Social theory and the politics of big data and method

This article is an intervention in the debate on big data. It seeks to show, firstly, that behind the wager to make sociology more relevant to the digital there lies a coherent if essentially unstated vision and a whole stance which are more a symptom of the current world than a resolute endeavour to think that world through; hence the conclusion that the perspective prevailing in the debate lacks both the theoretical grip and the practical impulse to initiate a much needed renewal of social theory and sociology. Secondly, and more importantly, the article expounds an alternative view and shows by thus doing that other possibilities of engaging the digital can be pursued. The article is thus an invitation to widen the debate on big data and the digital and a call for a more combative social theory

Analytical and clinical evaluation of DiaSorin Liaison® Calprotectin fecal assay adapted for serum samples

Background Calprotectin is a calcium-binding protein that can be measured in serum, plasma, and feces. Increased serum and plasma calprotectin concentrations have been found in chronic inflammatory rheumatic disorders. An analytical and clinical evaluation of the DiaSorin Liaison (R) fecal Calprotectin assay using LIAISON (R) XL was performed. Methods The protocol included an analytical and clinical evaluation in which imprecision, the linearity of dilution, differences between serum and plasma samples and method comparison with CalproLab (TM) ELISA kit were assessed. Serum calprotectin concentrations in active (n = 26) and remission (n = 23) rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients were compared. Results The intra-day and inter-day analytical imprecision CVs ranged from 2.9% to 4.0% and 2.7% to 10.4%, respectively. Correlation between measured and expected values was high (R > 0.99), indicating good linearity. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that serum and plasma matched samples presented statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) being the highest concentrations of calprotectin observed in serum samples. Deming regression equation was as follows: Diasorin calprotectin (mu g/ml) = -0.32 (95% CI: -0.65 - -0.05) +1.58 (95% CI: 1.42-1.79).* Calprolab calprotectin (mu g/ml). Significantly higher serum calprotectin levels were found in RA patients with active disease when compared to patients with low disease activity or in clinical remission (mean +/- SD) [(3.35 mu g/ml +/- 1.55) vs. (1.63 mu g/ml +/- 0.52), p < 0.001] and these levels correlated well with all disease activity indices. Conclusions The DiaSorin Liaison (R) fecal Calprotectin assay adapted for serum samples showed adequate technical performances and the clinical performances were similar to other assays

A spatially-structured PCG method for content diversity in a Physics-based simulation game

This paper presents a spatially-structured evolutionary algorithm (EA) to procedurally generate game maps of di ferent levels of di ficulty to be solved, in Gravityvolve!, a physics-based simulation videogame that we have implemented and which is inspired by the n- body problem, a classical problem in the fi eld of physics and mathematics. The proposal consists of a steady-state EA whose population is partitioned into three groups according to the di ficulty of the generated content (hard, medium or easy) which can be easily adapted to handle the automatic creation of content of diverse nature in other games. In addition, we present three fitness functions, based on multiple criteria (i.e:, intersections, gravitational acceleration and simulations), that were used experimentally to conduct the search process for creating a database of maps with di ferent di ficulty in Gravityvolve!.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Plasma calprotectin as a biomarker of ultrasound synovitis in rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving IL-6 antagonists or JAK inhibitors

To analyse the accuracy of plasma calprotectin in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving monoclonal antibodies against IL-6 receptors (anti-rIL-6) or JAK inhibitors (JAKis) in detecting ultrasound (US) synovitis and compare it with acute phase reactants [high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and ESR].An observational cross-sectional study of RA patients receiving anti-rIL-6 (tocilizumab or sarilumab) or JAKi, (baricitinib or tofacitinib) was made. Plasma calprotectin for the diagnosis of US synovitis [synovial hypertrophy grade (SH)???2 plus power Doppler signal (PD)???1] was analysed using receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs). The performance of ESR and hs-CRP was also studied. The three ROC curves were compared to determine which had the highest discriminatory power. Associations between plasma calprotectin and US scores were made using correlation analysis.Sixty-three RA patients were included. Mean plasma calprotectin levels were significantly higher in patients with US synovitis than in those without (0.89?±?0.85 vs 0.30?±?0.12 ?g/ml; p?=?0.0003). A moderate correlation between calprotectin and all US scores (HS score Rho?=?0.479; PD score Rho?=?0.492; and global score Rho?=?0.495) was found. The discriminatory capacity of plasma calprotectin showed an AUC of 0.795 (95% CI: 0.687-0.904). The AUC of hs-CRP and ESR was 0.721 and 0.564, respectively. hs-CRP serum levels showed a low positive correlation with the three US scores (Rho?<?0.40). After analysis according to the drugs administered, the correlation disappeared in patients receiving anti-rIL-6.Plasma calprotectin may be a sensitive biomarker of synovial inflammation in RA patients treated with anti-rIL-6 or JAKi.© The Author(s), 2022

Nel positively regulates the genesis of retinal ganglion cells by promoting their differentiation and survival during development

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The analysis of European lacquer : optimization of thermochemolysis temperature of natural resins

