Mutual Integration in Immigration Society: An Epistemic Argument

The public culture of the receiving society and the dominant understanding of belonging and political membership can influence the social participation of immigrants as much as immigration law. However, current discussions of integration focus primarily on the distribution of rights and neglect the role of tacit knowledge. Through a systematical and philosophical analysis of identity's role in policy-making, governance and social practice, Bodi Wang shows how a one-sided understanding of integration resembles "assimilation" and why integration should be expected from locals as well. Weaving together extensive findings in sociology, history, critical race theory and Chinese philosophy with ethics and migration studies, this book provides a compelling argument for adopting the concept of "mutual integration" to overcome injustice and to enhance social solidarity

Texture analysis of cardiac cine magnetic resonance imaging to detect nonviable segments in patients with chronic myocardial infarction

[EN] Purpose: To investigate the ability of texture analysis to differentiate between infarcted nonviable, viable, and remote segments on cardiac cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: This retrospective study included 50 patients suffering chronic myocardial infarction. The data were randomly split into training (30 patients) and testing (20 patients) sets. The left ventricular myocardium was segmented according to the 17-segment model in both cine and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) MRI. Infarcted myocardium regions were identified on LGE in short-axis views. Nonviable segments were identified as those showing LGE 50%, and viable segments those showing 0 < LGE < 50% transmural extension. Features derived from five texture analysis methods were extracted from the segments on cine images. A support vector machine (SVM) classifier was trained with different combination of texture features to obtain a model that provided optimal classification performance. Results: The best classification on testing set was achieved with local binary patterns features using a 2D + t approach, in which the features are computed by including information of the time dimension available in cine sequences. The best overall area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were: 0.849, sensitivity of 92% to detect nonviable segments, 72% to detect viable segments, and 85% to detect remote segments. Conclusion: Nonviable segments can be detected on cine MRI using texture analysis and this may be used as hypothesis for future research aiming to detect the infarcted myocardium by means of a gadolinium-free approach.This work was supported in part by the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO) and FEDER funds under grant BFU2015-64380-C2-2-R, by Instituto de Salud Carlos III and FEDER funds under grants FIS PI14/00271 and PIE15/00013 and by the Generalitat Valenciana under grant PROMETEO/2013/007. The first author, Andres Larroza, was supported by grant FPU12/01140 from the Spanish Ministerio de Educacion, Cultura y Deporte (MECD).Larroza, A.; López-Lereu, M.; Monmeneu, J.; Gavara-Doñate, J.; Chorro, F.; Bodi, V.; Moratal, D. (2018). Texture analysis of cardiac cine magnetic resonance imaging to detect nonviable segments in patients with chronic myocardial infarction. Medical Physics. 45(4):1471-1480. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.12783S14711480454Castellano, G., Bonilha, L., Li, L. M., & Cendes, F. (2004). Texture analysis of medical images. Clinical Radiology, 59(12), 1061-1069. doi:10.1016/j.crad.2004.07.008Hodgdon, T., McInnes, M. D. F., Schieda, N., Flood, T. A., Lamb, L., & Thornhill, R. E. (2015). Can Quantitative CT Texture Analysis be Used to Differentiate Fat-poor Renal Angiomyolipoma from Renal Cell Carcinoma on Unenhanced CT Images? Radiology, 276(3), 787-796. doi:10.1148/radiol.2015142215Larroza, A., Moratal, D., Paredes-Sánchez, A., Soria-Olivas, E., Chust, M. L., Arribas, L. A., & Arana, E. (2015). Support vector machine classification of brain metastasis and radiation necrosis based on texture analysis in MRI. