Defining the chromatin signature of inducible genes in T cells

BACKGROUND Specific chromatin characteristics, especially the modification status of the core histone proteins, are associated with active and inactive genes. There is growing evidence that genes that respond to environmental or developmental signals may possess distinct chromatin marks. Using a T cell model and both genome-wide and gene-focused approaches, we examined the chromatin characteristics of genes that respond to T cell activation. RESULTS To facilitate comparison of genes with similar basal expression levels, we used expression-profiling data to bin genes according to their basal expression levels. We found that inducible genes in the lower basal expression bins, especially rapidly induced primary response genes, were more likely than their non-responsive counterparts to display the histone modifications of active genes, have RNA polymerase II (Pol II) at their promoters and show evidence of ongoing basal elongation. There was little or no evidence for the presence of active chromatin marks in the absence of promoter Pol II on these inducible genes. In addition, we identified a subgroup of genes with active promoter chromatin marks and promoter Pol II but no evidence of elongation. Following T cell activation, we find little evidence for a major shift in the active chromatin signature around inducible gene promoters but many genes recruit more Pol II and show increased evidence of elongation. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the majority of inducible genes are primed for activation by having an active chromatin signature and promoter Pol II with or without ongoing elongation

Turning to art as a positive way of living with cancer: A qualitative study of personal motives and contextual influences

Why do some women turn to creative art-making after a diagnosis of cancer? Eleven women provided qualitative accounts that were analyzed following guidelines for interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Some described taking up artistic leisure activities initially in order to manage emotional distress. Others emphasized their need for positive well-being, taking up art to experience achievement and satisfaction, to regain a positive identity, and to normalize family dynamics in the context of living with cancer. Participants’ turn to art-making was facilitated by biographical and contextual factors, including pre-existing craft skills, long-standing personal values and coping philosophies, family role models for managing adversity, and the supportive encouragement of family and friends. Other research has acknowledged that positive lifestyle change and post-traumatic growth can occur after a cancer diagnosis, and this study reveals a multi-faceted process. The findings suggest a need for further research into the experiences that facilitate positive lifestyle change and subjective well-being among people who are living with cancer

Transcriptomic analysis of mouse EL4 T cells upon T cell activation and in response to protein synthesis inhibition via cycloheximide treatment

T cell activation involves the recognition of a foreign antigen complexed to the major histocompatibility complex on the antigen presenting T cell to the T cell receptor. This leads to activation of signaling pathways, which ultimately leads to induction of key cytokine genes responsible for eradication of foreign antigens. We used the mouse EL4 T cell as a model system to study genes that are induced as a result of T cell activation using phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and calcium ionomycin (I) as stimuli. We were also interested to examine the importance of new protein synthesis in regulating the expression of genes involved in T cell activation. Thus we have pre-treated mouse EL4 T cells with cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, and left the cells unstimulated or stimulated with PMA/I for 4 h. We performed microarray expression profiling of these cells to correlate the gene expression with chromatin state of T cells upon T cell activation [1]. Here, we detail further information and analysis of the microarray data, which shows that T cell activation leads to differential expression of genes and inducible genes can be further classified as primary and secondary response genes based on their protein synthesis dependency. The data is available in the Gene Expression Omnibus under accession number GSE13278

Depression outcome expectancy in primary care in Singapore: symptom severity as a mediating determinant

