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Similar Expression (similar + expression)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Medical Sciences62%

Terms modified by Similar Expression

  • similar expression level
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  • similar expression pattern
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    Selected Abstracts

    Representing the ,other': a discursive analysis of prejudice and moral exclusion in talk about Romanies

    JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2006
    Cristian Tileag
    Abstract This article investigates the particulars of prejudiced and moral exclusion discourse about ethnic minorities in a Romanian socio-cultural context. It examines in detail the discourse of middle-class Romanian professionals taking up different ideological positions on the issue of the fairness of extremist politics towards ethnic minorities. A comparison is made between participants ,supporting' extremist politics and those ,opposing' this kind of politics to see whether there are differences in the way participants from both categories talk about the Romanies. It is suggested that a very similar expression of moral exclusion discourse is to be found across both positions, a very similar use of various discursive and rhetorical strategies to blame the Romanies and ,naturalize' their characteristics, position them beyond the moral order, nationhood and difference. The analysis, inspired by a critical discursive approach will focus on the construction of ideological representations of Romanies. In examining prejudiced and moral exclusion discourse against Romanies, this article constitutes an attempt to understand the situated dynamics of prejudice and some of the ways in which particular ways of talking delegitimize and, sometimes, dehumanize the ,other'. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

    Loss of metabotropic glutamate receptor-mediated regulation of glutamate transport in chemically activated astrocytes in a rat model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

    JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2006
    Céline Vermeiren
    Abstract Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by a selective loss of motor neurones accompanied by intense gliosis in lesioned areas of the brain and spinal cord. Glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity resulting from impaired astroglial uptake constitutes one of the current pathophysiological hypotheses explaining the progression of the disease. In this study, we examined the regulation of glutamate transporters by type 5 metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR5) in activated astrocytes derived from transgenic rats carrying an ALS-related mutated human superoxide dismutase 1 (hSOD1G93A) transgene. Cells from transgenic animals and wild-type littermates showed similar expression of glutamate,aspartate transporter and glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) after in vitro activation, whereas cells carrying the hSOD1 mutation showed a three-fold higher expression of functional mGluR5, as observed in the spinal cord of end-stage animals. In cells from wild-type animals, (S)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG) caused an immediate protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent up-regulation of aspartate uptake that reflected the activation of GLT-1. Although this effect was mimicked in both cultures by direct activation of PKC using phorbol myristate acetate, DHPG failed to up-regulate aspartate uptake in cells derived from the transgenic rats. The failure of activated mGluR5 to increase glutamate uptake in astrocytes derived from this animal model of ALS supports the theory of glutamate excitotoxicity in the pathogenesis of the disease. [source]

    Differential response of platelets to chemokines: RANTES non-competitively inhibits stimulatory effect of SDF-1,

    JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS, Issue 1 2004
    B. Shenkman
    Summary.,Background:,Among the chemokines related to CXC and CC receptor groups and released from platelets, leukocytes and endothelial cells, SDF-1, TARC and MDC have been found to be platelet agonists. Platelets do not contain SDF-1,. In contrast, RANTES is constitutively present in platelet ,-granules and released upon platelet activation. Objectives:,To study a possible role of RANTES as a modulator of SDF-1, effect on platelets, in relation to CXCR4 and various CC receptors. Methods:,CXCR-4 (CXCL12) receptor expression and platelet activation were evaluated by flow cytometry, platelet deposition was studied by cone and plate(let) analyzer, and platelet aggregation by turbidometric aggregometry. Results:,Flow cytometry studies revealed similar expression of CXCR-4, the specific receptor of SDF-1, on intact, inactivated, and activated platelets. Preincubation of platelets with RANTES affected neither CXCR-4 expression, nor SDF-1, binding to the platelet membrane. In the presence of fibrinogen, SDF-1, activated gel-filtered platelets. RANTES did not activate platelets, but substantially (by 70%) inhibited SDF-1,-induced fibrinogen binding. Similarly, RANTES abrogated the promoting effect of SDF-1, on whole blood platelet adhesion to endothelial cell monolayer under venous flow conditions. In platelet-rich plasma, RANTES moderately inhibited SDF-1,-induced platelet aggregation, while it did not affect aggregation induced by thrombin-receptor activation peptide, adenosine diphosphate, or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. A synergistic inhibitory effect of RANTES and prostaglandin E1 used at subthreshold concentrations, on SDF-1,-induced aggregation and SDF-1,-induced fibrinogen binding to platelets was observed, which may suggest involvement of RANTES in a cAMP-dependent signal transduction pathway. Conclusions:,RANTES non-competitively inhibits activation of platelets by SDF-1,, and thus may play a regulatory role in platelet response to inflammation. [source]

