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Copyright of Revista Médica Clínica Las Condes is the property of Editorial Sanchez y Barcelo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We performed studies in B10.M H2 -congenic mouse strain whose H2 f haplotype is associated with defective BCG vaccination efficacy against TB challenge. No difference in mortality dynamics between BCG-vaccinated and primarily infected B10.M mice was observed, whereas in B10 (H2 b) congenic mice BCG vaccination significantly prolonged survival. At the early stages of infection, vaccinated mice of both strains controlled mycobacterial multiplication in lungs and draining lymph nodes better than non-vaccinated, however, in B10.M spleens no vaccination effect was evident. More activated cells expressing the CD4+CD44+CD62L− phenotype resided in spleens of vaccinated B10 compared to B10.M mice. Our results suggest that inability of BCG vaccination to prolong survival of TB-infected B10.M mice may be associated with defective response to disseminated rather than primary infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Médica Clínica Las Condes is the property of Editorial Sanchez y Barcelo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract The role of B cells and antibodies in tuberculosis (TB) immunity, protection and pathogenesis remain contradictory. The presence of organized B cell follicles close to active TB lesions in the lung tissue raises the question about the role of these cells in local host-pathogen interactions. In this short review, we summarize the state of our knowledge concerning phenotypes of B cells populating tuberculous lungs, their secretory activity, interactions with other immune cells and possible involvement in protective vs. pathogenic TB immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract TB infection in mice develops relatively rapidly which interferes with experimental dissection of immune responses and lung pathology features that differ between genetically susceptible and resistant hosts. Earlier we have shown that the M. tuberculosis strain lacking four of five Rpf genes (ΔACDE) is seriously attenuated for growth in vivo. Using this strain, we assessed key parameters of lung pathology, immune and inflammatory responses in chronic and reactivation TB infections in highly susceptible I/St and more resistant B6 mice. ΔACDE mycobacteria progressively multiplied only in I/St lungs, whilst in B6 lung CFU counts decreased with time. Condensed TB foci apeared in B6 lungs at week 4 of infection, whilst in I/St their formation was delayed. At the late phase of infection, in I/St lungs TB foci fused resulting in extensive pneumonia, whereas in B6 lungs pathology was limited to condensed foci. Macrophage and neutrophil populations characteristically differed between I/St and B6 mice at early and late stages of infection: more neutrophils accumulated in I/St and more macrophages in B6 lungs. The expression level of chemokine genes involved in neutrophil influx was higher in I/St compared to B6 lungs. B6 lung cells produced more IFN-γ, IL-6 and IL-11 at the early and late phases of infection. Overall, using a new mouse model of slow TB progression, we demonstrate two important features of ineffective infection control underlined by shifts in lung inflammation: delay in early granuloma formation and fusion of granulomas resulting in consolidated pneumonia late in the infectious course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gossip protocols aim at arriving, by means of point-to-point or group communications, at a situation in which all the agents know each other secrets. Distributed epistemic gossip protocols use as guards formulas from a simple epistemic logic and as statements calls between the agents. They are natural examples of knowledge based programs. We prove here that these protocols are implementable, that their partial correctness is decidable and that termination and two forms of fair termination of these protocols are decidable, as well. To establish these results we show that the definition of semantics and of truth of the underlying logic are decidable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic analysis of susceptibility to infections has proven to be extremely useful for identification of key cells, molecules, pathways, and genes involved in the battle between two genomes – the essence of the infectious process. This is particularly true for tuberculosis and other mycobacterial infections which traditionally attracted much attention from both immunologists and geneticists. In this short review, we observe results of genetic studies performed in human populations and in animal models and compare relative input of forward and reverse genetic approaches in our knowledge about genetic control of and immune responses to mycobacterial infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mice of the genetically TB-susceptible strain I/St were infected with ∼100 CFU of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain H37Rv, and after week 3 post-infection treated by inhalations of the NBD peptide selectively blocking NF-κB activation pathway. This therapy resulted in a pronounced attenuation of lung pathology and down-regulation of the expression of several genes encoding major inflammatory molecules, but did not diminish the level of mycobacterial multiplication in the lungs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During tuberculosis (TB) infection, B cells form follicles in close vicinity of lung granuloma. We assessed the dynamics of follicle formation, surface phenotypes and functional activity of lung B cells during TB course in genetically susceptible mice. The follicles appeared early post infection and peaked at weeks 7–8. Lung B cells resembled classical B2 cells (CD19 + IgMloIgD hi CD1d − CD21/35 int CD5 − CD11b − CD43 − ), but differed from them by the absence of B2 marker CD23. Lung B-cells constitutively expressed MHC II molecules, presented mycobacterial antigens to immune CD4 + T-cells and produced high amounts of IL-6 and IL-11, but no classical type 1 (TNF-α, IFN-γ), or anti-inflammatory (IL-10, TGF-β) cytokines. The total antibody response in tuberculous lung showed almost no specificity to mycobacteria. A panel of monoclonal antibodies obtained from lung B cells contained only few clones with reactivity to mycobacteria. Our results suggest that anti-TB B cell response in the lung has clear pathological and doubtful protective role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the indeterminate chronic period of Chagas disease (ChD) the treatment has not been conclusive, because the serological negativization requires many years. