2,917 research outputs found
Human spinal cord injury causes specific increases in surface expression of beta integrins on leukocytes
Spinal cord injury (SCI) activates circulating leukocytes that migrate into the injured cord and bystander organs using adhesion molecule-mediated mechanisms. These cells cause oxidative damage, resulting in secondary injury to the spinal cord, as well as injury to bystander organs. This study was designed to examine, over a 6-h to 2-week period, changes in adhesion molecule surface expression on human peripheral leukocytes after SCI (9 subjects), using as controls 10 uninjured subjects and 6 general trauma patients (trauma controls, TC). Both the percentage of cells expressing a given adhesion molecule and the average level of its expression was quantified for both circulating neutrophils and monocytes. The percentage of neutrophils and monocytes expressing the selectin CD62L was unchanged in TC and SCI patients after injury compared to uninjured subjects. Concurrently, the amount of surface CD62L on neutrophils was decreased in SCI and TC subjects, and on monocytes after SCI. The percentage of neutrophils expressing α4 decreased in TC, but not in SCI, subjects. Likewise, the percentage of neutrophils and monocytes expressing CD11d decreased markedly in TC subjects, but not after SCI. In contrast, the mean surface expression of α4 and CD11d by neutrophils and monocytes increased after SCI compared with uninjured and TC subjects. The percentage of cells and surface expression of CD11b were similar in neutrophils of all three groups, whereas CD11b surface expression increased after SCI in monocytes. In summary, unlike changes found after general trauma, the proinflammatory stimulation induced by SCI increases the surface expression of adhesion molecules on circulating neutrophils and monocytes before they infiltrate the injured spinal cord and multiple organs of patients. Integrins may be excellent targets for anti-inflammatory treatment after human SCI. © 2011, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc
Conformal Invariance, Dark Energy, and CMB Non-Gaussianity
In addition to simple scale invariance, a universe dominated by dark energy
naturally gives rise to correlation functions possessing full conformal
invariance. This is due to the mathematical isomorphism between the conformal
group of certain 3 dimensional slices of de Sitter space and the de Sitter
isometry group SO(4,1). In the standard homogeneous isotropic cosmological
model in which primordial density perturbations are generated during a long
vacuum energy dominated de Sitter phase, the embedding of flat spatial sections
in de Sitter space induces a conformal invariant perturbation spectrum and
definite prediction for the shape of the non-Gaussian CMB bispectrum. In the
case in which the density fluctuations are generated instead on the de Sitter
horizon, conformal invariance of the horizon embedding implies a different but
also quite definite prediction for the angular correlations of CMB
non-Gaussianity on the sky. Each of these forms for the bispectrum is intrinsic
to the symmetries of de Sitter space and in that sense, independent of specific
model assumptions. Each is different from the predictions of single field slow
roll inflation models which rely on the breaking of de Sitter invariance. We
propose a quantum origin for the CMB fluctuations in the scalar gravitational
sector from the conformal anomaly that could give rise to these
non-Gaussianities without a slow roll inflaton field, and argue that conformal
invariance also leads to the expectation for the relation n_S-1=n_T between the
spectral indices of the scalar and tensor power spectrum. Confirmation of this
prediction or detection of non-Gaussian correlations in the CMB of one of the
bispectral shape functions predicted by conformal invariance can be used both
to establish the physical origins of primordial density fluctuations and
distinguish between different dynamical models of cosmological vacuum dark
energy.Comment: 73 pages, 9 figures. Final Version published in JCAP. New Section 4
added on linearized scalar gravitational potentials; New Section 8 added on
gravitational wave tensor perturbations and relation of spectral indices n_T
= n_S -1; Table of Contents added; Eqs. (3.14) and (3.15) added to clarify
relationship of bispectrum plotted to CMB measurements; Some other minor
modification
Differentiation of constrictive pericarditis from restrictive cardiomyopathy by Doppler transesophageal echocardiographic measurements of respiratory variations in pulmonary venous flow
