Vibrio vulnificus RtxA Is a Major Factor Driving Inflammatory T Helper Type 17 Cell Responses in vitro and in vivo

T helper type 17 (Th17) cells are a subset of pro-inflammatory T helper cells that mediate host defense and pathological inflammation. We have previously reported that host dendritic cells (DCs) infected with Vibrio vulnificus induce Th17 responses through the production of several pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6. V. vulnificus produces RTX toxin (RtxA), an important virulence factor that determines successful pathophysiology. In this study, we investigated the involvement of RtxA from V. vulnificus in Th17 cell induction through the activation and maturation of DCs. The increased expression of the DC surface marker CD40 caused by V. vulnificus wild-type infection was reduced by rtxA gene mutation in V. vulnificus. The mRNA and protein levels of Th17 polarization-related cytokines also decreased in V. vulnificus rtxA mutant-infected DCs. In addition, the co-culture of Th cells and DCs infected with rtxA mutant V. vulnificus resulted in reduction in DC-mediated Th17 responses. Th17 cell responses in the small intestinal lamina propria decreased in mice inoculated with V. vulnificus rtxA mutant as compared to those inoculated with the wild-type strain. These decreases in DC maturation, Th17-polarizing cytokine secretion, and Th17 responses attributed to rtxA mutation were restored following infection with the rtxA revertant strain. Furthermore, the mutation in the hlyU gene encoding the activator of rtxA1 gene reproduced the results observed with rtxA mutation. Taken together, V. vulnificus, by means of RtxA, induces inflammatory Th17 responses, which may be associated with adaptive responses of the host against V. vulnificus infection

Unilateral Trigeminal Mandibular Motor Neuropathy Caused by Tumor in the Foramen Ovale

Pure trigeminal motor neuropathy is characterized by trigeminal motor weakness without signs of trigeminal sensory or other cranial nerve involvement. We describe a 63-year-old woman with progressive weakness and atrophy of the left masticatory muscles. She had no sensory disturbance. The diagnosis of pure trigeminal motor neuropathy was made on the basis of clinical and electrophysiologic studies. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed enhancement of the enlarged mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve coursing through the left foramen ovale. Our observations suggest that pure trigeminal motor neuropathy can be induced by a tumor

Clinical Features of Probable Cluster Headache: A Prospective, Cross-Sectional Multicenter Study

Background: Epidemiological data of probable cluster headaches (CH) are scarce in the relevant literature. Here, we sought to assess the prevalence and clinical characteristics of probable CH in comparison with definite CH.Methods: Data used in this study were obtained from the Korean Cluster Headache Registry (KCHR), a prospective, cross-sectional, multicenter headache registry that collected data from consecutive patients diagnosed with CH.Results: In total, 159 patients were enrolled in this study; 20 (12.6%) were diagnosed with probable CH. The most common unfulfilled criterion in patients with probable CH was the duration of attack, which was found in 40% of patients with probable CH. Among clinical characteristics, the number of autonomic symptoms tended to be lower in probable CH than in definite CH (1.7 ± 1.2 vs. 2.4 ± 1.5, p = 0.051) and conjunctival injection and lacrimation showed an increased odds ratio (OR) [OR = 3.03; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03–8.33] in definite CH. The groups did not differ with regard to baseline demographic characteristics, disability, impact on life, or treatment response.Conclusions: Probable CH is relatively common among CH disorders, with a clinical impact similar to that of definite CH

Commonality and variation in mental representations of music revealed by a cross-cultural comparison of rhythm priors in 15 countries

Music is present in every known society but varies from place to place. What, if anything, is universal to music cognition? We measured a signature of mental representations of rhythm in 39 participant groups in 15 countries, spanning urban societies and Indigenous populations. Listeners reproduced random 'seed' rhythms; their reproductions were fed back as the stimulus (as in the game of 'telephone'), such that their biases (the prior) could be estimated from the distribution of reproductions. Every tested group showed a sparse prior with peaks at integer-ratio rhythms. However, the importance of different integer ratios varied across groups, often reflecting local musical practices. Our results suggest a common feature of music cognition: discrete rhythm 'categories' at small-integer ratios. These discrete representations plausibly stabilize musical systems in the face of cultural transmission but interact with culture-specific traditions to yield the diversity that is evident when mental representations are probed across many cultures. [Abstract copyright: © 2024. The Author(s).

