The Nearby QSO Host I Zw 1: NIR Probing of Structural Properties and Stellar Populations

The likely merger process and the properties of the stellar populations in the I Zw 1 host galaxy are analyzed on the basis of multi-wavelength observations (with the ISAAC camera at the Very Large Telescope (VLT/UT1) of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), Chile (Paranal), with the interferometer of the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association (BIMA), USA (Hat Creek/California), and with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI), France) and N-body simulations. The data give a consistent picture of I Zw 1, with properties between those of ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) and QSOs as displayed by transition objects in the evolutionary sequence of active galaxies.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to be published in "The Dense Interstellar Medium in Galaxies", proceedings of the 4th Cologne-Bonn-Zermatt-Symposium held September 22-26, 2003, in Zermatt, Switzerlan

Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies

At luminosities above ~10^{11} L_sun, infrared galaxies become the dominant population of extragalactic objects in the local Universe (z < 0.5), being more numerous than optically selected starburst and Seyfert galaxies, and QSOs at comparable bolometric luminosity. At the highest luminosities, ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIGs: L_ir > 10^{12} L_sun), outnumber optically selected QSOs by a factor of ~1.5-2. All of the nearest ULIGs (z < 0.1) appear to be advanced mergers that are powered by both a circumnuclear starburst and AGN, both of which are fueled by an enormous concentration of molecular gas (~10^{10} M_sun) that has been funneled into the merger nucleus. ULIGs may represent a primary stage in the formation of massive black holes and elliptical galaxy cores. The intense circumnuclear starburst that accompanies the ULIG phase may also represent a primary stage in the formation of globular clusters, and the metal enrichment of the intergalactic medium by gas and dust expelled from the nucleus due to the combined forces of supernova explosions and powerful stellar winds.Comment: LaTex, 6 pages with 4 embedded .eps figures. Postscript version plus color plates available at http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/users/sanders/astroph/s186/plates.html To appear in "Galaxy Interactions at Low and High Redshift" IAU Symposium 186, Kyoto, Japan, eds. J.E. Barnes and D.B. Sander

Comparative survey of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) attitudes, use, and information-seeking behaviour among medical students, residents & faculty

BACKGROUND: There is significant and growing national interest for introducing Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) instruction into allopathic medical education. We measured CAM attitudes, use, and information-seeking behaviors as a baseline to evaluate future planned CAM instruction. METHODS: Cross-sectional and longitudinal survey data on CAM attitudes, modality use, and common information resources was collected for (a) medical students (n = 355), (b) interns entering residencies in medical and surgical disciplines (n = 258), and (c) faculty from diverse health professions attending workshops on evidence-based CAM (n = 54). One student cohort was tracked longitudinally in their first, second and third years of training. RESULTS: Compared to medical students and interns, faculty who teach or intend to integrate CAM into their instruction had significantly (p < .0005) more positive attitudes and used CAM modalities significantly (p < .0005) more often. Medical students followed longitudinally showed no change in their already positive attitudes. The 3 survey groups did not differ on the total number of CAM information resources they used. Each group surveyed used about two out of the five common information sources listed, with the Internet and journals most frequently cited. CONCLUSION: Students, interns and a selected faculty group demonstrate positive attitudes toward CAM and frequently use various CAM modalities. CAM instruction should therefore be focused on acquiring knowledge of available CAM modalities and skills to appraise evidence to appropriately advise patients on best approaches to CAM use. Trainees may benefit from exposure to a wider array of CAM information resources

Compromise or Capitulation? US Food and Drug Administration Jurisdiction Over Tobacco Products

Stanton Glantz and colleagues critique the recent policy decision in the United States to grant the FDA regulatory authority over tobacco products, a decision that has broad but not unanimous support among health care professionals

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Effects beyond the Lungs

Peter Barnes discusses the growing epidemic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), especially in developing countries and among nonsmokers