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 42(5), 1362-1368. doi:10.1002/jmri.24913Thevenot, J., Hirvasniemi, J., Pulkkinen, P., Määttä, M., Korpelainen, R., Saarakkala, S., & Jämsä, T. (2014). Assessment of Risk of Femoral Neck Fracture with Radiographic Texture Parameters: A Retrospective Study. Radiology, 272(1), 184-191. doi:10.1148/radiol.14131390Kassner, A., & Thornhill, R. E. (2010). Texture Analysis: A Review of Neurologic MR Imaging Applications. American Journal of Neuroradiology, 31(5), 809-816. doi:10.3174/ajnr.a2061Pfeiffer, M. P., & Biederman, R. W. W. (2015). Cardiac MRI. Medical Clinics of North America, 99(4), 849-861. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2015.02.011Flett, A. S., Hasleton, J., Cook, C., Hausenloy, D., Quarta, G., Ariti, C., … Moon, J. C. (2011). Evaluation of Techniques for the Quantification of Myocardial Scar of Differing Etiology Using Cardiac Magnetic Resonance. JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, 4(2), 150-156. doi:10.1016/j.jcmg.2010.11.015Engan K Eftestøl T Ørn S Kvaloy JT Woie L Exploratory data analysis of image texture and statistical features on myocardium and infarction areas in cardiac magnetic resonance images 2010Kotu LP Engan K Eftestøl T Ørn S Woie L Segmentation of scarred and non-scarred myocardium in LG enhanced CMR images using intensity-based textural analysis 2011Kotu, L., Engan, K., Skretting, K., Måløy, F., Ørn, S., Woie, L., & Eftestøl, T. (2013). Probability mapping of scarred myocardium using texture and intensity features in CMR images. BioMedical Engineering OnLine, 12(1), 91. doi:10.1186/1475-925x-12-91Schofield, R., Ganeshan, B., Kozor, R., Nasis, A., Endozo, R., Groves, A., … Moon, J. C. (2016). CMR myocardial texture analysis tracks different etiologies of left ventricular hypertrophy. Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, 18(S1). doi:10.1186/1532-429x-18-s1-o82Larroza, A., Materka, A., López-Lereu, M. P., Monmeneu, J. V., Bodí, V., & Moratal, D. (2017). Differentiation between acute and chronic myocardial infarction by means of texture analysis of late gadolinium enhancement and cine cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. European Journal of Radiology, 92, 78-83. doi:10.1016/j.ejrad.2017.04.024Baessler, B., Mannil, M., Oebel, S., Maintz, D., Alkadhi, H., & Manka, R. (2018). Subacute and Chronic Left Ventricular Myocardial Scar: Accuracy of Texture Analysis on Nonenhanced Cine MR Images. Radiology, 286(1), 103-112. doi:10.1148/radiol.2017170213Hervas, A., Ruiz-Sauri, A., de Dios, E., Forteza, M. J., Minana, G., Nunez, J., … Bodi, V. (2015). Inhomogeneity of collagen organization within the fibrotic scar after myocardial infarction: results in a swine model and in human samples. Journal of Anatomy, 228(1), 47-58. doi:10.1111/joa.12395Heiberg, E., Sjögren, J., Ugander, M., Carlsson, M., Engblom, H., & Arheden, H. (2010). Design and validation of Segment - freely available software for cardiovascular image analysis. BMC Medical Imaging, 10(1). doi:10.1186/1471-2342-10-1Bodí, V., Sanchis, J., López-Lereu, M. P., Losada, A., Núñez, J., Pellicer, M., … Llácer, À. (2005). Usefulness of a Comprehensive Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging Assessment for Predicting Recovery of Left Ventricular Wall Motion in the Setting of Myocardial Stunning. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 46(9), 1747-1752. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2005.07.039Rangayyan, R. M., Nguyen, T. M., Ayres, F. J., & Nandi, A. K. (2009). Effect of Pixel Resolution on Texture Features of Breast Masses in Mammograms. Journal of Digital Imaging, 23(5), 547-553. doi:10.1007/s10278-009-9238-0Materka A Strzelecki M On the importance of MRI nonuniformity correction for texture analysis 2013Collewet, G., Strzelecki, M., & Mariette, F. (2004). Influence of MRI acquisition protocols and image intensity normalization methods on texture classification. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 22(1), 81-91. doi:10.1016/j.mri.2003.09.001Vallières M MATLAB programming tools for radiomics analysis https://github.com/mvallieres/radiomicsZhao G Pietikainen M Center for machine vision and signal analysis http://www.cse.oulu.fi/CMV/Downloads/LBPMatlabZwanenburg A Leger S Vallières M Löck S Image biomarker standardisation initiative 2017 http://arxiv.org/abs/1612.07003Vallières, M., Freeman, C. R., Skamene, S. R., & El Naqa, I. (2015). A radiomics model from joint FDG-PET and MRI texture features for the prediction of lung metastases in soft-tissue sarcomas of the extremities. 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m6A potentiates Sxl alternative pre-mRNA splicing for robust Drosophila sex determination

