The role of CD4+ T cells in periodontal disease

Introduction: Periodontal disease (PD) is the most common bone destructive chronic inflammatory disease in humans. Severe PD affects 8-15% of the population and impacts on the ability to chew and appearance, reduces quality of life, and is responsible for a substantial proportion of dental care costs. A dysbiotic oral biofilm is necessary but insufficient for development of PD. Rather, a dysregulated immune response to the disease-associated biofilm results in destruction of tooth supporting structures and eventual tooth loss. Despite the apparent involvement of the immune system in PD, clinical management focuses solely on the mechanical removal of the oral biofilm – with partial success and frequent recurrence. Therefore, a better understanding of the immune response in PD could highlight potential novel preventative and therapeutic strategies. T cells are present at sites of PD; however, there remains ambiguity regarding whether these T cells are protective or destructive in PD. The aim of these studies was to characterize CD4+ T cells in a P. gingivalis-induced murine model of PD. Results: P. gingivalis-infected mice displayed subtle changes in their CD4+ T cell compartment, predominantly in the draining lymph nodes (dLNs). Such changes included a suggested increase in T follicular helper cells, a trend towards a decrease in regulatory T cells and a trend towards increased production of IFN-γ. Elevated levels of IFN-γ were also noted in gingival CD8+ T cells and splenocytes, with similar trends in CD8+ T cells from dLNs. The transcriptome of CD4+ T cells isolated from gingivae and dLNs of P. gingivalis–infected suggested minimal changes in gene expression following infection; however, identified a profile of the mucosal oral CD4+ T cell compared with CD4+ T cells of the dLN. To investigate the response of CD4+ T cells specific for P. gingivalis, the bacteria were genetically manipulated to express ovalubumin (OVA) peptide 323-339. However, these OVA peptide expressing P. gingivalis failed to induce a response in OVA-specific T cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: These data imply that CD4+ T cells do not substantially change upon P. gingivalis infection in a murine model. IFN-γ production, however, was elevated both locally and systemically. Together, the data presented in this thesis and data previously published warrant further investigations into the role of IFN-γ in PD and may point to IFN-γ as a biomarker or biological target for adjunctive PD therapy

Cobranding with Pinterest: Expediting Apparel Retail Brand Experience

Cobranding creates points of difference, generates sales from existing markets, and opens opportunities (Lebar, Buehler, Keller, & Sawicka, 2005). Pinterest is an effective cobranding platform for consumer interaction. Bullas (2015) reports 69% of apparel brands have a presence on Pinterest, and 88% of the 70 million Pinterest users purchase a product they pin. Thus, we examined: (a) the impacts of apparel brand reputation and Pinterest usefulness on consumer experiences with apparel brands at Pinterest; (b) the impacts of consumer experiences of apparel brands at Pinterest on loyalty toward apparel brand and Pinterest; and (c) the mediation of consumer experience at Pinterest between apparel brand reputation and apparel band\u27s attitudinal loyalty. Findings suggest cobranding with Pinterest combines the strength of partner brands by increasing value, attracting new customers, and validating the brand among consumers. An effective brand Pinterest page creates important backlinks that expand apparel brand awareness and direct other consumers to the brand website (Walberg, 2015)

Novel <i>IRF6 </i>mutations in families with Van Der Woude syndrome and popliteal pterygium syndrome from sub-Saharan Africa

Orofacial clefts (OFC) are complex genetic traits that are often classified as syndromic or nonsyndromic clefts. Currently, there are over 500 types of syndromic clefts in the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database, of which Van der Woude syndrome (VWS) is one of the most common (accounting for 2% of all OFC). Popliteal pterygium syndrome (PPS) is considered to be a more severe form of VWS. Mutations in the IRF6 gene have been reported worldwide to cause VWS and PPS. Here, we report studies of families with VWS and PPS in sub-Saharan Africa. We screened the DNA of eight families with VWS and one family with PPS from Nigeria and Ethiopia by Sanger sequencing of the most commonly affected exons in IRF6 (exons 3, 4, 7, and 9). For the VWS families, we found a novel nonsense variant in exon 4 (p.Lys66X), a novel splice-site variant in exon 4 (p.Pro126Pro), a novel missense variant in exon 4 (p.Phe230Leu), a previously reported splice-site variant in exon 7 that changes the acceptor splice site, and a known missense variant in exon 7 (p.Leu251Pro). A previously known missense variant was found in exon 4 (p.Arg84His) in the PPS family. All the mutations segregate in the families. Our data confirm the presence of IRF6-related VWS and PPS in sub-Saharan Africa and highlights the importance of screening for novel mutations in known genes when studying diverse global populations. This is important for counseling and prenatal diagnosis for high-risk families

A protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial using the Health Teams Advancing Patient Experience: Strengthening Quality (Health TAPESTRY) platform approach to promote person-focused primary healthcare for older adults

Detailed description of the intervention [57, 84–89]. (DOC 63 kb

Author Correction: Ecology, evolution and spillover of coronaviruses from bats.

