Search results for "ORIGINAL ARTICLES"
showing 10 items of 474 documents
Persistent inflammation alters the function of the endogenous brain stem cell compartment
2008
Endogenous neural stem/precursor cells (NPCs) are considered a functional reservoir for promoting tissue homeostasis and repair after injury, therefore regenerative strategies that mobilize these cells have recently been proposed. Despite evidence of increased neurogenesis upon acute inflammatory insults (e.g. ischaemic stroke), the plasticity of the endogenous brain stem cell compartment in chronic CNS inflammatory disorders remains poorly characterized. Here we show that persistent brain inflammation, induced by immune cells targeting myelin, extensively alters the proliferative and migratory properties of subventricular zone (SVZ)-resident NPCs in vivo leading to significant accumulation…
The effect of inbreeding rate on fitness, inbreeding depression and heterosis over a range of inbreeding coefficients
2014
Understanding the effects of inbreeding and genetic drift within populations and hybridization between genetically differentiated populations is important for many basic and applied questions in ecology and evolutionary biology. The magnitudes and even the directions of these effects can be influenced by various factors, especially by the current and historical population size (i.e. inbreeding rate). Using Drosophila littoralis as a model species, we studied the effect of inbreeding rate over a range of inbreeding levels on (i) mean fitness of a population (relative to that of an outbred control population), (ii) within‐population inbreeding depression (reduction in fitness of offspring fro…
Application of the Health Action Process Approach to Social Distancing Behavior During COVID‐19
2020
Author(s): Hamilton, Kyra; Smith, Stephanie R; Keech, Jacob J; Moyers, Susette A; Hagger, Martin S | Abstract: BackgroundThis study examined the social cognition determinants of social distancing behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in samples from Australia and the US guided by the health action process approach (HAPA).MethodsParticipants (Australia: Nn=n495, 50.1% women; US: Nn=n701, 48.9% women) completed HAPA social cognition constructs at an initial time-point (T1), and one week later (T2) self-reported their social distancing behavior.ResultsSingle-indicator structural equation models that excluded and included past behavior exhibited adequate fit with the data. Intention and action …
Quantitative analysis of airway obstruction in lymphangioleiomyomatosis
2020
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare, cystic lung disease with progressive pulmonary function loss caused by progressively proliferating LAM cells. The degree of airway obstruction has not been well investigated within the pathogenesis of LAM. Using a combination of ex vivo computed tomography (CT), microCT and histology, the site and nature of airway obstruction in LAM explant lungs was compared with matched control lungs (n=5 each). The total number of airways per generation, total airway counts, terminal bronchioles number and surface density were compared in LAM versus control. Ex vivo CT analysis demonstrated a reduced number of airways from generation 7 on (p<0.0001) in LAM compar…
Improving uptake of screening for colorectal cancer: a study on invitation strategies and different test kit use
2015
Objective The aim of this study was to compare the uptake of mail-delivered tests for colorectal cancer screening. We assessed the effect of an advance notification letter and a reminder letter, and analysed the proportion of inappropriately handled tests. Materials and methods Fifteen thousand randomly selected residents of Latvia aged 50–74 years were allocated to receive one of three different test systems: either a guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBT) or one of two laboratory-based immunochemical tests (FIT) – FOB Gold or OC-Sensor. Half of the target population received an advance notification letter; all nonresponders were sent a reminder letter. Results The uptake of screening was…
Lung microenvironments and disease progression in fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis
2022
Rationale: Fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (fHP) is an interstitial lung disease caused by sensitization to an inhaled allergen. Objectives: To identify the molecular determinants associated with progression of fibrosis. Methods: Nine fHP explant lungs and six unused donor lungs (as controls) were systematically sampled (4 samples/lung). According to microcomputed tomography measures, fHP cores were clustered into mild, moderate, and severe fibrosis groups. Gene expression profiles were assessed using weighted gene co-expression network analysis, xCell, gene ontology, and structure enrichment analysis. Gene expression of the prevailing molecular traits was also compared with idiopathi…
IL-10 down-regulates T cell activation by antigen-presenting liver sinusoidal endothelial cells through decreased antigen uptake via the mannose rece…
1998
SUMMARYOur study demonstrates that antigen-presenting liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) induce production of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) from cloned Th1 CD4+ T cells. We show that LSEC used the mannose receptor for antigen uptake, which further strengthened the role of LSEC as antigen-presenting cell (APC) population in the liver. The ability of LSEC to activate cloned CD4+ T cells antigen-specifically was down-regulated by exogenous prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and by IL-10. We identify two separate mechanisms by which IL-10 down-regulated T cell activation through LSEC. IL-10 decreased the constitutive surface expression of MHC class II as well as of the accessory molecules CD80 and CD86 …
Omalizumab rapidly improves angioedema-related quality of life in adult patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria: X-ACT study data
2018
Background The X-ACT study aims to examine the effect of omalizumab treatment on quality of life (QoL) in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) patients with angioedema refractory to high doses of H1-antihistamines. Methods In X-ACT, a phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, CSU patients (18–75 years) with ≥4 angioedema episodes during the 6 months before inclusion were randomized (1:1) to receive omalizumab 300 mg or placebo every 4 weeks for 28 weeks. Angioedema-related QoL, skin-related QoL impairment, and psychological well-being were assessed. Results Ninety-one patients were randomized and 68 (omalizumab, n=35; placebo, n=33) completed the 28-week treatment period. At baselin…
The effect of alertness and attention on the modulation of the beta rhythm to tactile stimulation
2021
Abstract Beta rhythm modulation has been used as a biomarker to reflect the functional state of the sensorimotor cortex in both healthy subjects and patients. Here, the effect of reduced alertness and active attention to the stimulus on beta rhythm modulation was investigated. Beta rhythm modulation to tactile stimulation of the index finger was recorded simultaneously with MEG and EEG in 23 healthy subjects (mean 23, range 19–35 years). The temporal spectral evolution method was used to obtain the peak amplitudes of beta suppression and rebound in three different conditions (neutral, snooze, and attention). Neither snooze nor attention to the stimulus affected significantly the strength of…
Biallelic mutations in neurofascin cause neurodevelopmental impairment and peripheral demyelination
2019
See Karakaya and Wirth (doi:10.1093/brain/awz273) for a scientific commentary on this article. Neurofascin (NFASC) isoforms are immunoglobulin cell adhesion molecules involved in node of Ranvier assembly. Efthymiou et al. identify biallelic NFASC variants in ten unrelated patients with a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by variable degrees of central and peripheral involvement. Abnormal expression of Nfasc155 is accompanied by severe loss of myelinated fibres.