Abstract: Disclosed is mapping complex inflammatory mechanisms in (Gulf War Illness) GWI to improve understanding of the immunologic underpinnings of GWI, the compounding effects of co-morbidity with post-traumatic stress disorder, and the potential of this co-morbidity to define a unique subtype of GWI. Predictive modeling assesses possible changes to putative treatments of GWI in the context of a probable PTSD diagnosis or lack thereof. A logic model is constructed to represent the neuroimmune system across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) connecting the central nervous system to blood-based system. Next, the model results of a GWI cohort are topologically compared with and without PTSD symptoms to mouse models of GWI in blood and use the corresponding neuroimmune states in a mouse brain to infer the blood-brain state of GWI subjects. This inference is then used to guide predictive modeling of treatment courses designed to return the overall neuroimmune system to healthy regulation.

Abstract: A general method of analyzing immune signaling networks for identification of potential therapeutic targets in complex, chronic medical disorders is described. The disclosure provides the CD3?/CD56+ natural killer (NK) cell population as a potential therapeutic target in the clinically-overlapping disorders Gulf War Illness (GWI) and Myalg Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). The disclosure also provides a method for improving or restoring Natural Killer (NK) cell function by stimulating the NK cells with interleukin-15 (IL-15).

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with an improvement in the mechanical treatment of wood fibers, the improvement consisting in applying a large amount of energy at low intensity in the first stage of refining of the wood chips, and a small amount of energy at high intensity in the second stage. The present improvement allows a reduction in energy consumption as high as 18%.