Domain-specific and Domain-general Processing in Left Perisylvian Cortex: Evidence from Russian

The processing of words containing inflectional affixes triggers morphophonological parsing and affix-related grammatical information processing. Increased perceptual complexity related to stem-affix parsing is hypothesized to create predominantly domain-general processing demands, whereas grammatical processing primarily implicates domain-specific linguistic demands. Exploiting the properties of Russian morphology and syntax, we designed an fMRI experiment to separate out the neural systems supporting these two demand types, contrasting inflectional complexity, syntactic (phrasal) complexity, and derivational complexity in three comparisons: (a) increase in parsing demands while controlling for grammatical complexity (inflections vs. phrases), (b) increase in grammatical processing demands, and (c) combined demands of morphophonological parsing and grammatical processing (inflections and phrases vs. derivations). Left inferior frontal and bilateral temporal areas are most active when the two demand types are combined, with inflectional and phrasal complexity contrasting strongly with derivational complexity (which generated only bilateral temporal activity). Increased stem-affix parsing demands alone did not produce unique activations, whereas grammatical structure processing activated bilateral superior and middle temporal areas. Selective left frontotemporal language system engagement for short phrases and inflections seems to be driven by simultaneous and interdependent domain-general and domain-specific processing demands

INNOVATIVE POTENTIAL OF STRUCTURAL CONVERGENCE OF THE RUSSIAN ECONOMY

A structural analysis of macrodynamics has been carried out under conditions of a deepening structural crisis and an increase in the cyclic instability of the Russian economy, taking into account world trends of the new industrial revolution and technological transition. The presence of an innovative pause, technological lag and growing contradictions gain the background of increasing recessionary tendencies has been revealed. Theoretical concepts, a scientifically based mechanism and tools for the deployment of innovative technologies, their transfer and diffusion in the basic sectors of the Russian economy, as well as the launch of a mechanism for the structure formation of the newest science-intensive sectors of the economy have been elaborated and proposed

Network Genesis Of Technological Convergence

Under protracted structural crisis conditions the necessity of development of conceptual framework, helping to achieve positive changes of social-economical system of Russian economy, becomes crucial for critical re-evaluation and new scientific decision making. This article describes the issue of transition to prospective technological scheme through development of converging technologies. The meaning of convergent technologies is defined, including their development principles. As pathbreaking scientific-and-technological progress stage a possibility of applying NBIC-convergence is considered, which has been transformed into NBICS-convergence in the context of Russian economical reality, completed with Humanities and Social studies. As the most adapted to converging technologies the author emphasizes network structures as business activity mechanism. Various network structures classifications are considered; network structures classification into educational, scientific and innovation, infrastructural and integration structures has been analysed most closely. Integration network structures are supposed to be the most important nowadays, particularly integration network structures as the most effective and adapted to converging technologies. Converging technologies diffusion in application context can be realized using "Triple Helix" model. Tomsk city is considered to be as a good illustrative example of successful implementation of the "Triple Helix" concept with the main leading universities actively cooperating with the government and real economy business organisations. Necessity for governmental influence in innovative product markets grouping, infrastructure management, improvement of cooperation among research-and-technology process participants, legal system development, as well as creating in whole positive environment for innovative activities is especially emphasized

The Role of DNA Methylation in Genome Defense in Cnidaria and Other Invertebrates

Considerable attention has recently been focused on the potential involvement of DNA methylation in regulating gene expression in cnidarians. Much of this work has been centered on corals, in the context of changes in methylation perhaps facilitating adaptation to higher seawater temperatures and other stressful conditions. Although first proposed more than 30 years ago, the possibility that DNA methylation systems function in protecting animal genomes against the harmful effects of transposon activity has largely been ignored since that time. Here, we show that transposons are specifically targeted by the DNA methylation system in cnidarians, and that the youngest transposons (i.e., those most likely to be active) are most highly methylated. Transposons in longer and highly active genes were preferentially methylated and, as transposons aged, methylation levels declined, reducing the potentially harmful side effects of CpG methylation. In Cnidaria and a range of other invertebrates, correlation between the overall extent of methylation and transposon content was strongly supported. Present transposon burden is the dominant factor in determining overall level of genomic methylation in a range of animals that diverged in or before the early Cambrian, suggesting that genome defense represents the ancestral role of CpG methylation

