The profile of brain structural abnormalities in schizophrenia is still not fully understood, despite decades of research using brain scans. To validate a prospective meta-analysis approach to ...analyzing multicenter neuroimaging data, we analyzed brain MRI scans from 2028 schizophrenia patients and 2540 healthy controls, assessed with standardized methods at 15 centers worldwide. We identified subcortical brain volumes that differentiated patients from controls, and ranked them according to their effect sizes. Compared with healthy controls, patients with schizophrenia had smaller hippocampus (Cohen's d=-0.46), amygdala (d=-0.31), thalamus (d=-0.31), accumbens (d=-0.25) and intracranial volumes (d=-0.12), as well as larger pallidum (d=0.21) and lateral ventricle volumes (d=0.37). Putamen and pallidum volume augmentations were positively associated with duration of illness and hippocampal deficits scaled with the proportion of unmedicated patients. Worldwide cooperative analyses of brain imaging data support a profile of subcortical abnormalities in schizophrenia, which is consistent with that based on traditional meta-analytic approaches. This first ENIGMA Schizophrenia Working Group study validates that collaborative data analyses can readily be used across brain phenotypes and disorders and encourages analysis and data sharing efforts to further our understanding of severe mental illness.
This study evaluated the influence of temperature on the immune responses and hematological parameters in channel catfish
Ictalurus punctatus immunized via intraperitoneal injection with live ...theronts of
Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. Fish were distributed in 18 aquaria and received 9 treatments: 4 groups of fish were vaccinated with live theronts and maintained at constant temperature 15 °C, 20 °C, 25 °C and 30 °C; 3 groups of fish vaccinated and subjected to cycling temperature regime from 15–25 °C, 20–25 °C and 20–30 °C, changed 5 °C each day; 2 groups of fish were not vaccinated and served as controls at 25 °C, one with Ich challenge and the other without challenge. Non vaccinated fish and those vaccinated at 15 °C or 15–25 °C did not show anti-Ich antibodies in the serum 14 and 21 days post-immunization. The antibody levels were significantly higher from fish vaccinated at 25 °C, 30 °C, 20–25 °C and 20–30 °C compared to fish at 15 °C, 20 °C and 15–25 °C both 14 and 21 days post-immunization. At constant water temperature, fish vaccinated at 15 °C showed significantly higher mortality rate (67.8%,
P < 0.05) than those vaccinated at 20 °C, 25 °C, and 30 °C (0–10.7% mortalities). At cycling water temperature, fish vaccinated at 15–25 °C showed significantly higher mortality rate (67.8%) than those vaccinated at 20–25 °C and 20–30 °C (
P < 0.05). Twenty days after immunization fish vaccinated at 30 °C and 20–30 °C showed significant increase in the red blood cells, white blood cells, thrombocytes and monocytes. Six days after challenge with
I. multifiliis theronts the fish showed decreased white blood cells, thrombocytes and monocytes. This study suggests that vaccinated catfish were severely impacted by low temperature, either at 15 °C constant temperature or at 15–25 °C cycling temperature. The fish showed no anti-Ich antibodies and suffered high mortality similar to non vaccinated control fish.
► Water temperature affects fish immunity and physiology. ► Immunization has shown protection against
I. multifiliis. ► Ich vaccinated catfish were impacted by low water temperature (15 °C or cycling temperature 15–25 °C) and were not protected. ► Catfish developed a strong antibody response at water temperature ≥25 °C and were protected. ► The immunized fish showed increases in blood cell values.
Gravitational-wave astronomy started in earnest in 2015 with the first observation of waves from a binary black hole merger by NSF's LIGO detectors. Since that time, the signals from many colliding ...compact objects have been observed with LIGO and Virgo, giving insights into the demographics of stellar black holes, the nature of neutron stars and the products of their coalescence. Detailed studies of the signals are in agreement with the predictions of General Relativity. The instruments which enabled these measurements are of extraordinary sensitivity, and the treatment of the data to enable the observational science requires a deep understanding of the instruments and best practices for analysis. The field is rich with future opportunities to participate in this broad swath of science.
Streptococcus iniae and Gyrodactylus niloticus are two common pathogens of cultured Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. We studied concurrent infection of tilapia by G. niloticus and S. iniae and ...evaluated whether parasitism in tilapia with Gyrodactylus increased susceptibility and mortality following immersion infection with S. iniae. Results showed that death mainly occurred in fish with G. niloticus and challenged with S. iniae (G-S group). The accumulative mortality (42.2%) was significantly higher in the G-S group than in fish not infected by the parasite (6.7%), but exposed to S. iniae. Bacteriological examination revealed S. iniae from >=92% of dead or moribund fish challenged with S. iniae. Gyrodactylus not only damaged fish epithelium and provided entry for invasive bacteria but also was found to harbour viable cells of S. iniae for 24 and 72 h. Streptococcus iniae was isolated from 60% and 40% of G. niloticus collected from fish infected by intraperitoneal injection or immersion, respectively, at 24 h post-challenge. The present study confirms that parasitism of tilapia by G. niloticus increased host mortality following exposure to the bacterial pathogen S. iniae.
Summary
The objective of this study was to evaluate differential expression of innate and adaptive immune genes, including immunoglobulin, immune cell receptor, cytokine, inflammatory protein, ...toll‐like receptors (TLR) and recombination‐activating gene (RAG) in skin from channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus after immunization with live theronts of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (Ich) by intraperitoneal injection. The immunized catfish showed significantly higher survival rate (95%) than those of mock‐immunized control fish (0% survival) after the theront challenge. The gene expression of innate immune system, such as cytokines (IL‐1β type a, IL‐1β type b, IFN‐γ, TGF1‐β and TNF‐α) and inflammatory proteins (NF‐kB and iNOS 2), showed significant upregulation at day 1 (D1) post‐immunization. Expression of TLR genes exhibited a rapid increase from hour 4 (h4) to D10 post‐immunization. Genes of the adaptive response, such as the cell receptor MHC I, CD8+, CD4+ and TCR‐α, showed upregulation at D1, D6 and D10. The TCR‐β expression increased rapidly at h4 and remained upregulated until D10. Immunoglobulin IgM upregulation was detected from h4 until D2 while IgD expression was increased from D1 until D10. Rapid upregulation of innate and adaptive immune genes in skin of catfish following live theront vaccination was demonstrated in this study ultimately resulting in significant protection against Ich infection.
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