The innate immune response to viral pathogens is critical in order to mobilize protective immunity. Cells of the innate immune system detect viral infection largely through germline-encoded pattern ...recognition receptors (PRRs) present either on the cell surface or within distinct intracellular compartments. These include the Toll-like receptors (TLRs), the retinoic acid-inducble gene I-like receptors (RLRs), the nucleotide oligomerization domain-like receptors (NLRs, also called NACHT, LRR and PYD domain proteins) and cytosolic DNA sensors. While in certain cases viral proteins are the trigger of these receptors, the predominant viral activators are nucleic acids. The presence of viral sensing PRRs in multiple cellular compartments allows innate cells to recognize and quickly respond to a broad range of viruses, which replicate in different cellular compartments. Here, we review the role of PRRs and associated signaling pathways in detecting viral pathogens in order to evoke production of interferons and cytokines. By highlighting recent progress in these areas, we hope to convey a greater understanding of how viruses activate PRR signaling and how this interaction shapes the anti-viral immune response.
Myasthenia gravis and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome are antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases of the neuromuscular junction that usually present with weakness in ocular muscles and in proximal ...muscles of the limb and trunk. Prognosis regarding muscle strength, functional abilities, quality of life, and survival is generally good. However, some patients do not respond to treatment. Symptomatic drugs, corticosteroids, and steroid-sparing immunosuppressive drugs remain the cornerstone of treatment. In the past few years, new biological agents against complement, the FcRn receptor, or B-cell antigens have been tested in clinical trials. These new therapies extend the possibilities for targeted immunotherapies and promise exciting new options with a relatively rapid mode of action. Challenges in their use might occur, with barriers due to an increase in cost of care and additional considerations in the choice of drugs, and potential consequences of infection and vaccination due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To determine the incidence and mortality rates and predictors of death in myasthenia gravis (MG) and MG crisis in a large US cohort.
Our cohort was identified from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample ...database for the years 2000 through 2005 using ICD-9-CM codes. MG crisis was identified by the principal diagnosis code or by the presence of respiratory failure. The incidence of MG was stratified by age, ethnicity, and gender. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of mortality in MG. For trend analyses of immune intervention, we used the Cochrane-Armitage test.
After data cleansing, 5,502 patients with MG were included. In women, the incidence of admission was two to three times higher during the first 5 decades. In men, the incidence of admission was higher during the sixth, seventh, and eighth decades. The annual incidence rate of MG was higher in black women (0.01 per 1,000 persons/year) compared to white women and white and black men (0.009, 0.008, and 0.007 per 1,000 persons/year). The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 2.2%, being higher in MG crisis (4.47%). Older age and respiratory failure were the predictors of death, with adjusted odds ratios of 9.28 (95% confidence interval CI, 3.31, 26.0) and 3.58 (95% CI, 2.01, 6.38). The trend of i.v. immunoglobulin utilization has increased compared to plasma exchange and thymectomy (p < 0.0001).
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is still a disease of young women and old men, as reflected by the hospital admission rates. In-hospital mortality of MG is low. Hospital utilization of i.v. immunoglobulin has significantly increased compared to plasma exchange and thymectomy.
The Sauter-Schwinger process of electron-positron pair creation from the vacuum, driven by a sequence of time-dependent electric-field pulses, is studied in the framework of the quantum-field ...theoretical approach. As demonstrated by our numerical results, the momentum distributions of produced pairs exhibit intra- and interpulse interference structures. We show that such structures can be observed beyond the regime of applicability of the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin theory, which was the focus of earlier investigations. Going beyond these developments, we perform the analysis of the time-evolution operator for an arbitrary eigenmode of the fermionic field. This shows that a perfect coherent enhancement of the interpulse peaks can never be reached. A nearly perfect coherence, on the other hand, is due to nonadiabatic transitions at avoided crossings of the phases defining the unitary time evolution. This analysis allows us to determine the conditions under which the nearly perfect coherence is lost.
Understanding the surface O3 response over a “receptor” region to emission changes over a foreign “source” region is key to evaluating the potential gains from an international approach to abate ...ozone (O3) pollution. We apply an ensemble of 21 global and hemispheric chemical transport models to estimate the spatial average surface O3 response over east Asia (EA), Europe (EU), North America (NA), and south Asia (SA) to 20% decreases in anthropogenic emissions of the O3 precursors, NOx, NMVOC, and CO (individually and combined), from each of these regions. We find that the ensemble mean surface O3 concentrations in the base case (year 2001) simulation matches available observations throughout the year over EU but overestimates them by >10 ppb during summer and early fall over the eastern United States and Japan. The sum of the O3 responses to NOx, CO, and NMVOC decreases separately is approximately equal to that from a simultaneous reduction of all precursors. We define a continental‐scale “import sensitivity” as the ratio of the O3 response to the 20% reductions in foreign versus “domestic” (i.e., over the source region itself) emissions. For example, the combined reduction of emissions from the three foreign regions produces an ensemble spatial mean decrease of 0.6 ppb over EU (0.4 ppb from NA), less than the 0.8 ppb from the reduction of EU emissions, leading to an import sensitivity ratio of 0.7. The ensemble mean surface O3 response to foreign emissions is largest in spring and late fall (0.7–0.9 ppb decrease in all regions from the combined precursor reductions in the three foreign regions), with import sensitivities ranging from 0.5 to 1.1 (responses to domestic emission reductions are 0.8–1.6 ppb). High O3 values are much more sensitive to domestic emissions than to foreign emissions, as indicated by lower import sensitivities of 0.2 to 0.3 during July in EA, EU, and NA when O3 levels are typically highest and by the weaker relative response of annual incidences of daily maximum 8‐h average O3 above 60 ppb to emission reductions in a foreign region (<10–20% of that to domestic) as compared to the annual mean response (up to 50% of that to domestic). Applying the ensemble annual mean results to changes in anthropogenic emissions from 1996 to 2002, we estimate a Northern Hemispheric increase in background surface O3 of about 0.1 ppb a−1, at the low end of the 0.1–0.5 ppb a−1 derived from observations. From an additional simulation in which global atmospheric methane was reduced, we infer that 20% reductions in anthropogenic methane emissions from a foreign source region would yield an O3 response in a receptor region that roughly equals that produced by combined 20% reductions of anthropogenic NOx, NMVOC, and CO emissions from the foreign source region.
