IFN-gamma is associated with risk of Schistosoma japonicum infection in China.

Before the start of the schistosomiasis transmission season, 129 villagers resident on a Schistosoma japonicum-endemic island in Poyang Lake, Jiangxi Province, 64 of whom were stool-positive for S. japonicum eggs by the Kato method and 65 negative, were treated with praziquantel. Forty-five days later the 93 subjects who presented for follow-up were all stool-negative. Blood samples were collected from all 93 individuals. S. japonicum soluble worm antigen (SWAP) and soluble egg antigen (SEA) stimulated IL-4, IL-5 and IFN-gamma production in whole-blood cultures were measured by ELISA. All the subjects were interviewed nine times during the subsequent transmission season to estimate the intensity of their contact with potentially infective snail habitats, and the subjects were all re-screened for S. japonicum by the Kato method at the end of the transmission season. Fourteen subjects were found to be infected at that time. There was some indication that the risk of infection might be associated with gender (with females being at higher risk) and with the intensity of water contact, and there was evidence that levels of SEA-induced IFN-gamma production were associated with reduced risk of infection

Generation of nearly nondiffracting Bessel beams with a Fabry–Perot interferometer

A new concept for generating zero-order Bessel beams was studied theoretically. The spatial intensity distribution was calculated numerically using a wave optics model. Approximate analytical expressions were derived to describe the radial intensity distribution in planes perpendicular to the optical axis of an imaging lens.Texas InstrumentsNational Science FoundationOTKA Foundation of the Hungarian Academy of Science

Impact of pharmacy care upon adherence to cardiovascular medication a feasibility controlled trial

ABSTRACT Objective To investigate the feasibility and potential impact of a pharmacy care intervention, involving motivational interviews among patients with acute coronary syndrome, on adherence to medication and on health outcomes. Methods This article reports a prospective, interventional, controlled feasibility/pilot study. Seventy one patients discharged from a London Heart Attack Centre following acute treatment for a coronary event were enrolled and followed up for 6 months. Thirty two pharmacies from six London boroughs were allocated into intervention or control sites. The intervention was delivered by community pharmacists face-to-face in the pharmacy, or by telephone. Consultations were delivered as part of the New Medicine Service or a Medication Usage Review. They involved a 15–20 min motivational interview aimed at improving protective cardiovascular medicine taking. Results At 3 months, there was a statistically significant difference in adherence between the intervention group (M=7.7, SD=0.56) and the control group (M=7.0, SD=1.85), p=0.026. At 6 months, the equivalent figures were for the intervention group M=7.5, SD=1.47 and for the controls M=6.1, SD=2.09 (p=0.004). In addition, there was a statistically significant relationship between the level of adherence at 3 months and beliefs regarding medicines ( p=0.028). Patients who reported better adherence expressed positive beliefs regarding the necessity of taking their medicines. However, given the small sample size, no statistically significant outcome difference in terms of recorded blood pressure and low density lipoproteincholesterol was observed over the 6 months of the study. Conclusions The feasibility, acceptability and potentially positive clinical outcome of the intervention were demonstrated, long with a high level of patient acceptability. It had a significant impact on cardiovascular medicine taking adherence. But these findings must be interpreted with caution. The intervention should be tested in a larger trial to ascertain its full clinical utility

Possible Beneficial Effect of Exercise, by Reducing Oxidative Stress, on the Incidence of Preeclampsia