A fiber injection unit for the Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC)

Coupling a high-contrast imaging instrument to a high-resolution spectrograph has the potential to enable the most detailed characterization of exoplanet atmospheres, including spin measurements and Doppler mapping. The high-contrast imaging system serves as a spatial filter to separate the light from the star and the planet while the high-resolution spectrograph acts as a spectral filter, which differentiates between features in the stellar and planetary spectra. The Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC) located downstream from the current W. M. Keck II adaptive optics (AO) system will contain a fiber injection unit (FIU) combining a high-contrast imaging system and a fiber feed to Keck’s high resolution infrared spectrograph NIRSPEC. Resolved thermal emission from known young giant exoplanets will be injected into a single-mode fiber linked to NIRSPEC, thereby allowing the spectral characterization of their atmospheres. Moreover, the resolution of NIRSPEC (R = 37,500) is high enough to enable spin measurements and Doppler imaging of atmospheric weather phenomenon. The module will be integrated and tested at Caltech before being transferred to Keck in 2018

PD-1 checkpoint inhibition enhances the antilymphoma activity of CD19-CAR-iNKT cells that retain their ability to prevent alloreactivity.

Relapse and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) are the main causes of death after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Preclinical murine models and clinical data suggest that invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells prevent acute and chronic GVHD. In addition, iNKT cells are crucial for efficient immune responses against malignancies and contribute to reduced relapse rates after transplantation. Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) redirect effector cells to cell surface antigens and enhance killing of target cells. With this study, we aimed to combine enhanced cytotoxicity of CD19-CAR-iNKT cells against lymphoma cells with their tolerogenic properties. iNKT cells were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and transduced with an anti-CD19-CAR retrovirus. After in vitro expansion, the functionality of CD19-CAR-iNKT cells was assessed by flow cytometry, image stream analysis and multiplex analysis in single-stimulation or repeated-stimulation assays. Moreover, the immunoregulatory properties of CD19-CAR-iNKT cells were analyzed in apoptosis assays and in mixed lymphocyte reactions. The effect of checkpoint inhibition through nivolumab was analyzed in these settings. In this study, we could show that the cytotoxicity of CD19-CAR-iNKT cells was mediated either through engagement of their CAR or their invariant T-cell receptor, which may circumvent loss of response through antigen escape. However, encounter of CD19-CAR-iNKT cells with their target induced a phenotype of exhaustion. Consequently, checkpoint inhibition increased cytokine release, cytotoxicity and survival of CD19-CAR-iNKT cells. Additionally, they showed robust suppression of alloreactive immune responses. In this work, we demonstrate that CAR-iNKT cells are a powerful cytotherapeutic option to prevent or treat relapse while potentially reducing the risk of GVHD after allogeneic HCT

Utilizing active single-mode fiber injection for speckle nulling in exoplanet characterization

Despite recent advances in high-contrast imaging techniques, high resolution spectroscopy for characterization of exoplanet atmospheres is still limited by our ability to suppress residual starlight speckles at the planet’s location. We have demonstrated a new concept for speckle nulling by injecting directly imaged planet light into a single-mode fiber, linking a high-contrast adaptively-corrected coronagraph to a high-resolution spectrograph (diffraction-limited or not). The restrictions on the incident electric field that will couple into the single-mode fiber give the adaptive optics system additional degrees of freedom to suppress the speckle noise on top of destructive interference. We are able to achieve a starlight suppression gains that are an order of magnitude better than conventional techniques in broadband light with minimal planet throughput losses

ЭКСПЕРИМЕНТАЛЬНОЕ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИК ИЗОБРАЖЕНИЯ ФУРЬЕ-ВИДЕОСПЕКТРОМЕТРА В ВИДИМОМ И БЛИЖНЕМ ИК-ДИАПАЗОНЕ

