| 1. |
- Cherfan, P, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of simvastatin on human T cells in vivo
- 2007
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Ingår i: Atherosclerosis. - : Elsevier BV. - 0021-9150 .- 1879-1484. ; 193:1, s. 186-192
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: The use of statins has shown several anti-inflammatory actions, including modulatory effects on T cells in vitro. Since the effects on human T cells in vivo are less clarified, our aim was to investigate the effects of simvastatin on human T cells in vivo and ex vivo. Methods and results: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study design was applied. Eighty volunteers with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia received either simvastatin 40 mg or placebo for 6 weeks. The serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) were significantly reduced by simvastatin. The proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets expressing early (CD25) or late (HLA-DR) activation markers, as assessed by flow cytometry, were not changed by simvastatin. However, simvastatin tended to increase the density of HLA-DR and L-selectin per CD8+ T cell. The T helper(h)1/Th2 response was evaluated by stimulatory assays followed by intra-cellular staining of interferon-γ and interleukin-4. Simvastatin treatment did not affect the Th1 response but the results indicated a potential to suppress Th2. Conclusion: Simvastatin treatment resulted in a few discrete changes as regards peripheral T cells. However, the findings do not provide evidence that simvastatin-induced anti-inflammatory actions are related to any significant modulatory effects on human T cells in clinically healthy men with hypercholesterolemia. © 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 2. |
- Roland, PE, et al.
(författare)
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Cortical feedback depolarization waves: a mechanism of top-down influence on early visual areas
- 2006
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424. ; 103:33, s. 12586-12591
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite the lack of direct evidence, it is generally believed that top-down signals are mediated by the abundant feedback connections from higher- to lower-order sensory areas. Here we provide direct evidence for a top-down mechanism. We stained the visual cortex of the ferret with a voltage-sensitive dye and presented a short-duration contrast square. This elicited an initial feedforward and lateral spreading depolarization at the square representation in areas 17 and 18. After a delay, a broad feedback wave (FBW) of neuron peak depolarization traveled from areas 21 and 19 toward areas 18 and 17. In areas 18 and 17, the FBW contributed the peak depolarization of dendrites of the neurons representing the square, after which the neurons decreased their depolarization and firing. Thereafter, the peak depolarization surrounded the figure representation over most of areas 17 and 18 representing the background. Thus, the FBW is an example of a well behaved long-range communication from higher-order visual areas to areas 18 and 17, collectively addressing very large populations of neurons representing the visual scene. Through local interaction with feedforward and lateral spreading depolarization, the FBW differentially activates neurons representing the object and neurons representing the background.
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| 3. |
- Yakimova, Rositsa, 1942-, et al.
(författare)
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Optical and Morphological Features of Bulk and Homoepitaxial ZnO
- 2006
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Ingår i: Superlattices and Microstructures. - : Elsevier BV. - 0749-6036 .- 1096-3677. ; 39, s. 247-256
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ZnO substrate crystals from two different sources, and epitaxial layers have been studied by SEM, AFM, photoluminescence (T=2-135K) and EPR. Although fabricated by the same growth principle, i.e. the hydrothermal technique, the substrates differ in terms of purity and structural quality. In the PL spectra of all samples the dominating emission originates from the donor bound exciton (BE) recombination positioned at about 3361 meV. The temperature dependence of the spectra confirms the assignment of the free exciton emission in the purest sample, the line at 3376 meV evolves into a broad peak at higher temperatures, probably including both A and B excitons. Another FE-related emission appears as a shoulder on the high-energy side of FEA,B above 40 K. It is expected and associated with the crystal-field split-off counterpart of the valence band. Free-exciton related emission in the less pure sample can only be seen if the temperature is above 45 K. At T=135K all bound excitons are quenched and the spectrum in both samples consists of the free exciton no-phonon lines and their replicas. However, the emission from the pure samples is several orders of magnitude stronger than that from the other sample, which indicates strong non-radiative quenching of the excitons in the latter sample. The EPR measurements reveal a possible scenario of impurity re-arrangement, e.g. annealing at 950 °C may dissociate existing complexes and release Fe as isolated ions. The AFM and SEM investigations of an epilayer grown by MOCVD on one of the studied substrates have indicated growth instabilities and structural irregularities, thus pointing to the need for substrate quality and epitaxial process optimization.
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