We hypothesize that regular exercise enhances antioxidative enzymes in pregnant women, which reduce oxidative stress and, thus, the incidence of preeclampsia. Oxidative stress with enhanced lipid peroxide formation could lead to endothelial dysfunction in preeclampsia. Other conditions, such as increased transferrin saturation and decreased iron-binding capacity, directly and indirectly promote the process of oxidative stress and subsequent endothelial dysfunction. Exercise increases oxidative metabolism and produces a prooxidant environment. This acidic environment during exercise (at or beyond anaerobic threshold) promotes oxygen release from hemoglobin and increases in PO2 in tissues, as well as releases iron from transferrin. When exercise is repeated regularly, the body promptly adjusts so that oxidative stress is eliminated or reduced. The body's adaptations to a regular exercise habit seem to have an antioxidant effect. In humans, training effects have been identified with an enhanced activity of antioxidative enzymes. Another concerted adaptation that regular exercise brings to women's bodies is resistance against production of prooxidants by increasing the number of mitochondria. Equally important is a training effect that decreases susceptibility to lipid peroxidation. Evidence suggests that physically active women are less likely to develop preeclampsia. In theory, intracellular and extracellular conditions resulting from regular exercise should counteract the enhancement of oxidative stress, thus interfering with the process leading to endothelial dysfunction. This position paper describes a hypothesis and includes a brief review of exercise physiology and biochemical research in preeclampsia. Unlike other preventive treatments, such as aspirin or calcium supplements, a regular exercise habit leads to a positive and healthy lifestyle without concern of side effects.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/63167/1/152460901317193558.pd

On some aspects of the definition of scattering states in quantum field theory

The problem of extending quantum-mechanical formal scattering theory to a more general class of models that also includes quantum field theories is discussed, with the aim of clarifying certain aspects of the definition of scattering states. As the strong limit is not suitable for the definition of scattering states in quantum field theory, some other limiting procedure is needed. Two possibilities are considered, the abelian limit and adiabatic switching. Formulas for the scattering states based on both methods are discussed, and it is found that generally there are significant differences between the two approaches. As an illustration of the application and the features of these formulas, S-matrix elements and energy corrections in two quantum field theoretical models are calculated using (generalized) old-fashioned perturbation theory. The two methods are found to give equivalent results.Comment: 20 page

Association of Race and Ethnicity With COVID‐19 Outcomes in Rheumatic Disease: Data From the COVID‐19 Global Rheumatology Alliance Physician Registry

OBJECTIVE: Racial/ethnic minorities experience more severe outcomes of COVID-19 in the general United States (US) population. The aim of this study was to examine the association between race/ethnicity and COVID-19 hospitalization, ventilation status, and mortality in people with rheumatic disease. METHODS: US patients with rheumatic disease and COVID-19 entered into the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance physician registry March 24 - August 26, 2020 were included. Race/ethnicity was defined as white, Black, Latinx, Asian and other/mixed race. Outcomes included hospitalization, requirement for ventilatory support, and death. Multivariable regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals controlling for age, sex, smoking, rheumatic disease diagnosis, comorbidities, medications taken prior to infection, and rheumatic disease activity. RESULTS: A total of 1,324 patients were included, of whom 36% were hospitalized and 6% died; 26% of hospitalized patients required mechanical ventilation. In multivariable models, Black (OR=2.74, 95% CI 1.90, 3.95), Latinx (OR=1.71, 95% CI 1.18, 2.49), and Asian (OR=2.69, 95% CI 1.16, 6.24) patients had higher odds of being hospitalized compared to white patients. Latinx patients also had three-fold increased odds of requiring ventilatory support (OR=3.25, 95% CI 1.75, 6.05). No differences in mortality based on race/ethnicity were found, though power may have been limited to detect associations. CONCLUSION: Similar to findings in the general US population, racial/ethnic minorities with rheumatic disease and COVID-19 had increased odds of hospitalization and ventilatory support. These results illustrate significant health disparities related to COVID-19 in people with rheumatic diseases. The rheumatology community should proactively address the needs of patients currently experiencing inequitable health outcomes during the pandemic

Neuronal circuitry for pain processing in the dorsal horn

Neurons in the spinal dorsal horn process sensory information, which is then transmitted to several brain regions, including those responsible for pain perception. The dorsal horn provides numerous potential targets for the development of novel analgesics and is thought to undergo changes that contribute to the exaggerated pain felt after nerve injury and inflammation. Despite its obvious importance, we still know little about the neuronal circuits that process sensory information, mainly because of the heterogeneity of the various neuronal components that make up these circuits. Recent studies have begun to shed light on the neuronal organization and circuitry of this complex region