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of nifurtimox (NF) in the treatment of chronic ChD in prolonged follow-up by serological techniques of indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) IgG comparing 2 groups of patients, treated and non treated. Mann-Whitney test was performed for ELISA and IFA, with significant difference between the groups (P<0.05). IgG levels were lower in individuals treated compared with untreated patients, indicating chemotherapeutic efficacy in prolonged follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Mice of the I/St inbred strain genetically hyper-susceptible to TB infection and prone to form neutrophil-abundant necrotic lung lesions and relatively resistant mice of the C57BL/6 (B6) strain were infected with 100 CFU of M. tuberculosis H37Rv. To verify the role of neutrophils in TB immunity, we selectively depleted neutrophils from infected mice with highly specific 1A8 anti-Ly6G antibodies at day 2 and 6 post-challenge. Depletion of neutrophils resulted in reduced lung tissue pathology, mycobacterial CFU counts and an increase of the survival time in genetically susceptible I/St, but not in B6 mice. Furthermore, we demonstrated that in vivo neutrophil depletion at the onset of TB infection results in a significant increase in numbers of mycobacteria-specific IFN-γ-producing T-cells at the time point when the acquired immunity to mycobacteria is fully developed. These results suggest antagonistic activity of neutrophils and immune T-cells in the course of TB infection and provide further evidence of deleterious rather than protective role of the former. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective.To examine our hypothesis that the accuracy of visual estimation, while measuring the angles of forearm, wrist and elbow, may vary between the different angles, and that this may depend on the experience of the observer.Methods.A slide show comprising of clinical photos and radiographs of different elbow, forearm and wrist angles was presented to 164 attending orthopedic surgeons, orthopedic residents and medical students who made a visual estimation of the different joints’ angles.Results.Forearm pronation was found to be estimated most accurately (mean 6.1°) while radiographs of wrist flexion (mean 12°) and photos of wrist extension (mean 16°) were estimated the least accurately. Specialists estimated angles more accurately than residents and both were more accurate than students, regardless of the estimated joint.Conclusions. The accuracy of visual estimation of a joint’s angle depends on the specific joint viewed. Experience in the practice of orthopedic surgery (and not only upper extremity surgery) will improve the accuracy of estimation in general. Regarding the elbow, forearm and wrist, the results of our study suggest that a goniometer should be used whenever an accuracy of up to 10° is important, and for measuring wrist flexion and extension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the implications of lowering electricity sector CO 2 emissions in PJM through a Low Carbon Capacity Standard (LCCS) instead of a renewables portfolio standard (RPS). An LCCS would create a requirement for load-serving entities to procure new low carbon capacity (GW). The LCCS would provide a greater balance of energy and capacity supply than a renewable portfolio standard, which requires only the supply of energy (and excludes non-renewable low carbon generators). Approximately 25 GW of PJM generation capacity is scheduled to retire by 2019 and the RPSs currently in place in PJM will supply only 5 GW of Equivalent Load Carrying Capability (ELLC). An LCCS, providing the same amount of low carbon energy, would supply 13 to 16 GW of ELCC. We estimate the required reduction of capacity prices required to cover the investment cost premium low carbon capacity would require from consumers. For example, if the energy from an LCCS costs on average $20/MWh more than energy from an RPS, the annual premium would be approximately $2.2 B. In order for consumers to be better off with an LCCS in this example, capacity prices would have to decrease by $40/MW-day. We find that if an LCCS were adopted, coal fired power plants with carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) would likely have the lowest cost per MW of capacity of all low carbon technologies, based on net Cost of New Entry (CONE) estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary About 90% of all cases of tuberculosis (TB) infection are comprised of latent mycobacterial persistence in the absence of clinical manifestations. In a proportion of latently infected individuals infection eventually reactivates and becomes contagious, seriously influencing epidemiological situation. Mechanisms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transition to dormancy and TB reactivation are poorly understood, and biological markers of latency remain largely unknown. Data are accumulating that the dynamical equilibrium between the parasite and the host (expressed as a long term asymptomatic infection) and its abrogation (expressed as a reactivation disease) are genetically controlled by both parties. In this short review, the authors summarize the results of experimental studies on genetic regulation of the latent TB infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a new measure of the discrepancy in strategic games between the social welfare in a Nash equilibrium and in a social optimum, that we call selfishness level. It is the smallest fraction of the social welfare that needs to be offered to each player to achieve that a social optimum is realized in a pure Nash equilibrium. The selfishness level is unrelated to the price of stability and the price of anarchy and is invariant under positive linear transformations of the payoff functions. Also, it naturally applies to other solution concepts and other forms of games. We study the selfishness level of several well-known strategic games. This allows us to quantify the implicit tension within a game between players' individual interests and the impact of their decisions on the society as a whole. Our analyses reveal that the selfishness level often provides a deeper understanding of the characteristics