Renormalizability of N=1\mathcal{N}=1 super Yang-Mills theory in Landau gauge with a Stueckelberg-like field

We construct a vector gauge invariant transverse field configuration $V^H$, consisting of the well-known superfield $V$ and of a Stueckelberg-like chiral superfield. The renormalizability of the Super Yang Mills action in the Landau gauge is analyzed in the presence of a gauge invariant mass term $m^2 \int dV \mathcal{M}(V^H)$, with $\mathcal{M}(V^H)$ a power series in $V^H$. Unlike the original Stueckelberg action, the resulting action turns out to be renormalizable to all orders.Comment: 19 page

Ecological risk assessment of endocrine disruptors.

The European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals proposes a tiered approach for the ecological risk assessment of endocrine disruptors, integrating exposure and hazard (effects) characterization. Exposure assessment for endocrine disruptors should direct specific tests for wildlife species, placing hazard data into a risk assessment context. Supplementing the suite of mammalian screens now under Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) validation, high priority should be given to developing a fish screening assay for detecting endocrine activity in oviparous species. Taking into account both exposure characterization and alerts from endocrine screening, higher tier tests are also a priority for defining adverse effects. We propose that in vivo mammalian and fish assays provide a comprehensive screening battery for diverse hormonal functions (including androgen, estrogen, and thyroid hormone), whereas Amphibia should be considered at higher tiers if there are exposure concerns. Higher tier endocrine-disruptor testing should include fish development and fish reproduction tests, whereas a full life-cycle test could be subsequently used to refine aquatic risk assessments when necessary. For avian risk assessment, the new OECD Japanese quail reproduction test guideline provides a valuable basis for developing a test to detecting endocrine-mediated reproductive effects; this species could be used, where necessary, for an avian life-cycle test. For aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, data from existing developmental and reproductive tests remain of high value for ecological risk assessment. High priority should be given to research into comparative endocrine physiology of invertebrates to support data extrapolation to this diverse fauna

Empathy in multiple sclerosis-correlates with cognitive, psychological and occupational functioning

Background Recent studies report deficits in social cognition in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). Social cognitive skills such as empathy are important for adequate social and occupational functioning. Our objectives are: (1) to examine whether empathy differs between individuals with MS and healthy controls, (2) to examine relations between empathy and cognitive, psychological and occupational functioning. Methods 278 individuals with MS (relapsing-remitting subtype) and 128 healthy controls from the MS@Work study participated in this investigation. The participants completed questionnaires about demographics, cognitive, psychological and occupational functioning, and underwent neurological and neuropsychological examinations. Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to examine group differences in empathy. Pearson and Spearman rank correlation analyses were used to examine relations between empathy and the other measures. Results Empathy did not differ between individuals with MS and healthy controls. In individuals with MS, higher empathy was correlated with a higher educational level (X2(df) = 13.2(2), p = 0.001), better verbal learning (r = 0.20, p = 0.001), less symptoms of depression (r=−0.21, p = 0.001), higher extraversion (r = 0.25, p ≤ 0.001), agreeableness (r = 0.55, p ≤ 0.001) and conscientiousness (r = 0.27, p ≤ 0.001) and better occupational functioning in terms of work scheduling and output demands (r = 0.23, p = 0.002) and less cognitive/psychological work barriers (r = −0.21, p = 0.001). In healthy controls, higher empathy was correlated with less symptoms of depression (r = −0.34, p ≤ 0.001), less fatigue (r = −0.37, p ≤ 0.001), higher agreeableness (r = 0.59, p ≤ 0.001) and better occupational functioning in terms of work ability as compared to lifetime best (r = 0.28, p = 0.001) and less cognitive/psychological work barriers (r = −0.34, p ≤ 0.001). Empathy did not differ between unemployed and employed individuals with MS or healthy controls. Conclusion Empathy did not differ between individuals with MS and healthy controls. Within both investigated groups, higher empathy was weakly to moderately correlated with less symptoms of depression, higher agreeableness and better occupational functioning. We also found unique correlations for empathy within the investigated groups. Longitudinal studies are needed to further examine social cognition in relation to cognitive, psychological and occupational functioning in both individuals with MS and healthy controls. It would be particularly interesting to concurrently examine changes in the brain network involved with social cognition

Onderzoek naar de chemische en microbiologische kwaliteit van zachte kaas

Voor Konsumenten Kontakt zijn in augustus en september 1992 zevenenveertig monsters zachte kaas (Brie en Camembert) chemisch en microbiologisch onderzocht. Het chemisch onderzoek bestond uit het bepalen van de gehaltes aan vocht en vet. Het microbiologische gedeelte bestond uit een onderzoek naar de aanwezigheid en/of het gehalte aan Staphy/ococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes en Escherichia coli

Natuurverkenning 2010-2040 : visies op de ontwikkeling van natuur en landschap

De Natuurverkenning verschijnt in een turbulente tijd waarin natuur en landschap sterk gepolitiseerd zijn. Met de verkenning wil het PBL een bijdrage leveren aan het structureren van het debat over de vernieuwing van het langetermijnbeleid en een impuls geven aan de politieke afwegingen. Nieuw is het gebruik van normatieve toekomstscenario’s als hulpmiddel om de achterliggende drijfveren voor natuurbeleid te verhelderen

Self-reported work productivity in people with multiple sclerosis and its association with mental and physical health