P-hydroxyphenylpyruvate, an intermediate of the Phe/Tyr catabolism, improves mitochondrial oxidative metabolism under stressing conditions and prolongs survival in rats subjected to profound hemorrhagic shock

The aim of this study was to test the effect of a small volume administration of p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate (pHPP) in a rat model of profound hemorrhagic shock and to assess a possible metabolic mechanism of action of the compound. The results obtained show that hemorrhaged rats treated with 2-4% of the estimated blood volume of pHPP survived significantly longer (p<0.001) than rats treated with vehicle. In vitro analysis on cultured EA.hy 926 cells demonstrated that pHPP improved cell growth rate and promoted cell survival under stressing conditions. Moreover, pHPP stimulated mitochondria-related respiration under ATP-synthesizing conditions and exhibited antioxidant activity toward mitochondria-generated reactive oxygen species. The compound effects reported in the in vitro and in vivo analyses were obtained in the same millimolar concentration range. These data disclose pHPP as an efficient energetic substrates-supplier to the mitochondrial respiratory chain as well as an antioxidant supporting the view that the compound warrants further evaluation as a therapeutic agent. © 2014 Cotoia et al

Nf2/Merlin controls spinal cord neural progenitor function in a Rac1/ErbB2-dependent manner

Objective: Individuals with the neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) cancer predisposition syndrome develop spinal cord glial tumors (ependymomas) that likely originate from neural progenitor cells. Whereas many spinal ependymomas exhibit indolent behavior, the only treatment option for clinically symptomatic tumors is surgery. In this regard, medical therapies are unfortunately lacking due to an incomplete understanding of the critical growth control pathways that govern the function of spinal cord (SC) neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Methods: To identify potential therapeutic targets for these tumors, we leveraged primary mouse Nf2-deficient spinal cord neural progenitor cells. Results: We demonstrate that the Nf2 protein, merlin, negatively regulates spinal neural progenitor cell survival and glial differentiation in an ErbB2-dependent manner, and that NF2-associated spinal ependymomas exhibit increased ErbB2 activation. Moreover, we show that Nf2-deficient SC NPC ErbB2 activation results from Rac1-mediated ErbB2 retention at the plasma membrane. Significance: Collectively, these findings establish ErbB2 as a potential rational therapeutic target for NF2-associated spinal ependymoma

Human Analogue Safe Haven Effect of the Owner : Behavioural and Heart Rate Response to Stressful Social Stimuli in Dogs

The secure base and safe haven effects of the attachment figure are central features of the human attachment theory. Recently, conclusive evidence for human analogue attachment behaviours in dogs has been provided, however, the owner’s security-providing role in danger has not been directly supported. We investigated the relationship between the behavioural and cardiac response in dogs (N = 30) while being approached by a threatening stranger in separation vs. in the presence of the owner, presented in a balanced order. Non-invasive telemetric measures of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) data during the threatening approaches was compared to periods before and after the encounters. Dogs that showed distress vocalisation during separation (N = 18) and that growled or barked at the stranger during the threatening approach (N = 17) were defined as behaviourally reactive in the given situation. While characteristic stress vocalisations were emitted during separations, the absence of the owner did not have an effect on dogs’ mean HR, but significantly increased the HRV. The threatening approach increased dogs’ mean HR, with a parallel decrease in the HRV, particularly in dogs that were behaviourally reactive to the encounter. Importantly, the HR increase was significantly less pronounced when dogs faced the stranger in the presence of the owner. Moreover, the test order, whether the dog encountered the stranger first with or without its owner, also proved important: HR increase associated with the encounter in separation seemed to be attenuated in dogs that faced the stranger first in the presence of their owner. We provided evidence for human analogue safe haven effect of the owner in a potentially dangerous situation. Similarly to parents of infants, owners can provide a buffer against stress in dogs, which can even reduce the effect of a subsequent encounter with the same threatening stimuli later when the owner is not present