The role of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-like axis in inflammatory pilosebaceous disorders

Skin is the largest peripheral endocrine organ and functions as a hormone target and endocrine gland. A cutaneous hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-like axis enables the skin to respond to stress and regulates its steroidogenic activity. The pilosebaceous unit is a site for production and metabolism of a number of steroid hormones, including stress and sex hormones. This is an overview of the important role that the cutaneous HPA-like-axis plays in the pathogenesis and treatment of inflammatory pilosebaceous disorders, including acne, rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, and hidradenitis suppurativa

Damage function for historic paper. Part I: Fitness for use

Background In heritage science literature and in preventive conservation practice, damage functions are used to model material behaviour and specifically damage (unacceptable change), as a result of the presence of a stressor over time. For such functions to be of use in the context of collection management, it is important to define a range of parameters, such as who the stakeholders are (e.g. the public, curators, researchers), the mode of use (e.g. display, storage, manual handling), the long-term planning horizon (i.e. when in the future it is deemed acceptable for an item to become damaged or unfit for use), and what the threshold of damage is, i.e. extent of physical change assessed as damage. Results In this paper, we explore the threshold of fitness for use for archival and library paper documents used for display or reading in the context of access in reading rooms by the general public. Change is considered in the context of discolouration and mechanical deterioration such as tears and missing pieces: forms of physical deterioration that accumulate with time in libraries and archives. We also explore whether the threshold fitness for use is defined differently for objects perceived to be of different value, and for different modes of use. The data were collected in a series of fitness-for-use workshops carried out with readers/visitors in heritage institutions using principles of Design of Experiments. Conclusions The results show that when no particular value is pre-assigned to an archival or library document, missing pieces influenced readers/visitors’ subjective judgements of fitness-for-use to a greater extent than did discolouration and tears (which had little or no influence). This finding was most apparent in the display context in comparison to the reading room context. The finding also best applied when readers/visitors were not given a value scenario (in comparison to when they were asked to think about the document having personal or historic value). It can be estimated that, in general, items become unfit when text is evidently missing. However, if the visitor/reader is prompted to think of a document in terms of its historic value, then change in a document has little impact on fitness for use

Parasite Dynamics in Untreated Horses through One Calendar Year

BACKGROUND: Horses are host to a plethora of parasites. Knowledge of the seasonality of parasite egg shedding and transmission is important for constructing parasite control programs. However, studies describing these patterns are sparse, and have largely been conducted only in the United Kingdom. This study evaluated strongylid egg shedding patterns and transmission dynamics of Strongylus vulgaris in naturally infected and untreated mares and foals through one calendar year in Kentucky, USA. The study also investigated the existence of a peri-parturient rise (PPR) in strongylid egg counts in foaling mares and collected information about Strongyloides westeri and Parascaris spp. in the foals. METHODS: This study was conducted from January to December 2018. A herd of 18 mares, one stallion, and 14 foals born in 2018 were followed throughout the year. Sera and feces were collected biweekly from all horses, and worm burdens enumerated in 13 foals at necropsy. An S. vulgaris ELISA antibody test was run on all serum samples. Fecal egg counts were determined for all horses, and coproculture and qPCR assay were employed to test for the presence of S. vulgaris in the mature horses. Data were analyzed using the proc glimmix procedure in the SAS 9.4 software program. RESULTS: We found a general lack of seasonality in strongylid egg shedding throughout the year among the mature horses, and no PPR was demonstrated. Shedding of S. vulgaris eggs displayed a higher abundance during the spring, but findings were variable and not statistically significant. Anti-S. vulgaris antibody concentrations did not display significant fluctuations in the mature horses, but evidence of passive transfer of antibodies to the foals was demonstrated, and foals assumed their own production of antibodies starting at approximately 20 weeks of age. Overall, colts shed higher numbers of strongylid, ascarid, and S. westeri eggs than fillies. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a lack of seasonality in strongylid egg shedding for the study population, which is in stark contrast to previous studies conducted elsewhere. This strongly suggests that more studies should be done investigating these patterns under different climatic conditions

Lifetime determination of excited states in Cd-106

Two separate experiments using the Differential Decay Curve Method have been performed to extract mean lifetimes of excited states in 106 Cd. The inedium-spin states of interest were populated by the Mo-98(C-12, 4n) Cd-106 reaction performed at the Wright Nuclear Structure Lab., Yale University. From this experiment, two isomeric state mean lifetimes have been deduced. The low-lying states were populated by the Mo-96(C-13, 3n)Cd-106 reaction performed at the Institut fur Kernphysik, Universitat zu Koln. The mean lifetime of the I-pi = 2(1)(+) state was deduced, tentatively, as 16.4(9) ps. This value differs from the previously accepted literature value from Coulomb excitation of 10.43(9) ps

A systematic approach towards the identification and protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2013. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Marine Policy 49 (2014):146-154, doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2013.11.017.The United Nations General Assembly in 2006 and 2009 adopted resolutions that call for the identification and protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) from significant adverse impacts of bottom fishing. While general criteria have been produced, there are no guidelines or protocols that elaborate on the process from initial identification through to the protection of VMEs. Here, based upon an expert review of existing practices, a 10-step framework is proposed: 1) Comparatively assess potential VME indicator taxa and habitats in a region; 2) determine VME thresholds; 3) consider areas already known for their ecological importance; 4) compile information on the distributions of likely VME taxa and habitats, as well as related environmental data; 5) develop predictive distribution models for VME indicator taxa and habitats; 6) compile known or likely fishing impacts; 7) produce a predicted VME naturalness distribution (areas of low cumulative impacts); 8) identify areas of higher value to user groups; 9) conduct management strategy evaluations to produce trade-off scenarios; 10) review and re-iterate, until spatial management scenarios are developed that fulfil international obligations and regional conservation and management objectives. To date, regional progress has been piecemeal and incremental. The proposed 10-step framework combines these various experiences into a systematic approach.The New Zealand Ministry of Science and Innovation (now known as the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) provided funding for the worksho

Delayed mucosal antiviral responses despite robust peripheral inflammation in fatal COVID-19

Background: While inflammatory and immune responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in peripheral blood are extensively described, responses at the upper respiratory mucosal site of initial infection are relatively poorly defined. We sought to identify mucosal cytokine/chemokine signatures that distinguished coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity categories, and relate these to disease progression and peripheral inflammation. Methods: We measured 35 cytokines and chemokines in nasal samples from 274 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Analysis considered the timing of sampling during disease, as either the early (0–5 days after symptom onset) or late (6–20 days after symptom onset) phase. Results: Patients that survived severe COVID-19 showed interferon (IFN)-dominated mucosal immune responses (IFN-γ, CXCL10, and CXCL13) early in infection. These early mucosal responses were absent in patients who would progress to fatal disease despite equivalent SARS-CoV-2 viral load. Mucosal inflammation in later disease was dominated by interleukin 2 (IL-2), IL-10, IFN-γ, and IL-12p70, which scaled with severity but did not differentiate patients who would survive or succumb to disease. Cytokines and chemokines in the mucosa showed distinctions from responses evident in the peripheral blood, particularly during fatal disease. Conclusions: Defective early mucosal antiviral responses anticipate fatal COVID-19 but are not associated with viral load. Early mucosal immune responses may define the trajectory of severe COVID-19