Produce: The Active News for You to Consume, October 2009.

Monthly news about the Iowans Fit for Life initiative for promoting physical activity and nutrition.

Produce: The Active News for You to Consume, November/December 2009.

Monthly news about the Iowans Fit for Life initiative for promoting physical activity and nutrition.

Produce: The Active News for You to Consume, January 2010.

Monthly news about the Iowans Fit for Life initiative for promoting physical activity and nutrition.

Produce: The Active News for You to Consume, February 2010.

Monthly news about the Iowans Fit for Life initiative for promoting physical activity and nutrition.

HCFC1 is a common component of active human CpG-island promoters and coincides with ZNF143, THAP11, YY1, and GABP transcription factor occupancy.

In human transcriptional regulation, DNA-sequence-specific factors can associate with intermediaries that orchestrate interactions with a diverse set of chromatin-modifying enzymes. One such intermediary is HCFC1 (also known as HCF-1). HCFC1, first identified in herpes simplex virus transcription, has a poorly defined role in cellular transcriptional regulation. We show here that, in HeLa cells, HCFC1 is observed bound to 5400 generally active CpG-island promoters. Examination of the DNA sequences underlying the HCFC1-binding sites revealed three sequence motifs associated with the binding of (1) ZNF143 and THAP11 (also known as Ronin), (2) GABP, and (3) YY1 sequence-specific transcription factors. Subsequent analysis revealed colocalization of HCFC1 with these four transcription factors at ∼90% of the 5400 HCFC1-bound promoters. These studies suggest that a relatively small number of transcription factors play a major role in HeLa-cell transcriptional regulation in association with HCFC1.

Restoration of anti-tetanus toxoid responses in patients initiating highly active antiretroviral therapy with or without a boost immunization: an INITIO substudy.

INITIO is an open-labelled randomized trial evaluating first-line therapeutic strategies for human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection. In an immunology substudy a tetanus toxoid booster (TTB) immunization was planned for 24 weeks after initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). All patients had received tetanus toxoid immunization in childhood. Generation of proliferative responses to tetanus toxoid was compared in two groups of patients, those receiving a protease inhibitor (PI)-sparing regimen (n = 21) and those receiving a PI-containing (n = 54) regimen. Fifty-two participants received a TTB immunization [PI-sparing (n = 15), PI-containing (n = 37)] and 23 participants did not [PI-sparing (n = 6) or PI-containing (n = 17)]. Cellular responses to tetanus antigen were monitored by lymphoproliferation at time of immunization and every 24 weeks to week 156. Proportions with a positive response (defined as stimulation index > or = 3 and Delta counts per minute > or = 3000) were compared at weeks 96 and 156. All analyses were intent-to-treat. Fifty-two participants had a TTB immunization at median 25 weeks; 23 patients did not. At weeks 96 and 156 there was no evidence of a difference in tetanus-specific responses, between those with or without TTB immunization (P = 0.2, P = 0.4). There was no difference in the proportion with response between those with PI-sparing or PI-containing regimens at both time-points (P = 0.8, P = 0.7). The proliferative response to tetanus toxoid was unaffected by initial HAART regimen. Anti-tetanus responses appear to reconstitute eventually in most patients over 156 weeks when treated successfully with HAART, irrespective of whether or not a TTB immunization has been administered.

Winter ecology of a female White-Backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos (Bechstein)

Summary

Human alveolar macrophages infected by virulent bacteria expressing SipB are a major source of active interleukin-18.

Recent publications have demonstrated that the protease caspase-1 is responsible for the processing of pro-interleukin 18 (IL-18) into the active form. Studies on cell lines and murine macrophages have shown that the bacterial invasion factor SipB activates caspase-1, triggering cell death. Thus, we investigated the role of SipB in the activation and release of IL-18 in human alveolar macrophages (AM), which are the first line of defense against inhaled pathogens. Under steady-state conditions, AM are a more important source of IL-18 than are dendritic cells (DC) and monocytes. Cytokine production by AM and DC was compared after both types of cells had been infected with a virulent strain of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and an isogenic sipB mutant, which were used as an infection model. Infection with virulent Salmonella led to marked cell death with features of apoptosis while both intracellular activation and release of IL-18 were demonstrated. In contrast, the sipB mutant did not induce such cell death or the release of active IL-18. The specific caspase-1 inhibitor Ac-YVAD-CMK blocked the early IL-18 release in AM infected with the virulent strain. However, the type of Salmonella infection did not differentially regulate IL-18 gene expression. We concluded that the bacterial virulence factor SipB plays an essential posttranslational role in the intracellular activation of IL-18 and the release of the cytokine in human AM.

Iowa EHDI News, Winter 2008

The purpose of the newsletter is to communicate with parents and professionals about newborn hearing screening in Iowa. We will share information about: Hearing screenings Intervention Resources available for parents and professionals “Best practices” by hospitals, AEAs (Area Education Agencies), or private practive audiology offices System goals Family stories Highlights from the EHDI Advisory Committee Updates on Iowa’s EHDI program It is important to point out that we are a diverse team of individuals working together to ensure that all newborns and toddlers with hearing loss are identified as early as possible and provided with timely and appropriate audiological, educational and medical intervention. Each newsletter will introduce you to various team members of the EHDI system in Iowa.

Iowa EHDI News, Winter 2009

The purpose of the newsletter is to communicate with parents and professionals about newborn hearing screening in Iowa. We will share information about: Hearing screenings Intervention Resources available for parents and professionals “Best practices” by hospitals, AEAs (Area Education Agencies), or private practive audiology offices System goals Family stories Highlights from the EHDI Advisory Committee Updates on Iowa’s EHDI program It is important to point out that we are a diverse team of individuals working together to ensure that all newborns and toddlers with hearing loss are identified as early as possible and provided with timely and appropriate audiological, educational and medical intervention. Each newsletter will introduce you to various team members of the EHDI system in Iowa.

Iowa EHDI News, Winter 2010

The purpose of the newsletter is to communicate with parents and professionals about newborn hearing screening in Iowa. We will share information about: Hearing screenings Intervention Resources available for parents and professionals “Best practices” by hospitals, AEAs (Area Education Agencies), or private practive audiology offices System goals Family stories Highlights from the EHDI Advisory Committee Updates on Iowa’s EHDI program It is important to point out that we are a diverse team of individuals working together to ensure that all newborns and toddlers with hearing loss are identified as early as possible and provided with timely and appropriate audiological, educational and medical intervention. Each newsletter will introduce you to various team members of the EHDI system in Iowa.