Primary Antibody Responses to Thymus-Independent Antigens in the Lungs and Hilar Lymph Nodes of Mice

B lymphocytes from the pulmonary lymphoid tissues were stimulated with a variety of thymus-independent (TI) antigens by intratracheal (i.t.) immunization. Immune responses in the lungs and hilar lymph nodes (HLN), which are part of the localized lymphoid tissue, as well as in the spleen, the systemic lymphoid organ, were studied. Thus, primary i.t. immunization of mice with the TI-1 antigen trinitrophenyl-lipopolysaccharide (TNP-LPS) elicited both antigen-specific and polyclonal plaque-forming cell responses from HLN, lung, and splenic B lymphocytes. These responses appeared as early as 3 days after immunization and declined by day 7. Similar immunization with another TI-1 antigen, TNP-Brucella abortus, resulted in anti-TNP responses in both pulmonary and systemic lymphoid tissues, although the kinetics of the antibody response were different than those to TNP-LPS. Interestingly an i.t. immunization with a TI-2 antigen, TNP-Ficoll, failed to induce an anti-TNP PFC response from HLN and lung B cells, although there was good antibody formation from splenic B cells. Antibody response to TNP-Ficoll was restored in pulmonary tissues when mice were immunized with TNP-Ficoll mixed with unconjugated B. abortus. In conclusion, our results indicate that TI-1 and TI-2 antigens differ in their ability to induce antibody responses in the pulmonary lymphoid tissues. The inability of TNP-Ficoll to elicit an antibody response in pulmonary lymphoid tissues has significance in the development of vaccines containing bacterial polysaccharides

A real-life comparative effectiveness study into the addition of antibiotics to the management of asthma exacerbations in primary care

Acknowledgements: This project was supported by the Respiratory Effectiveness Group. Data and data management support was provided in-kind by Optimum Patient Care (www.opcrd.co.uk) and Derek Skinner at OPC. Clare Murray is supported by the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre.Peer reviewedPostprin

Cohort Analysis of Exacerbation Rates in Adolescent and Adult Patients Initiating Inhaled Corticosteroids for Asthma : Different Dose–Response Profile by Particle Size

Data Availability. The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Funding. Teva Pharmaceuticals Europe B.V.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

A study of fundamental limitations to statistical detection of redshifted H i from the epoch of reionization

In this paper, we explore for the first time the relative magnitudes of three fundamental sources of uncertainty, namely, foreground contamination, thermal noise, and sample variance, in detecting the H I power spectrum from the epoch of reionization (Eo

Blood Eosinophil Count Predicts Treatment Failure and Hospital Readmission for COPD

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study was funded by AstraZeneca. Editorial support was provided by Joanne M. Faysal, MS, and Jennie G. Jacobson, PhD, CMPP, of JK Associates, Inc., and Michael A. Nissen, ELS, of AstraZeneca. This support was funded by AstraZeneca. DATA-SHARING STATEMENT Data underlying the findings described in this manuscript may be requested in accordance with AstraZeneca’s data-sharing policy described at https://astrazenecagroupdt.pharmacm.com/DT/HomePeer reviewedPublisher PD

Low-frequency observations of the moon with the murchison widefield array

A new generation of low-frequency radio telescopes is seeking to observe the redshifted 21cm signal from the epoch of reionization (EoR), requiring innovative methods of calibration and imaging to overcome the difficulties of wide-field low-frequency radio interferometry. Precise calibration will be required to separate the expected small EoR signal from the strong foreground emission at the frequencies of interest between 80 and 300MHz. The Moon may be useful as a calibration source for detection of the EoR signature, as it should have a smooth and predictable thermal spectrum across the frequency band of interest. Initial observations of the Moon with the Murchison Widefield Array 32 tile prototype show that the Moon does exhibit a similar trend to that expected for a cool thermally emitting body in the observed frequency range, but that the spectrum is corrupted by reflected radio emission from Earth. In particular, there is an abrupt increase in the observed flux density of the Moon within the internationally recognized frequency modulated (FM) radio band. The observations have implications for future low-frequency surveys and EoR detection experiments that will need to take this reflected emission from the Moon into account. The results also allow us to estimate the equivalent isotropic power emitted by the Earth in the FM band and to determine how bright the Earth might appear at meter wavelengths to an observer beyond our own solar system

From cheek swabs to consensus sequences : an A to Z protocol for high-throughput DNA sequencing of complete human mitochondrial genomes

Background: Next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) technologies have made huge impacts in many fields of biological research, but especially in evolutionary biology. One area where NGS has shown potential is for high-throughput sequencing of complete mtDNA genomes (of humans and other animals). Despite the increasing use of NGS technologies and a better appreciation of their importance in answering biological questions, there remain significant obstacles to the successful implementation of NGS-based projects, especially for new users. Results: Here we present an ‘A to Z’ protocol for obtaining complete human mitochondrial (mtDNA) genomes – from DNA extraction to consensus sequence. Although designed for use on humans, this protocol could also be used to sequence small, organellar genomes from other species, and also nuclear loci. This protocol includes DNA extraction, PCR amplification, fragmentation of PCR products, barcoding of fragments, sequencing using the 454 GS FLX platform, and a complete bioinformatics pipeline (primer removal, reference-based mapping, output of coverage plots and SNP calling). Conclusions: All steps in this protocol are designed to be straightforward to implement, especially for researchers who are undertaking next-generation sequencing for the first time. The molecular steps are scalable to large numbers (hundreds) of individuals and all steps post-DNA extraction can be carried out in 96-well plate format. Also, the protocol has been assembled so that individual ‘modules’ can be swapped out to suit available resources

Bodyweight Perceptions among Texas Women: The Effects of Religion, Race/Ethnicity, and Citizenship Status

Despite previous work exploring linkages between religious participation and health, little research has looked at the role of religion in affecting bodyweight perceptions. Using the theoretical model developed by Levin et al. (Sociol Q 36(1):157–173, 1995) on the multidimensionality of religious participation, we develop several hypotheses and test them by using data from the 2004 Survey of Texas Adults. We estimate multinomial logistic regression models to determine the relative risk of women perceiving themselves as overweight. Results indicate that religious attendance lowers risk of women perceiving themselves as very overweight. Citizenship status was an important factor for Latinas, with noncitizens being less likely to see themselves as overweight. We also test interaction effects between religion and race. Religious attendance and prayer have a moderating effect among Latina non-citizens so that among these women, attendance and prayer intensify perceptions of feeling less overweight when compared to their white counterparts. Among African American women, the effect of increased church attendance leads to perceptions of being overweight. Prayer is also a correlate of overweight perceptions but only among African American women. We close with a discussion that highlights key implications from our findings, note study limitations, and several promising avenues for future research