In order to optimize chromatographic analysis of European lacquer, thermochemolysis temperature was evaluated for the analysis of natural resins. Five main ingredients of lacquer were studied: sandarac, mastic, colophony, Manila copal and Congo copal. For each, five temperature programs were tested: four fixed temperatures (350, 480, 550, 650 degrees C) and one ultrafast thermal desorption (UFD), in which the temperature rises from 350 to 660 degrees C in 1 min. In total, the integrated signals of 27 molecules, partially characterizing the five resins, were monitored to compare the different methods. A compromise between detection of compounds released at low temperatures and compounds formed at high temperatures was searched. 650 degrees C is too high for both groups, 350 degrees C is best for the first, and 550 degrees C for the second. Fixed temperatures of 480 degrees C or UFD proved to be a consensus in order to detect most marker molecules. UFD was slightly better for the molecules released at low temperatures, while 480 degrees C showed best compounds formed at high temperatures

Deep reefs of the Great Barrier Reef offer limited thermal refuge during mass coral bleaching

Our rapidly warming climate is threatening coral reefs as thermal anomalies trigger mass coral bleaching events. Deep (or "mesophotic") coral reefs are hypothesised to act as major ecological refuges from mass bleaching, but empirical assessments are limited. We evaluated the potential of mesophotic reefs within the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and adjacent Coral Sea to act as thermal refuges by characterising long-term temperature conditions and assessing impacts during the 2016 mass bleaching event. We found that summer upwelling initially provided thermal relief at upper mesophotic depths (40 m), but then subsided resulting in anomalously warm temperatures even at depth. Bleaching impacts on the deep reefs were severe (40% bleached and 6% dead colonies at 40 m) but significantly lower than at shallower depths (60-69% bleached and 8-12% dead at 5-25 m). While we confirm that deep reefs can offer refuge from thermal stress, we highlight important caveats in terms of the transient nature of the protection and their limited ability to provide broad ecological refuge.XL Catlin Seaview Survey; Waitt Foundation; XL Catlin Group; Underwater Earth; University of Queensland; ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) [DE160101433]; Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) [SFRH/BPD/110285/2015]; Australian Research Council (ARC

A C-terminal cysteine residue is required for peptide-based inhibition of the NGF/TrkA interaction at nM concentrations:implications for peptide-based analgesics

Inhibition of the NGF/TrkA interaction presents an interesting alternative to the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and/or opioids for the control of inflammatory, chronic and neuropathic pain. Most prominent of the current approaches to this therapy is the antibody Tanezumab, which is a late-stage development humanized monoclonal antibody that targets NGF. We sought to determine whether peptides might similarly inhibit the NGF/TrkA interaction and so serve as future therapeutic leads. Starting from two peptides that inhibit the NGF/TrkA interaction, we sought to eliminate a cysteine residue close to the C-terminal of both sequences, by an approach of mutagenic analysis and saturation mutagenesis of mutable residues. Elimination of cysteine from a therapeutic lead is desirable to circumvent manufacturing difficulties resulting from oxidation. Our analyses determined that the cysteine residue is not required for NGF binding, but is essential for inhibition of the NGF/TrkA interaction at pharmacologically relevant peptide concentrations. We conclude that a cysteine residue is required within potential peptide-based therapeutic leads and hypothesise that these peptides likely act as dimers, mirroring the dimeric structure of the TrkA receptor

Cystatin E/M suppresses legumain activity and invasion of human melanoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>High activity of cysteine proteases such as legumain and the cathepsins have been shown to facilitate growth and invasion of a variety of tumor types. In breast cancer, several recent studies have indicated that loss of the cysteine protease inhibitor cystatin E/M leads to increased growth and metastasis. Although cystatin E/M is normally expressed in the skin, its role in cysteine protease regulation and progression of malignant melanoma has not been studied.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A panel of various non-melanoma and melanoma cell lines was used. Cystatin E/M and C were analyzed in cell media by immunoblotting and ELISA. Legumain, cathepsin B and L were analyzed in cell lysates by immunoblotting and their enzymatic activities were analyzed by peptide substrates. Two melanoma cell lines lacking detectable secretion of cystatin E/M were transfected with a cystatin E/M expression plasmid (pCST6), and migration and invasiveness were studied by a Matrigel invasion assay.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Cystatin E/M was undetectable in media from all established melanoma cell lines examined, whereas strong immunobands were detected in two of five primary melanoma lines and in two of six lines derived from patients with metastatic disease. Among the four melanoma lines secreting cystatin E/M, the glycosylated form (17 kD) was predominant compared to the non-glycosylated form (14 kD). Legumain, cathepsin B and L were expressed and active in most of the cell lines, although at low levels in the melanomas expressing cystatin E/M. In the melanoma lines where cystatin E/M was secreted, cystatin C was generally absent or expressed at a very low level. When melanoma cells lacking secretion of cystatin E/M were transfected with pCST6, their intracellular legumain activity was significantly inhibited. In contrast, cathepsin B activity was not affected. Furthermore, invasion was suppressed in cystatin E/M over-expressing melanoma cell lines as measured by the transwell Matrigel assay.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results suggest that the level of cystatin E/M regulates legumain activity and hence the invasive potential of human melanoma cells.</p