Digital Commons Network^™

Regional Gray Matter Correlates Of Perceived Emotional Intelligence, Nancy S. Koven, Robert M. Roth, Matthew A. Garlinghouse, Laura A. Flashman, Andrew J. Saykin

Dartmouth Scholarship

Coping with stressful life events requires a degree of skill in the ability to attend to, comprehend, label, communicate and regulate emotions. Individuals vary in the extent to which these skills are developed, with the term ‘alexithymia’ often applied in the clinical and personality literature to those individuals most compromised in these skills. Although a frontal lobe model of alexithymia is emerging, it is unclear whether such a model satisfactorily reflects brain-related patterns associated with perceived emotional intelligence at the facet level. To determine whether these trait meta-mood facets (ability to attend to, have clarity of and repair emotions) have …

Wolbachia Infections That Reduce Immature Insect Survival: Predicted Impacts On Population Replacement, Philip R. Crain, James W. Mains, Eunho Suh, Yunxin Huang, Philip H. Crowley, Stephen L. Dobson

Entomology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The evolutionary success of Wolbachia bacteria, infections of which are widespread in invertebrates, is largely attributed to an ability to manipulate host reproduction without imposing substantial fitness costs. Here, we describe a stage-structured model with deterministic immature lifestages and a stochastic adult female lifestage. Simulations were conducted to better understand Wolbachia invasions into uninfected host populations. The model includes conventional Wolbachia parameters (the level of cytoplasmic incompatibility, maternal inheritance, the relative fecundity of infected females, and the initial Wolbachia infection frequency) and a new parameter termed relative larval viability (RLV), which is the survival of infected larvae relative to …

Food Insecurity And Sexual Risk In An Hiv Endemic Community In Uganda, Cari L. Miller, David R. Bangsberg, David M. Tuller, Jude Senkungu, Annet Kawuma, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Sheri D. Weiser

Faculty Publications

Food insecurity has been linked to high-risk sexual behavior in sub-Saharan Africa, but there are limited data on these links among people living with HIV/AIDS, and on the mechanisms for how food insecurity predisposes individuals to risky sexual practices. We undertook a series of in-depth open-ended interviews with 41 individuals living with HIV/AIDS to understand the impact of food insecurity on sexual-risk behaviors. Participants were recruited from the Immune Suppression Clinic at the Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Mbarara, Uganda. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated, and coded following the strategy of grounded theory. Four major themes emerged …

Myths, Emily Zeller

Theses

In this thesis I address a personal relationship with nature, femininity, and coming-of-age in a patriarchal family through videos that rely on a synthesized definition of myth to create multi-layered meaning with roots in the greater feminine discourse. I create my own unique interpretation of myth by combining elements of traditional Greek mythology, semiotic mythology, and the art and poems centered around the myth of the female experience. Imbuing my videos with this mythic quality allows the objects and actions depicted to transcend their signifiers, birthing multi-layered meaning and encouraging a closer examination and personal connection with the viewer. My …

A Tool To Measure The Attributes Of Receiving Iv Therapy In A Home Versus Hospital Setting: The Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Management Scale (Msrms)., Afsane Riazi, Bernadette Porter, Jeremy Chataway, Alan J. Thompson, Jeremy C. Hobart

Peninsula Medical School

BACKGROUND: Intravenous steroids are routinely used to treat disabling relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS). Theoretically, the infusion could take place at home, rather than in hospital. Findings from other patient populations suggest that patients may find the experiences of home relapse management more desirable. However, formal comparison of these two settings, from the patients' point of view, was prevented by the lack of a clinical scale. We report the development of a rating scale to measure patient's experiences of relapse management that allowed this question to be answered confidently. METHODS: Scale development had three stages. First, in-depth interviews of 21 …

Rna Oxidation Adducts 8-Ohg And 8-Oha Change With Aβ42 Levels In Late-Stage Alzheimer's Disease, Adam M. Weidner, Melissa A. Bradley, Tina L. Beckett, Dana M. Niedowicz, Amy L.S. Dowling, Sergey V. Matveev, Harry Levine, Mark A. Lovell, M. Paul Murphy

