Explore the vast range of titles available.

There is increasing evidence for the presence of autoantibodies in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Chronic oxidative stress is an essential component in COPD pathogenesis and can lead to increased levels of highly reactive carbonyls in the lung, which could result in the formation of highly immunogenic carbonyl adducts on \"self\" proteins. To determine the presence of autoantibodies to carbonyl-modified protein in patients with COPD and in a murine model of chronic ozone exposure. To assess the extent of activated immune responses toward carbonyl-modified proteins. Blood and peripheral lung were taken from patients with COPD, age-matched smokers, and nonsmokers with normal lung function, as well as patients with severe persistent asthma. Mice were exposed to ambient air or ozone for 6 weeks. Antibody titers were measured by ELISA, activated compliment deposition by immunohistochemistry, and cellular activation by ELISA and fluorescence-activated cell sorter. Antibody titer against carbonyl-modified self-protein was significantly increased in patients with Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stage III COPD compared with control subjects. Antibody levels inversely correlated with disease severity and showed a prevalence toward an IgG1 isotype. Deposition of activated complement in the vessels of COPD lung as well as autoantibodies against endothelial cells were also observed. Ozone-exposed mice similarly exhibited increased antibody titers to carbonyl-modified protein, as well as activated antigen-presenting cells in lung tissue and splenocytes sensitized to activation by carbonyl-modified protein. Carbonyl-modified proteins, arising as a result of oxidative stress, promote antibody production, providing a link by which oxidative stress could drive an autoimmune response in COPD.

This study evaluated the effects of the Breath–Body–Mind Workshop (BBMW) (breathing, movement, and meditation) on psychological and physical symptoms and inflammatory biomarkers in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).MethodsTwenty-nine IBD patients from the Jill Roberts IBD Center were randomized to BBMW or an educational seminar. Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Brief Symptom Inventory 18, IBD Questionnaire, Perceived Disability Scale, Perceived Stress Questionnaire, Digestive Disease Acceptance Questionnaire, Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, fecal calprotectin, C-reactive protein, and physiological measures were obtained at baseline and weeks 6 and 26.ResultsThe BBMW group significantly improved between baseline and week 6 on Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (P = 0.02), Beck Anxiety Inventory (P = 0.02), and IBD Questionnaire (P = 0.01) and between baseline and week 26 on Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (P = 0.04), Beck Anxiety Inventory (P = 0.03), Beck Depression Inventory (P = 0.01), IBD Questionnaire (P = 0.01), Perceived Disability Scale (P = 0.001), and Perceived Stress Questionnaire (P = 0.01) by paired t tests. No significant changes occurred in the educational seminar group at week 6 or 26. By week 26, median C-reactive protein values decreased significantly in the BBMW group (P = 0.01 by Wilcoxon signed-rank test) versus no significant change in the educational seminar group.ConclusionsIn patients with IBD, participation in the BBMW was associated with significant improvements in psychological and physical symptoms, quality of life, and C-reactive protein. Mind–body interventions, such as BBMW, which emphasize Voluntarily Regulated Breathing Practices, may have significant long-lasting benefits for IBD symptoms, anxiety, depression, quality of life, and inflammation. BBMW, a promising adjunctive treatment for IBD, warrants further study.

A quantitative model of the mobility of functionalized particles at the interface is pivotal to understanding important systems in biology and nanotechnology. In this work, we investigate the emerging dynamics of particles anchored through ligand-receptor bridges to functionalized surfaces. We consider systems with reversible bridges in which ligand-receptor pairs bind/unbind with finite reaction rates. For a given set of bridges, the particle can explore a tiny fraction of the surface as the extensivity of the bridges is finite. We show how at time scales longer than the bridges' lifetime, the averaged position of the particle diffuses away from its initial value. We distill our findings into two analytic equations for the sliding diffusion constant of particles carrying mobile and fixed ligands. We quantitatively validate our theoretical predictions using reaction-diffusion simulations. Our results, along with recent literature, will allow inferring the microscopic parameters at play in complex biological systems from experimental trajectories.

