Statistical learning in visual search reflects distractor rarity, not only attentional suppression.

In visual search tasks, salient distractors may capture attention involuntarily, but interference can be reduced when the salient distractor appears more frequently on one out of several possible positions. The reduction was attributed to attentional suppression of the high-probability position. However, all previous studies on this topic compared performance on the high-probability position to the remaining positions, which had a low probability of containing the distractor.

Relationship Variables in Group Psychotherapy for Women Sexual Trauma Survivors.

This study examined relational group psychotherapy processes, including group cohesion, bond with group leaders, perceptions of shame, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology for sexual trauma survivors. Six separate treatment groups of women who were either adult sexual assault survivors ( = 24) or adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse (N = 9) participated in the study. Participants completed the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) pre- and posttreatment, the Group Climate Questionnaire, Bond scale of the Working Alliance Inventory Short Form (WAI-S), and Compass of Shame Scale at four intervals.

Prediction of Conserved Peptides of for Interferon-γ Release Assay: The First Step in the Development of a Lab-Based Approach for Immunological Assessment during Antifungal Therapy.

Impaired antigen-specific cell-mediated immunity (CMI) is a primary immunological disturbance observed in individuals that develop paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) after exposure to spp. Restoration of -specific CMI is crucial to stop the antifungal treatment and avoid relapses. A convenient and specific laboratory tool to assess antigen specific CMI is required for the appropriate clinical treatment of fungal infections, in order to decrease the time of antifungal therapy.

Correction to: BCG revaccination of health workers in Brazil to improve innate immune responses against COVID-19: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

BCG revaccination of health workers in Brazil to improve innate immune responses against COVID-19: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: The BCG vaccine, widely used in Brazil in new-borns, induces adjuvant protection for several diseases, including childhood virus infections. BCG activates monocytes and innate memory NK cells which are crucial for the antiviral immune response. Therefore, strategies to prevent COVID-19 in health workers (HW) should be carried out to prevent them becoming unwell so that they can continue to work during the pandemic.

Autotransporter-Mediated Display of Complement Receptor Ligands by Gram-Negative Bacteria Increases Antibody Responses and Limits Disease Severity.

The targeting of immunogens/vaccines to specific immune cells is a promising approach for amplifying immune responses in the absence of exogenous adjuvants. However, the targeting approaches reported thus far require novel, labor-intensive reagents for each vaccine and have primarily been shown as proof-of-concept with isolated proteins and/or inactivated bacteria. We have engineered a plasmid-based, complement receptor-targeting platform that is readily applicable to live forms of multiple gram-negative bacteria, including, but not limited to, , , and .

Induced pluripotent stem cells as a tool for comparative physiology: lessons from the thirteen-lined ground squirrel.

Comparative physiologists are often interested in adaptive physiological phenomena found in unconventional model organisms; however, research on these species is frequently constrained by the limited availability of investigative tools. Here, we propose that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from unconventional model organisms may retain certain species-specific features that can consequently be investigated in depth ; we use hibernating mammals as an example. Many species (including ground squirrels, bats and bears) can enter a prolonged state of physiological dormancy known as hibernation to survive unfavorable seasonal conditions.

Evaluation of an outbred mouse model for Francisella tularensis vaccine development and testing.

Francisella tularensis (Ft) is a biothreat agent for which there is no FDA-approved human vaccine. Currently, there are substantial efforts underway to develop both vaccines and the tools to assess these vaccines. Tularemia laboratory research has historically relied primarily upon a small number of inbred mouse strains, but the utility of such findings to outbred animals may be limited.

Differential Cultivation of Influences Live Vaccine Protective Efficacy by Altering the Immune Response.

() is a biothreat agent for which there is no FDA-approved human vaccine. Currently, there are substantial efforts underway to develop both vaccines and improved tools to assess these vaccines. expresses distinct sets of antigens (Ags) as compared to those expressed .

Differential Growth of , Which Alters Expression of Virulence Factors, Dominant Antigens, and Surface-Carbohydrate Synthases, Governs the Apparent Virulence of SchuS4 to Immunized Animals.