One-year treatment with mometasone furoate in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Many patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are treated with twice daily (BID) inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). This study evaluated whether daily PM mometasone furoate administered via a dry powder inhaler (MF-DPI) was equally effective compared to twice daily dosing

The MIF antagonist ISO-1 attenuates corticosteroid-insensitive inflammation and airways hyperresponsiveness in an ozone-induced model of COPD

Copyright © 2016 Russell et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Introduction. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an inflammatory cytokine associated with acute and chronic inflammatory disorders and corticosteroid insensitivity. Its expression in the airways of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a relatively steroid insensitive inflammatory disease is unclear, however. Methods. Sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) macrophages and serum were obtained from nonsmokers, smokers and COPD patients. To mimic oxidative stress-induced COPD, mice were exposed to ozone for six-weeks and treated with ISO-1, a MIF inhibitor, and/or dexamethasone before each exposure. BAL fluid and lung tissue were collected after the final exposure. Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and lung function were measured using whole body plethysmography. HIF-1α binding to the Mif promoter was determined by Chromatin Immunoprecipitation assays. Results. MIF levels in sputum and BAL macrophages from COPD patients were higher than those from non-smokers, with healthy smokers having intermediate levels. MIF expression correlated with that of HIF-1α in all patients groups and in ozone-exposed mice. BAL cell counts, cytokine mRNA and protein expression in lungs and BAL, including MIF, were elevated in ozone-exposed mice and had increased AHR. Dexamethasone had no effect on these parameters in the mouse but ISO-1 attenuated cell recruitment, cytokine release and AHR. Conclusion MIF and HIF-1α levels are elevated in COPD BAL macrophages and inhibition of MIF function blocks corticosteroid-insensitive lung inflammation and AHR. Inhibition of MIF may provide a novel anti-inflammatory approach in COPD

Rationale, challenges, and participants in a Phase II trial of a botanical product for chronic hepatitis C

Background Chronic hepatitis C is associated with significant morbidity and mortality as a consequence of progression to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver failure. Current treatment for chronic hepatitis C with pegylated interferon (IFN) and ribavirin is associated with suboptimal responses and numerous adverse effects. A number of botanical products have been used to treat hepatic disorders. Silymarin, extracted from the milk thistle plant, Silybum marianum (L) Gaertn. (Asteraceae), has been most widely used for various liver disorders, including chronic hepatitis C, B, and alcoholic liver disease. However, the safety and efficacy of silymarin have not been studied systematically in chronic hepatitis C

Functional Analysis of a Dominant Negative Mutation of Interferon Regulatory Factor 5

BACKGROUND: Interferon regulatory factor (IRF) family members have been implicated as critical transcription factors that function in immune response, hematopoietic differentiation and cell growth regulation. Activation of IRF-5 results in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNFalpha, IL6 and IL12p40, as well as type I interferons. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, we identify a G202C (position relative to translation start codon) missense-mutation transcript of IRF-5 in transformed B and T cell lines, which were either infected or non-infected by viruses, and peripheral blood from ATL or CLL patients. The mutated transcript encodes a novel protein in which the sixty-eighth amino acid, Alanine, is substituted by Proline (IRF-5P68) in the DNA binding domain of IRF-5. IRF-5P68 phenotype results in a complete loss of its DNA-binding activity and functions as a dominant negative molecule through interacting with wild type IRF-5. Co-expression of IRF-5P68 inhibits MyD88-mediated IRF-5 transactivation. Moreover, Toll-like receptor (TLR)-dependent IL6 and IL12P40 production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), R837 or CpG ODN 1826 was reduced in IRF-5 (P68) expressing cells as compared to the control cells. CONCLUSION: IRF-5P68 acts as a dominant negative regulator that interferes with IRF-5-mediated production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The functional characterization of the novel IRF-5 mutant in transformed B and T cell lines and in ATL and CLL patients may lead to a better understanding of the role of these transcriptional regulators in hematopoietic malignancies