Variable x-ray and γ-ray emission is characteristic of the most extreme physical processes in the universe. We present multiwavelength observations of a unique γ-ray—selected transient detected by ...the Swift satellite, accompanied by bright emission across the electromagnetic spectrum, and whose properties are unlike any previously observed source. We pinpoint the event to the center of a small, star-forming galaxy at redshift z = 0.3534. Its high-energy emission has lasted much longer than any γ-ray burst, whereas its peak luminosity was ∼100 times higher than bright active galactic nuclei. The association of the outburst with the center of its host galaxy suggests that this phenomenon has its origin in a rare mechanism involving the massive black hole in the nucleus of that galaxy.
In vitro models of differing macrophage functions are useful since human monocyte–derived macrophages are short–lived, finite and vary from donor to donor. Published protocols using the promonocytic ...cell line THP-1 have tended to result in cells that closely resemble classically-activated macrophages, differentiated in IFNγ and LPS. However, no protocol, to date, has fully recapitulated polarization of THP-1 to the M(IL-4) or M(IL-10) macrophage phenotypes seen when human monocyte-derived macrophages are exposed to each cytokine. Here we present protocols that can be used to prepare M(IL-4) polarized THP-1 that transcribe CCL17, CCL26, CD200R and MRC1 and M(IL-10) cells which transcribe CD163, C1QA and SEPP1. We show that the inhibitory Fcγ Receptor IIb is preferentially expressed on the surface of M(IL-4) cells, altering the balance of activating to inhibitory Fcγ Receptors.
Adoption of standardized experimental conditions for macrophage polarization will make it easier to compare downstream effector functions of different macrophage polarization states, where the impact of PMA exposure is minimized and rest periods and cytokine exposure have been optimized.
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•THP-1 cells can polarized to produce both classically and alternatively–activated macrophages•THP-1 macrophages transcribe markers consistent with peripheral blood macrophages treated with IFNγ+LPS, IL-4 or IL-10•The ratio of activatory (FcγRI) to inhibitory (FcγRIIb) FcγRs is altered in different macrophage populations.
Bonding interactions and spin‐orbit coupling in the topological insulator SrAg4Sb2 are investigated using DFT with orbital projection analysis. Ag−Ag delta bonding is a key ingredient in the ...topological insulating state because the
4dxy+4dx2-y2
${4d_{xy} + 4d_{x^2 - y^2 } }$
delta antibonding band forms a band inversion with the 5 s sigma bonding band. Spin‐orbit coupling is required to lift d orbital degeneracies and lower the antibonding band enough to create the band inversion. These bonding effects are enabled by a longer‐than‐covalent Ag−Ag distance in the crystal lattice, which might be a structural characteristic of other transition metal based topological insulators. A simplified model of the topological bands is constructed to capture the essence of the topological insulating state in a way that may be engineered in other materials.
Metal‐metal δ bonding creates a band inversion in the layered phase SrAg4Sb2 which makes a topological crystalline insulator. Spin‐orbit coupling splits a degenerate pair of δ* bands which have an avoided crossing with a σ band. This is a new insight into the chemical origin of topological materials.
Memory and perception have long been considered separate cognitive processes, and amnesia resulting from medial temporal lobe (MTL) damage is thought to reflect damage to a dedicated memory system. ...Recent work has questioned these views, suggesting that amnesia can result from impoverished perceptual representations in the MTL, causing an increased susceptibility to interference. Using a perceptual matching task for which fMRI implicated a specific MTL structure, the perirhinal cortex, we show that amnesics with MTL damage including the perirhinal cortex, but not those with damage limited to the hippocampus, were vulnerable to object-based perceptual interference. Importantly, when we controlled such interference, their performance recovered to normal levels. These findings challenge prevailing conceptions of amnesia, suggesting that effects of damage to specific MTL regions are better understood not in terms of damage to a dedicated declarative memory system, but in terms of impoverished representations of the stimuli those regions maintain.
► Perception can be impaired in amnesia resulting from perirhinal cortex (PRC) damage ► Reducing object perceptual interference can rescue PRC-damaged amnesics' performance ► Memory loss after PRC damage can reflect heightened susceptibility to interference ► Impoverished object representations may contribute to amnesia
Barense and colleagues demonstrate that perceptual deficits in amnesic patients with medial temporal lobe damage can be rescued by reducing interference from visually similar stimuli. These findings challenge current views on amnesia and the neural basis of memory.
STUDY DESIGN.Concurrent prospective randomized and observational cohort studies.
OBJECTIVE.To assess the 8-year outcomes of surgery versus nonoperative care.
SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA.Although ...randomized trials have demonstrated small short-term differences in favor of surgery, long-term outcomes comparing surgical with nonoperative treatment remain controversial.
METHODS.Surgical candidates with imaging-confirmed lumbar intervertebral disc herniation meeting Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial eligibility criteria enrolled into prospective randomized (501 participants) and observational cohorts (743 participants) at 13 spine clinics in 11 US states. Interventions were standard open discectomy versus usual nonoperative care. Main outcome measures were changes from baseline in the SF-36 Bodily Pain and Physical Function scales and the modified Oswestry Disability Index-AAOS/Modems version assessed at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months, and annually thereafter.
