Spleen tyrosine kinase inhibition in the treatment of autoimmune, allergic and autoinflammatory diseases

Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) is involved in the development of the adaptive immune system and has been recognized as being important in the function of additional cell types, including platelets, phagocytes, fibroblasts, and osteoclasts, and in the generation of the inflammasome. Preclinical studies presented compelling evidence that Syk inhibition may have therapeutic value in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, autoimmune cytopenias, and allergic and autoinflammatory diseases. In addition, Syk inhibition may have a place in limiting tissue injury associated with organ transplant and revascularization procedures. Clinical trials have documented exciting success in the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune cytopenias, and allergic rhinitis. While the extent and severity of side effects appear to be limited so far, larger studies will unravel the risk involved with the clinical benefit

An algorithm for energy-efficient bluetooth scatternet formation and maintenance

We discuss an energy-efficient, distributed Bluetooth Scatternet Formation algorithm based on Device and Link characteristics (SF-DeviL). SF-DeviL forms multihop scatternets with tree topologies and increases battery lif etimes of devices by using device types, battery levels and received signal strengths. The topology is dynamically reconfigured in SF-DeviL by depleting battery levels and it is shown through simulations that the network lifetime is increased by at least 32% compared to LMS algorithm [1]

SF-Devil: Distributed Bluetooth scatternet formation algorithm based on device and link characteristics

Bluetooth has become very popular owing to the fact that it is a promising ad-hoc networking technology for short ranges. Although construction and operation of piconets is well defined in Bluetooth specifications, there is no unique standard for scatternet formation and operation. In this paper, we propose a distributed Bluetooth scatternet formation algorithm based on device and link characteristics (SF-DeviL). SF-DeviL handles energy efficiency using class devices and the received signal strength. SF-DeviL forms scatternets that are robust to position changes and battery depletions. © 2003 IEEE

Flat Electronic Bands in Long Sequences of Rhombohedral-stacked Multilayer Graphene

The crystallographic stacking order in multilayer graphene plays an important role in determining its electronic properties. It has been predicted that a rhombohedral (ABC) stacking displays a conducting surface state with flat electronic dispersion. In such a flat band, the role of electron-electron correlation is enhanced possibly resulting in high Tc superconductivity, charge density wave or magnetic orders. Clean experimental band structure measurements of ABC stacked specimens are missing because the samples are usually too small in size. Here, we directly image the band structure of large multilayer graphene flake containing approximately 14 consecutive ABC layers. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments reveal the flat electronic bands near the K point extends by 0.13 {\AA}-1 at the Fermi level at liquid nitrogen temperature. First-principle calculations identify the electronic ground state as an antiferromagnetic state with a band gap of about 40 meV

Anomalous Nuclear Quantum Effects in Ice

One striking anomaly of water ice has been largely neglected and never explained. Replacing hydrogen ($^1$H) by deuterium ($^2$H) causes ice to expand, whereas the "normal" isotope effect is volume contraction with increased mass. Furthermore, the anomaly increases with temperature $T$, even though a normal isotope shift should decrease with $T$ and vanish when $T$ is high enough to use classical nuclear motions. In this study, we show that these effects are very well described by {\it ab initio} density functional theory. Our theoretical modeling explains these anomalies, and allows us to predict and to experimentally confirm a counter effect, namely that replacement of $^{16}$O by $^{18}$O causes a normal lattice contraction.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Lymphocyte subsets and the role of Th1/Th2 balance in stressed chronic pain patients

Background: The complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and fibromyalgia (FM) are chronic pain syndromes occurring in highly stressed individuals. Despite the known connection between the nervous system and immune cells, information on distribution of lymphocyte subsets under stress and pain conditions is limited. Methods: We performed a comparative study in 15 patients with CRPS type I, 22 patients with FM and 37 age- and sex-matched healthy controls and investigated the influence of pain and stress on lymphocyte number, subpopulations and the Th1/Th2 cytokine ratio in T lymphocytes. Results: Lymphocyte numbers did not differ between groups. Quantitative analyses of lymphocyte subpopulations showed a significant reduction of cytotoxic CD8+ lymphocytes in both CRPS (p < 0.01) and FM (p < 0.05) patients as compared with healthy controls. Additionally, CRPS patients were characterized by a lower percentage of IL-2-producing T cell subpopulations reflecting a diminished Th1 response in contrast to no changes in the Th2 cytokine profile. Conclusions: Future studies are warranted to answer whether such immunological changes play a pathogenetic role in CRPS and FM or merely reflect the consequences of a pain-induced neurohumoral stress response, and whether they contribute to immunosuppression in stressed chronic pain patients. Copyright (c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

Different paths to the modern state in Europe: the interaction between domestic political economy and interstate competition

Theoretical work on state formation and capacity has focused mostly on early modern Europe and on the experience of western European states during this period. While a number of European states monopolized domestic tax collection and achieved gains in state capacity during the early modern era, for others revenues stagnated or even declined, and these variations motivated alternative hypotheses for determinants of fiscal and state capacity. In this study we test the basic hypotheses in the existing literature making use of the large date set we have compiled for all of the leading states across the continent. We find strong empirical support for two prevailing threads in the literature, arguing respectively that interstate wars and changes in economic structure towards an urbanized economy had positive fiscal impact. Regarding the main point of contention in the theoretical literature, whether it was representative or authoritarian political regimes that facilitated the gains in fiscal capacity, we do not find conclusive evidence that one performed better than the other. Instead, the empirical evidence we have gathered lends supports to the hypothesis that when under pressure of war, the fiscal performance of representative regimes was better in the more urbanized-commercial economies and the fiscal performance of authoritarian regimes was better in rural-agrarian economie