AbstractObjectives. The purpose of this study was to test the utility of measuring respiratory variation in pulmonary venous flow by transesophageal echocardiography.Background. Respiratory variation of atrioventricular and central venous flow velocities by Doppler echocardiography has been used to differentiate constrictive pericarditis from restrictive cardiomyopathy.Methods. We performed pulsed wave Doppler transesophageal echocardiography of the left or right pulmonary veins in 31 patients with diastolic dysfunction. Fourteen patients had constrictive pericarditis, and 17 had restrictive cardiomyopathy. We measured the pulmonary venous peak systolic and diastolic flow velocities and the systolic/diastolic flow ratio with transesophageal echocardiography during expiration and inspiration. The percent change in Doppler flow velocity from expiration to inspiration (%E) was calculated.Results. Pulmonary venous peak systolic flow in both inspiration and expiration was greater in constrictive pericarditis than in restrictive cardiomyopathy. The %E for peak systolic flow tended to be higher in constrictive pericarditis (19% vs. 10%, p = 0.09). In contrast, pulmonary venous peak diastolic flow during inspiration was lower in constrictive pericarditis than in restrictive cardiomyopathy. The %E for peak diastolic flow was larger in constrictive pericarditis (29% vs. 16%, p = 0.008). The pulmonary venous systolic/diastolic flow ratio was greater in constrictive pericarditis in both inspiration and expiration. The combination of pulmonary venous systolic/diastolic flow ratio ≥0.65 in inspiration and a %E for peak diastolic flow ≥40% correctly classified 86% of patients with constrictive pericarditis.Conclusions. The relatively larger pulmonary venous systolic/ diastolic flow ratio and greater respiratory variation in pulmonary venous systolic, and especially diastolic, flow velocities by transesophageal echocardiography can be useful signs in distinguishing constrictive pericarditis from restrictive cardiomyopathy
Positive psychology of Malaysian students: impacts of engagement, motivation, self-compassion and wellbeing on mental health
Malaysia plays a key role in education of the Asia Pacific, expanding its scholarly output rapidly. However, mental health of Malaysian students is challenging, and their help-seeking is low because of stigma. This study explored the relationships between mental health and positive psychological constructs (academic engagement, motivation, self-compassion, and wellbeing), and evaluated the relative contribution of each positive psychological construct to mental health in Malaysian students. An opportunity sample of 153 students completed the measures regarding these constructs. Correlation, regression, and mediation analyses were conducted. Engagement, amotivation, self-compassion, and wellbeing were associated with, and predicted large variance in mental health. Self-compassion was the strongest independent predictor of mental health among all the positive psychological constructs. Findings can imply the strong links between mental health and positive psychology, especially selfcompassion. Moreover, intervention studies to examine the effects of self-compassion training on mental health of Malaysian students appear to be warranted.N/
Artificial drainage of peatlands: hydrological and hydrochemical process and wetland restoration
Peatlands have been subject to artificial drainage for centuries. This drainage has been in response to agricultural demand, forestry, horticultural and energy properties of peat and alleviation of flood risk. However, the are several environmental problems associated with drainage of peatlands. This paper describes the nature of these problems and examines the evidence for changes in hydrological and hydrochemical processes associated with these changes. Traditional black-box water balance approaches demonstrate little about wetland dynamics and therefore the science of catchment response to peat drainage is poorly understood. It is crucial that a more process-based approach be adopted within peatland ecosystems. The environmental problems associated with peat drainage have led, in part, to a recent reversal in attitudes to peatlands and we have seen a move towards wetland restoration. However, a detailed understanding of hydrological, hydrochemical and ecological process-interactions will be fundamental if we are to adequately restore degraded peatlands, preserve those that are still intact and understand the impacts of such management actions at the catchment scale
A mathematical model of seropositivity to malaria antigen, allowing seropositivity to be prolonged by exposure
Evidence for Quark-Hadron Duality in the Proton Spin Asymmetry
Spin-dependent lepton-nucleon scattering data have been used to investigate
the validity of the concept of quark-hadron duality for the spin asymmetry
. Longitudinally polarised positrons were scattered off a longitudinally
polarised hydrogen target for values of between 1.2 and 12 GeV and
values of between 1 and 4 GeV. The average double-spin asymmetry in
the nucleon resonance region is found to agree with that measured in
deep-inelastic scattering at the same values of the Bjorken scaling variable
. This finding implies that the description of in terms of quark
degrees of freedom is valid also in the nucleon resonance region for values of
above 1.6 GeV.Comment: 5 pages, 1 eps figure, table added, new references added, in print in
Phys. Rev. Let
Dirac's Observables for the Rest-Frame Instant Form of Tetrad Gravity in a Completely Fixed 3-Orthogonal Gauge
We define the {\it rest-frame instant form} of tetrad gravity restricted to
Christodoulou-Klainermann spacetimes. After a study of the Hamiltonian group of
gauge transformations generated by the 14 first class constraints of the
theory, we define and solve the multitemporal equations associated with the
rotation and space diffeomorphism constraints, finding how the cotriads and
their momenta depend on the corresponding gauge variables. This allows to find
quasi-Shanmugadhasan canonical transformation to the class of 3-orthogonal
gauges and to find the Dirac observables for superspace in these gauges.
