A 4.8- and 8.6-GHz Survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud: I The Images

Detailed 4.8- and 8.6-GHz radio images of the entire Large Magellanic Cloud with half-power beamwidths of 33" at 4.8 GHz and 20" at 8.6 GHz have been obtained using the Australia Telescope Compact Array. A total of 7085 mosaic positions were used to cover an area of 6 degrees on a side. Full polarimetric observations were made. These images have sufficient spatial resolution (~8 and 5 pc, respectively) and sensitivity (3-sigma of 1 mJy/beam) to identify most of the individual SNRs and H II regions and also, in combination with available data from the Parkes 64-m telescope, the structure of the smooth emission in that galaxy. In addition, limited data using the sixth antenna at 4.5 to 6-km baselines are available to distinguish bright point sources (<3 and 2 arcsec, respectively) and to help estimate sizes of individual sources smaller than the resolution of the full survey. The resultant database will be valuable for statistical studies and comparisons with x-ray, optical and infrared surveys of the LMC with similar resolution.Comment: 28 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in the Feb 2005 A

Antiphospholipid autoantibodies as blood biomarkers for detection of early stage Alzheimer's disease

A robust blood biomarker is urgently needed to facilitate early prognosis for those at risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Redox reactive autoantibodies (R-RAAs) represent a novel family of antibodies detectable only after exposure of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), serum, plasma or immunoglobulin fractions to oxidizing agents. We have previously reported that R-RAA antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) are significantly decreased in the CSF and serum of AD patients compared to healthy controls (HCs). These studies were extended to measure R-RAA aPL in serum samples obtained from Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Serum samples from the ADNI-1 diagnostic groups from participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), AD and HCs were blinded for diagnosis and analyzed for R-RAA aPL by ELISA. Demographics, cognitive data at baseline and yearly follow-up were subsequently provided by ADNI after posting assay data. As observed in CSF, R-RAA aPL in sera from the AD diagnostic group were significantly reduced compared to HC. However, the sera from the MCI population contained significantly elevated R-RAA aPL activity relative to AD patient and/or HC sera. The data presented in this study indicate that R-RAA aPL show promise as a blood biomarker for detection of early AD, and warrant replication in a larger sample. Longitudinal testing of an individual for increases in R-RAA aPL over a previously established baseline may serve as a useful early sero-epidemiologic blood biomarker for individuals at risk for developing dementia of the Alzheimer's type

Vδ2+ T cell response to malaria correlates with protection from infection but is attenuated with repeated exposure.

Vδ2+ γδ T cells are semi-innate T cells that expand markedly following P. falciparum (Pf) infection in naïve adults, but are lost and become dysfunctional among children repeatedly exposed to malaria. The role of these cells in mediating clinical immunity (i.e. protection against symptoms) to malaria remains unclear. We measured Vδ2+ T cell absolute counts at acute and convalescent malaria timepoints (n = 43), and Vδ2+ counts, cellular phenotype, and cytokine production following in vitro stimulation at asymptomatic visits (n = 377), among children aged 6 months to 10 years living in Uganda. Increasing age was associated with diminished in vivo expansion following malaria, and lower Vδ2 absolute counts overall, among children living in a high transmission setting. Microscopic parasitemia and expression of the immunoregulatory markers Tim-3 and CD57 were associated with diminished Vδ2+ T cell pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Higher Vδ2 pro-inflammatory cytokine production was associated with protection from subsequent Pf infection, but also with an increased odds of symptoms once infected. Vδ2+ T cells may play a role in preventing malaria infection in children living in endemic settings; progressive loss and dysfunction of these cells may represent a disease tolerance mechanism that contributes to the development of clinical immunity to malaria

Ozone loss derived from balloon-borne tracer measurements and the SLIMCAT CTM

Balloon-borne measurements of CFC-11 (on flights of the DIRAC in situ gas chromatograph and the DESCARTES grab sampler), ClO and O3 were made during the 1999/2000 winter as part of the SOLVE-THESEO 2000 campaign. Here we present the CFC-11 data from nine flights and compare them first with data from other instruments which flew during the campaign and then with the vertical distributions calculated by the SLIMCAT 3-D CTM. We calculate ozone loss inside the Arctic vortex between late January and early March using the relation between CFC-11 and O3 measured on the flights, the peak ozone loss (1200 ppbv) occurs in the 440–470 K region in early March in reasonable agreement with other published empirical estimates. There is also a good agreement between ozone losses derived from three independent balloon tracer data sets used here. The magnitude and vertical distribution of the loss derived from the measurements is in good agreement with the loss calculated from SLIMCAT over Kiruna for the same days

Antiretroviral Strategies to Prevent Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV: Striking a Balance between Efficacy, Feasibility, and Resistance

Dara Lehman and colleagues discuss a randomized trial that found that adding up to a week of twice-daily zidovudine+lamivudine to single-dose nevirapine reduces the risk of resistance in mothers and infants

A randomized trial comparing structured and lifestyle goals in an internet-mediated walking program for people with type 2 diabetes

Abstract Background The majority of individuals with type 2 diabetes do not exercise regularly. Pedometer-based walking interventions can help; however, pedometer-based interventions targeting only total daily accumulated steps might not yield the same health benefits as physical activity programs specifying a minimum duration and intensity of physical activity bouts. Methods This pilot randomized trial compared two goal-setting strategies: 1) lifestyle goals targeting total daily accumulated step counts and 2) structured goals targeting bout steps defined as walking that lasts for 10 minutes or longer at a pace of at least 60 steps per minute. We sought to determine which goal-setting strategy was more effective at increasing bout steps. Participants were sedentary adults with type 2 diabetes. All participants: wore enhanced pedometers with embedded USB ports; uploaded detailed, time-stamped step-count data to a website called Stepping Up to Health; and received automated step-count feedback, automatically calculated goals, and tailored motivational messages throughout the six-week intervention. Only the automated goal calculations and step-count feedback differed between the two groups. The primary outcome of interest was increase in steps taken during the previously defined bouts of walking (lasting at least 10 minutes or longer at a pace of at least 60 steps per minute) between baseline and end of the intervention. Results Thirty-five participants were randomized and 30 (86%) completed the pilot study. Both groups significantly increased bout steps, but there was no statistically significant difference between groups. Among study completers, bout steps increased by 1921 ± 2729 steps a day. Those who received lifestyle goals were more satisfied with the intervention (p = 0.006) and wore the pedometer more often (p < 0.001) than those who received structured goals. Conclusion In this six-week intervention, Lifestyle Goals group participants achieved increases in bout steps comparable to the increases seen in the Structured Goals group, representing almost a mile a day of additional moderate intensity bout activity. Pedometer-based walking programs that emphasize total accumulated step counts are more acceptable to participants and are as effective at increasing moderate intensity bouts of physical activity as programs that use structured goals. Trial registration NCT00151021http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112366/1/12966_2007_Article_136.pd