LIGHT (HVEM-L, TNFSF14, or CD258), an entity homologous to lymphotoxins, with inducible nature and the ability to compete with herpes simplex virus glycoprotein D for herpes virus entry mediator (HVEM)/tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related 2, is a member of the TNF superfamily. It is expressed as a homotrimer on activated T cells and dendritic cells (DCs), and has three receptors: HVEM, LT-β rece...

BACKGROUND CA125, human epididymis protein 4 (HE4), mesothelin, B7-H4, decoy receptor 3 (DcR3), and spondin-2 have been identified as potential ovarian cancer biomarkers. Except for CA125, their behavior in the prediagnostic period has not been evaluated. METHODS Immunoassays were used to determine concentrations of CA125, HE4, mesothelin, B7-H4, DcR3, and spondin-2 proteins in prediagnostic ...

In order to investigate the effects of RNA interference of decoy receptor 3 (DcR3) on the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and the relevant mechanisms, siRNA against DcR3 was transfected into the gastric cancer cell line AGS. AGS cells were treated with different doses of 5-FU or for different time periods. The sensitivity of AGS cells to 5-FU was determined. The cel...

High-resolution spectroscopic measurements of blue horizontal-branch stars in six metal-poor globular clusters —M3, M13, M15, M68, M92, and NGC 288 — reveal remarkable variations in photospheric composition and rotation velocity as a function of a star’s position along the horizontal branch. For the cooler stars (Teff < 11200 K), the derived abundances are in good agreement with the canonical c...

In order to test the prevailing paradigm of horizontal-branch (HB) stellar evolution, we use the large databases of measured RR Lyrae parameters for the globular cluster M3 (NGC 5272) recently provided by Bakos et al. and Corwin & Carney. We compare the observed distribution of fundamentalized periods against the predictions of synthetic HBs. The observed distribution shows a sharp peak at Pf ≈...

We have used new parallax measurements, obtained by the Hipparcos satellite, of fifteen nearby, metal-poor stars to redefine the subdwarf main-sequence. All of these stars have parallaxes determined to an accuracy of at least 12 %. Comparing these measurements against previous ground-based data for nine stars reveals a systematic offset of 5 %, in the sense that the Hipparcos parallaxes are sma...

We have used new parallax measurements, obtained by the Hipparcos satellite, of fifteen nearby, metal-poor stars to re-define the subdwarf mainsequence. All of these stars have parallaxes determined to an accuracy of at least 12 %. Comparing these measurements against previous ground-based data for nine stars reveals a systematic offset of 5 %, in the sense that the Hipparcos parallaxes are sma...

Decoy receptor 3 (DCR3) halts both Fas ligand- and LIGHT-induced cell deaths, which are required for pancreatic beta cell damage in autoimmune diabetes. To directly investigate the therapeutic potential of DCR3 in preventing this disease, we generated transgenic nonobese diabetic mice, which overexpressed DCR3 in beta cells. Transgenic DCR3 protected mice from autoimmune and cyclophosphamide-in...

CCD observations obtained by the OGLE team for 128 RR Lyrae variables in ω Centauri have been analysed. The period-luminosity and period-amplitude plots indicate that, in addition to fundamental (RRab) and first overtone (RRc) pulsators, the ω Centauri RR Lyrae population seems to include second overtone (RRe) and possibly third overtone pulsators. The mean period for the 59 RRab stars is 0.649...