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

While research supports amyloid-β (Aβ) as the etiologic agent of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the mechanism of action remains unclear. Evidence indicates that adducts of RNA caused by oxidation also represent an early phenomenon in AD. It is currently unknown what type of influence these two observations have on each other, if any. We quantified five RNA adducts by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy across five brain regions from AD cases and age-matched controls. We then used a reductive directed analysis to compare the RNA adducts to common indices of AD neuropathology and various pools of Aβ. Using data from four disease-affected brain …

In Vivo Microdialysis Reveals Age-Dependent Decrease Of Brain Interstitial Fluid Tau Levels In P301s Human Tau Transgenic Mice, Kaoru Yamada, John R. Cirrito, Floy R. Stewart, Hong Jiang, Mary Beth Finn, Brandon B. Holmes, Lester I. Binder, Eva-Maria Mandelkow, Marc I. Diamond, Virginia M.-Y. Lee, David M. Holtzman

Open Access Publications

Although tau is a cytoplasmic protein, it is also found in brain extracellular fluids, e.g., CSF. Recent findings suggest that aggregated tau can be transferred between cells and extracellular tau aggregates might mediate spread of tau pathology. Despite these data, details of whether tau is normally released into the brain interstitial fluid (ISF), its concentration in ISF in relation to CSF, and whether ISF tau is influenced by its aggregation are unknown. To address these issues, we developed a microdialysis technique to analyze monomeric ISF tau levels within the hippocampus of awake, freely moving mice. We detected tau in ISF …

The Meaning Of Breast Cancer Risk For African American Women., Janice Phillips, Marlene Z. Cohen

Journal Articles: College of Nursing

PURPOSE: To describe African American women's experience of being at high risk for breast cancer.

DESIGN: A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to guide in-depth interviews and analysis. Methods to ensure trustworthiness and rigor were included.

METHODS: Open interviews were conducted with 20 African American women who were at high risk for breast cancer (family history, personal history, genetic mutation). They were recruited from a cancer risk clinic and community-based settings. Data were transcribed verbatim, and themes were labeled among and between all interviews.

FINDINGS: Five themes were identified: (a) life-changing experience; (b) relationships: fears, support, and concerns; (c) the …

Scleroderma Renal Crisis-Like Acute Renal Failure Associated With Mucopolysaccharide Accumulation In Renal Vessels In A Patient With Scleromyxedema., Young H Lee, Joya Sahu, Marie S O'Brien, Vivette D D'Agati, Sergio A. Jimenez

Scleroderma Center Faculty Papers

Scleromyxedema is a systemic disease characterized by lichenoid papules, nodules, and plaques on the skin and often diffuse skin induration resembling the cutaneous involvement of systemic sclerosis. The systemic involvement affects the musculoskeletal, pulmonary, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems, and the disorder is commonly associated with a paraproteinemia. Involvement of the kidney is rare and not considered a feature of the disease. Here, we describe an unusual case of scleromyxedema complicated by the development of scleroderma renal crisis-like acute renal failure with a marked intimal deposition of mucin, mucopolysaccharides, and hyaluronic acid in the intrarenal vessels.

Relationship Of Adipokines With Insulin Sensitivity In African Americans., Maria P Martinez Cantarin, Scott W Keith, Stephanie Deloach, Yonghong Huan, Bonita Falkner

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Cytokines produced by adipose tissue, including adiponectin, have been associated with metabolic abnormalities. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of insulin sensitivity measured by euglycemic hyperinsulinemic insulin clamp with plasma adiponectin and other adipokines in young adult African Americans.

METHODS: Participants were healthy African Americans. Anthropometric measures, blood pressure, an oral glucose tolerance test and an euglycemic hyperinsulinemic insulin clamp were performed. Insulin sensitivity measurements were adjusted for percentage of fat mass. Plasma concentrations of adiponectin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were assayed on plasma from fasting blood samples. Pearson correlation coefficients and …

Effectiveness Of Neuromuscular Conditioning To Prevent Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries In Female Athletes: A Critical Synthesis Of Literature, Shiren G. Assaly, Todd E. Davenport, Katrin Mattern-Baxter

School of Pharmacy Faculty Articles

Background and Purpose: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are common among female athletes. The purpose of this literature review was to assess the effectiveness of neuromuscular conditioning to modify biomechanical risk factors for ACL injury.