The paper considers basic model parameters of a static imaging Fourier spectrometer for Earth remote sensing from space. Design of the imaging spectrometer model has been developed and images have been obtained in the paper. The images have made it possible to determine such parameters as ratio of signal/ noise, frequency/contrast characteristic and spectral coincidence of reconstructed images.Исследованы основные параметры макета статического Фурье-видеоспектрометра дистанционного зондирования Земли из космоса. Выполнено макетирование данного видеоспектрометра, получены изображения, на основании которых измерены такие параметры системы, как отношение сигнал/шум, частотно-контрастная характеристика, а также проведено спектральное соответствие восстанавливаемых изображений

МАТЕМАТИЧЕСКОЕ МОДЕЛИРОВАНИЕ ФУРЬЕ-ВИДЕОСПЕКТРОМЕТРА

Problems of mathematical modeling of Static Fourier Transform Imaging Spectrometers (SFTIS) for the Earth remote sensing from space are investigated. Rational sequence of the main stages of modeling are proposed. SFTIS mathematical modeling is performed to optimize the features of the instrument.Исследуются вопросы моделирования процесса функционирования статического Фурье-видеоспектрометра дистанционного зондирования Земли из космоса. Выполнено математическое моделирование данного гиперспектрального прибора в соответствии с предложенной последовательностью осуществления основных стадий с целью оптимизации характеристик Фурье-видеоспектрометра

ВЛИЯНИЕ ТЕМПЕРАТУРЫ НАГРЕВА ПОДЛОЖЕК И ПОТЕНЦИАЛА СМЕЩЕНИЯ НА ОПТИЧЕСКИЕ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКИ Ti–Al–C–N ПОКРЫТИЙ

Ti–Al–C–N coatings were produced by reactive magnetron deposition at different substrate temperatures Ts (220, 340 and 440 °C) and bias voltages Ubias (–90, –150 and –200 V). Using the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy method, it was found that the increase of the bias voltage led to a growth of argon atomic concentration and the (Al + Ti) / (Ti + N) ratio and to a decrease of the trace oxygen concentration in Ti–Al–C–N coatings. The growth of Ts promoted a decrease in the oxygen concentration. By means of scanning electron microscopy, a change in the type of the microstructure (columnar, granular and mixed columnar-granular) of coatings by varying Ts and Ubias was found. Electrophysical measurements showed the change of the film resistivity (1982–3169 μΩ · cm) when the deposition conditions were varied. The solar absorptance αs was varied from 0.24 to 0.54, the emittance ε was varied from 0.33 to 0.52, and the αs / ε ratio was varied from 0.60 to 1.44 by changing Ts and Ubias. The obtained results indicate the opportunity to vary the Ti–Al–C–N films electrophysical and optical characteristics by choosing optimal substrate heating temperature and bias voltage.Покрытия Ti–Al–C–N формировались методом реактивного магнетронного осаждения при различных температурах нагрева Ts (220, 340 и 440 °C) и потенциалах смещения Uсм (–90, –150 и –200 В) на подложке. Методом энергодисперсионной рентгеновской спектроскопии установлено, что повышение Uсм приводит к увеличению атомарной концентрации аргона и соотношения (Al + Ti) / (Ti + N) и уменьшению концентрации кислорода в составе покрытий Ti–Al–C–N, а повышение Ts способствует уменьшению фоновой концентрации кислорода. С помощью растровой электронной микроскопии зафиксирована смена типа структуры покрытий (столбчатая, зернистая и смешанная столбчато-зернистая) при изменении Ts и Uсм. Электрофизические измерения показали изменение удельных сопротивлений пленок в пределах от 1982 до 3169 мкОм · см при изменении технологических условий осаждения. При варьировании Ts и Uсм коэффициенты солнечного поглощения αs менялись в пределах от 0,24 до 0,54, излучения – от 0,33 до 0,52, и соотношения αs / ε – от 0,60 до 1,44. Полученные результаты свидетельствуют о возможности варьирования электрофизических и оптических характеристик пленок Ti–Al–C–N путем выбора оптимальных условий их формирования – температуры нагрева подложки и потенциала смещения