Interleukin-22 Protects Intestinal Stem Cells from Immune-Mediated Tissue Damage and Regulates Sensitivity to Graft versus Host Disease

SummaryLittle is known about the maintenance of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) and progenitors during immune-mediated tissue damage or about the susceptibility of transplant recipients to tissue damage mediated by the donor immune system during graft versus host disease (GVHD). We demonstrate here that deficiency of recipient-derived IL-22 increased acute GVHD tissue damage and mortality, that ISCs were eliminated during GVHD, and that ISCs as well as their downstream progenitors expressed the IL-22 receptor. Intestinal IL-22 was produced after bone marrow transplant by IL-23-responsive innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) from the transplant recipients, and intestinal IL-22 increased in response to pretransplant conditioning. However, ILC frequency and IL-22 amounts were decreased by GVHD. Recipient IL-22 deficiency led to increased crypt apoptosis, depletion of ISCs, and loss of epithelial integrity. Our findings reveal IL-22 as a critical regulator of tissue sensitivity to GVHD and a protective factor for ISCs during inflammatory intestinal damage

Building the Games Students Want to Play: BiblioBouts Project Interim Report #3

The University of Michigan's School of Information and its partner, the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, are undertaking the 3-year BiblioBouts Project (October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2011) to support the design, development, testing, and evaluation of the web-based BiblioBouts game to teach incoming undergraduate students information literacy skills and concepts. This third interim report describes the BiblioBouts Project team’s 6-month progress achieving the project's 4 objectives: designing, developing, deploying, and evaluating the BiblioBouts game and recommending best practices for future information literacy games. This latest 6-month period was marked by extensive progress in the deployment and evaluation of the alpha version of BiblioBouts. Major tasks that will occupy the team for the next 6 months are applying evaluation findings to game redesign and enhancement. For general information about game design, pedagogical goals, scoring, game play, project participants, and playing BiblioBouts in your course, consult the BiblioBouts Project web site.Institute of Museum and Library Serviceshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69157/1/bbInterimReportToIMLS03.pd

"Being an Asian American Male is Really Hard Actually": Cultural Psychology of Asian American Masculinities and Psychological Well-Being.

This dissertation study examined beliefs about idealized masculine cultural identity and psychological well-being among Asian American male college students using social marginality and intersectionality perspectives. An online survey (N = 381) and semi-structured interviews (n = 20) were conducted to examine an idealized cultural identity research model. Structural Equation Modeling revealed that Perceived Asian Discrimination (b = 0.29, p < .001) and Perceived Parental Perfectionism (b = 0.13, p < .01) positively related to Model Minority Male Ideal. Model Minority Male Ideal positively related to Model Minority Pride and Pressure (b = 0.46, p < .001; b = 0.12, p < .05). Model Minority Pride positively related to John Henryism (b = 0.37, p < .001) and direct coping (b = 0.29, p < .001). Model Minority Pressure negatively related to John Henryism (b = -0.14, p < .05) and direct coping (b = -0.22, p < .001). John Henryism and direct coping negatively related to perceived stress (b = -0.20, p < .001; b = -0.27, p < .001), depressive symptoms (b = -0.19, p < .001; b = -0.40, p < .001), and anxiety symptoms (b = -0.15, p < .01; b = -0.24, p < .001), and positively related to life satisfaction (b = 0.28, p < .001; b = 0.27, p < .001). John Henryism positively related to GPA (b = .15, p < .01). Seven major themes emerged from the interviews: (a) transmission of parental messages were largely tacit; (b) parental perfectionism was both resented and valued; (c) responses to perceived Asian discrimination and stereotypes were heterogeneous; (d) masculinity was characterized as strength of character; (e) multiple referents were used to implicitly describe masculinity; (f) attitudes toward out-group dating reflected complex ideas about race relations; (g) active coping was recognized and often utilized. Overall findings indicate that social marginality contributes to the endorsement of idealized beliefs about masculine cultural identity and model minority pride and pressure, which may influence active coping, psychological well-being, and academic outcomes. The results of this study have potential implications for clinical psychology, gender psychology, and developing cultural competent student services.Ph.D.Psychology and Women's StudiesUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/62287/1/jyim_1.pd

Age- and Sex-Specific Relationships between Household Income, Education, and Diabetes Mellitus in Korean Adults: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2008-2010

<div><p>Background</p><p>To investigate the effects of age and sex on the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and the prevalence and control status of diabetes mellitus (DM) in Korean adults.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Data came from 16,175 adults (6,951 men and 9,227 women) over the age of 30 who participated in the 2008-2010 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. SES was measured by household income or education level. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the prevalence or control status of diabetes were calculated using multiple logistic regression analyses across household income quartiles and education levels.</p><p>Results</p><p>The household income-DM and education level-DM relationships were significant in younger age groups for both men and women. The adjusted ORs and 95% CI for diabetes were 1.51 (0.97, 2.34) and 2.28 (1.29, 4.02) for the lowest vs. highest quartiles of household income and education level, respectively, in women younger than 65 years of age (both <i>P</i> for linear trend < 0.05 with Bonferroni adjustment). The adjusted OR and 95% CI for diabetes was 2.28 (1.53, 3.39) for the lowest vs. highest quartile of household income in men younger than 65 (<i>P</i> for linear trend < 0.05 with Bonferroni adjustment). However, in men and women older than 65, no associations were found between SES and the prevalence of DM. No significant association between SES and the status of glycemic control was detected.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>We found age- and sex-specific differences in the relationship of household income and education with the prevalence of DM in Korea. DM preventive care is needed for groups with a low SES, particularly in young or middle-aged populations.</p></div

Distribution of characteristics according to socioeconomic status in men.

<p>Values are means ± SE or percentages (SE).</p><p>Obtained by ANOVA for continuous variables and by chi-square test for categorical variables.</p><p>Distribution of characteristics according to socioeconomic status in men.</p

General characteristics of the study participants according to sex.

<p>Values are means ± SE or percentages (SE).</p><p>General characteristics of the study participants according to sex.</p

Age- and sex-specific odds ratios (95% CIs) for diabetes mellitus according to socioeconomic status.

<p>Adjusted ORs (model 1) for diabetes were determined after adjusting for age, place, marital status, smoking, alcohol intake, and education level (across household income) or household income (across education level).</p><p>Adjusted ORs (model 2) for diabetes were determined by additionally adjusting for regular exercise, fat intake, and energy intake.</p><p>Adjusted ORs (model 3) for diabetes were determined by additionally adjusting for body mass index, hypertension, high triglycerides, and low HDL-cholesterol.</p><p>OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval.</p><p>Age- and sex-specific odds ratios (95% CIs) for diabetes mellitus according to socioeconomic status.</p

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus according to the level of household income in participants less than (A) or greater than (B) 65 years old and to the level of education in participants less than (C) or greater than (D) 65 years old.

<p>NS, non-specific.</p