pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
IgM phosphorylcholine antibodies inhibit cell death and constitute a strong protection marker for atherosclerosis development, particularly in combination with other auto-antibodies against modified LDL

AbstractBackgroundWe have reported that anti-phosphorylcholine (anti-PC) IgM is a protection marker for human cardiovascular disease (CVD) and atherosclerosis. We here investigate the anti-PC autoantibodies in a well-defined cohort with regard to idiotype, atherosclerosis progression and mechanisms for its protective action.MethodsSerum levels and binding specificities of different anti-PC isotypes were determined in 226 hypertensive individuals enrolled in European Lacidipine Study on Atherosclerosis using ELISA. The mean of the maximum Intima-Media Thicknesses (IMT) in the far walls of common carotids and bifurcations was assessed at the time of inclusion, and four years afterwards. Apoptosis in immune cells was induced with lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and quantified using the MTT-assay.ResultsAnti-PC IgM, IgA and IgG1 (but not IgG2) was negatively associated with IMT-progression. Combining anti-PC IgM with data on antibodies against oxidized- and malondialdehyde-modified LDL further strengthened this association. At very high levels, anti-PC IgM exhibited a striking negative association with atherosclerosis progression (OR 0.05; CI 0.006–0.40). Analysis of serum samples taken four years apart in study participants affirmed the stability of anti-PC IgM titers over time. Examination of fine specificities revealed that the protective isotypes (IgM, IgA and IgG1) are of the Group I idiotype whereas the non-protective IgG2 subclass was Group II. Anti-PC IgM inhibited LPC-induced cell death of immune cells.ConclusionGroup I anti-PC antibodies, particularly of the IgM class, are independent protection markers for atherosclerosis progression. One potential mechanism of action is inhibition of LPC-induced cell cytotoxicity
Finite BRST–antiBRST transformations in Lagrangian formalism

AbstractWe continue the study of finite BRST–antiBRST transformations for general gauge theories in Lagrangian formalism initiated in [1], with a doublet λa, a=1,2, of anticommuting Grassmann parameters, and find an explicit Jacobian corresponding to this change of variables for constant λa. This makes it possible to derive the Ward identities and their consequences for the generating functional of Green's functions. We announce the form of the Jacobian (proved to be correct in [31]) for finite field-dependent BRST–antiBRST transformations with functionally-dependent parameters, λa=saΛ, induced by a finite even-valued functional Λ(ϕ,π,λ) and by the generators sa of BRST–antiBRST transformations, acting in the space of fields ϕ, antifields ϕa⁎,ϕ¯ and auxiliary variables πa,λ. On the basis of this Jacobian, we present and solve a compensation equation for Λ, which is used to achieve a precise change of the gauge-fixing functional for an arbitrary gauge theory. We derive a new form of the Ward identities, containing the parameters λa, and study the problem of gauge-dependence. The general approach is exemplified by the Freedman–Townsend model of a non-Abelian antisymmetric tensor field
Chemokine (C-C Motif) Receptor 2 Mediates Dendritic Cell Recruitment to the Human Colon but Is Not Responsible for Differences Observed in Dendritic Cell Subsets, Phenotype, and Function Between the Proximal and Distal Colon

Background & AimsMost knowledge about gastrointestinal (GI)-tract dendritic cells (DC) relies on murine studies where CD103+ DC specialize in generating immune tolerance with the functionality of CD11b+/− subsets being unclear. Information about human GI-DC is scarce, especially regarding regional specifications. Here, we characterized human DC properties throughout the human colon.MethodsPaired proximal (right/ascending) and distal (left/descending) human colonic biopsies from 95 healthy subjects were taken; DC were assessed by flow cytometry and microbiota composition assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing.ResultsColonic DC identified were myeloid (mDC, CD11c+CD123−) and further divided based on CD103 and SIRPα (human analog of murine CD11b) expression. CD103-SIRPα+ DC were the major population and with CD103+SIRPα+ DC were CD1c+ILT3+CCR2+ (although CCR2 was not expressed on all CD103+SIRPα+ DC). CD103+SIRPα- DC constituted a minor subset that were CD141+ILT3−CCR2−. Proximal colon samples had higher total DC counts and fewer CD103+SIRPα+ cells. Proximal colon DC were more mature than distal DC with higher stimulatory capacity for CD4+CD45RA+ T-cells. However, DC and DC-invoked T-cell expression of mucosal homing markers (β7, CCR9) was lower for proximal DC. CCR2 was expressed on circulating CD1c+, but not CD141+ mDC, and mediated DC recruitment by colonic culture supernatants in transwell assays. Proximal colon DC produced higher levels of cytokines. Mucosal microbiota profiling showed a lower microbiota load in the proximal colon, but with no differences in microbiota composition between compartments.ConclusionsProximal colonic DC subsets differ from those in distal colon and are more mature. Targeted immunotherapy using DC in T-cell mediated GI tract inflammation may therefore need to reflect this immune compartmentalization
Cold black holes in the Harlow–Hayden approach to firewalls