Production of electron-positron pairs in the collision of a high-energy photon with a high-intensity few-cycle laser pulse is studied. By utilizing the frameworks of laser-dressed spinor and scalar ...quantum electrodynamics, a comparison between the production of pairs of Dirac and Klein-Gordon particles is drawn. Positron energy spectra and angular distributions are presented for various laser parameters. We identify conditions under which predictions from Klein-Gordon theory either closely resemble or largely differ from those of the proper Dirac theory. In particular, we address the question to which extent the relevance of spin effects is influenced by the short duration of the laser pulse.
Hypothetical low-mass particles, such as axions, provide a compelling explanation for the dark matter in the universe. Such particles are expected to emerge abundantly from the hot interior of stars. ...To test this prediction, the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) uses a 9 T refurbished Large Hadron Collider test magnet directed towards the Sun. In the strong magnetic field, solar axions can be converted to X-ray photons which can be recorded by X-ray detectors. In the 2013-2015 run, thanks to low-background detectors and a new X-ray telescope, the signal-to-noise ratio was increased by about a factor of three. Here, we report the best limit on the axion-photon coupling strength (0.66 × 10-10 GeV-1 at 95% confidence level) set by CAST, which now reaches similar levels to the most restrictive astrophysical bounds.
Dollar spot is one of the most common diseases of golf course turfgrass and numerous fungicide applications are often required to provide adequate control. Weather-based disease warning systems have ...been developed to more accurately time fungicide applications; however, they tend to be ineffective and are not currently in widespread use. The primary objective of this research was to develop a new weather-based disease warning system to more accurately advise fungicide applications to control dollar spot activity across a broad geographic and climactic range. The new dollar spot warning system was developed from data collected at field sites in Madison, WI and Stillwater, OK in 2008 and warning system validation sites were established in Madison, WI, Stillwater, OK, Knoxville, TN, State College, PA, Starkville, MS, and Storrs, CT between 2011 and 2016. A meta-analysis of all site-years was conducted and the most effective warning system for dollar spot development consisted of a five-day moving average of relative humidity and average daily temperature. Using this model the highest effective probability that provided dollar spot control similar to that of a calendar-based program across the numerous sites and years was 20%. Additional analysis found that the 20% spray threshold provided comparable control to the calendar-based program while reducing fungicide usage by up to 30%, though further refinement may be needed as practitioners implement this warning system in a range of environments not tested here. The weather-based dollar spot warning system presented here will likely become an important tool for implementing precision disease management strategies for future turfgrass managers, especially as financial and regulatory pressures increase the need to reduce pesticide usage on golf course turfgrass.
Chronic, high-dose, oral prednisone has been the mainstay of myasthenia gravis treatment for decades and has proven to be highly beneficial in many, toxic in some way to all, and not effective in a ...significant minority. No patient characteristics or biomarkers are predictive of treatment response leading to many patients suffering adverse effects with no benefit. Presently, measurements of treatment response, whether taken from clinician or patient perspective, are appreciated to be limited by lack of good correlation, which then complicates correlation to biological measures. Treatment response may be limited because disease mechanisms are not influenced by corticosteroids, limits on dosage because of adverse effects, or individual differences in corticosteroids. This review evaluates potential mechanisms that underlie lack of response to glucocorticoids in patients with myasthenia gravis.
This study estimates current and projects future neurologist supply and demand under alternative scenarios nationally and by state from 2012 through 2025.
A microsimulation supply model simulates ...likely career choices of individual neurologists, taking into account the number of new neurologists trained each year and changing demographics of the neurology workforce. A microsimulation demand model simulates utilization of neurology services for each individual in a representative sample of the population in each state and for the United States as a whole. Demand projections reflect increased prevalence of neurologic conditions associated with population growth and aging, and expanded coverage under health care reform.
The estimated active supply of 16,366 neurologists in 2012 is projected to increase to 18,060 by 2025. Long wait times for patients to see a neurologist, difficulty hiring new neurologists, and large numbers of neurologists who do not accept new Medicaid patients are consistent with a current national shortfall of neurologists. Demand for neurologists is projected to increase from ∼18,180 in 2012 (11% shortfall) to 21,440 by 2025 (19% shortfall). This includes an increased demand of 520 full-time equivalent neurologists starting in 2014 from expanded medical insurance coverage associated with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
In the absence of efforts to increase the number of neurology professionals and retain the existing workforce, current national and geographic shortfalls of neurologists are likely to worsen, exacerbating long wait times and reducing access to care for Medicaid beneficiaries. Current geographic differences in adequacy of supply likely will persist into the future.
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