    Monocyte-derived dendritic cells from HCV-infected patients transduced with an adenovirus expressing NS3 are functional when stimulated with the TLR3 ligand poly(I:C)

    JOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS, Issue 11 2008
    I. Echeverría
    Summary., Dendritic cells (DC) transfected with an adenovirus encoding hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3 protein (AdNS3) induce potent antiviral immune responses when used to immunize mice. However, in HCV infected patients, controversial results have been reported regarding the functional properties of monocyte-derived DC (MoDC), a cell population commonly used in DC vaccination protocols. Thus, with the aim of future vaccination studies we decided to characterize MoDC from HCV patients transfected with AdNS3 and stimulated with the TLR3 ligand poly(I:C). Phenotypic and functional properties of these cells were compared with those from MoDC obtained from uninfected individuals. PCR analysis showed that HCV RNA was negative in MoDC from patients after the culture period. Also, phenotypic analysis of these cells showed lower expression of CD80, CD86, and CD40, but similar expression of HLA-DR molecules as compared to MoDC from uninfected individuals. Functional assays of MoDC obtained from patients and controls showed a similar ability to activate allogeneic lymphocytes or to produce IL-12 and IL-10, although lower IFN-, levels were produced by cells from HCV patients after poly(I:C) stimulation. Moreover, both groups of MoDC induced similar profiles of IFN-, and IL-5 after stimulation of allogeneic T-cells. Finally, migration assays did not reveal any difference in their ability to respond to CCL21 chemokine. In conclusion, MoDC from HCV patients are functional after transduction with AdNS3 and stimulation with poly(I:C). These findings suggest that these cells may be useful for therapeutic vaccination in chronic HCV infection. [source]

    Bioluminescent imaging of reporter gene expression in the lungs of wildtype and model mice following the administration of PEG-stabilized DNA nanoparticles

    MICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE, Issue 9 2010
    Assem G. Ziady
    Abstract DNA nanoparticles (DNPs) formed by compacting DNA with polyethyleneglycolylated poly- L -lysine are a nonviral vector shown to be safe and efficacious in animals and humans. To extend our capabilities of assessing the efficacy and duration of expression achieved by DNPs, we tested the utility of bioluminescent imaging (BLI) of transgene expression in wildtype and cystic fibrosis (CF) mouse models. We tested the effect of route of administration, mouse coat color, anesthesia, dose, and promoter sequence on the level and duration of expression. Furthermore, we investigated the correlation between imaging and direct analysis of luciferase expression in lung homogenates. We found that intratracheal instillation, and the use of deep and prolonged anesthesia with avertin produced significantly higher expression compared with intranasal administration, and the use of lighter anesthesia with isoflurane. Although similar expression was observed for both dark and light coat animals, imaging signal intensity was attenuated in mice with dark fur. Furthermore, good correlation between imaging and direct homogenate analysis was observed for single dose (r = 0.96), and dose response studies in wildtype (r = 0.82) and CF mice (r = 0.87). Finally, we used imaging to track gene expression over a 56-day time course. We found that the human ubiquitin B promoter gives stable transgene expression up to 49 days following nanoparticle administration, while expression with the cytomegalovirus promoter diminished after 2 days and returned to background levels by day 14. Taken together, our results demonstrate that BLI is an effective and useful modality for measuring gene expression conferred by DNPs in the lung. Microsc. Res. Tech. 73:918,928, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

    CD154 Deficiency Uncouples Allograft CD8+ T-Cell Effector Function from Proliferation and Inhibits Murine Airway Obliteration

    AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 12 2009
    P. D. Shah
    Obliterative bronchiolitis (OB) limits the long-term success of lung transplantation, while T-cell effector mechanisms in this process remain incompletely understood. Using the murine heterotopic tracheal transplant model of obliterative airway disease (OAD) to characterize airway allograft rejection, we previously reported an important role for CD8+ T cells in OAD. Herein, we studied the role of CD154/CD40 costimulation in the regulation of allospecific CD8+ T cells, as airway rejection has been reported to be CD154-dependent. Airway allografts from CD154,/, recipients had significantly lower day 28 OAD scores compared to wild-type (WT) recipients, and adoptive transfer of CD8+ T cells from WT recipients, but not CD154,/, recipients, were capable of airway rejection in fresh CD154,/, allograft recipients. Intragraft CD8+ T cells from CD154,/, mice showed similar expression of the surface markers CD69, CD62Llow CD44high and PD-1, but markedly impaired IFN-, and TNF-, secretion and granzyme B expression versus WT controls. Unexpectedly, intragraft and systemic CD8+ T cells from CD154,/, recipients demonstrated robust in vivo expansion similar to WT recipients, consistent with an uncoupling of proliferation from effector function. Together, these data suggest that a lack of CD154/CD40 costimulation results in ineffective allospecific priming of CD8+ T cells required for murine OAD. [source]

    The role of TASK1 in aldosterone production and its expression in normal adrenal and aldosterone-producing adenomas

    CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY, Issue 1 2010
    Edson F. Nogueira
    Summary Objectives, Aldosterone production in the adrenal glomerulosa is mainly regulated by angiotensin II and K+. Adrenal glomerulosa cells are uniquely sensitive to extracellular K+. Genetic deletion of subunits of K+ -selective leak-channels (KCNK), TASK1 and/or TASK3, in mice generates animals with hyperaldosteronism and histological changes in the adrenal cortex. Herein, we studied the expression of TASK1 in human adrenocortical cells, as well as its role in aldosterone production in H295R cells. Design, TASK1 expression was investigated by comparative microarray analysis of aldosterone-producing adenomas (APA) and normal adrenals (NAs). The effects of TASK1 knockdown by siRNA transfection were investigated in H295R cells. Fluo-4 fluorescent measurements of intracellular Ca2 + and pharmacological inhibition of Ca2 + -dependent calmodulin kinases (CaMK) were performed to better define the effects of TASK1 on Ca2 + signalling pathways. Results, Microarray analysis of APA and NA showed similar expression of TASK1 between these two groups. However, in APA, NA and H295R cells the expression of TASK1 was predominant when compared with other KCNK family members. Knockdown of TASK1 (with siRNA) induced the expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein and aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2), and also stimulated pregnenolone and aldosterone production. Cells transfected with siTASK1 had increased intracellular Ca2 + , leading to activation of CaMK and increased expression of CYP11B2. Conclusions, Our study reveals the predominant expression of TASK1 over other KCNK family genes in the human adrenal cortex. Herein, we also described the role of TASK1 in the regulation of human aldosterone production through regulation of intracellular Ca2 + and CaMK signalling pathways. [source]

    Performance-driven muscle-based facial animation

    COMPUTER ANIMATION AND VIRTUAL WORLDS (PREV: JNL OF VISUALISATION & COMPUTER ANIMATION), Issue 2 2001
    Byoungwon Choe
    Abstract We describe a system to synthesize facial expressions by editing captured performances. For this purpose, we use the actuation of expression muscles to control facial expressions. We note that there have been numerous algorithms already developed for editing gross body motion. While the joint angle has direct effect on the configuration of the gross body, the muscle actuation has to go through a complicated mechanism to produce facial expressions. Therefore,we devote a significant part of this paper to establishing the relationship between muscle actuation and facial surface deformation. We model the skin surface using the finite element method to simulate the deformation caused by expression muscles. Then, we implement the inverse relationship, muscle actuation parameter estimation, to find the muscle actuation values from the trajectories of the markers on the performer's face. Once the forward and inverse relationships are established, retargeting or editing a performance becomes an easy job. We apply the original performance data to different facial models with equivalent muscle structures, to produce similar expressions. We also produce novel expressions by deforming the original data curves of muscle actuation to satisfy the key-frame constraints imposed by animators.Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]