AbstractFirewalls are controversial principally because they seem to imply departures from general relativistic expectations in regions of spacetime where the curvature need not be particularly large. One of the virtues of the Harlow–Hayden approach to the firewall paradox, concerning the time available for decoding of Hawking radiation emanating from charged AdS black holes, is precisely that it operates in the context of cold black holes, which are not strongly curved outside the event horizon. Here we clarify this point. The approach is based on ideas borrowed from applications of the AdS/CFT correspondence to the quark–gluon plasma. Firewalls aside, our work presents a detailed analysis of the thermodynamics and evolution of evaporating charged AdS black holes with flat event horizons. We show that, in one way or another, these black holes are always eventually destroyed in a time which, while long by normal standards, is short relative to the decoding time of Hawking radiation
Clinical validation of Anyplex™ II HPV HR Detection according to the guidelines for HPV test requirements for cervical cancer screening

AbstractBackgroundAnyplex™ II HPV HR Detection (Seegene, Seoul, Korea) is a multiplex real-time PCR using tagging oligonucleotide cleavage and extension (TOCE) technology for simultaneous detection and genotyping of 14 high-risk (HR) HPV types, including HPV16 and HPV18.ObjectivesTo evaluate whether the clinical performance and reproducibility of Anyplex™ II HPV HR Detection meet the international consensus guidelines for HPV test requirements for cervical cancer screening [1].Study designThe clinical performance of Anyplex™ II HPV HR Detection for detecting cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) was determined relative to that of the reference assay, i.e., HR HPV GP5+/6+-PCR-EIA, by analysis of a total of 879 cervical liquid based cytology (LBC) specimens from a screening population, of which 60 were from women with CIN2+. The intra-laboratory reproducibility and inter-laboratory agreement were determined on 509 LBC samples, of which 172 were positive by the reference assay.ResultsAnyplex™ II HPV HR Detection showed a clinical sensitivity for CIN2+ of 98.3% (59/60; 95% CI: 89.1–99.8) and a clinical specificity for CIN2+ of 93.6% (764/816; 95% CI: 89.8–96.1). The clinical sensitivity and specificity were non-inferior to those of HR HPV GP5+/6+-PCR-EIA (non-inferiority score test: P=0.005 and P=0.023, respectively). Both intra-laboratory reproducibility (96.8%; 95% CI: 95.3–98.1; kappa value of 0.93) and inter-laboratory agreement (96.0%; 95% CI: 94.3–97.4; kappa value of 0.91) were high.ConclusionsAnyplex™ II HPV HR Detection performs clinically non-inferior to HR HPV GP5+/6+-PCR-EIA. Anyplex™ II HPV HR Detection complies with international consensus validation metrics for HPV DNA tests for cervical cancer screening [1]
Evidence for a narrow baryonic state decaying to K0Sp and K0Sp̄ in deep inelastic scattering at HERA

AbstractA resonance search has been made in the K0Sp and K0Sp̄ invariant-mass spectrum measured with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 121 pb−1. The search was performed in the central rapidity region of inclusive deep inelastic scattering at an ep centre-of-mass energy of 300–318 GeV for exchanged photon virtuality, Q2, above 1 GeV2. Recent results from fixed-target experiments give evidence for a narrow baryon resonance decaying to K+n and K0Sp, interpreted as a pentaquark. The results presented here support the existence of such state, with a mass of 1521.5±1.5(stat.)+2.8−1.7(syst.) MeV and a Gaussian width consistent with the experimental resolution of 2 MeV. The signal is visible at high Q2 and, for Q2>20 GeV2, contains 221±48 events. The probability of a similar signal anywhere in the range 1500–1560 MeV arising from fluctuations of the background is below 6×10−5
Measurement of charm and beauty photoproduction at HERA using D*μ correlations