Background: Depression has been identified as the most common mental illness in Singapore. To address this growing concern, the current study focused on the population within the primary care setting since depression has been demonstrated to be highly prevalent in these patients. This study examined the possible predictors of outcome expectancy based on illness perception and depression severity. Methods: One hundred and one adult patients with depressive symptoms in primary care were recruited for a cross-sectional study. Positive outcome expectancy was measured using the Depression Change Expectancy Scale, and illness perception was measured using the Illness Perception Questionnaire Mental Health. Depression severity was derived from the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores extracted from the participants' medical records. Regression and mediation analyses were applied to explore possible predictors of positive outcome expectancy. Results: Regression analysis demonstrated that symptom severity, and specific dimensions under illness perception (i.e., perception of chronicity, perception of personal control, and perception of treatment control) were the most significant predictors of positive outcome expectancy. Mediation analysis found that symptom severity partially mediated the relationship between perception of chronicity and positive outcome expectancy. Conclusions: Pharmacotherapy, interventions from allied health professionals, and psychotherapeutic interventions (e.g., strategies from positive psychology, solution-focused therapy, and strengths-based cognitive behavioral therapy) that aim to directly alleviate depressive symptoms as well as improve the perceptions of chronicity, personal control, and treatment control could potentially enhance treatment benefits in primary care patients with depression

Invariances of Frame Sequences under Perturbations

This paper determines the exact relationships that hold among the major Paley–Wiener perturbation theorems for frame sequences. It is shown that major properties of a frame sequence such as excess, deficit, and rank remain invariant under Paley–Wiener perturbations, but need not be preserved by compact perturbations. For localized frames, which are frames with additional structure, it is shown that the frame measure function is also preserved by Paley–Wiener perturbations

Session 3: Digital Merrill

1:15 p.m. — Session 3: Digital Merrill Shannon Davis, digital library services manager, WU: The James Merrill Digital Archive: Process and Product Annelise Duerden, PhD candidate in English, WU — “Admit It Arguably A priori Admittedly I have failed”: Re-vision in the Merrill Archive Heidi Lim, PhD candidate in English, WU — To Tag or Not to Tag: The Digital Markup Process as a Form of Reading Timothy Materer, professor emeritus, University of Missouri — The Poem as a Netscap

Leptin, adiponectin, and obesity among Caucasian and Asian women.

Ethnic differences in adipose tissue distribution may contribute to different chronic disease risks across ethnic groups, and adipokines may mediate the risk. In a cross-sectional study, we examined ethnic differences in adipokines and inflammatory markers as related to body mass index (BMI) among 183 premenopausal women with Caucasian and Asian ancestry. General linear models were used to estimate adjusted mean levels of leptin, adiponectin, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein (CRP). Asian women had significantly lower serum levels of leptin, adiponectin, and CRP than Caucasian participants (P≤.01) across all levels of BMI. Among overweight and obese women, Asians showed a stronger association of CRP with leptin (β=1.34 versus β=0.64) and with adiponectin (β=-0.95 versus β=-0.75) than Caucasians. Compared to Caucasians of similar BMI, Asians may experience a higher chronic disease risk due to lower levels of adiponectin despite their lower levels of leptin

Exposure to Secondhand Smoke and the Development of Childhood Caries: NHANES (2011-2012)

Dental caries continue to plague young children worldwide with numerous adverse effects including pain, poor growth and development, decreased quality of life as well as the potential for the development of life threatening secondary infections. Factors associated with the development of childhood caries are complex as they relate to social, economic and/or cultural behaviors. Recent evidence has linked secondhand smoke to the development of childhood dental caries. The purpose of the study is to re-examine the association between the frequency and extent of exposure to secondhand smoke with the development of childhood caries in the United States. Cross-sectional data of 1,511 children age 4 to 11 years from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2011-2012) were analyzed. Results indicate that children living in a home where one or more cigarettes were smoked inside per day were 1.59 times more likely to have caries compared to those who were not exposed to smoke inside the home (95% CI=1.02-2.47, p=0.041). Those children without insurance were also at highest risk for dental caries. However those with Medicare/Medicaid, despite having government mandated dental coverage, were also significantly affected and 1.67 times more likely to have dental caries compared to those with private insurance (95% CI=1.08-2.58, p=0.021). Creative approaches to improving health outcomes of families should include education about the adverse effects of ETS exposure, providing families with low or no cost community smoking cessation programs and reducing barriers to accessing preventive dental services for both children and their families