13 research outputs found
Early β-amyloid accumulation in the brain is associated with peripheral T cell alterations
INTRODUCTION
Fast and minimally invasive approaches for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are highly anticipated. Evidence of adaptive immune cells responding to cerebral β-amyloidosis has raised the question of whether immune markers could be used as proxies for β-amyloid accumulation in the brain.
METHODS
Here, we apply multidimensional mass-cytometry combined with unbiased machine-learning techniques to immunophenotype peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a total of 251 participants in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.
RESULTS
We show that increases in antigen-experienced adaptive immune cells in the blood, particularly CD45RA-reactivated T effector memory (TEMRA) cells, are associated with early accumulation of brain β-amyloid and with changes in plasma AD biomarkers in still cognitively healthy subjects.
DISCUSSION
Our results suggest that preclinical AD pathology is linked to systemic alterations of the adaptive immune system. These immunophenotype changes may help identify and develop novel diagnostic tools for early AD assessment and better understand clinical outcomes
Biting behaviour of African malaria vectors : 1. Where do the main vector species bite on the human body?
BACKGROUND : Malaria control in Africa relies heavily on indoor vector management, primarily indoor residual
spraying and insecticide treated bed nets. Little is known about outdoor biting behaviour or even the dynamics of
indoor biting and infection risk of sleeping household occupants. In this paper we explore the preferred biting sites
on the human body and some of the ramifications regarding infection risk and exposure management.
METHODS : We undertook whole-night human landing catches of Anopheles arabiensis in South Africa and Anopheles
gambiae s.s. and Anopheles funestus in Uganda, for seated persons wearing short sleeve shirts, short pants, and bare
legs, ankles and feet. Catches were kept separate for different body regions and capture sessions. All An. gambiae s.
l. and An. funestus group individuals were identified to species level by PCR.
RESULTS : Three of the main vectors of malaria in Africa (An. arabiensis, An. gambiae s.s. and An. funestus) all have a
preference for feeding close to ground level, which is manifested as a strong propensity (77.3% – 100%) for biting
on lower leg, ankles and feet of people seated either indoors or outdoors, but somewhat randomly along the lower
edge of the body in contact with the surface when lying down. If the lower extremities of the legs (below mid-calf
level) of seated people are protected and therefore exclude access to this body region, vector mosquitoes do not
move higher up the body to feed at alternate body sites, instead resulting in a high (58.5% - 68.8%) reduction in
biting intensity by these three species.
CONCLUSIONS : Protecting the lower limbs of people outdoors at night can achieve a major reduction in biting
intensity by malaria vector mosquitoes. Persons sleeping at floor level bear a disproportionate risk of being bitten at
night because this is the preferred height for feeding by the primary vector species. Therefore it is critical to protect
children sleeping at floor level (bednets; repellent-impregnated blankets or sheets, etc.). Additionally, the
opportunity exists for the development of inexpensive repellent-impregnated anklets and/or sandals to discourage
vectors feeding on the lower legs under outdoor conditions at night.Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through the Grand Challenges
Explorations initiative.http://www.parasitesandvectors.comhb201
Ultrafast self-gating Bragg diffraction of exploding nanocrystals in an X-ray laser
In structural determination of crystalline proteins using intense femtosecond X-ray lasers, damage processes lead to loss of structural coherence during the exposure. We use a nonthermal description for the damage dynamics to calculate the ultrafast ionization and the subsequent atomic displacement. These effects degrade the Bragg diffraction on femtosecond time scales and gate the ultrafast imaging. This process is intensity and resolution dependent. At high intensities the signal is gated by the ionization affecting low resolution information first. At lower intensities, atomic displacement dominates the loss of coherence affecting high-resolution information. We find that pulse length is not a limiting factor as long as there is a high enough X-ray flux to measure a diffracted signal
The neutron and its role in cosmology and particle physics
Experiments with cold and ultracold neutrons have reached a level of
precision such that problems far beyond the scale of the present Standard Model
of particle physics become accessible to experimental investigation. Due to the
close links between particle physics and cosmology, these studies also permit a
deep look into the very first instances of our universe. First addressed in
this article, both in theory and experiment, is the problem of baryogenesis ...