AbstractA measurement of charm and beauty photoproduction at the electron proton collider HERA is presented based on the simultaneous detection of a D*± meson and a muon. The correlation between the D* meson and the muon serves to separate the charm and beauty contributions and the analysis provides comparable sensitivity to both. The total and differential experimental cross sections are compared to LO and NLO QCD calculations. The measured charm cross section is in good agreement with QCD predictions including higher order effects while the beauty cross section is higher
Frequency of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific CD8+ T-cells in the course of anti-tuberculosis treatment

SummaryAnti-tuberculosis drug treatment is known to affect the number, phenotype, and effector functionality of antigen-specific T-cells. In order to objectively gauge Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)-specific CD8+ T-cells at the single-cell level, we developed soluble major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I multimers/peptide multimers, which allow analysis of antigen-specific T-cells without ex vivo manipulation or functional tests. We constructed 38 MHC class I multimers covering some of the most frequent MHC class I alleles (HLA-A*02:01, A*24:02, A*30:01, A*30:02, A*68:01, B*58:01, and C*07:01) pertinent to a South African or Zambian population, and presenting the following MTB-derived peptides: the early expressed secreted antigens TB10.4 (Rv0288), Ag85B (Rv1886c), and ESAT-6 (Rv3875), as well as intracellular enzymes, i.e., glycosyltransferase 1 (Rv2957), glycosyltransferase 2 (Rv2958c), and cyclopropane fatty acid synthase (Rv0447c). Anti-TB treatment appeared to impact on the frequency of multimer-positive CD8+ T-cells, with a general decrease after 6 months of therapy. Also, a reduction in the total central memory CD8+ T-cell frequencies, as well as the antigen-specific compartment in CD45RA−CCR7+ T-cells was observed. We discuss our findings on the basis of differential dynamics of MTB-specific T-cell frequencies, impact of MTB antigen load on T-cell phenotype, and antigen-specific T-cell responses in tuberculosis
Analysis of clinical and environmental Candida parapsilosis isolates by microsatellite genotyping—a tool for hospital infection surveillance

AbstractCandida parapsilosis emerged as an important opportunistic pathogen, causing candidaemia worldwide. Nosocomial outbreaks triggered by this species have been frequently described, particularly in cancer patients. For a better understanding of its epidemiology, several typing methods are used and microsatellite analysis has been reported as highly discriminant. The main objective of this work was to study C. parapsilosis isolates by application of microsatellite genotyping to distinguish epidemiologically related strains, compare clinical and environmental isolates and determine possible routes of dispersion of the isolates in the hospital setting. A total of 129 C. parapsilosis isolates from different origins, including hospital environment and hands of healthcare workers, were genotyped using four microsatellite markers. The isolates were recovered from different health institutions. Analysis of C. parapsilosis isolates from hospital environment showed great genotypic diversity; however, the same or very similar genotypes were also found. The same multilocus genotype was shared by isolates recovered from the hand of a healthcare worker, from the hospital environment and from patients of the same healthcare institution, suggesting that these could be possible routes of transmission and that infections due to C. parapsilosis may be mainly related with exogenous transmission to the patient. Examination of sequential isolates from the same patients showed that colonizing and bloodstream isolates had the same multilocus genotype in the majority of cases. We demonstrate that this typing method is able to distinguish clonal clusters from genetically unrelated genotypes and can be a valuable tool to support epidemiologic investigations in the hospital setting
Search for associated production of a Z boson with a single top quark and for tZ flavour-changing interactions in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV

A search for the production of a single top quark in association with a Z boson is presented, both to identify the expected standard model process and to search for flavour-changing neutral current interactions. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb−1 recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at  s√=8s=8  TeV. Final states with three leptons (electrons or muons) and at least one jet are investigated. An events yield compatible with tZq standard model production is observed, and the corresponding cross section is measured to be σ(pp → tZq → ℓνbℓ+ℓ−q) = 10− 7+ 8 fb with a significance of 2.4 standard deviations. No presence of flavour-changing neutral current production of tZq is observed. Exclusion limits at 95% confidence level on the branching fractions of a top quark decaying to a Z boson and an up or a charm quark are found to be ℬ(t → Zu) < 0.022% and ℬ(t → Zc) < 0.049%
Exclusive ω meson muoproduction on transversely polarised protons

