Trust as a mediator in the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and IL-6 level in adulthood

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has been shown to predict the coupling of depression and inflammation in adulthood. Trust within intimate relationships, a core element in marital relations, has been shown to predict positive physical and mental health outcomes, but the mediating role of trust in partners in the association between CSA and inflammation in adulthood requires further study. The present study aimed to examine the impact of CSA on inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6 and IL-1β) in adults with depression and the mediating role of trust. A cross-sectional survey data set of adults presenting with mood and sleep disturbance was used in the analysis. CSA demonstrated a significant negative correlation with IL-6 level (r = -0.28, p<0. 01) in adults with clinically significant depression, while trust showed a significant positive correlation with IL-6 level (r = 0.36, p < .01). Sobel test and bootstrapping revealed a significant mediating role for trust between CSA and IL-6 level. CSA and trust in partners were revealed to have significant associations with IL-6 level in adulthood. Counterintuitively, the directions of association were not those expected. Trust played a mediating role between CSA and adulthood levels of IL-6. Plausible explanations for these counterintuitive findings are discussed

Susceptibility and Response of Human Blood Monocyte Subsets to Primary Dengue Virus Infection

Human blood monocytes play a central role in dengue infections and form the majority of virus infected cells in the blood. Human blood monocytes are heterogeneous and divided into CD16− and CD16+ subsets. Monocyte subsets play distinct roles during disease, but it is not currently known if monocyte subsets differentially contribute to dengue protection and pathogenesis. Here, we compared the susceptibility and response of the human CD16− and CD16+ blood monocyte subsets to primary dengue virus in vitro. We found that both monocyte subsets were equally susceptible to dengue virus (DENV2 NGC), and capable of supporting the initial production of new infective virus particles. Both monocyte subsets produced anti-viral factors, including IFN-α, CXCL10 and TRAIL. However, CD16+ monocytes were the major producers of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in response to dengue virus, including IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, CCL2, 3 and 4. The susceptibility of both monocyte subsets to infection was increased after IL-4 treatment, but this increase was more profound for the CD16+ monocyte subset, particularly at early time points after virus exposure. These findings reveal the differential role that monocyte subsets might play during dengue disease

Capillary force-driven, large-area alignment of multi-segmented nanowires

Article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/nn405627sWe report the large-area alignment of multi-segmented nanowires in nanoscale trenches facilitated by capillary forces. Electrochemically synthesized nanowires between 120 and 250 nm in length are aligned and then etched selectively to remove one segment, resulting in arrays of nanowires with precisely controlled gaps varying between 2 and 30 nm. Crucial to this alignment process is the dispersibility of the nanowires in solution which is achieved by chemically modifying them with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide. We found that, even without the formation of an ordered crystalline phase at the droplet edges, the nanowires can be aligned in high yield. To illustrate the versatility of this approach as a nanofabrication technique, the aligned nanowires were used for the fabrication of arrays of gapped graphene nanoribbons and SERS substrates.Funded by OASDRD/NSSEFF via Naval Postgraduate School.AFOSROffice of Naval ResearchAward nos. FA9550-09-1-0294 and FA9550-12-1-0280 (AFOSR)Award no. FA2386-13-1-3124 (AOARD)Award nos. N00244-09-1-0012 and N00244-09-1-0071 (NPS)Award no. N00014-11-1-0729 (ONR

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Legal Pioneer\u27s Legacy

As we mourn the loss of Supreme Court Justice and civil rights trailblazer Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we invite you to join together on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. for a panel session remembering and discussing her deeds, words and legacy. American Sign Language Interpreting will be provided. A panel discussion moderated Prof. Sharona Hoffman

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Legal Pioneer\u27s Legacy

As we mourn the loss of Supreme Court Justice and civil rights trailblazer Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we invite you to join together on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. for a panel session remembering and discussing her deeds, words and legacy. American Sign Language Interpreting will be provided. A panel discussion moderated Prof. Sharona Hoffman

Orthogonal Chemical Modification of Template-Synthesized Nanostructures with DNA

Very few chemical strategies for the selective functionalization of nanostructures have been developed despite their potential for controlling high-order assembly processes. We report a novel approach for the selective chemical functionalization and localized assembly of one-dimensional nanostructures (rods), based upon the systematic activation (DNA functionalization) and passivation (self-assembled monolayers) of specific surface sites through the use of orthogonal chemical reactions on electrochemically grown metal nanorod arrays in porous anodic aluminum oxide templates. The ability to orthogonally functionalize the ends or the side of a nanorod, as well as the gaps between two rods, with different DNA strands allows one to synthesize nanostructure assemblies that would be difficult to realize any other way and that could ultimately be utilized for making a wide variety of device architectures