METHOD: A structured literature search was conducted to identify primary research articles. Articles were graded according to their strength of evidence and a qualitative literature review was completed.

RESULTS: Seven primary research studies were available for analysis that documented the effects of neuromuscular conditioning (range of evidence grades: 1B to 3B). Lower limb kinematics, lower limb kinetics, and incidence of tears were the primary outcomes …

Perceptions Of Beauty Among Female Chinese Students In The United States And China, Carly R. Staley, Ginny Qin Zhan

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

This pilot study compared the perceptions of beauty among Chinese women who were exchange students in the United States with Chinese women who were students in their homeland. We interviewed 19 women in China and 19 women in the United States to determine differences in responses. In accordance with the sociocultural approach and the social comparison approach, we expected Chinese women in the United States to have a be more acculturate, more frequently conclude that American women were more beautiful than Chinese women, be more likely than those studying in China to report body dissatisfaction, be more likely to dislike …

Alpha-Defensins 1-3 Release By Dendritic Cells Is Reduced By Estrogen, Maria M. Escribese, Marta Rodríguez-García, Rhoda Sperling, Stephanie M. Engel

Dartmouth Scholarship

During pregnancy the immune system of the mother must protect any activation that may negatively affect the fetus. Changes in susceptibility to infection as well as resolution of some autoimmune disorders represent empirical evidence for pregnancy related alterations in immunity. Sex hormones reach extremely high levels during pregnancy and have been shown to have direct effects on many immune functions including the antiviral response of dendritic cells. Among the immunologically active proteins secreted by monocyte derived DCs (MDDC) are the alpha-defensins 1-3. This family of cationic antimicrobial peptides has a broad spectrum of microbicidal activity and has also been shown …

Male Mating Competitiveness Of A Wolbachia-Introgressed Aedes Polynesiensis Strain Under Semi-Field Conditions, Eric W. Chambers, Limb Hapairai, Bethany A. Peel, Hervé Bossin, Stephen L. Dobson

Entomology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Lymphatic filariasis (LF), a global public health problem affecting approximately 120 million people worldwide, is a leading cause of disability in the developing world including the South Pacific. Despite decades of ongoing mass drug administration (MDA) in the region, some island nations have not yet achieved the threshold levels of microfilaremia established by the World Health Organization for eliminating transmission. Previously, the generation of a novel Aedes polynesiensis strain (CP) infected with an exogenous type of Wolbachia has been described. The CP mosquito is cytoplasmically incompatible (i.e., effectively sterile) when mated with wildtype mosquitoes, and a strategy was proposed …

Cross-Racial/Cross-Gender Mentoring Of School Administrators, Zella M. Williams

Dissertations

Abstract The purpose of this study is to determine the perceived effectiveness of the professional mentoring which female African American school administrators and other school administrators have received from their school district, examining the cross-racial and cross-gender pairings of mentors and mentees. After an extensive review of the literature, a cross-sectional, self-reporting attitudinal survey was designed. The survey began with a section of closed-ended questions to gather demographic information. The second section gathered information about the mentoring experience using a Likert scale. The final section consisted of one open-ended question about mentoring effectiveness. The survey was distributed to all certified …

The Incidence Of Deep Vein Thrombosis Detected By Routine Surveillance Ultrasound In Neurosurgery Patients Receiving Dual Modality Prophylaxis., Patricia C Henwood, Thomas M Kennedy, Lynda Thomson, Taki Galanis, George L Tzanis, Geno J Merli, Walter K. Kraft