Exclusive production of ω   mesons was studied at the COMPASS experiment by scattering 160 GeV/c muons off transversely polarised protons. Five single-spin and three double-spin azimuthal asymmetries were measured in the range of photon virtuality 1 (GeV/c)2<Q2<10 (GeV/c)2, Bjorken scaling variable 0.003<xBj<0.3 and transverse momentum squared of the ω   meson View the MathML source. The measured asymmetries are sensitive to the nucleon helicity-flip Generalised Parton Distributions (GPD) E   that are related to the orbital angular momentum of quarks, the chiral-odd GPDs HT that are related to the transversity Parton Distribution Functions, and the sign of the πω transition form factor. The results are compared to recent calculations of a GPD-based model
Tank Monitoring: A pAMN Case Study.

The introduction of probabilistic behaviour into the B-Method is a recent development. In addition to allowing probabilistic behaviour to be modelled, the relationship between expected values of the machine state can be expressed and verified. This paper explores the application of probabilistic B to a simple casestudy: tracking the volume of liquid held in atank by measuring the flow of liquid into it. The flow can change as time progresses, and sensors are used to measure the flow with some degree of accuracy and reliability, modelled as non-deterministic and probabilistic behaviour respectively. At the specification level, the analysis is concerned with the expectation clause in the probabilistic B machine and its consistency with machine operations. At the refinement level, refinement and equivalence laws on probabilistic GSL are used to establish that a particular design of sensors delivers the required level of reliability
Comparison of the Z/γ ∗ + jets to γ + jets cross sections in pp collisions at √s = 8 TeV

A comparison of the differential cross sections for the processes Z/γ* + jets and photon (γ)+jets is presented. The measurements are based on data collected with the CMS detector at s=8(Formula presented.) TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb−1. The differential cross sections and their ratios are presented as functions of pT. The measurements are also shown as functions of the jet multiplicity. Differential cross sections are obtained as functions of the ratio of the Z/γ*pT to the sum of all jet transverse momenta and of the ratio of the Z/γ*pT to the leading jet transverse momentum. The data are corrected for detector effects and are compared to simulations based on several QCD calculations.[Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2015, The Author(s).The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey, and Turkish Atomic Energy Authorit
Development of a conceptual framework of holistic risk assessment — Landfill as a particular type of contaminated land

Landfills can be regarded as a particular type of contaminated land that has a potential to directly and indirectly pollute all of the four main spheres of the environment which are the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and eventually adversely impact the biosphere. Therefore, environmental risk assessment of a landfill has to be more integrated and holistic by virtue of its nature of being a multidimensional pollutant source. Despite this, although various risk assessment approaches have been adopted for landfill waste disposal sites, there are still wide-ranging knowledge gaps and limitations which need to be addressed. One important knowledge gap and limitation of current risk assessment approaches is the inability to fully identify, categorise and aggregate all individual risks from all combinations of hazards, pathways and targets/receptors (e.g. water, air, soil and biota) in connection to a certain landfill leachate and yet at any stage of the landfill cycle. So such an approach is required that could not only integrate all possible characteristics of varying scenarios but also contain the ability to establish an overall risk picture, irrespective of the lifecycle stage of the landfill (e.g. planning stage/pre-operation, in-operation or post-operation/closed). One such approach to address the wide-breadth of landfill impact risks is by developing a more holistic risk assessment methodology, whose conceptual framework is presented in this paper for landfill leachate in a whole-system format. This conceptual framework does not only draw together various constituting factors and sub-factors of risk assessment in a logical sequence and categorical order, but also indicates the “what, why, when and how” outputs of and inputs to these factors and sub-factors can be useful. The framework is designed to identify and quantify a range of risks associated with all stages of the landfill lifecycle, and yet in a more streamlined, logical, categorical and integrated format, offering a more standardised and unified whole-system approach
Ruthenium(II) dichloro or dithiocyanato complexes with 4,4′:2′,2″:4″,4‴-quaterpyridinium ligands:Towards photosensitisers with enhanced low-energy absorption properties