RESULTS.Advantages were seen for surgery in intent-to-treat analyses for the randomized cohort for all primary and secondary outcomes other than work status; however, with extensive nonadherence to treatment assignment (49% patients assigned to nonoperative therapy receiving surgery versus 60% of patients assigned to surgery) these observed effects were relatively small and not statistically significant for primary outcomes (bodily pain, physical function, Oswestry Disability Index). Importantly, the overall comparison of secondary outcomes was significantly greater with surgery in the intent-to-treat analysis (sciatica bothersomeness P > 0.005, satisfaction with symptoms P > 0.013, and self-rated improvement P > 0.013) in long-term follow-up. An as-treated analysis showed significant surgical treatment effects for primary outcome measures (mean change, surgery vs. nonoperative care; treatment effect; 95% confidence interval)bodily pain (45.3 vs. 34.4; 10.9; 7.7 to 14); PF (42.2 vs. 31.5; 10.6; 7.7 to 13.5); and Oswestry Disability Index (−36.2 vs. −24.8; −11.3; −13.6 to −9.1).
CONCLUSION.Carefully selected patients who underwent surgery for a lumbar disc herniation achieved greater improvement than nonoperatively treated patients; there was little to no degradation of outcomes in either group (operative and nonoperative) from 4 to 8 years.Level of Evidence2
Bonding interactions and spin-orbit coupling in the topological insulator SrAg
Sb
are investigated using DFT with orbital projection analysis. Ag-Ag delta bonding is a key ingredient in the ...topological insulating state because the
delta antibonding band forms a band inversion with the 5 s sigma bonding band. Spin-orbit coupling is required to lift d orbital degeneracies and lower the antibonding band enough to create the band inversion. These bonding effects are enabled by a longer-than-covalent Ag-Ag distance in the crystal lattice, which might be a structural characteristic of other transition metal based topological insulators. A simplified model of the topological bands is constructed to capture the essence of the topological insulating state in a way that may be engineered in other materials.
The Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) is one of three instruments onboard the Swift observatory. The photometric calibration has been published, and this paper follows up with details on other ...aspects of the calibration including a measurement of the point spread function with an assessment of the orbital variation and the effect on photometry. A correction for large-scale variations in sensitivity over the field of view is described, as well as a model of the coincidence loss which is used to assess the coincidence correction in extended regions. We have provided a correction for the detector distortion and measured the resulting internal astrometric accuracy of the UVOT, also giving the absolute accuracy with respect to the International Celestial Reference System. We have compiled statistics on the background count rates, and discuss the sources of the background, including instrumental scattered light. In each case, we describe any impact on UVOT measurements, whether any correction is applied in the standard pipeline data processing or whether further steps are recommended.
Highlights • Ageing dysregulates cholesterol metabolism via a number of mechanisms. • Changes to the gut microbiome may play a role in dysregulating cholesterol metabolism. • The Mediterranean diet ...may be used as a strategy to mitigate these changes. • Mathematical modelling can be used to investigate cholesterol metabolism and ageing.
STUDY DESIGN.Randomized trial with a concurrent observational cohort study.
OBJECTIVE.To compare 8-year outcomes between surgery and nonoperative care and among different fusion techniques for ...symptomatic lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS).
SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA.Surgical treatment of DS has been shown to be more effective than nonoperative treatment out to 4 years. This study sought to further determine the long-term (8-year) outcomes.
METHODS.Surgical candidates with DS from 13 centers with at least 12 weeks of symptoms and confirmatory imaging were offered enrollment in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) or observational cohort study (OBS). Treatment consisted of standard decompressive laminectomy (with or without fusion) versus standard nonoperative care. Primary outcome measures were the Short Form-36 (SF-36) bodily pain and physical function scores and the modified Oswestry Disability Index at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and yearly up to 8 years.
RESULTS.Data were obtained for 69% of the randomized cohort and 57% of the observational cohort at the 8-year follow up. Intent-to-treat analyses of the randomized group were limited by high levels of nonadherence to the randomized treatment. As-treated analyses in the randomized and observational groups showed significantly greater improvement in the surgery group on all primary outcome measures at all time points through 8 years. Outcomes were similar among patients treated with uninstrumented posterolateral fusion, instrumented posterolateral fusion, and 360° fusion.
CONCLUSION.For patients with symptomatic DS, patients who received surgery had significantly greater improvements in pain and function compared with nonoperative treatment through 8 years of follow-up. Fusion technique did not affect outcomes.Level of Evidence1
The known host galaxies of short-hard gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) to date are characterized by low to moderate star formation rates (SFRs) and a broad range of stellar masses, in general agreement with ...models associating the phenomenon with an old progenitor, such as merging neutron stars. In this paper, we positionally associate the recent unambiguously short-hard Swift GRB 100206A with a disk galaxy at redshift z = 0.4068 that is rapidly forming stars at a rate of ~30 M sub(middot in circle) yr super(-1), almost an order of magnitude higher than any previously identified short-GRB host. The galaxy is very red (g -K = 4.3 AB mag), heavily obscured (A sub(V) asymptotically = 2 mag), and has the highest metallicity of any GRB host to date (12 + logO/H sub(KD02) = 9.2): it is a classical luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG), with L sub(IR) asymptotically = 4 x 10 super(11) L sub(middot in circle). While these properties could be interpreted to support an association of this GRB with recent star formation, modeling of the broadband spectral energy distribution also indicates that a substantial stellar mass of mostly older stars is also present. The specific SFR is modest (sSFR asymptotically = 0.5 Gyr super(-1)), the current SFR is not substantially elevated above its long-term average, and the host morphology shows no sign of recent merger activity. Our observations are therefore equally consistent with an older progenitor. Given the precedent established by previous short-GRB hosts and the significant fraction of the universe's stellar mass in LIRG-like systems at z > ~ 0.3, an older progenitor represents the most likely origin of this event.
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