The David and Frances Scott Memorial Concert

This is the program for the David and Frances Scott Memorial Concert sponsored by Sigma Alpha Iota. Soprano Julia Lansford, harpist Patricia Qualls, and pianist J.D. Kelly. The concert took place on March 11, 1991

Implicit Bias, Character and Control

Our focus here is on whether, when influenced by implicit biases, those behavioural dispositions should be understood as being a part of that person’s character: whether they are part of the agent that can be morally evaluated.[4]  We frame this issue in terms of control. If a state, process, or behaviour is not something that the agent can, in the relevant sense, control, then it is not something that counts as part of her character. A number of theorists have argued that individuals do not have control, in the relevant sense, over the operation of implicit bias. We will argue that this claim is mistaken. We articulate and develop a notion of control that individuals have with respect to implicit bias, and argue that this kind of control can ground character-based evaluation of such behavioural dispositions

Genome-wide and Mendelian randomisation studies of liver MRI yield insights into the pathogenesis of steatohepatitis

Background A non-invasive method to grade the severity of steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based corrected T1 (cT1). We aimed to identify genetic variants influencing liver cT1 and use genetics to understand mechanisms underlying liver fibroinflammatory disease and its link with other metabolic traits and diseases. Methods First, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 14,440 Europeans in UK Biobank with liver cT1 measures. Second, we explored the effects of the cT1 variants on liver blood tests, and a range of metabolic traits and diseases. Third, we used Mendelian randomisation to test the causal effects of 24 predominantly metabolic traits on liver cT1 measures. Results We identified six independent genetic variants associated with liver cT1 that reached GWAS significance threshold (p<5x10-8). Four of the variants (rs75935921 in SLC30A10, rs13107325 in SLC39A8, rs58542926 in TM6SF2, rs738409 in PNPLA3) were also associated with elevated transaminases and had variable effects on liver fat and other metabolic traits. Insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver and BMI were causally associated with elevated cT1 whilst favourable adiposity (instrumented by variants associated with higher adiposity but lower risk of cardiometabolic disease and lower liver fat) was found to be protective. Conclusion The association between two metal ion transporters and cT1 indicates an important new mechanism in steatohepatitis. Future studies are needed to determine whether interventions targeting the identified transporters might prevent liver disease in at risk individuals

Improved Algorithm for MODIS Satellite Retrievals of Aerosol Optical Depths Over Western North America

Quantitative evaluation of chemical transport models (CTMs) with aerosol optical depth (AOD) products retrieved from satellite backscattered reflectances can be compromised by inconsistent assumptions of aerosol optical properties and errors in surface reflectance estimates. We present an improved AOD retrieval algorithm for the MODIS satellite instrument using locally derived surface reflectances and CTM aerosol optical properties for the 0.47, 0.65, and 2.13 μm MODIS channels. Assuming negligible atmospheric reflectance at 2.13 μm in cloud-free conditions, we derive 0.65/2.13 surface reflectance ratios at 1° × 1.25° horizontal resolution for the continental United States in summer 2004 from the subset of top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflectance data with minimal aerosol reflectance. We obtain a mean ratio of 0.57 ± 0.10 for the continental United States, with high values over arid regions and low values over the Midwest prairies. The higher surface reflectance ratios explain the high AOD bias over arid regions found in previous MODIS retrievals. We calculate TOA reflectances for each MODIS scene using local aerosol optical properties from the GEOS-Chem CTM, and fit these reflectances to the observed MODIS TOA reflectances for a best estimate of AODs for that scene. Comparison with coincident ground-based (AERONET) AOD observations at 16 sites in the western and central United States in summer 2004 shows poor correlation in the daily data but the correlation improves as averaging time increases. Averaging over the available coincident observations (n = 11–44 days) results in strong correlations (R0.47μm = 0.90, R0.65μm = 0.67) and a 19% low bias, representing considerable improvement over the operational MODIS AOD products in this region.Earth and Planetary SciencesEngineering and Applied Science

Tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections

To the Editor: Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is a necessary, but not sufficient, cause of tuberculosis (TB). Infection with HIV is the strongest known risk factor for disease progression to TB. In the absence of HIV infection, disease develops in 5% to 15% of infected persons. Unfortunately, the process of progression to disease is poorly understood. We hypothesize that, in addition to HIV, another sexually transmitted infection (STI) also increases such disease progression. Identification of this STI might suggest new approaches to disease control.Several associations between the risk for TB and lifestyle factors have been identified. [...]<br/

Tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections

To the Editor: Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is a necessary, but not sufficient, cause of tuberculosis (TB). Infection with HIV is the strongest known risk factor for disease progression to TB. In the absence of HIV infection, disease develops in 5% to 15% of infected persons. Unfortunately, the process of progression to disease is poorly understood. We hypothesize that, in addition to HIV, another sexually transmitted infection (STI) also increases such disease progression. Identification of this STI might suggest new approaches to disease control.Several associations between the risk for TB and lifestyle factors have been identified. [...]<br/

Active-matrix GaN micro light-emitting diode display with unprecedented brightness

Displays based on microsized gallium nitride light-emitting diodes possess extraordinary brightness. It is demonstrated here both theoretically and experimentally that the layout of the n-contact in these devices is important for the best device performance. We highlight, in particular, the significance of a nonthermal increase of differential resistance upon multipixel operation. These findings underpin the realization of a blue microdisplay with a luminance of 10⁶ cd/m²

Measurement of liver iron by magnetic resonance imaging in the UK Biobank population

The burden of liver disease continues to increase in the UK, with liver cirrhosis reported to be the third most common cause of premature death. Iron overload, a condition that impacts liver health, was traditionally associated with genetic disorders such as hereditary haemochromatosis, however, it is now increasingly associated with obesity, type-2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of elevated levels of liver iron within the UK Biobank imaging study in a cohort of 9108 individuals. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was undertaken at the UK Biobank imaging centre, acquiring a multi-echo spoiled gradient-echo single-breath-hold MRI sequence from the liver. All images were analysed for liver iron and fat (expressed as proton density fat fraction or PDFF) content using LiverMultiScan™. Liver iron was measured in 97.3% of the cohort. The mean liver iron content was 1.32 ± 0.32 mg/g while the median was 1.25 mg/g (min: 0.85 max: 6.44 mg/g). Overall 4.82% of the population were defined as having elevated liver iron, above commonly accepted 1.8 mg/g threshold based on biochemical iron measurements in liver specimens obtained by biopsy. Further analysis using univariate models showed elevated liver iron to be related to male sex (p5.6% PDFF) was associated with a slight increase in prevalence of elevated liver iron (4.4% vs 6.3%, p=0.0007). This study shows that population studies including measurement of liver iron concentration are feasible, which may in future be used to better inform patient stratification and treatment

Reducing extrinsic hysteresis in first-order la (Fe,Co,Si)13 magnetocaloric systems

Reducing extrinsic hysteresis in first-order la (Fe,Co,Si)13 magnetocaloric system