Brans-Dicke Theory and primordial black holes in Early Matter-Dominated Era

We show that primordial black holes can be formed in the matter-dominated era with gravity described by the Brans-Dicke theory. Considering an early matter-dominated era between inflation and reheating, we found that the primordial black holes formed during that era evaporate at a quicker than those of early radiation-dominated era. Thus, in comparison with latter case, less number of primordial black holes could exist today. Again the constraints on primordial black hole formation tend towards the larger value than their radiation-dominated era counterparts indicating a significant enhancement in the formation of primordial black holes during the matter-dominaed era.Comment: 9 page

Proceedings of the 3rd Biennial Conference of the Society for Implementation Research Collaboration (SIRC) 2015: advancing efficient methodologies through community partnerships and team science

It is well documented that the majority of adults, children and families in need of evidence-based behavioral health interventionsi do not receive them [1, 2] and that few robust empirically supported methods for implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) exist. The Society for Implementation Research Collaboration (SIRC) represents a burgeoning effort to advance the innovation and rigor of implementation research and is uniquely focused on bringing together researchers and stakeholders committed to evaluating the implementation of complex evidence-based behavioral health interventions. Through its diverse activities and membership, SIRC aims to foster the promise of implementation research to better serve the behavioral health needs of the population by identifying rigorous, relevant, and efficient strategies that successfully transfer scientific evidence to clinical knowledge for use in real world settings [3]. SIRC began as a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded conference series in 2010 (previously titled the “Seattle Implementation Research Conference”; $150,000 USD for 3 conferences in 2011, 2013, and 2015) with the recognition that there were multiple researchers and stakeholdersi working in parallel on innovative implementation science projects in behavioral health, but that formal channels for communicating and collaborating with one another were relatively unavailable. There was a significant need for a forum within which implementation researchers and stakeholders could learn from one another, refine approaches to science and practice, and develop an implementation research agenda using common measures, methods, and research principles to improve both the frequency and quality with which behavioral health treatment implementation is evaluated. SIRC’s membership growth is a testament to this identified need with more than 1000 members from 2011 to the present.ii SIRC’s primary objectives are to: (1) foster communication and collaboration across diverse groups, including implementation researchers, intermediariesi, as well as community stakeholders (SIRC uses the term “EBP champions” for these groups) – and to do so across multiple career levels (e.g., students, early career faculty, established investigators); and (2) enhance and disseminate rigorous measures and methodologies for implementing EBPs and evaluating EBP implementation efforts. These objectives are well aligned with Glasgow and colleagues’ [4] five core tenets deemed critical for advancing implementation science: collaboration, efficiency and speed, rigor and relevance, improved capacity, and cumulative knowledge. SIRC advances these objectives and tenets through in-person conferences, which bring together multidisciplinary implementation researchers and those implementing evidence-based behavioral health interventions in the community to share their work and create professional connections and collaborations

Reduced surface toll-like receptor-4 expression and absent interferon-γ-inducible protein-10 induction in cystic fibrosis airway cells.

ABSTRACT As part of the innate and adaptive immune system, airway epithelial cells secrete proinflammatory cytokines after activation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) by pathogens. Nevertheless, cystic fibrosis (CF) airways are chronically infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, suggesting a modified immune response in CF. The authors have shown that in CF bronchial epithelial cells, a reduced surface expression of TLR-4 causes a diminished interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-6 response upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. However, there is no information regarding activation of the MyD88 (myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88)-independent TLR-4 signaling pathway by LPS, which results in the activation of adaptive immune responses by secretion of the T cell-recruiting chemokine interferon-γ-inducible protein (IP)-10. Therefore, the authors investigated the induction of IP-10 in CF bronchial epithelial cell line CFBE41o- and its CFTR-corrected isotype under well-differentiating conditions. TLR-4 surface expression was significantly reduced in CFBE41o- by a factor of 2, compared to the CFTR-corrected cells. In CFTR-corrected cells, stimulation with LPS increased IP-10 secretion. Incubating cells with siRNA directed against TLR-4 inhibited the LPS stimulated increase of IP-10 in CFTR-corrected cells. The reduced TLR-4 surface expression in CF cells causes the loss of induction of IP-10 by LPS. This could compromise adaptive immune responses in CF due to a reduced T-cell recruitment

Physiotherapy and bronchial mucus transport

Cough and expectoration of mucus are the best-known symptoms in patients with pulmonary disease, The most applied intervention for these symptoms is the use of chest physiotherapy to increase bronchial mucus transport and reduce retention of mucus in the airways, Chest physiotherapy interventions can be evaluated using different outcome variables, such as bronchial mucus transport measurement, measurement of the amount of expectorated mucus, pulmonary function, medication use, frequency of exacerbation and quality of life.Measurement of the transport rate of mucus in the airways using a radioactive tracer appears to be an appropriate outcome variable for short-term studies. Evaluation of chest physiotherapy only with pulmonary function tests appears to be inadequate in short-term studies. The popularity of using pulmonary function tests is probably based more on the availability of the instruments than on a theoretical basis related to the question of chest physiotherapy improving mucus transport. Quality of life and progression of the disease are not often used as outcome variables, but it may be worthwhile to use these in the future