Changes in Default Mode Network as Automaticity Develops in a Categorization Task

The default mode network (DMN) is a set of brain regions in which blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal is suppressed during attentional focus on the external environment. Because automatic task processing requires less attention, developmen

Pathogenesis of Dry Eye in Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD): Role of Ocular Mucins and Conjunctival Fibrosis

Allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a procedure that offers a possible cure for hematologic cancers and other hematologic disorders. Unfortunately, despite the increasing survival rate of patients, the quality of their life is adversely affected by the allogeneic bone marrow transplantation’s major side effect i.e Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD). GVHD is a complex, multi-organ disease resulting from an immunological attack by donor engrafted immune cells to host organs, including the eye surface. Mostly based on the time of disease onset after transplantation, GVHD is divided into the acute and chronic phase. The eyes may be involved in both acute and chronic GVHD, although ocular involvement is more common in the chronic GVHD with a more severe presentation. As high as 40%-60% of patients with chronic GVHD suffer from debilitating ocular surface damage manifesting as severe dry eye and cicatricial conjunctivitis. Several pathological mechanisms likely contribute to the etiology of ocular GVHD-associated dry eye disease. Despite the high frequency of ocular surface involvement in patients experiencing GVHD, little is known about the underlying pathogenesis responsible for ocular GVHD-associated dry eye. In our first manuscript, using a mouse model of allogeneic transplantation, we demonstrated that ocular GVHD causes a decrease in tear film volume and corneal keratopathy. These ocular surfaces changes are accompanied by a significant decrease in the area and thickness of corneal glycocalyx, a decrease in ocular surface mucins, MUC4 and MUC5AC and loss of conjunctival goblet cells. Our data showed that topical treatment by mucin secretagogue, rebamipide, partially attenuates GVHD-associated damage to ocular surface. Hyperosmolar tears are a consistent feature of dry eye disease. Our data demonstrated that hyperosmolar stress increases the gene expression of NFAT5, a tonicity-related transcription factor and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL1, IL6, TNFα, IFN-γ) in human corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells. Next, we demonstrated that these proinflammatory cytokines differentially modulate the expression of MUC 1, and MUC 4 in ocular surface epithelial cells, but they do not cause any notable change in glycocalyx or apoptotic cell death in stratified human corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells. Immune-mediated ocular surface damage in GVHD can initiate a wound healing response leading to fibrosis in the conjunctiva, a fibroblast-rich tissue. Conjunctival fibrosis may underlie the noted decrease in goblet cells and ocular surface mucins, thus contributing to GVHD-associated dry eye. Our results demonstrated that ocular GVHD causes a significant increase in expression of α-smooth muscle actin (SMA), a marker of myofibroblasts, in the conjunctiva. Immunostaining detected the presence of large number of myofibroblasts in bulbar orbital conjunctiva of GVHD mice. An increase in the components of renin-angiotensin system component (RAS), angiotensinogen and angiotensin converting enzyme, was also noted in the conjunctiva suggesting that ocular GVHD causes conjunctival fibrosis by myofibroblast formation and activation of conjunctival RAS

Mathematical Modelling of Nano-Electronic Systems

Double-Qdots (DQDs) are attractive in light of their potential application to quantum computing and other electronic applications, e.g. as specialized sensors. We consider the electronic properties of a system consisting of two quantum dots in physical proximity, which we will refer to as the DQD. Our main goal is to derive the essential properties of the DQD from a model that is rigorous yet numerically tractable, and largely circumvents the complexities of an ab initio simulation. To this end we propose a class of novel Hamiltonians that captures the dynamics of a bi-partite quantum system, wherein the interaction is described via a convolution or a Wiener-Hopf type operator. We subsequently describe the density of states function and derive the electronic properties of the underlying system. Our analysis shows that the model captures a plethora of electronic profiles which serves as evidence for the versatility of the proposed framework for DQD channel modelling. A massive body of mathematical physics results, dating mostly to the last half a century, give evidence to the claim that the statistical characteristic of fluctuations in the level structure of a quantum system provides essential information about its dynamic properties, e.g. in some instances these statistical parameters show whether or not the underlying classical dynamics is integrable or chaotic. Following this tradition we have conducted statistical analysis of the data generated numerically from the model at hand. In this way we have characterized the fine-scale fluctuations of the spectra for several choices of the constituents. In conclusion, we have found that the model is versatile enough to produce several statistically distinct types of level structure. In particular, the model is capable of reproducing very complex level structures, such as those of the resonant microwave cavities that have been obtained experimentally in the 1990

Epicardial adipose tissue thickness as an independent predictor of ventricular tachycardia recurrence following ablation

