Background Dermatomyositis (DM) patients with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5) antibodies (Ab) are likely to have rapidly progressing interstitial lung disease and a poor prognosis. Thus, it is important understand the pathogenesis of disease. Objectives The aim this study was identify humoral factor(s) that characterize anti-MDA5 Ab + DM analyze cells produce these fac...

Recent accumulation of sequence and structural data, in conjunction with systematical classification into a set of families, has significantly advanced our understanding of diverse and specific protein functions. Analysis and interpretation of protein family data requires comprehensive sequence and structural alignments. Here, we present a simple scheme for analyzing a set of experimental struc...

The current interest in the reversibility of protein denaturation is prompted by the idea that, unlike the amino acid sequence, the secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures of native protein molecules may not be genetically predetermined during biosynthesis. If this viewpoint is correct, unfolded polypeptide chains, on denaturation of proteins, should be able under favorable conditions to...

LIFESTYLE FACTORS, together with genetic predisposition, contribute to the current rapid growth in number of patients with diabetes mellitus. This has resulted in a dramatic increase in patients with cardiovascular disease, given that diabetes is a major risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis (1). Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms that lead to the development of at...

Mitsuru Itoh, Takashi Akatsu, Masaki Azuma, Keigo Kamata and Toshio Kamiya Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan E-mail: Mitsuru_Itoh@msl. titech.ac.jp, [email protected]. jp, [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected] Advanced inorganic materials have been used in the worldwide economic development over the past century and stimulated current r...

dietary consumption of fruit and vegetables results in lower risks of certain cancers and cardiovascular disease. There is accumulating evidence that these effects of fruit and vegetables attribute to antioxidants nutrients such as carotenoids, vitamins, and phenolic phytochemicals. Recent studies have shown that antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids may have a protective effect against diabetes...

We read with great interest a recent review by Sacks et al. (2011) and would like to add some comments to facilitating effects of particulate matter (PM) on pre existing respiratory diseases. First of all, the adverse effects of PM/diesel exhaust particles (DEP) on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patho physiology seem to be con­ troversial. Subjects with pulmonary emphy­ sema are e...

Nuclear factor B (NFB) activated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) attenuates the TNF-induced apoptosis pathway. Therefore, blockage of NFB should improve the anticancer activity of TNF. Luteolin, a naturally occurring polyphenol flavonoid, has been reported to sensitize colorectal cancer cells to TNF-induced apoptosis through suppression of NFB; however, the mechanisms of this effect have not bee...

Detailed comparative spectroscopic studies of Nd doped YAG nanocrystals, transparent ceramic and single crystal have been performed. Although most of the radiative spectral properties of Nd are almost in good agreement between the three hosts, the non-radiative losses are significantly high in nanocrystals, which are attributed due to the presence of large amount of hydroxyl groups on the nanoc...