Beryllium exposure results in beryllium hypersensitivity in a subset of exposed individuals, leading to granulomatous inflammation and fibrosis in the lung. In addition to its antigenic properties, ...beryllium has potent adjuvant activity that contributes to sensitization via unknown pathways. Here we show that beryllium induces cellular death and release of interleukin (IL)-1α and DNA into the lung. Release of IL-1α was inflammasome independent and required for beryllium-induced neutrophil recruitment into the lung. Beryllium enhanced classical dendritic cell (cDC) migration from the lung to draining lymph nodes (LNs) in an IL-1R-independent manner, and the accumulation of activated cDCs in the LN was associated with increased priming of CD4(+) T cells. DC migration was reduced in Toll-like receptor 9 knockout (TLR9KO) mice; however, cDCs in the LNs of TLR9-deficient mice were highly activated, suggesting a role for more than one innate receptor in the effects on DCs. The adjuvant effects of beryllium on CD4(+) T-cell priming were similar in wild-type, IL-1R-, caspase-1-, TLR2-, TLR4-, TLR7-, and TLR9-deficient mice. In contrast, DC migration, activation, and the adjuvant effects of beryllium were significantly reduced in myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 knockout (MyD88KO) mice. Collectively, these data suggest that beryllium exposure results in the release of damage-associated molecular patterns that engage MyD88-dependent receptors to enhance pulmonary DC function.
The Parkes multibeam pulsar survey has led to the discovery of more than 700 pulsars. In this paper, we provide timing solutions, flux densities and pulse profiles for 180 of these new discoveries. ...Two pulsars, PSRs J1736−2843 and J1847−0130, have rotational periods P > 6 s and are therefore among the slowest rotating radio pulsars known. Conversely, with P= 1.8 ms, PSR J1843−1113 has the third-shortest period of pulsars currently known. This pulsar and PSR J1905+0400 (P= 3.8 ms) are both solitary. We also provide orbital parameters for a new binary system, PSR J1420−5625, which has P= 34 ms, an orbital period of 40 d and a minimum companion mass of 0.4 solar masses. The 10°-wide strip along the Galactic plane that was surveyed is known to contain 264 radio pulsars that were discovered prior to the multibeam pulsar survey. We have redetected almost all of these pulsars and provide new dispersion measure values and flux densities at 20 cm for the redetected pulsars.
Abstract Experimenter-delivered alcohol decreases adult hippocampal neurogenesis and hippocampal-dependent learning and memory. The present study used clinically relevant rodent models of ...nondependent limited access alcohol self-administration and excessive drinking during alcohol dependence (alcohol self-administration followed by intermittent exposure to alcohol vapors over several weeks) to compare alcohol-induced effects on cortical gliogenesis and hippocampal neurogenesis. Alcohol dependence, but not nondependent drinking, reduced proliferation and survival in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Apoptosis was reduced in both alcohol groups within the mPFC, which may reflect an initiation of a reparative environment following alcohol exposure as decreased proliferation was abolished after prolonged dependence. Reduced proliferation, differentiation, and neurogenesis were observed in the hippocampus of both alcohol groups, and prolonged dependence worsened the effects. Increased hippocampal apoptosis and neuronal degeneration following alcohol exposure suggest a loss in neuronal turnover and indicate that the hippocampal neurogenic niche is highly vulnerable to alcohol.
The liver plays a central role in metabolism and produces important hormones. Hepatic estrogen receptors and the release of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) are critical links between liver ...function and the reproductive system. However, the role of liver in pubertal development is not fully understood. To explore this question, we applied transcriptomic analyses to liver samples of pre- and post-pubertal Brahman heifers and identified differentially expressed (DE) genes and genes encoding transcription factors (TFs). Differential expression of genes suggests potential biological mechanisms and pathways linking liver function to puberty. The analyses identified 452 DE genes and 82 TF with significant contribution to differential gene expression by using a regulatory impact factor metric. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor was observed as the most down-regulated gene (
= 0.003) in post-pubertal heifers and we propose this gene influences pubertal development in Brahman heifers. Additionally, co-expression network analysis provided evidence for three TF as key regulators of liver function during pubertal development: the signal transducer and activator of transcription 6, PBX homeobox 2, and polybromo 1. Pathway enrichment analysis identified transforming growth factor-beta and Wnt signaling pathways as significant annotation terms for the list of DE genes and TF in the co-expression network. Molecular information regarding genes and pathways described in this work are important to further our understanding of puberty onset in Brahman heifers.
APOE has been demonstrated to influence traumatic brain injury (TBI) outcome. The relationship between APOE genotype and memory following TBI was examined in 110 participants in the Defense and ...Veterans' Head Injury Program. Memory performance was worse in those who had an APOE epsilon 4 allele (n = 30) than those who did not (n = 80), whereas genotype groups did not differ on demographic or injury variables or on measures of executive functioning. These data support a specific role for the APOE protein in memory outcome following TBI, and suggest an APOE isoform-specific effect on neuronal repair processes.