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common internal modification of eukaryotic messenger RNA (mRNA) and is decoded by YTH domain proteins1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. The mammalian mRNA m6A methylosome is a complex of nuclear proteins that includes METTL3 (methyltransferase-like 3), METTL14, WTAP (Wilms tumour 1-associated protein) and KIAA1429. Drosophila has corresponding homologues named Ime4 and KAR4 (Inducer of meiosis 4 and Karyogamy protein 4), and Female-lethal (2)d (Fl(2)d) and Virilizer (Vir)8, 9, 10, 11, 12. In Drosophila, fl(2)d and vir are required for sex-dependent regulation of alternative splicing of the sex determination factor Sex lethal (Sxl)13. However, the functions of m6A in introns in the regulation of alternative splicing remain uncertain3. Here we show that m6A is absent in the mRNA of Drosophila lacking Ime4. In contrast to mouse and plant knockout models5, 7, 14, Drosophila Ime4-null mutants remain viable, though flightless, and show a sex bias towards maleness. This is because m6A is required for female-specific alternative splicing of Sxl, which determines female physiognomy, but also translationally represses male-specific lethal 2 (msl-2) to prevent dosage compensation in females. We further show that the m6A reader protein YT521-B decodes m6A in the sex-specifically spliced intron of Sxl, as its absence phenocopies Ime4 mutants. Loss of m6A also affects alternative splicing of additional genes, predominantly in the 5′ untranslated region, and has global effects on the expression of metabolic genes. The requirement of m6A and its reader YT521-B for female-specific Sxl alternative splicing reveals that this hitherto enigmatic mRNA modification constitutes an ancient and specific mechanism to adjust levels of gene expression

Resolution of hyposmotic stress in isolated mouse ventricular myocytes causes sealing of t‐tubules

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/98789/1/expphysiol.2013.072470.pd

Dilated Cardiomyopathy with Increased SR Ca2+ Loading Preceded by a Hypercontractile State and Diastolic Failure in the α1CTG Mouse

Mice over-expressing the α1−subunit (pore) of the L-type Ca2+ channel (α1CTG) by 4months (mo) of age exhibit an enlarged heart, hypertrophied myocytes, increased Ca2+ current and Ca2+ transient amplitude, but a normal SR Ca2+ load. With advancing age (8–11 mo), some mice demonstrate advanced hypertrophy but are not in congestive heart failure (NFTG), while others evolve to frank dilated congestive heart failure (FTG). We demonstrate that older NFTG myocytes exhibit a hypercontractile state over a wide range of stimulation frequencies, but maintain a normal SR Ca2+ load compared to age matched non-transgenic (NTG) myocytes. However, at high stimulation rates (2–4 Hz) signs of diastolic contractile failure appear in NFTG cells. The evolution of frank congestive failure in FTG is accompanied by a further increase in heart mass and myocyte size, and phospholamban and ryanodine receptor protein levels and phosphorylation become reduced. In FTG, the SR Ca2+ load increases and Ca2+ release following excitation, increases further. An enhanced NCX function in FTG, as reflected by an accelerated relaxation of the caffeine-induced Ca2+ transient, is insufficient to maintain a normal diastolic Ca2+ during high rates of stimulation. Although a high SR Ca2+ release following excitation is maintained, the hypercontractile state is not maintained at high rates of stimulation, and signs of both systolic and diastolic contractile failure appear. Thus, the dilated cardiomyopathy that evolves in this mouse model exhibits signs of both systolic and diastolic failure, but not a deficient SR Ca2+ loading or release, as occurs in some other cardiomyopathic models