Although several investigations have shown a relationship between increased epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and atrial fibrillation (AF), the association between EAT and ventricular tachycardia (VT) has not been evaluated. We investigated the association between EAT and post-ablation VT recurrence. In this study, sixty-one consecutive patients (mean age=62.0±13.9) undergoing VT ablation with pre-procedural cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were recruited. EAT thickness was measured using cardiac MRI in the right and left atrioventricular grooves (AVGs), RV free wall, anterior, inferior, and superior interventricular grooves (IVGs). During a mean follow-up period of 392.9±180.2 days, post-ablation VT recurrence occurred in 15 (24.6%) patients. EAT thickness was significantly higher in the VT recurrence group than that in the non-recurrent VT at the right (18.7±5.7 vs. 14.1±4.4 mm; p=0.012) and left (13.3±3.9 vs. 10.4±4.1; p=0.020) AVGs. The best cut-off points for predicting VT recurrence were calculated as 15.5 mm for the right AVG (area under ROC curve=0.74) and 11.5 mm for the left AVG (area under ROC curve=0.72). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that pre procedural right AVG-EAT (HR: 1.2; 95% CI: [1.06-1.39], p=0.004) was the only independent predictor of VT recurrence after adjustment for covariates. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed a difference for post-ablation VT recurrence between the two groups with right AVG-EAT thickness cut-off value of <15.5 mm versus ≥15.5 mm (log-rank, p=0.003). Based on the finding of this study, we suggested a new possible imaging marker for risk stratification of post-ablation VT recurrence. A higher EAT may be associated with VT recurrence after catheter ablation of VTs.:Epicardial Adipose Tissue Anatomy Embryology Physiology and Pathophysiology Measurement of EAT EAT and heart disorders Future direction VT Catheter Ablation History of VT ablation Catheter ablation for VT in structural and non-structural heart Outcome of VT catheter ablation Predictors of VT recurrence after catheter ablation Objectives of the thesis Publication Summary Reference

A globalização do direito penal concentra-se no crime organizado

Globalization as a process that has been introduced in various areas of human life is also a prerequisite in the field of criminal science; because international crime has spread and no country is safe from some of the world's crimes. Regarding to extending the scope of delinquency transform identity and transformation of the crime from traditional to international organized crime and the impossibility of the renditions of many international fugitives and the spread of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in committing crimes, the only way to combat and prevent such new crimes is to find them and analyze them from the domestic and international levels. In this paper, using an analytical description method, we attempt to explain to globalize criminal law in the fight against organized crime.La globalización como un proceso que se ha introducido en diversas áreas de la vida humana también es un requisito previo en el campo de la ciencia criminal; porque el crimen internacional se ha extendido y ningún país está a salvo de algunos de los crímenes del mundo. En cuanto a extender el alcance de la delincuencia, transformar la identidad y transformación del crimen del crimen organizado tradicional al internacional y la imposibilidad de las entregas de muchos prófugos internacionales y la difusión de las Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones (TIC) en la comisión de delitos, la única forma de combatir y prevenir tales crímenes nuevos es encontrarlos y analizarlos desde el nivel nacional e internacional. En este trabajo, utilizando un método de descripción analítica, intentamos explicar para globalizar el derecho penal en la lucha contra el crimen organizado.A globalização como um processo que foi introduzido em várias áreas da vida humana é também um pré-requisito no campo da ciência criminal; porque o crime internacional se espalhou e nenhum país está a salvo de alguns dos crimes do mundo. Em relação à ampliação do escopo da delinqüência, transformar a identidade e a transformação do crime do tradicional ao crime organizado internacional e a impossibilidade das extradições de muitos fugitivos internacionais e a disseminação da Tecnologia da Informação e Comunicação (TIC) na prática de crimes, a única forma de combater e prevenir tais novos crimes é encontrá-los e analisá-los nos níveis doméstico e internacional. Neste trabalho, usando um método de descrição analítica, tentamos explicar a globalização do direito penal na luta contra o crime organizado

Numerical Modeling of Two-Dimensional Flow Over A Hill In an Open Channel

Source: ICHE Conference Archive - https://mdi-de.baw.de/icheArchiv

Self-Censorship and Political Oppression

Self-awareness is a basic knowledge training an art therapist needs to acquire to be able to reflect on biases and blind spots. Self-censorship as a form of political distortion does not allow the content of unconsciousness to be integrated into the ego. One-sidedness of the ego will block the development of self fully. Active imagination, is a Jungian method and it promotes mending the relationship between one's ego and the unconscious. With the help of active imagination, the wall between ego and unconsciousness is lifted. Artistic expressions provide a form for the revealed contents of unconsciousness and facilitates the process of integration. This research utilizes art-based heuristic methodology along with active imagination to address the following research question: How can “active imagination” help me explain my experience of self-censorship due to political oppression in Iran? How can “active imagination" help me develop my professional identity as an art therapist and to become a culturally competent art therapist? Combined with heuristic method, the art-based approach allowed me to redefine and reimagine the kind of art therapist I inspire to be

Essays in empirical macroeconomics.

This thesis contains three chapters. The first two chapters are essays on monetary economics. The last chapter is an essay on general equilibrium asset pricing. In chapter 1, I study the behavior of disaggregated prices in response to economic shocks. I suggest a production chain model with nominal rigidities to replicate some stylized facts about data. I argue, first, that the input-output linkages in production can create heterogeneity in the response of sectoral prices to aggregate shocks. Second, a realistic calibration of this multi-sector model to the US data can create 5 times more real rigidities in response to nominal shocks, compared to an equivalent homogeneous economy with intermediate inputs. Finally, the model implies that upstream industries would respond faster to aggregate shocks than downstream industries. In chapter 2, I study the effect of imperfect commitment of a central bank on inflationary outcomes. I present a model in which monetary authority is a committee with churning of members who have finite terms. Older and younger generations of Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) members decide on policy by engaging in a bargaining process. I show that this set-up gives rise to a continuous measure of the degree of monetary authority's commitment. The model suggests that lowering the churning rate or increasing the tenure time improves welfare. Chapter 3 (joint work with Aytek Malkhozov) focuses on the asset pricing implications of a real-business-cycle model with recursive preferences and a general shock structure that allows for news shocks. We show that introducing recursive preferences and anticipated shocks into a canonical DSGE model can produce large premia and low risk-free rates without compromising the model's ability to fit the key macroeconomic variables. We illustrate how this class of dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models can be solved using higher order perturbation methods