Transcription factor C/EBPα is required for the development of Ly6Chi monocytes but not Ly6Clo monocytes

Monocytes comprise two major subsets, Ly6

An important role for CD4 + T cells in adaptive immunity to Toxoplasma gondii in mice lacking the transcription factor Batf3

Immunity t

CHANG-ES VI: Probing Supernova Energy Deposition in Spiral Galaxies Through Multi-Wavelength Relationships

How a galaxy regulates its SNe energy into different interstellar/circumgalactic medium components strongly affects galaxy evolution. Based on the JVLA D-configuration C- (6 GHz) and L-band (1.6 GHz) continuum observations, we perform statistical analysis comparing multi-wavelength properties of the CHANG-ES galaxies. The high-quality JVLA data and edge-on orientation enable us for the first time to include the halo into the energy budget for a complete radio-flux-limited sample. We find tight correlations of $L_{\rm radio}$ with the mid-IR-based SFR. The normalization of our $I_{\rm 1.6GHz}/{\rm W~Hz^{-1}}-{\rm SFR}$ relation is $\sim$2-3 times of those obtained for face-on galaxies, probably a result of enhanced IR extinction at high inclination. We also find tight correlations between $L_{\rm radio}$ and the SNe energy injection rate $\dot{E}_{\rm SN(Ia+CC)}$, indicating the energy loss via synchrotron radio continuum accounts for $\sim0.1\%$ of $\dot{E}_{\rm SN}$, comparable to the energy contained in CR electrons. The integrated C-to-L-band spectral index is $\alpha\sim0.5-1.1$ for non-AGN galaxies, indicating a dominance by the diffuse synchrotron component. The low-scatter $L_{\rm radio}-{\rm SFR}$/$L_{\rm radio}-\dot{E}_{\rm SN (Ia+CC)}$ relationships have super-linear logarithmic slopes at $\sim2~\sigma$ in L-band ($1.132\pm0.067$/$1.175\pm0.102$) while consistent with linear in C-band ($1.057\pm0.075$/$1.100\pm0.123$). The super-linearity could be naturally reproduced with non-calorimeter models for galaxy disks. Using Chandra halo X-ray measurements, we find sub-linear $L_{\rm X}-L_{\rm radio}$ relations. These results indicate that the observed radio halo of a starburst galaxy is close to electron calorimeter, and a galaxy with higher SFR tends to distribute an increased fraction of SNe energy into radio emission (than X-ray).Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, MNRAS in pres

Application of Automatic Speech Recognition Technology for Dysphonic Speech Assessment

Dysphonia is a communication disorder secondary to a problem with voice production. Speakers with dysphonia often report decreased intelligibility, particularly in a noisy communication environment. Intelligibility is the primary measure of a speaker’s communicative ability; however, it is not routinely assessed in clinical settings today. This lack of intelligibility assessment can be partly attributed to the time-consuming, labor-intensive nature of manually transcribing a speaker’s utterance. Recent advances in automatic speech recognition technology have significantly increased the ease and accuracy of speech-to-text transcription, and incorporation of this technology may dramatically increase efficiency in clinical intelligibility assessment. Therefore, this project examined the feasibility of an automatic speech-to-text transcription program for describing speech production abnormalities among speakers with dysphonia. Audio recordings of the Rainbow Passage from 30 adult female speakers with normal voice and 23 adult female speakers with dysphonic voice were transcribed using IBM Watson speech-to-text transcription service. Differences between the groups were evaluated based on three measures: 1) error rate in transcribed words, 2) confidence level of transcribed words, and 3) number of possible alternatives for transcribed words. The results indicated that the confidence level was significantly lower, and the number of possible alternatives was significantly higher in the dysphonic group. Interestingly, there was no significant between-group difference in the error rate. Clinical implications of these findings and future direction will be discussed.Ope

Microstructural investigation of Au ion-irradiated Eu-doped LaPO4 ceramics and single crystals

Ceramics and single crystals of LaPO4 monazite doped with Eu(III) were irradiated with 14 MeV Au5+ ions at three different fluences. Changes to crystallinity, local coordination environments, and topography were probed using grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), vertical scanning interferometry (VSI), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman, and luminescence spectroscopy. GIXRD data of the ceramics revealed fluence dependent amorphization. A similar level of amorphization was detected for samples irradiated with 5 × 1013 ions/cm2 and 1 × 1014 ions/cm2, whereas the sample irradiated with the highest fluence of 1 × 1015 ions/cm2 appeared slightly less amorphous. VSI showed clear swelling of entire grains at the highest ion fluence, while more localized damage to grain boundaries was detected for ceramic samples irradiated at the lowest fluence. Single crystal specimens showed no pronounced topography changes following irradiation. SEM images of the ceramic irradiated at the highest fluence showed topological features indicative of grain surface melting. Raman and luminescence data showed a different degree of disorder in polycrystalline vs. single crystal samples. While changes to PO4 vibrational modes were observed in the ceramics, changes were more subtle or not present in the single crystals. The opposite was observed when probing the local Ln-O environment using Eu(III) luminescence, where the larger changes in terms of an elongation of the Eu-O (or La-O) bond and an increasing relative disorder with increasing fluence were observed only for the single crystals. The dissimilar trends observed in irradiated single crystals and ceramics indicate that grain boundary chemistry likely plays a significant role in the radiation response