of the underlying game that influence the players' willingness to cooperate. In particular, the selfishness level of finite ordinal potential games is finite, while that of weakly acyclic games can be infinite. We derive explicit bounds on the selfishness level of fair cost sharing games and linear congestion games, which depend on specific parameters of the underlying game but are independent of the number of players. Further, we show that the selfishness level of the n-players Prisoner's Dilemma is c/(b(n-1)-c), where b and c are the benefit and cost for cooperation, respectively, that of the n-players public goods game is (1 - c/n)/(c - 1), where c is the public good multiplier, and that of the Traveler's Dilemma game is 1/2 (b - 1), where b is the bonus. Finally, the selfishness level of Cournot competition (an example of an infinite ordinal potential game), Tragedy of the Commons, and Bertrand competition is infinite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Mice as a species are susceptible to tuberculosis infection while mouse inbred strains present wide spectrum of susceptibility/resistance to this infection. However, non-tuberculosis Mycobacterial infections usually cannot be modeled in mice of common inbred strains. Introduction of specific properties, such as gene mutations, recombinants, targeted gene knockouts significantly extended the use of mice to mimic human Mycobacterial infections, including non-tuberculosis ones. This review describes the available mouse models of tuberculosis and non-tuberculosis infections and drug therapy in these models. Mouse models of non-tuberculosis infections are significantly less developed than tuberculosis models, hampering the development of therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Using whole genome microarrays, we compared changes in gene expression patterns in the lungs of TB-resistant A/Sn and TB-susceptible I/St mice at day 14 following infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. Analyses of differentially expressed genes for representation of gene ontology terms and activation of regulatory pathways revealed interstrain differences in antigen presentation, NK, T and B cell activation pathways. In general, resistant A/Sn mice exhibited a more complex pattern and stronger activation of host defense pathways compared to the TB-susceptible I/St mouse strain. In addition, in I/St mice elevated activation of genes involved in neutrophil response was observed and confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR and histopathology. Furthermore, a specific post infection upregulation of cysteine protease inhibitors was found in susceptible I/St mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The family of Groves mechanisms, which includes the well-known VCG mechanism (also known as the Clarke mechanism), is a family of efficient and strategy-proof mechanisms. Unfortunately, the Groves mechanisms are generally not budget balanced. That is, under such mechanisms, payments may flow into or out of the system of the agents, resulting in deficits or reduced utilities for the agents. We consider the following problem: within the family of Groves mechanisms, we want to identify mechanisms that give the agents the highest utilities, under the constraint that these mechanisms must never incur deficits. We adopt a prior-free approach. We introduce two general measures for comparing mechanisms in prior-free settings. We say that a non-deficit Groves mechanism M individually dominates another non-deficit Groves mechanism M′ if for every type profile, every agent's utility under M is no less than that under M′, and this holds with strict inequality for at least one type profile and one agent. We say that a non-deficit Groves mechanism M collectively dominates another non-deficit Groves mechanism M′ if for every type profile, the agents' total utility under M is no less than that under M′, and this holds with strict inequality for at least one type profile. The above definitions induce two partial orders on non-deficit Groves mechanisms. We study the maximal elements corresponding to these two partial orders, which we call the individually undominated mechanisms and the collectively undominated mechanisms, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Médica Clínica Las Condes is the property of Editorial Sanchez y Barcelo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Summary: In this study, we investigated the residual virulence of mutants of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that are defective in 4 of the 5 rpf-like genes, their capacity to persist in the murine host and the utility present in these mutants to serve as novel vaccine candidates. Our data indicate that the two quadruple rpf deletion mutants, ΔACBD and ΔACDE, both display significant attenuation in the mouse lungs after aerosol infection, with no observable increase in bacillary loads upon aminoguanidine-induced immune suppression. However, after subcutaneous injection these strains were able to persist at the low level, similar to that of BCG, in the mouse lungs and lymphoid organs. Furthermore, both rpf quadruple mutants were able to enhance the numbers of IFN-γ-producing T-cells in spleens to a level comparable to that of BCG, and conferred protection upon subsequent challenge with virulent M. tuberculosis in terms of mycobacterial multiplication in organs and survival time. The reduction in organ bacillary loads after vaccination with ΔACDE was comparable to that of BCG, while ΔACBD displayed a small but statistically significant enhancement in protection compared to BCG. Collectively, these data suggest that rpf deletion mutants show potential for further development as novel vaccine candidates for tuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Médica Clínica Las Condes is the property of Editorial Sanchez y Barcelo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Healing Ourselves and Healing Our Communities, A Case for Collaboration, "Sizing Up" Yoga, Credentialing and Reimbursement: A View from the Mat, Yoga Therapy: Informed Consent and Shared Decision Making, State of the "Union" (yuj): Yoga Therapy Standards Down Under, What Prepares a Yoga Therapist?, Yoga Therapy Is Not Yoga, Is Yoga Therapy a Therapy or a Method of Education?, What Is Your Evidence for That Claim?, Square Pegs and Round Holes: Should Evidenced-Based Medicine Apply to Ayurveda? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]