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

The optimal method of thromboprophylaxis and the value of screening ultrasonography for detection of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in neurosurgery patients remains unclear. The goal of this study was to determine the incidence of DVT in neurosurgical patients who, by hospital protocol, receive surveillance ultrasonography of the lower extremities twice weekly, in addition to prophylaxis with unfractionated heparin and external pneumatic compression sleeves. A retrospective review of 7,298 ultrasound studies carried out on 2,593 patients over 4 years at a university neurosurgical hospital was conducted. There was a 7.4% incidence of proximal lower extremity DVT and a 9.7% total incidence …

Breeding Fidelity And Landscape Effects On Distribution Of Mallards And Duck Broods In The Nebraska Sandhills, Zachary J. Cunningham

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

I investigated aspects of mallard (Anas platyrhnchos) breeding ecology in the Nebraska Sandhills during 2007-2008. Previous work in this region suggests that nest success is low for a large area of intact grassland such as the Sandhills. My goal was to conduct a local-scale examination of age distribution and return rates of mallards, and a large-scale examination of brood distribution in the Sandhills region as a whole. This information will help explain factors contributing to the low nest success previously observed, determine relationships between landscape composition and spatial distribution of waterfowl in the Sandhills, and predict productivity and …

Preferential Quadriceps Activation In Female Athletes With Incremental Increases In Landing Intensity, Kevin R. Ford, Gregory D. Myer, Laura C. Schmitt, Timothy L. Uhl, Timothy E. Hewett

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to identify alterations in preparatory muscle activation patterns across different drop heights in female athletes. Sixteen female high school volleyball players performed the drop vertical jump from three different drop heights. Surface electromyography of the quadriceps and hamstrings were collected during the movement trials. As the drop height increased, muscle activation of the quadriceps during preparatory phase also increased (p < .05). However, the hamstrings activation showed no similar increases relative to drop height. Female athletes appear to preferentially rely on increased quadriceps activation, without an increase in hamstrings activation, with increased plyometric intensity. The resultant decreased activation ratio of the hamstrings relative to quadriceps before landing may represent altered dynamic knee stability and may contribute to the increased risk of ACL injury in female athletes.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Maternal And Umbilical Cord Blood From Pregnant Hispanic Women Living In Brownsville, Texas, Ken Sexton, Jennifer J Salinas, Thomas J Mcdonald, Rose M Z Gowen, Rebecca P Miller, Joseph B Mccormick, Susan P Fisher-Hoch

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Venous blood was drawn from 35 pregnant Hispanic women living in Brownsville, Texas, and matched cord blood was collected at birth. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to measure concentrations of 55 individual PAHs or groups of PAHs. Results indicate that these women and their fetuses were regularly exposed to multiple PAHs at comparatively low concentrations, with levels in cord blood generally exceeding levels in paired maternal blood. While the possibility of related adverse effects on the fetus is uncertain, these exposures in combination with socioeconomically-disadvantaged and environmentally-challenging living conditions raise legitimate public health concerns.

Appropriate Medication Prescribing In Elderly Patients: How Knowledgeable Are Primary Care Physicians? A Survey Study In Parma, Italy., Vittorio Maio, Pharmd, Ms, Mph, Eric Jutkowitz, Ba, Karina Herrera Ba, Ms, Safiya Abouzaid Pharmd, Giavanna Negri, Pharmd, Stefano Del Canale, Md, Phd

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

What is known and Objective:  Increasing attention is being paid to inappropriate medication prescribing for the elderly. A growing body of studies have detected a prevalence of inappropriate prescribing ranging from 12% to 40% worldwide, including Regione Emilia-Romagna, Italy. To improve quality of prescribing, a multi-phase pilot project in the Local Health Unit (LHU) of Parma, Regione Emilia-Romagna, was established. This phase aimed to assess primary care physicians' knowledge of appropriate prescribing in elderly patients. Methods:  In total, 155 primary care physicians (51% of the total), convened by the LHU of Parma for an educational session, were asked to complete …

Tgfb1 Disrupts The Angiogenic Potential Of Microvascular Endothelial Cells Of The Corpus Luteum., Dulce Maroni, John S. Davis