Dance and Music in “Gangnam Style”: How Dance Observation Affects Meter Perception

<div><p>Dance and music often co-occur as evidenced when viewing choreographed dances or singers moving while performing. This study investigated how the viewing of dance motions shapes sound perception. Previous research has shown that dance reflects the temporal structure of its accompanying music, communicating musical meter (i.e. a hierarchical organization of beats) via coordinated movement patterns that indicate where strong and weak beats occur. Experiments here investigated the effects of dance cues on meter perception, hypothesizing that dance could embody the musical meter, thereby shaping participant reaction times (RTs) to sound targets occurring at different metrical positions.In experiment 1, participants viewed a video with dance choreography indicating 4/4 meter (dance condition) or a series of color changes repeated in sequences of four to indicate 4/4 meter (picture condition). A sound track accompanied these videos and participants reacted to timbre targets at different metrical positions. Participants had the slowest RT’s at the strongest beats in the dance condition only. In experiment 2, participants viewed the choreography of the horse-riding dance from Psy’s “Gangnam Style” in order to examine how a familiar dance might affect meter perception. Moreover, participants in this experiment were divided into a group with experience dancing this choreography and a group without experience. Results again showed slower RTs to stronger metrical positions and the group with experience demonstrated a more refined perception of metrical hierarchy. Results likely stem from the temporally selective division of attention between auditory and visual domains. This study has implications for understanding: 1) the impact of splitting attention among different sensory modalities, and 2) the impact of embodiment, on perception of musical meter. Viewing dance may interfere with sound processing, particularly at critical metrical positions, but embodied familiarity with dance choreography may facilitate meter awareness. Results shed light on the processing of multimedia environments.</p></div

Erythroid Differentiation Regulator 1 Ameliorates Collagen-Induced Arthritis via Activation of Regulatory T Cells

Erythroid differentiation regulator 1 (Erdr1) has been identified as an anti-inflammatory factor in several disease models, including collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), but its exact mechanisms are still not fully understood. Here, the involvement of regulatory T (Treg) cells in Erdr1-improved CIA was investigated. In the CIA model, Erdr1 was confirmed to reduce collagen-specific IgM in plasma and plasma cells in draining lymph nodes. Importantly, the downregulated Treg cell ratio in draining lymph nodes from CIA mice was recovered by Erdr1 treatment. In addition, administration of Erdr1 improved the CIA score and joint tissue damage, while it revealed no effect in Treg cell-depleted CIA mice, indicating that Treg cells mediate the therapeutic effects of Erdr1 in the CIA model. Results from in vitro experiments also demonstrated that Erdr1 significantly induced Treg cell differentiation and the expression of Treg activation markers, including CD25, CD69, and CTLA4 in CD4+Foxp3+ cells. Furthermore, Erdr1-activated Treg cells dramatically suppressed the proliferation of responder T cells, suggesting that they are functionally active. Taken together, these results show that Erdr1 induces activation of Treg cells and ameliorates rheumatoid arthritis via Treg cells

Average RT and standard deviation (ms) for each metrical position of each measure.

<p>Average RT and standard deviation (ms) for each metrical position of each measure.</p

Motion magnitude changes in the dance pattern used for the first experiment displayed as a function of time.

<p>The basic dance pattern is 4 seconds, comprising two measures of four beats. The gray windows represent the timing points when the timbre targets of MP1, MP4, MP5, and MP8 are presented. The width of each window corresponds to the duration of each target. For the mean motion magnitudes used in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0134725#pone.0134725.g004" target="_blank">Fig 4B</a>, we averaged the magnitudes within the window of each metrical position for all measures.</p

Average RT and standard deviation (ms) for each metrical position in each group.

<p>Average RT and standard deviation (ms) for each metrical position in each group.</p