IL-6 selectively suppresses cDC1 specification via C/EBPβ

Cytokines produced in association with tumors can impair antitumor immune responses by reducing the abundance of type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1), but the mechanism remains unclear. Here, we show that tumor-derived IL-6 generally reduces cDC development but selectively impairs cDC1 development in both murine and human systems through the induction of C/EBPβ in the common dendritic cell progenitor (CDP). C/EBPβ and NFIL3 compete for binding to sites in the Zeb2 -165 kb enhancer and support or repress Zeb2 expression, respectively. At homeostasis, pre-cDC1 specification occurs upon Nfil3 induction and consequent Zeb2 suppression. However, IL-6 strongly induces C/EBPβ expression in CDPs. Importantly, the ability of IL-6 to impair cDC development is dependent on the presence of C/EBPβ binding sites in the Zeb2 -165 kb enhancer, as this effect is lost in Δ1+2+3 mutant mice in which these binding sites are mutated. These results explain how tumor-associated IL-6 suppresses cDC1 development and suggest therapeutic approaches preventing abnormal C/EBPβ induction in CDPs may help reestablish cDC1 development to enhance antitumor immunity

The effects of visual priming on information processing in child sexual offenders

Child sexual offenders are hypothesized to hold offence-supportive beliefs that set them apart from others. The current study seeks support for this view via a cognitive-experimental approach. Child sexual offenders and offender controls were exposed to pictures of semi-clothed children (priming condition) or clothed, mature adults (control condition). Participants then read ambiguous sentences describing children\u27s actions that could be interpreted in a sexualized manner. Next, participants completed a surprise recognition test in which half the sentences were re-presented in an unambiguously sexual form, and half in an unambiguously non-sexual form. Contrary to hypotheses, primed and/or control child sexual offenders did not show a memory bias for sexualized sentences, suggesting that they did not interpret the original sentences in line with offence-supportive beliefs. Results raise questions about whether child sexual offenders universally hold abnormal beliefs that facilitate their offending. Results also highlight the need for further experimental research within this field

Continuum Halos in Nearby Galaxies -- an EVLA Survey (CHANG-ES) -- I: Introduction to the Survey

We introduce a new survey to map the radio continuum halos of a sample of 35 edge-on spiral galaxies at 1.5 GHz and 6 GHz in all polarization products. The survey is exploiting the new wide bandwidth capabilities of the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (i.e. the Expanded Very Large Array, or EVLA) in a variety of array configurations (B, C, and D) in order to compile the most comprehensive data set yet obtained for the study of radio halo properties. This is the first survey of radio halos to include all polarization products. In this first paper, we outline the scientific motivation of the survey, the specific science goals, and the expected improvements in noise levels and spatial coverage from the survey. Our goals include investigating the physical conditions and origin of halos, characterizing cosmic ray transport and wind speed, measuring Faraday rotation and mapping the magnetic field, probing the in-disk and extraplanar far-infrared - radio continuum relation, and reconciling non-thermal radio emission with high-energy gamma-ray models. The sample size allows us to search for correlations between radio halos and other properties, including environment, star formation rate, and the presence of AGNs. In a companion paper (Paper II) we outline the data reduction steps and present the first results of the survey for the galaxy, NGC 4631.Comment: 17 pages, 1 figure, accepted to the Astronomical Journal, Version 2 changes: added acknowledgement to NRA

Bhlhe40 controls cytokine production by T cells and is essential for pathogenicity in autoimmune neuroinflammation

T(H)1 and T(H)17 cells mediate neuroinflammation in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a mouse model of multiple sclerosis. Pathogenic T(H) cells in EAE must produce the pro-inflammatory cytokine granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). T(H) cell pathogenicity in EAE is also regulated by cell-intrinsic production of the immunosuppressive cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10). Here, we demonstrate that mice deficient for the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor Bhlhe40 (Bhlhe40(−/−)) are resistant to the induction of EAE. Bhlhe40 is required in vivo in a T cell-intrinsic manner, where it positively regulates the production of GM-CSF and negatively regulates the production of IL-10. In vitro, GM-CSF secretion is selectively abrogated in polarized Bhlhe40(−/−) T(H)1 and T(H)17 cells, and these cells show increased production of IL-10. Blockade of IL-10 receptor in Bhlhe40(−/−) mice renders them susceptible to EAE. These findings identify Bhlhe40 as a critical regulator of autoreactive T cell pathogenicity

Continuum Halos in Nearby Galaxies -- an EVLA Survey (CHANG-ES) -- II: First Results on NGC 4631

We present the first results from the CHANG-ES survey, a new survey of 35 edge-on galaxies to search for both in-disk as well as extra-planar radio continuum emission. The motivation and science case for the survey are presented in a companion paper (Paper I). In this paper (Paper II), we outline the observations and data reduction steps required for wide-band calibration and mapping of EVLA data, including polarization, based on C-array test observations of NGC 4631. With modest on-source observing times (30 minutes at 1.5 GHz and 75 minutes at 6 GHz for the test data) we have achieved best rms noise levels of 22 and 3.5 $\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$ at 1.5 GHz and 6 GHz, respectively. New disk-halo features have been detected, among them two at 1.5 GHz that appear as loops in projection. We present the first 1.5 GHz spectral index map of NGC 4631 to be formed from a single wide-band observation in a single array configuration. This map represents tangent slopes to the intensities within the band centered at 1.5 GHz, rather than fits across widely separated frequencies as has been done in the past and is also the highest spatial resolution spectral index map yet presented for this galaxy. The average spectral index in the disk is $\bar\alpha_{1.5 GHz}\,=\,-0.84\,\pm\,0.05$ indicating that the emission is largely non-thermal, but a small global thermal contribution is sufficient to explain a positive curvature term in the spectral index over the band. Two specific star forming regions have spectral indices that are consistent with thermal emission. Polarization results (uncorrected for internal Faraday rotation) are consistent with previous observations and also reveal some new features. On broad scales, we find strong support for the notion that magnetic fields constrain the X-ray emitting hot gas.Comment: Accepted to the Astronomical Journal, Version 2 changes: Added acknowledgement to NRA