Discovery of associative patterns between workplace sound level and physiological wellbeing using wearable devices and empirical Bayes modeling.

We conducted a field study using multiple wearable devices on 231 federal office workers to assess the impact of the indoor environment on individual wellbeing. Past research has established that the workplace environment is closely tied to an individual's wellbeing. Since sound is the most-reported environmental factor causing stress and discomfort, we focus on quantifying its association with physiological wellbeing.

Secondary use of routine data in hospitals: description of a scalable analytical platform based on a business intelligence system.

We describe a scalable platform for research-oriented analyses of routine data in hospitals, which evolved from a state-of-the-art business intelligence architecture for enterprise resource planning. This platform involves an in-memory database management system for data modeling and analytics and a high-performance cluster for more computing-intensive analytical tasks. Setting up platforms for research-oriented analyses is a highly dynamic, time-consuming, and costly process.

IL-3 promotes the development of experimental autoimmune encephalitis.

Little is known about the role of IL-3 in multiple sclerosis (MS) in humans and in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Using myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) peptide-induced EAE, we show that CD4 T cells are the main source of IL-3 and that cerebral IL-3 expression correlates with the influx of T cells into the brain. Blockade of IL-3 with monoclonal antibodies, analysis of IL-3 deficient mice, and adoptive transfer of leukocytes demonstrate that IL-3 plays an important role for development of clinical symptoms of EAE, for migration of leukocytes into the brain, and for cerebral expression of adhesion molecules and chemokines.

B-cell inhibition by cross-linking CD79b is superior to B-cell depletion with anti-CD20 antibodies in treating murine collagen-induced arthritis.

Depletion of B cells with the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab is an established therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. However, rituximab has only moderate efficacy, most likely due to insufficient depletion of B cells in lymphoid organs and expansion of pathogenic B cells. We found that an antibody against mouse CD79b profoundly blocks B-cell proliferation induced via the B-cell receptor, CD40, CD180, and chondroitin sulfate, but not via TLR4 or TLR9.

Modeled diversity effects on microbial ecosystem functions of primary production, nutrient uptake, and remineralization.

Ecosystem-wide primary productivity generally increases with primary producer diversity, emphasizing the importance of diversity for ecosystem function. However, most studies that demonstrate this positive relationship have focused on terrestrial and aquatic benthic systems, with little attention to the diverse marine pelagic primary producers that play an important role in regulating global climate. Here we show how phytoplankton biodiversity enhances overall marine ecosystem primary productivity and other ecosystem functions using a self-organizing ecosystem model.

Chondroitin sulfate activates B cells in vitro, expands CD138+ cells in vivo, and interferes with established humoral immune responses.

Glycosaminoglycans have anti-inflammatory properties and interact with a variety of soluble and membrane-bound molecules. Little is known about their effects on B cells and humoral immune responses. We show that CS but not dextran or other glycosaminoglycans induces a pronounced proliferation of B cells in vitro compared with TLR4 or TLR9 ligands.

Basophils support the survival of plasma cells in mice.

We have previously shown that basophils support humoral memory immune responses by increasing B cell proliferation and Ig production as well as inducing a Th2 and B helper phenotype in T cells. Based on the high frequency of basophils in spleen and bone marrow, in this study we investigated whether basophils also support plasma cell survival and Ig production. In the absence of basophils, plasma cells of naive or immunized mice rapidly undergo apoptosis in vitro and produce only low amounts of Igs.

Abundance and distribution of major groups of diazotrophic cyanobacteria and their potential contribution to N₂ fixation in the tropical Atlantic Ocean.

The abundances of six N₂-fixing cyanobacterial phylotypes were profiled at 22 stations across the tropical Atlantic Ocean during June 2006, and used to model the contribution of the diazotrophs to N₂ fixation. Diazotroph abundances were measured by targeting the nifH gene of Trichodesmium, unicellular groups A, B, C (UCYN-A, UCYN-B and UCYN-C), and diatom-cyanobiont symbioses Hemiaulus-Richelia, Rhizosolenia-Richelia and Chaetoceros-Calothrix. West to east gradients in temperature, salinity and nutrients [NO₃⁻ + NO₂⁻, PO₄³⁻, Si(OH)₄] showed the influence of the Amazon River plume and its effect on the distributions of the diazotrophs.

Important role of interleukin-3 in the early phase of collagen-induced arthritis.

Objective: Activation of basophils contributes to memory immune responses and results in exacerbation of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). We undertook the present study to analyze the production and biologic effects of interleukin-3 (IL-3), a strong activator of basophils, in CIA.

Methods: Arthritis was induced by immunization with type II collagen.

GROWTH AND CARBON CONTENT OF THREE DIFFERENT-SIZED DIAZOTROPHIC CYANOBACTERIA OBSERVED IN THE SUBTROPICAL NORTH PACIFIC(1).

To develop tools for modeling diazotrophic growth in the open ocean, we determined the maximum growth rate and carbon content for three diazotrophic cyanobacteria commonly observed at Station ALOHA (A Long-term Oligotrophic Habitat Assessment) in the subtropical North Pacific: filamentous nonheterocyst-forming Trichodesmium and unicellular Groups A and B. Growth-irradiance responses of Trichodesmium erythraeum Ehrenb. strain IMS101 and Crocosphaera watsonii J.

Modeled contributions of three types of diazotrophs to nitrogen fixation at Station ALOHA.

A diagnostic model based on biomass and growth was used to assess the relative contributions of filamentous nonheterocystous Trichodesmium and unicellular cyanobacteria, termed Groups A and B, to nitrogen fixation at the North Pacific Station ALOHA over a 2-year period. Average (and 95% confidence interval, CI) annual rates of modeled monthly values for Trichodesmium, Group B and Group A were 92 (52), 14 (4) and 12 (8) mmol N per m(2) per year, respectively. The fractional contribution to modeled instantaneous nitrogen fixation by each diazotroph fluctuated on interannual, seasonal and shorter time scales.