The question how baryogenesis could have happened is open to experimental
tests, and it turns out that this problem can be curbed by the very stringent
limits on an electric dipole moment of the neutron, a quantity that also has
deep implications for particle physics. Then we discuss the recent spectacular
observation of neutron quantization in the earth's gravitational field and of
resonance transitions between such gravitational energy states. These
measurements, together with new evaluations of neutron scattering data, set new
constraints on deviations from Newton's gravitational law at the picometer
scale. Such deviations are predicted in modern theories with extra-dimensions
that propose unification of the Planck scale with the scale of the Standard
Model ... Another main topic is the weak-interaction parameters in various
fields of physics and astrophysics that must all be derived from measured
neutron decay data. Up to now, about 10 different neutron decay observables
have been measured, much more than needed in the electroweak Standard Model.
This allows various precise tests for new physics beyond the Standard Model,
competing with or surpassing similar tests at high-energy. The review ends with
a discussion of neutron and nuclear data required in the synthesis of the
elements during the "first three minutes" and later on in stellar
nucleosynthesis.Comment: 91 pages, 30 figures, accepted by Reviews of Modern Physic
Ars Nova Sapiendi Mysteriis Plena Serenissimo Principe & Domino Domino Anthonio Ulrico, Brunsvicensium & Luneburgensium Duce inventa & ingenti Orbis stupore hactenus felicissime exercita Delineata Johanne: Gericken/ I.U. Promoto Licentiato & Cancellariae Ducalis Guelpherbytanae Advocato Ordinario
ARS NOVA SAPIENDI MYSTERIIS PLENA SERENISSIMO PRINCIPE & DOMINO DOMINO ANTHONIO ULRICO, BRUNSVICENSIUM & LUNEBURGENSIUM DUCE INVENTA & INGENTI ORBIS STUPORE HACTENUS FELICISSIME EXERCITA DELINEATA JOHANNE: GERICKEN/ I.U. PROMOTO LICENTIATO & CANCELLARIAE DUCALIS GUELPHERBYTANAE ADVOCATO ORDINARIO
Ars Nova Sapiendi Mysteriis Plena Serenissimo Principe & Domino Domino Anthonio Ulrico, Brunsvicensium & Luneburgensium Duce inventa & ingenti Orbis stupore hactenus felicissime exercita Delineata Johanne: Gericken/ I.U. Promoto Licentiato & Cancellariae Ducalis Guelpherbytanae Advocato Ordinario ([1]r)
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Early β-amyloid accumulation in the brain is associated with peripheral T cell alterations
Introduction: Fast and minimally invasive approaches for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are highly anticipated. Evidence of adaptive immune cells responding to cerebral β-amyloidosis has raised the question of whether immune markers could be used as proxies for β-amyloid accumulation in the brain. Methods: Here, we apply multidimensional mass-cytometry combined with unbiased machine-learning techniques to immunophenotype peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a total of 251 participants in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Results: We show that increases in antigen-experienced adaptive immune cells in the blood, particularly CD45RA-reactivated T effector memory (TEMRA) cells, are associated with early accumulation of brain β-amyloid and with changes in plasma AD biomarkers in still cognitively healthy subjects. Discussion: Our results suggest that preclinical AD pathology is linked to systemic alterations of the adaptive immune system. These immunophenotype changes may help identify and develop novel diagnostic tools for early AD assessment and better understand clinical outcomes.ISSN:1552-5279ISSN:1552-526
The European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE) research roadmap 2040: Advanced strategies for exploiting the vast potential of polysaccharides as renewable bioresources
International audiencePolysaccharides are among the most abundant bioresources on earth and consequently need to play a pivotal role when addressing existential scientific challenges like climate change and the shift from fossil-based to sustainable biobased materials. The Research Roadmap 2040 of the European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE) provides an expert’s view on how future research and development strategies need to evolve to fully exploit the vast potential of polysaccharides as renewable bioresources. It is addressed to academic researchers, companies, as well as policymakers and covers five strategic areas that are of great importance in the context of polysaccharide related research: (I) Materials & Engineering, (II) Food & Nutrition, (III) Biomedical Applications, (IV) Chemistry, Biology & Physics, and (V) Skills & Education. Each section summarizes the state of research, identifies challenges that are currently faced, project achievements and developments that are expected in the upcoming 20 years, and finally provides outlines on how future research activities need to evolve