Journal Articles: Obstetrics & Gynecology

Cyclical formation and regression of the ovarian corpus luteum is required for reproduction. During luteal regression, the microvasculature of the corpus luteum is extensively disrupted. Prostaglandin F2α, a primary signal for luteal regression, induces the expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGFB1) in the corpus luteum. This study determined the actions of TGFB1 on microvascular endothelial cells isolated from the bovine corpus luteum (CLENDO cells). We hypothesized that TGFB1 participates in the disruption of the microvasculature during luteal regression. TGFB1 activated the canonical SMAD signaling pathway in CLENDO cells. TGFB1 (1 ng/ml) significantly reduced both basal and fetal-calf-serum-stimulated DNA synthesis, …

Assessing Medicare Beneficiaries’ Strength‐Of‐Preference Scores For Health Care Options: How Engaging Does The Elicitation Technique Need To Be?, Trafford Crump, Hilary A. Llewellyn-Thomas

Dartmouth Scholarship

The objective was to determine if participants’ strength‐of‐preference scores for elective health care interventions at the end‐of‐life (EOL) elicited using a non‐engaging technique are affected by their prior use of an engaging elicitation technique.

Microglial P38Α Mapk Is A Key Regulator Of Proinflammatory Cytokine Up-Regulation Induced By Toll-Like Receptor (Tlr) Ligands Or Beta-Amyloid (Aβ), Adam D. Bachstetter, Bin Xing, Lucia De Almeida, Edgardo R. Dimayuga, D. Martin Watterson, Linda J. Van Eldik

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines from activated microglia has been implicated as an important contributor to pathophysiology progression in both acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, it is critical to elucidate intracellular signaling pathways that are significant contributors to cytokine overproduction in microglia exposed to specific stressors, especially pathways amenable to drug interventions. The serine/threonine protein kinase p38α MAPK is a key enzyme in the parallel and convergent intracellular signaling pathways involved in stressor-induced production of IL-1β and TNFα in peripheral tissues, and is a drug development target for peripheral inflammatory diseases. However, much less is known about the quantitative …

Recruitment And Retention Of Diverse Populations In Antiretroviral Clinical Trials: Practical Applications From The Gender, Race And Clinical Experience Study., Ron Falcon, Dawn Averitt Bridge, Judith Currier, Kathleen Squires, Debbie Hagins, Deborah Schaible, Robert Ryan, Joseph Mrus

Division of Infectious Diseases and Environmental Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Women, particularly women of color, remain underrepresented in antiretroviral (ARV) clinical trials. To evaluate sex-based differences in darunavir/ritonavir-based therapy, the Gender, Race And Clinical Experience (GRACE) study was designed to enroll and retain a high proportion of women representative of the racial/ethnic demographics of women with HIV/AIDS in the United States. The recruitment and retention strategies used in GRACE are described in this article.

METHODS: Recruitment and retention strategies targeting women included selecting study sites that focused on women, involving community consultants, site-specific enrollment plans, access to other ARV drugs, study branding, site and patient toolkits, targeted public relations, …

Farmwork-Related Injury Among Farmers 50 Years Of Age And Older In Kentucky And South Carolina: A Cohort Study, 2002-2005, Jennifer L. Marcum, Steven R. Browning, Deborah B. Reed, Richard Charnigo

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Farmers in the U.S. are becoming more diverse; the average age of the farmer is increasing, as is the number of women and minority farm operators. There is limited research on injury risk factors in these special populations of farmers. It is especially important to study the risk factors for injury in these growing and at-risk groups. A longitudinal survey was conducted of farmers (n = 1,394) age 50 and older who resided in Kentucky and South Carolina. The questionnaire was administered by telephone and mail surveys four times between 2002 and 2005 to the fixed cohort of farmers, obtained …

Tumor-Derived Interleukin-10 As A Prognostic Factor In Stage Iii Patients Undergoing Adjuvant Treatment With An Autologous Melanoma Cell Vaccine., Amit Mahipal, Mizue Terai, David Berd, Inna Chervoneva, Kashyap Patel, Michael Mastrangelo, Takami Sato

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: Interleukin-10 (IL-10) downregulates T-cell-mediated immune responses. We studied the association between IL-10 production by freshly isolated melanoma cell suspensions in vitro and overall survival in patients undergoing adjuvant treatment with a vaccine prepared from the same autologous melanoma cells modified with a hapten, dinitrophenyl (DNP).