Fourteen new complexes of the form cis-[Ru IIX 2(R 2qpy 2+) 2] 4+ (R 2qpy 2+ = a 4,4′:2′,2″:4″,4‴-quaterpyridinium ligand, X = Cl - or NCS -) have been prepared and isolated as their PF 6 - salts. Characterisation involved various techniques including 1H NMR spectroscopy and +electrospray or MALDI mass spectrometry. The UV-Vis spectra display intense intraligand π → π * absorptions, and also metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) bands with two resolved maxima in the visible region. Red-shifts in the MLCT bands occur as the electron-withdrawing strength of the pyridinium groups increases, while replacing Cl - with NCS - causes blue-shifts. Cyclic voltammograms show quasi-reversible or reversible Ru III/II oxidation waves, and several ligand-based reductions that are irreversible. The variations in the redox potentials correlate with changes in the MLCT energies. A single-crystal X-ray structure has been obtained for a protonated form of a proligand salt, [(4-(CO 2H)Ph) 2qpyH 3+][HSO 4] 3·3H 2O. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations give adequate correlations with the experimental UV-Vis spectra for the two carboxylic acid-functionalised complexes in DMSO. Despite their attractive electronic absorption spectra, these dyes are relatively inefficient photosensitisers on electrodes coated with TiO 2 or ZnO. These observations are attributed primarily to weak electronic coupling with the surfaces, since the DFT-derived LUMOs include no electron density near the carboxylic acid anchors
DIAGNOSING THE TIME-DEPENDENCE OF ACTIVE REGION CORE HEATING FROM THE EMISSION MEASURE. I. LOW-FREQUENCY NANOFLARES

Observational measurements of active region emission measures contain clues to the time dependence of the
underlying heating mechanism. A strongly nonlinear scaling of the emission measure with temperature indicates a
large amount of hot plasma relative to warm plasma. A weakly nonlinear (or linear) scaling of the emission measure
indicates a relatively large amount of warm plasma, suggesting that the hot active region plasma is allowed to cool
and so the heating is impulsive with a long repeat time. This case is called low-frequency nanoflare heating, and
we investigate its feasibility as an active region heating scenario here.We explore a parameter space of heating and
coronal loop properties with a hydrodynamic model. For each model run, we calculate the slope α of the emission
measure distribution EM(T ) ∝ T α. Our conclusions are: (1) low-frequency nanoflare heating is consistent with
about 36% of observed active region cores when uncertainties in the atomic data are not accounted for; (2) proper
consideration of uncertainties yields a range in which as many as 77% of observed active regions are consistent with
low-frequency nanoflare heating and as few as zero; (3) low-frequency nanoflare heating cannot explain observed
slopes greater than 3; (4) the upper limit to the volumetric energy release is in the region of 50 erg cm−3 to avoid
unphysical magnetic field strengths; (5) the heating timescale may be short for loops of total length less than 40Mm
to be consistent with the observed range of slopes; (6) predicted slopes are consistently steeper for longer loops
Four-wave mixing in a non-degenerate four-level diamond configuration in the hyperfine Paschen–Back regime.

We present an experimental study of seeded four-wave mixing (4WM) using a diamond excitation scheme (with states from the 5S1/2,5P1/2,5P3/25S1/2,5P1/2,5P3/2 and 5D3/25D3/2 terms) in a thermal vapour of 87Rb87Rb atoms. We investigate the 4WM spectra under the application of a strong magnetic field (0.6 T). The Zeeman interaction is strong enough to realize the hyperfine Paschen–Back regime, which has the effect of separating the optical transitions by more than the Doppler width, thereby significantly simplifying the spectral features. We show that this facilitates a quantitative comparison, even in the regime of strong dressing, between experimental data and a simple theoretical model based only on four-level optical Bloch equations
First observation of the decay B 0s → K ∗0 K ∗0

The first observation of the decay $\kstarkstar$ is reported using 35\invpb of data collected by LHCb in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. A total of $49.8 \pm 7.5$ $B^0_s \rightarrow (K^+\pi^-)(K^-\pi^+)$ events are {observed within $\pm 50 \mevcc$ of the \Bs mass and $746 \mevcc < m_{K\pi}< 1046 \mevcc$, mostly coming from a resonant $\kstarkstar$ signal.} The branching fraction and the \CP-averaged \Kstarz longitudinal polarization fraction are measured to be {$\BR(\kstarkstar) = (2.81 \pm 0.46 ({\rm stat.}) \pm 0.45 ({\rm syst.}) \pm 0.34\, (f_s/f_d))\times10^{-5}$} and $f_L = 0.31 \pm 0.12 ({\rm stat.}) \pm 0.04 ({\rm syst.})$