Objectives: The present study takes a culture-centered approach to better understand how the experiences of culture affect patient’s perception of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study explores ...personal models of T2DM and compares personal models across regional and race/ethnicity differences. Methods: In a practice-based research network, a cross-sectional survey was distributed to patients diagnosed with T2DM at medical centers in Nevada and Georgia. In analyses of covariance, controlling for age, health literacy, and patient activation, geographic location, and race/ethnicity were tested onto 5 dimensions of illness representation. Results: Among 685 patients, race/ethnicity was significantly associated with lower reported understanding diabetes (P < .01) and less perceived longevity of diabetes (P < .001). Geographic location was significantly associated with seriousness of the disease (P < .005) and impact of diabetes (P < .001). Conclusion: Non-Hispanic White Americans report greater understanding and perceive a longer disease course than non-Hispanic Black Americans and Asian Americans. Regionally, patients in Nevada perceive T2DM as more serious and having more impact on their lives than patients living in Georgia. Primary care physicians should elicit patient perceptions of diabetes within the context of the patient’s ethnic and geographic culture group to improve discussions about diabetes self-management. Specifically, primary care physicians should address the seriousness of a diabetes diagnosis and the chronic nature of the disease with patients who belong to communities with a higher prevalence of the disease.
The Parkes multi-beam pulsar survey is a sensitive survey of a strip along the Galactic plane with and to . It uses a 13-beam receiver on the 64-m Parkes radio telescope, receiving two polarizations ...per beam over a 288-MHz bandwidth centred on 1374 MHz. The receiver and data acquisition systems are described in some detail. For pulsar periods in the range and dispersion measures of less than 300 cm−3 pc, the nominal limiting flux density of the survey is about 0.2 mJy. At shorter or longer periods or higher dispersions, the sensitivity is reduced. Timing observations are carried out for pulsars discovered in the survey for months after confirmation to obtain accurate positions, spin parameters, dispersion measures, pulse shapes and mean flux densities. The survey is proving to be extremely successful, with more than 600 pulsars discovered so far. We expect that, when complete, this one survey will come close to finding as many pulsars as all previous pulsar surveys put together. The newly discovered pulsars tend to be young, distant and of high radio luminosity. They will form a valuable sample for studies of pulsar emission properties, the Galactic distribution and evolution of pulsars, and as probes of interstellar medium properties. This paper reports the timing and pulse shape parameters for the first 100 pulsars timed at Parkes, including three pulsars with periods of less than 100 ms which are members of binary systems. These results are briefly compared with the parameters of the previously known population.
Sixteen pulsars have been discovered so far in blind searches of photons collected with the Large Area Telescope on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. We here report the discovery of radio ...pulsations from two of them. PSR J1741-2054, with period P = 413 ms, was detected in archival Parkes telescope data and subsequently has been detected at the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). Its received flux varies greatly due to interstellar scintillation and it has a very small dispersion measure of DM = 4.7 pc cm-3, implying a distance of 0.4 kpc and possibly the smallest luminosity of any known radio pulsar. At this distance, for isotropic emission, its gamma-ray luminosity above 0.1 GeV corresponds to 28% of the spin-down luminosity of erg s-1. The gamma-ray profile occupies 1/3 of pulse phase and has three closely spaced peaks with the first peak lagging the radio pulse by Delta *d = 0.29 P. We have also identified a soft Swift source that is the likely X-ray counterpart. In many respects PSR J1741-2054 resembles the Geminga pulsar. The second source, PSR J2032+4127, was detected at the GBT. It has P = 143 ms, and its DM = 115 pc cm-3 suggests a distance of 3.6 kpc, but we consider it likely that it is located within the Cyg OB2 stellar association at half that distance. The radio emission is nearly 100% linearly polarized, and the main radio peak precedes by Delta *d = 0.15 P the first of two narrow gamma-ray peaks that are separated by Delta *D = 0.50 P. The second peak has a harder spectrum than the first one, following a trend observed in young gamma-ray pulsars. Faint, diffuse X-ray emission in a Chandra image is possibly its pulsar wind nebula. The wind of PSR J2032+4127 is responsible for the formerly unidentified HEGRA source TeV J2032+4130. PSR J2032+4127 is coincident in projection with MT91 213, a Be star in Cyg OB2, although apparently not a binary companion of it.
Accessible summary
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Despite the long‐standing popularity of creative activity groups with mental health patients, there has been a lack of measurement evidencing a positive relationship between ...participation in such groups and improved mental health.
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This study used de‐identified hospital records covering the period 2004–2009 to chart measured mental health outcomes for 403 patients attending a creative activity group in an acute inpatient psychiatric setting.
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Four different clinical assessment tools were used to measure changes in mental health from admission to discharge for participants of the creative activity group.
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Research findings establish that participation in creative activity positively correlates with improved mental health.
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In the context of this research project, the term ‘creative activity’ includes participation in art, craft or expressive art‐based activity.
Responding to a call for quantitative outcome evidence about the therapeutic relationship between creative activity and mental health, this study examined the mental health outcomes of inpatients participating in art‐ and craft‐based creative therapies at a private psychiatric hospital over a 5‐year period. The creative activity group sample (n= 403) improved from admission to discharge across four different psychometric measures with moderate to strong mean effect sizes. Reductions from pre‐ to post‐treatment in both self‐reported and clinician‐rated symptoms are clearly demonstrated for the creative activity group participant sample. Research findings establish that participation in creative activity has potential benefits for people experiencing mental health problems.
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