METHODS: Forty-four patients with cutaneous melanoma (29 stage III and 15 stage IV) were prospectively evaluated. Tumor cells were extracted from metastatic deposits for production of DNP-modified autologous melanoma cell vaccine. Small aliquots of the melanoma cell suspensions were separated prior to vaccine processing and cultured overnight for IL-10 production. Based on a blind …

Emotional Climate, Feeding Practices, And Feeding Styles: An Observational Analysis Of The Dinner Meal In Head Start Families, Sheryl O Hughes, Thomas G Power, Maria A Papaioannou, Matthew B Cross, Theresa A Nicklas, Sharon K Hall, Richard M Shewchuk

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: A number of studies conducted with ethnically diverse, low-income samples have found that parents with indulgent feeding styles had children with a higher weight status. Indulgent parents are those who are responsive to their child's emotional states but have problems setting appropriate boundaries with their child. Because the processes through which styles impact child weight are poorly understood, the aim of this study was to observe differences in the emotional climate created by parents (including affect, tone of voice, and gestures) and behavioral feeding practices among those reporting different feeding styles on the Caregiver's Feeding Styles Questionnaire. A secondary …

Surgical Management Of Complete Atrioventricular Septal Defect: Associations With Surgical Technique, Age, And Trisomy 21., Andrew M. Atz, John A. Hawkins, Minmin Lu, Meryl S. Cohen, Steven D. Colan, James Jaggers, Ronald V. Lacro, Brian W. Mccrindle, Renee Margossian, Ralph S. Mosca, Lynn A. Sleeper, L Luann Minich, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators, Girish S. Shirali

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate the contemporary results after repair of a complete atrioventricular septal defect and to determine the factors associated with suboptimal outcomes.

METHODS: The demographic, procedural, and outcome data were obtained within 1 and 6 months after repair of a complete atrioventricular septal defect in 120 children in a multicenter observational study from June 2004 to 2006.

RESULTS: The median age at surgery was 3.7 months (range, 9 days to 1.1 years). The type of surgical repair was a single patch (18%), double patch (72%), and a single atrial septal defect patch with primary ventricular septal defect …

Remote Positioning Optical Breast Magnetic Resonance Coil For Slice-Selection During Image-Guided Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Of Breast Cancer, Michael A. Mastanduno, Shudong Jiang, Brian W. Pogue, Keith D. Paulsen, Roberta Diflorio-Alexander

Dartmouth Scholarship

The design and testing of a pneumatic optical positioning interface produced with the goal of improving fiber positioning in magnetic resonance (MR)-guided diffuse spectral imaging of breast cancer is presented. The system was created for vertical positioning of optical fibers inside the MR bore during a patient exam to target suspicious lesions with MR scans for reference and collect multiple planes of optical data. The interface includes new fiber plates for mechanical and optical coupling to the breast, and was tested in phantoms and human imaging. Reconstructions with data taken in the new interface show acceptable linearity over different absorber …

Role Of Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase – Akt Signaling Pathway In The Age-Related Cytokine Dysregulation In Splenic Macrophages Stimulated Via Tlr-2 Or Tlr-4 Receptors, Mosoka Papa Fallah, R. Lakshman Chelvarajan, Beth A. Garvy, Subbarao Bondada

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Age-associated defects in both B-lymphocytes and macrophages in elderly result in a reduction in the efficacy of vaccines to many Gram positive bacteria like Streptococcus pneumoniae. Splenic macrophages from aged mice have been shown to have a defect in production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-12, IL-1β, TNF-α) but exhibit increased production of IL-10 upon TLR4 ligation. Here we showed that aged macrophages demonstrate similar cytokine dysregulation phenotype upon stimulation with TLR2 ligands, or killed S. pneumoniae. We hypothesized that an age-associated increase in activity of phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling pathway may be playing a causal role in …