Influenza A virus (IAV) infection relies on the action of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) membrane proteins. The HA ligands anchor the IAV virion to the cell’s surface by binding the sialic acid (SA) present on the host’s receptors while NA is an enzyme capable of cleaving the SA from the extracellular environment. It is believed that the activity of NA ligands increases the motility of the virions favoring the propagation of the infection. In this work, we develop a numerical framework to study the dynamics of a virion moving across the cell surface for timescales much bigger than the typical ligand-receptor reaction times. We find that the rates controlling the ligand-receptor reactions and the maximal distance at which a pair of ligand-receptor molecules can interact greatly affect the motility of the virions. We also report on how different ways of organizing the two types of ligands on the virions’ surface result in different types of motion that we rationalize using general principles. In particular, we show how the emerging motility of the virion is less sensitive to the rate controlling the enzymatic activity when NA ligands are clustered. These results help to assess how variations in the biochemical properties of the ligand–receptor interactions (as observed across different IAV subtypes) affect the dynamics of the virions at the cell surface.

RATIONALE: There is increasing evidence for the presence of autoantibodies in COPD. Chronic oxidative stress is an essential component in COPD pathogenesis and can lead to increased levels of highly reactive carbonyls in the lung which could result in the formation of highly immunogenic carbonyl adducts on 'self' proteins. OBJECTIVE: To determine the presence of autoantibodies to carbonyl-modified protein in COPD patients and in a murine model of chronic ozone exposure. To assess the extent of activated immune responses towards carbonyl-modified proteins. METHODS: Blood and peripheral lung was taken from COPD patients, age matched smokers and non-smokers with normal lung function, as well as patients with severe persistent asthma. Mice were exposed to ambient air or ozone for 6 weeks. Antibody titres were measured by ELISA, activated compliment deposition by immunohistochemistry and cellular activation by ELISA and FACs. RESULTS: Antibody titre against carbonyl-modified 'self' protein was significantly increased in GOLD stage III COPD patients compared to controls. Antibody levels inversely correlated with disease severity and showed a prevalence towards an IgG1 isotype. Deposition of activated complement in the vessels of COPD lung as well as autoantibodies against endothelial cells were also observed. Ozone-exposed mice similarly exhibited increased antibody titres to carbonyl-modified protein, as well as activated antigen presenting cells in lung tissue and splenocytes sensitized to activation by carbonyl-modified protein. CONCLUSIONS: Carbonyl-modified proteins, arising as a result of oxidative stress, promote antibody production, providing a link by which oxidative stress could drive an auto-immune response in COPD.

The purpose of this study was to illustrate the effect expertise has in a product choice task containing both relevant and irrelevant attributes, thereby leading to differences in the formation of marketing segments. A sample of certified teachers (experts) and non-certified teachers (novices) at a public university in the northeast rated eight product offerings based on their purchasing preference. The overarching hypothesis was that market segments should be determined by meaningful information, not meaningless; thus, the sample of experts should group into a fewer number of segments than should the novices because the latter will overweight the meaningless information. The subjects' preference ratings were analyzed first using conjoint analysis, then part-worth utilities were grouped with a clustering algorithm to compare the number of segments. The results show that experts initially do group into fewer, more tightly packed clusters as hypothesized; however, the analysis does not show that the market segments for experts were purely driven by the meaningful information.

Educating the general population and health care workers about the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is of paramount importance. There is a need to address the many fears and anxieties concerning this dreaded illness. Experience has shown that simple information-giving alone does little to allay the panic in the general population and in hospital personnel. The paper offers a psychodynamic explanation of the origins of the irrational fear and anxieties around AIDS patients and why information alone does not help the anxieties hospital workers experience. We have suggested a training program using group process and videotape techniques which can address the underlying fears and concerns about AIDS patients. These sessions can help hospital staff to deliver more empathic care to this patient group.

What a comedy we have right here in St. Catharines, a lot better than SNL or the Royal Canadian Air Farce and we get it every Monday night on our own cable station. I'm very surprised it hasn't won an award for best comedy on Canadian TV...