The gram-negative bacterium () is both a potential biological weapon and a naturally occurring microbe that survives in arthropods, fresh water amoeba, and mammals with distinct phenotypes in various environments. Previously, we used a number of measurements to characterize grown in Brain-Heart Infusion (BHI) broth as (1) more similar to infection-derived bacteria, and (2) slightly more virulent in naïve animals, compared to grown in Mueller Hinton Broth (MHB). In these studies we observed that the free amino acids in MHB repress expression of select virulence factors by an unknown mechanism.

Differential Cultivation of Induces Changes in the Immune Response to and Protective Efficacy of Whole Cell-Based Inactivated Vaccines.

() is a category A biothreat agent for which there is no Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccine. can survive in a variety of habitats with a remarkable ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Furthermore, expresses distinct sets of antigens (Ags) when inside of macrophages (its host) as compared to those grown with Mueller Hinton Broth (MHB).

- Immune Cell Activator, Suppressor, or Stealthy Evader: The Evolving View from the Petri Dish.

One of the hallmarks of pulmonary tularemia, which results from inhalation of - a significant bioterrorism concern, is the lack of an acute T1-biased inflammatory response in the early phase of disease (days 1-3) despite significant bacterial loads. In an effort to understand this apparent hypo-responsiveness, many laboratories have utilized cell-based models as tools to probe the nature and consequences of host cell interactions with . The first uses of this model suggested that mammalian host cells recognize this bacterium principally through TLR2 to evoke a robust, classical T1-biased cytokine response including TNF, IL-6, IL-1β, and IFN-γ.

The Syk-binding ubiquitin ligase c-Cbl mediates signaling-dependent B cell receptor ubiquitination and B cell receptor-mediated antigen processing and presentation.

B cell receptor (BCR)-mediated antigen (Ag) processing and presentation lead to B cell-T cell interactions, which support affinity maturation and immunoglobulin class switching. These interactions are supported by generation of peptide-MHC class II complexes in multivesicular body-like MIIC compartments of B cells. Previous studies have shown that trafficking of Ag·BCR complexes to MVB-like MIIC occurs via an ubiquitin-dependent pathway and that ubiquitination of Ag·BCR complexes occurs by an Src family kinase signaling-dependent mechanism that is restricted to lipid raft-resident Ag·BCR complexes.

Physiological-range temperature changes modulate cognate antigen processing and presentation mediated by lipid raft-restricted ubiquitinated B cell receptor molecules.

BCR-mediated Ag processing and presentation is critical to the initiation and control of a humoral immune response. Trafficking of internalized Ag-BCR complexes to intracellular Ag processing compartments is driven by ubiquitination of the cytoplasmic domain of the BCR. Using a biochemical approach, it is here established that ubiquitinated Ag-BCR complexes are formed via a signaling-dependent mechanism and restricted to plasma membrane lipid rafts.

PiggyMac, a domesticated piggyBac transposase involved in programmed genome rearrangements in the ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia.

Programmed genome rearrangements drive functional gene assembly in ciliates during the development of the somatic macronucleus. The elimination of germline sequences is directed by noncoding RNAs and is initiated by DNA double-strand breaks, but the enzymes responsible for DNA cleavage have not been identified. We show here that PiggyMac (Pgm), a domesticated piggyBac transposase, is required for these rearrangements in Paramecium tetraurelia.

Developmentally programmed DNA splicing in Paramecium reveals short-distance crosstalk between DNA cleavage sites.

Somatic genome assembly in the ciliate Paramecium involves the precise excision of thousands of short internal eliminated sequences (IESs) that are scattered throughout the germline genome and often interrupt open reading frames. Excision is initiated by double-strand breaks centered on the TA dinucleotides that are conserved at each IES boundary, but the factors that drive cleavage site recognition remain unknown. A degenerate consensus was identified previously at IES ends and genetic analyses confirmed the participation of their nucleotide sequence in efficient excision.