Spider-Venom Peptides as Bioinsecticides

Over 10,000 arthropod species are currently considered to be pest organisms. They are estimated to contribute to the destruction of ~14% of the world’s annual crop production and transmit many pathogens. Presently, arthropod pests of agricultural and health significance are controlled predominantly through the use of chemical insecticides. Unfortunately, the widespread use of these agrochemicals has resulted in genetic selection pressure that has led to the development of insecticide-resistant arthropods, as well as concerns over human health and the environment. Bioinsecticides represent a new generation of insecticides that utilise organisms or their derivatives (e.g., transgenic plants, recombinant baculoviruses, toxin-fusion proteins and peptidomimetics) and show promise as environmentally-friendly alternatives to conventional agrochemicals. Spider-venom peptides are now being investigated as potential sources of bioinsecticides. With an estimated 100,000 species, spiders are one of the most successful arthropod predators. Their venom has proven to be a rich source of hyperstable insecticidal mini-proteins that cause insect paralysis or lethality through the modulation of ion channels, receptors and enzymes. Many newly characterized insecticidal spider toxins target novel sites in insects. Here we review the structure and pharmacology of these toxins and discuss the potential of this vast peptide library for the discovery of novel bioinsecticides

Temporal variations of disinfection byproduct precursors in wildfire detritus

The Rim Fire ignited on August 17, 2013 and became the third largest wildfire in California history. The fire consumed 104,131&nbsp;ha of forested watersheds that were the drinking water source for 2.6 million residents in the San Francisco Bay area. To understand temporal variations in dissolved organic matter (DOM) after the wildfire and its potential impacts on disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation in source water supply, we collected the 0-5&nbsp;cm ash/soil layer with surface deposits of white ash (high burn severity) and black ash (moderate burn severity) within the Rim Fire perimeter in Oct 2013 (pre-rainfall) for five sequential extractions, and in Dec 2013 (∼87&nbsp;mm cumulative precipitation) and Aug 2014 (∼617&nbsp;mm cumulative precipitation) for a single water extraction. Water-extractable DOM was characterized by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and DBP formation tests. Both increasing cumulative precipitation in the field or number of extractions in the lab resulted in a significant decrease in specific conductivity, dissolved organic carbon, and DBP formation potential, but an increase in DOM aromaticity (reflected by specific UV absorbance). However, the lab sequential leaching failed to capture the increase of the NOx(-)-N/NH4(+)-N ratio and the decrease in pH and dissolved organic carbon/nitrogen ratio of ash/soil extracts from Oct 2013 to Aug 2014. Increasing cumulative precipitation, inferring an increase in leaching after fire, led to an increase in DOM reactivity to form trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, and chloral hydrate, but not for haloketones, haloacetonitrile, or N-nitrosodimethylamine, which were more related to the original burn severity. This study highlights that fire-affected DBP precursors for different DBP species have distinct temporal variation possibly due to their various sensitivity to biogeochemical alterations

Anion-Sensitive Regions of L-Type CaV1.2 Calcium Channels Expressed in HEK293 Cells

L-type calcium currents (ICa) are influenced by changes in extracellular chloride, but sites of anion effects have not been identified. Our experiments showed that CaV1.2 currents expressed in HEK293 cells are strongly inhibited by replacing extracellular chloride with gluconate or perchlorate. Variance-mean analysis of ICa and cell-attached patch single channel recordings indicate that gluconate-induced inhibition is due to intracellular anion effects on Ca2+ channel open probability, not conductance. Inhibition of CaV1.2 currents produced by replacing chloride with gluconate was reduced from ∼75%–80% to ∼50% by omitting β subunits but unaffected by omitting α2δ subunits. Similarly, gluconate inhibition was reduced to ∼50% by deleting an α1 subunit N-terminal region of 15 residues critical for β subunit interactions regulating open probability. Omitting β subunits with this mutant α1 subunit did not further diminish inhibition. Gluconate inhibition was unchanged with expression of different β subunits. Truncating the C terminus at AA1665 reduced gluconate inhibition from ∼75%–80% to ∼50% whereas truncating it at AA1700 had no effect. Neutralizing arginines at AA1696 and 1697 by replacement with glutamines reduced gluconate inhibition to ∼60% indicating these residues are particularly important for anion effects. Expressing CaV1.2 channels that lacked both N and C termini reduced gluconate inhibition to ∼25% consistent with additive interactions between the two tail regions. Our results suggest that modest changes in intracellular anion concentration can produce significant effects on CaV1.2 currents mediated by changes in channel open probability involving β subunit interactions with the N terminus and a short C terminal region