and CD19(+) CD5(-) B cell subpopulations in the antibody response to pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides (caps-PSs) is controversial. In the present study, we evaluated the role of human CD19(+) CD5(+) and CD19(+) CD5(-) cell populations in the serotype-specific antibody response to caps-PS. After vaccination of 5 healthy human adults with Pneumovax (23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine [PPV23]), IgG anti-caps-PS serotype 4 antibody-producing cells resided mainly in the CD19(+) CD5(-) B cell subset, as assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISpot) analysis.

Metal release from contaminated estuarine sediment under pH changes in the marine environment.

The contaminant release from estuarine sediment due to pH changes was investigated using a modified CEN/TS 14429 pH-dependence leaching test. The test is performed in the range of pH values of 0-14 using deionised water and seawater as leaching solutions. The experimental conditions mimic different circumstances of the marine environment due to the global acidification, carbon dioxide (CO2) leakages from carbon capture and sequestration technologies, and accidental chemical spills in seawater.

The FXR agonist obeticholic acid prevents gut barrier dysfunction and bacterial translocation in cholestatic rats.

Bacterial translocation (BTL) drives pathogenesis and complications of cirrhosis. Farnesoid X-activated receptor (FXR) is a key transcription regulator in hepatic and intestinal bile metabolism. We studied potential intestinal FXR dysfunction in a rat model of cholestatic liver injury and evaluated effects of obeticholic acid (INT-747), an FXR agonist, on gut permeability, inflammation, and BTL.

Intracellular osteopontin regulates homeostasis and function of natural killer cells.

Natural killer (NK) cells play an essential role in the immune response to infection and cancer. After infection or during homeostatic expansion NK cells express a developmental program that includes a contraction phase followed by the formation of long-lived mature memory-like cells. Although this NK cell response pattern is well established, the underlying mechanisms that ensure efficient transition to long-lived NK cells remain largely undefined.

Value of allohaemagglutinins in the diagnosis of a polysaccharide antibody deficiency.

Polysaccharide antibody deficiency is characterized by a poor or absent antibody response after vaccination with an unconjugated pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. Allohaemagglutinins (AHA) are antibodies to A or B polysaccharide antigens on the red blood cells, and are often used as an additional or alternative measure to assess the polysaccharide antibody response. However, few studies have been conducted to establish the clinical significance of AHA.

A p85α-osteopontin axis couples the receptor ICOS to sustained Bcl-6 expression by follicular helper and regulatory T cells.

Follicular helper T cells (TFH cells) and follicular regulatory T cells (TFR cells) regulate the quantity and quality of humoral immunity. Although both cell types express the costimulatory receptor ICOS and require the transcription factor Bcl-6 for their differentiation, the ICOS-dependent pathways that coordinate their responses are not well understood. Here we report that activation of ICOS in CD4(+) T cells promoted interaction of the p85α regulatory subunit of the signaling kinase PI(3)K and intracellular osteopontin (OPN-i), followed by translocation of OPN-i to the nucleus, its interaction with Bcl-6 and protection of Bcl-6 from ubiquitin-dependent proteasome degradation.

Thermal treatment of solid waste in view of recycling: Chromate and molybdate formation and leaching behaviour.

Elevated Cr and Mo concentrations are often found in leachates of thermally treated solid waste, but there is no general explanation for this so far. Therefore, we studied the leaching behaviour after thermal treatment as a function of heating temperature and residence time for two types of solid waste: contaminated sludge and bottom ash from municipal solid waste incineration. The leaching behaviour of both waste streams was compared with experiments on synthetic samples, allowing deduction of a general mechanism for Cr and Mo leaching.

Heating temperature dependence of Cr(III) oxidation in the presence of alkali and alkaline earth salts and subsequent Cr(VI) leaching behavior.

In this paper, the temperature dependence of Cr(III) oxidation in high temperature processes and the subsequent Cr(VI) leaching was studied using synthetic mixtures. It was experimentally shown that in the presence of alkali and alkaline earth salts, oxidation of Cr(III) takes place, consistent with thermodynamic calculations. Heating of synthetic mixtures of Cr2O3 and Na, K, or Ca salts led to elevated leaching of Cr(VI); in the presence of Na, more than 80% of the initial Cr(III) amount was converted to Cr(VI) at 600-800 °C.

Characterization of proposed human B-1 cells reveals pre-plasmablast phenotype.

Controversy has arisen about the nature of circulating human CD20(+)CD27(+)CD43(+)CD70(-)CD69(-) B cells. Although originally described as being the human counterpart of murine B-1 B cells, some studies have raised the possibility that these might instead be plasmablasts. In this article, we have further characterized the putative B-1 cells and compared them directly with memory B cells and plasmablasts for several functional characteristics.

Foxp3+ regulatory T cells are activated in spite of B7-CD28 and CD40-CD40L blockade.

Costimulatory signals are required for priming and activation of naive T cells, while it is less clear how they contribute to induction of regulatory T (Treg)-cell activity. We previously reported that the blockade of the B7-CD28 and CD40L-CD40 interaction efficiently suppresses allogeneic T-cell activation in vivo. This was characterized by an initial rise in Foxp3(+) cells, followed by depletion of host-reactive T cells.

Removal of molybdate anions from water by adsorption on zeolite-supported magnetite.

Industrial wastewater may contain high molybdenum concentrations, making treatment before discharge necessary. In this paper, the removal of molybdate anions from water is presented, using clinoptilolite zeolite coated with magnetite nanoparticles. In batch experiments the influence of pH, ionic strength, possible interfering (oxy)anions, temperature and contact time is investigated.

Lens epithelium-derived growth factor/p75 qualifies as a target for HIV gene therapy in the NSG mouse model.

Lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF/p75) is an essential cofactor of HIV integration. Both stable overexpression of the C-terminal part of LEDGF/p75 (LEDGF(325-530)) containing the integrase (IN)-binding domain (IBD) and stable knockdown (KD) of LEDGF/p75 are known to inhibit HIV infection in laboratory cell lines. Here, primary human CD(4)(+) T-cells were transduced with lentiviral vectors encoding LEDGF(325-530), the interaction-deficient mutant LEDGF(325-530)D366N, or a hairpin depleting LEDGF/p75 and challenged with HIV.

Study of composition change and agglomeration of flue gas cleaning residue from a fluidized bed waste incinerator.

Blocking of the collection hoppers of the baghouse filters in a fluidized bed incinerator for co-incineration of high calorific industrial solid waste and sludge was observed. The composition of the flue gas cleaning residue (FGCR), both from a blocked hopper and from a normal hopper, was investigated by (differential) thermogravimetric analysis, quantitative X-ray powder diffraction and wet chemical analysis. The lower elemental carbon concentration and the higher calcium carbonate concentration of the agglomerated sample was the result of oxidation of carbon and subsequent reaction of CO2 with CaO.

Potential influence of CO2 release from a carbon capture storage site on release of trace metals from marine sediment.

One of the main risks of CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) is CO(2) leakage from a storage site. The influence of CO(2) leakage on trace metals leaching from contaminated marine sediment in a potential storage area (Northern Spain) is addressed using standardized leaching tests. The influence of the pH of the leaching solution on the leachates is evaluated using deionized water, natural seawater and acidified seawater at pH = 5, 6 and 7, obtained by CO(2) bubbling.