In the past two decades, three coronaviruses with ancestral origins in bats have emerged and caused widespread outbreaks in humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since the first SARS epidemic in 2002–2003, the appreciation of bats as key hosts of zoonotic coronaviruses has advanced rapidly. More than 4,000 coronavirus sequences from 14 bat families have been identified, yet the true diversity of bat coronaviruses is probably much greater. Given that bats are the likely evolutionary source for several human coronaviruses, including strains that cause mild upper respiratory tract disease, their role in historic and future pandemics requires ongoing investigation. We review and integrate information on bat–coronavirus interactions at the molecular, tissue, host and population levels. We identify critical gaps in knowledge of bat coronaviruses, which relate to spillover and pandemic risk, including the pathways to zoonotic spillover, the infection dynamics within bat reservoir hosts, the role of prior adaptation in intermediate hosts for zoonotic transmission and the viral genotypes or traits that predict zoonotic capacity and pandemic potential. Filling these knowledge gaps may help prevent the next pandemic

Happy feet in a hostile world? The future of penguins depends on proactive management of current and expected threats

Penguins face a wide range of threats. Most observed population changes have been negative and have happened over the last 60 years. Today, populations of 11 of the 18 penguin species are decreasing. Here we present a review that synthesizes details of threats faced by the world’s 18 species of penguins. We discuss alterations to their environment at both breeding sites on land and at sea where they forage. The major drivers of change appear to be climate, and food web alterations by marine fisheries. In addition, we also consider other critical and/or emerging threats, namely human disturbance near nesting sites, pollution due to oil, plastics and chemicals such as mercury and persistent organic compounds. Finally, we assess the importance of emerging pathogens and diseases on the health of penguins. We suggest that in the context of climate change, habitat degradation, introduced exotic species and resource competition with fisheries, successful conservation outcomes will require new and unprecedented levels of science and advocacy. Successful conservation stories of penguin species across their geographical range have occurred where there has been concerted effort across local, national and international boundaries to implement effective conservation planning

Priorities for synthesis research in ecology and environmental science

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We thank the National Science Foundation grant #1940692 for financial support for this workshop, and the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) and its staff for logistical support.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Priorities for synthesis research in ecology and environmental science

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We thank the National Science Foundation grant #1940692 for financial support for this workshop, and the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) and its staff for logistical support.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Expanding the diversity of mycobacteriophages: insights into genome architecture and evolution.

Mycobacteriophages are viruses that infect mycobacterial hosts such as Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. All mycobacteriophages characterized to date are dsDNA tailed phages, and have either siphoviral or myoviral morphotypes. However, their genetic diversity is considerable, and although sixty-two genomes have been sequenced and comparatively analyzed, these likely represent only a small portion of the diversity of the mycobacteriophage population at large. Here we report the isolation, sequencing and comparative genomic analysis of 18 new mycobacteriophages isolated from geographically distinct locations within the United States. Although no clear correlation between location and genome type can be discerned, these genomes expand our knowledge of mycobacteriophage diversity and enhance our understanding of the roles of mobile elements in viral evolution. Expansion of the number of mycobacteriophages grouped within Cluster A provides insights into the basis of immune specificity in these temperate phages, and we also describe a novel example of apparent immunity theft. The isolation and genomic analysis of bacteriophages by freshman college students provides an example of an authentic research experience for novice scientists

Clarifying the effect of biodiversity on productivity in natural ecosystems with longitudinal data and methods for causal inference

Causal effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functions can be estimated using experimental or observational designs - designs that pose a tradeoff between drawing credible causal inferences from correlations and drawing generalizable inferences. Here, we develop a design that reduces this tradeoff and revisits the question of how plant species diversity affects productivity. Our design leverages longitudinal data from 43 grasslands in 11 countries and approaches borrowed from fields outside of ecology to draw causal inferences from observational data. Contrary to many prior studies, we estimate that increases in plot-level species richness caused productivity to decline: a 10% increase in richness decreased productivity by 2.4%, 95% CI [-4.1, -0.74]. This contradiction stems from two sources. First, prior observational studies incompletely control for confounding factors. Second, most experiments plant fewer rare and non-native species than exist in nature. Although increases in native, dominant species increased productivity, increases in rare and non-native species decreased productivity, making the average effect negative in our study. By reducing the tradeoff between experimental and observational designs, our study demonstrates how observational studies can complement prior ecological experiments and inform future ones