There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

다중혈관 관상동맥 환자에서 y-문합을 이용하여 양쪽 내흉동맥만을 사용한 우회술의 조기 성적

Human mesenchymal stem cells are thought to be multipotent cells, which are present in adult marrow, that can replicate as undifferentiated cells and that have the potential to differentiate to lineages of mesenchymal tissues, including bone, cartilage, fat, tendon, muscle, and marrow stroma. Cells that have the characteristics of human mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from marrow aspirates of volunteer donors. These cells displayed a stable phenotype and remained as a monolayer in vitro. These adult stem cells could be induced to differentiate exclusively into the adipocytic, chondrocytic, or osteocytic lineages. Individual stem cells were identified that, when expanded to colonies, retained their multilineage potential.

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/284/5411/143.full.pdf

Multilineage Potential of Adult Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

抗原变异可使得多种致病微生物易于逃避宿主免疫应答。表达在感染红细胞表面的恶性疟原虫红细胞表面蛋白1（PfPMP1）与感染红细胞、内皮细胞、树突状细胞以及胎盘的单个或多个受体作用，在黏附及免疫逃避中起关键的作用。每个单倍体基因组var基因家族编码约60种成员，通过启动转录不同的var基因变异体为抗原变异提供了分子基础。

疟原虫var基因转换速率变化导致抗原变异[英]／Paul H, Robert P, Christodoulou Z, et al//Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

[신간의 별자리x] 우리/미술, 그리고 ‘슬픔의 박물관’

Massive neurofilament conglomeration in motor neurons has been described to occur in the early stages of both familial and sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Previously, neurofilament conglomerates were immunolabeled for both superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and nitrotyrosine, suggesting the potential for oxidative nitration damage to neurofilament protein by peroxynitrite. Long-lived neurofilaments may also undergo modification by advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) with concomitant generation of free radicals, including superoxide. This radical species may then react with nitric oxide to form the potent oxidant, peroxynitrite, which in turn can nitrate neurofilament protein. Such a glycated and nitrated neurofilament protein may become resistant to proteolytic systems, forming high-molecular-weight protein complexes and cytotoxic, neuronal inclusions. Paraffin sections containing both neurofilament conglomerates and neuronal inclusions were obtained from patients with sporadic (n = 5) and familial (n = 2) ALS and were probed with specific antibodies directed against the AGEs cypentodine/piper-idine-enolone, arginine-lysine imidazole, pentosidine, and pyrraline. Neurofilament conglomerates, but not neuronal inclusions, were intensely immunolabeled with each of the anti-AGE antibodies tested. The immunoreactivity was selective for neurofilament conglomerates and suggested that AGEs may form inter- or intramolecular cross-links in neurofilament proteins. These data support the hypothesis that AGE formation affects neurofilament proteins in vivo and is associated with the concomitant induction of SOD1 and protein nitration in neurofilament conglomerates. AGE formation in neurofilament protein may not only cause covalent cross-linking but also generate superoxide and block nitric oxide-mediated responses, thereby perpetuating neuronal toxicity in patients with ALS.

/pdf/advanced-glycation-endproducts-in-neurofilament-3sbm0fu46h.pdf

Advanced Glycation Endproducts in Neurofilament Conglomeration of Motoneurons in Familial and Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

CD74 induces TAp63 expression leading to B-cell survival.

Reducing sugars such as glucose or glucose 6-phosphate (Glc-6-P) have been shown previously to modify the amino groups of nucleotides and single-stranded DNA. We have examined the mutagenic effect of Glc-6-P-induced lesions in the double-stranded DNA plasmid pBR322. Seventeen mutants of the Ampr Tets phenotype were isolated from plasmid preparations whose transforming capacity had been decreased by incubation with Glc-6-P. A number of the mutant plasmids were found to have undergone gross DNA alterations, including insertions and deletions, as well as the development of multiple species originating from a single cell. The ability of an endogenous reducing sugar to induce extensive DNA rearrangements suggests that these lesions may be significant contributors to cellular mutation.

Modification of DNA by glucose 6-phosphate induces DNA rearrangements in an Escherichia coli plasmid.

The effects of the signalling molecule MIF are quite well understood, but how it works remains a mystery. Some of the pathways behind its activity have now been revealed — with surprising results.

Signal transduction. A most interesting factor.

Since the discovery of the circulating fibrocyte as a collagen-producing cell of the peripheral blood, the physiologic and pathologic role of this unique cell population has grown steadily. The present review summarizes the known biology of fibrocytes and discusses evidence for their role in the pathogenesis of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. Possible mechanisms by which gadolinium may influence the activation or trafficking properties of fibrocytes leading to tissue fibrosis are discussed.

Richard Bucala

Papers

Advanced Glycation Endproducts in Neurofilament Conglomeration of Motoneurons in Familial and Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

CD74 induces TAp63 expression leading to B-cell survival.

Modification of DNA by glucose 6-phosphate induces DNA rearrangements in an Escherichia coli plasmid.

Signal transduction. A most interesting factor.

Circulating Fibrocytes: Cellular Basis for NSF