The construction of the explicit form of the transformation and of the
solution of the rotation and supermomentum constraints is reduced to solve a
system of elliptic linear and quasi-linear partial differential equations. We
then show that the superhamiltonian constraint becomes the Lichnerowicz
equation for the conformal factor of the 3-metric and that the last gauge
variable is the momentum conjugated to the conformal factor. The gauge
transformations generated by the superhamiltonian constraint perform the
transitions among the allowed foliations of spacetime, so that the theory is
independent from its 3+1 splittings. In the special 3-orthogonal gauge defined
by the vanishing of the conformal factor momentum we determine the final Dirac
observables for the gravitational field even if we are not able to solve the
Lichnerowicz equation. The final Hamiltonian is the weak ADM energy restricted
to this completely fixed gauge.Comment: RevTeX file, 141 page
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Establishment of Normal Gut Microbiota Is Compromised under Excessive Hygiene Conditions
Background: Early gut colonization events are purported to have a major impact on the incidence of infectious,
inflammatory and autoimmune diseases in later life. Hence, factors which influence this process may have important
implications for both human and animal health. Previously, we demonstrated strong influences of early-life environment on
gut microbiota composition in adult pigs. Here, we sought to further investigate the impact of limiting microbial exposure
during early life on the development of the pig gut microbiota.
Methodology/Principal Findings: Outdoor- and indoor-reared animals, exposed to the microbiota in their natural rearing
environment for the first two days of life, were transferred to an isolator facility and adult gut microbial diversity was
analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. From a total of 2,196 high-quality 16S rRNA gene sequences, 440 phylotypes were
identified in the outdoor group and 431 phylotypes in the indoor group. The majority of clones were assigned to the four
phyla Firmicutes (67.5% of all sequences), Proteobacteria (17.7%), Bacteroidetes (13.5%) and to a lesser extent,
Actinobacteria (0.1%). Although the initial maternal and environmental microbial inoculum of isolator-reared animals was
identical to that of their naturally-reared littermates, the microbial succession and stabilization events reported previously in
naturally-reared outdoor animals did not occur. In contrast, the gut microbiota of isolator-reared animals remained highly
diverse containing a large number of distinct phylotypes.
Conclusions/Significance: The results documented here indicate that establishment and development of the normal gut
microbiota requires continuous microbial exposure during the early stages of life and this process is compromised under
conditions of excessive hygiene
Cellular Radiosensitivity: How much better do we understand it?
Purpose: Ionizing radiation exposure gives rise to a variety of lesions in DNA that result in genetic instability and potentially tumorigenesis or cell death. Radiation extends its effects on DNA by direct interaction or by radiolysis of H2O that generates free radicals or aqueous electrons capable of interacting with and causing indirect damage to DNA. While the various lesions arising in DNA after radiation exposure can contribute to the mutagenising effects of this agent, the potentially most damaging lesion is the DNA double strand break (DSB) that contributes to genome instability and/or cell death. Thus in many cases failure to recognise and/or repair this lesion determines the radiosensitivity status of the cell. DNA repair mechanisms including homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) have evolved to protect cells against DNA DSB. Mutations in proteins that constitute these repair pathways are characterised by radiosensitivity and genome instability. Defects in a number of these proteins also give rise to genetic disorders that feature not only genetic instability but also immunodeficiency, cancer predisposition, neurodegeneration and other pathologies.
Conclusions: In the past fifty years our understanding of the cellular response to radiation damage has advanced enormously with insight being gained from a wide range of approaches extending from more basic early studies to the sophisticated approaches used today. In this review we discuss our current understanding of the impact of radiation on the cell and the organism gained from the array of past and present studies and attempt to provide an explanation for what it is that determines the response to radiation
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