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify mental health, physical health, demographic and disease characteristics relating to work productivity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 236 employed people with MS (median age = 42 years, 78.8% female) underwent neurological and neuropsychological assessments. Additionally, they completed questionnaires inquiring about work productivity (presenteeism: reduced productivity while working, and absenteeism: loss of productivity due to absence from work), mental and physical health, demographic and disease characteristics. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were performed with presenteeism and absenteeism as dependent variables, respectively. RESULTS: A model with mental and physical health factors significantly predicted presenteeism F(11,202) = 11.33, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.38; a higher cognitive (p < 0.001) and physical impact (p = 0.042) of fatigue were associated with more presenteeism. A model with only mental health factors significantly predicted absenteeism; χ2(11)=37.72, p < 0.001, with R2 = 0.27 (Nagelkerke) and R2 = 0.16 (Cox and Snell). Specifically, we observed that more symptoms of depression (p = 0.041) and a higher cognitive impact of fatigue (p = 0.011) were significantly associated with more absenteeism. CONCLUSIONS: In people with MS, both cognitive and physical impact of fatigue are positively related to presenteeism, while symptoms of depression and cognitive impact of fatigue are positively related to absenteeism.Implications for rehabilitationMultiple sclerosis (MS) affects people of working age, significantly interfering with work productivity.Higher cognitive and physical impact of fatigue were associated with more presenteeism in workers with MS.A higher cognitive impact of fatigue and more depressive symptoms were associated with absenteeism in workers with MS.Occupational and healthcare professionals should be aware of the impact of both physical and mental health on work productivity in workers with MS

HA-1H T-cell receptor gene transfer to redirect virus-specific T cells for treatment of hematological malignancies after allogeneic stem cell transplantation: a phase 1 clinical study

Graft-vs.-leukemia (GVL) reactivity after HLA-matched allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) is mainly mediated by donor T cells recognizing minor histocompatibility antigens (MiHA). If MiHA are targeted that are exclusively expressed on hematopoietic cells of recipient origin, selective GVL reactivity without severe graft-vs.-host-disease (GVHD) may occur. In this phase I study we explored HA-1H TCR gene transfer into T cells harvested from the HA-1H negative stem-cell donor to treat HA-1H positive HLA-A*02:01 positive patients with high-risk leukemia after alloSCT. HA-1H is a hematopoiesis-restricted MiHA presented in HLA-A*02:01. Since we previously demonstrated that donor-derived virus-specific T-cell infusions did not result in GVHD, we used donor-derived EBV and/or CMV-specific T-cells to be redirected by HA-1H TCR. EBV and/or CMV-specific T-cells were purified, retrovirally transduced with HA-1H TCR, and expanded. Validation experiments illustrated dual recognition of viral antigens and HA-1H by HA-1H TCR-engineered virus-specific T-cells. Release criteria included products containing more than 60% antigen-specific T-cells. Patients with high risk leukemia following T-cell depleted alloSCT in complete or partial remission were eligible. HA-1H TCR T-cells were infused 8 and 14 weeks after alloSCT without additional pre-conditioning chemotherapy. For 4/9 included patients no appropriate products could be made. Their donors were all CMV-negative, thereby restricting the production process to EBV-specific T-cells. For 5 patients a total of 10 products could be made meeting the release criteria containing 3-280 x 10(6)virus and/or HA-1H TCR T-cells. No infusion-related toxicity, delayed toxicity or GVHD occurred. One patient with relapsed AML at time of infusions died due to rapidly progressing disease. Four patients were in remission at time of infusion. Two patients died of infections during follow-up, not likely related to the infusion. Two patients are alive and well without GVHD. In 2 patients persistence of HA-1H TCR T-cells could be illustrated correlating with viral reactivation, but no overtin-vivoexpansion of infused T-cells was observed. In conclusion, HA-1H TCR-redirected virus-specific T-cells could be made and safely infused in 5 patients with high-risk AML, but overall feasibility and efficacy was too low to warrant further clinical development using this strategy. New strategies will be explored using patient-derived donor T-cells isolated after transplantation transduced with HA-1H-specific TCR to be infused following immune conditioning.Immunobiology of allogeneic stem cell transplantation and immunotherapy of hematological disease

Competitive repopulation and allo-immunologic pressure determine chimerism kinetics after T Cell-depleted allogeneic stem cell transplantation and donor lymphocyte infusion

After allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT), patient-derived stem cells that survived the pretransplantation conditioning compete with engrafting donor stem cells for bone marrow (BM) repopulation. In addition, donor-derived alloreactive T cells present in the stem cell product may favor establishment of complete donor-derived hematopoiesis by eliminating patient-derived lymphohematopoietic cells. T cell-depleted alloSCT with sequential transfer of potentially alloreactive T cells by donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) provides a unique opportunity to selectively study how competitive repopulation and allo-immunologic pressure influence lymphohematopoietic recovery. This study aimed to determine the relative contribution of competitive repopulation and donor-derived anti-recipient alloimmunologic pressure on the establishment of lymphohematopoietic chimerism after alloSCT. In this retrospective cohort study of 281 acute leukemia patients treated according to a protocol combining alemtuzumab-based T cell-depleted alloSCT with prophy-lactic DLI, we investigated engraftment and quantitative donor chimerism in the BM and immune cell subsets. DLI-induced increase of chimerism and development of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were analyzed as complementary indicators for donor-derived anti-recipient alloimmunologic pressure. Profound suppression of patient immune cells by conditioning sufficed for sustained engraftment without necessity for myeloablative conditioning or development of clinically significant GVHD. Although 61% of the patients without any DLI or GVHD showed full donor chimerism (FDC) in the BM at 6 months after alloSCT, only 24% showed FDC in the CD4+ T cell compartment. In contrast, 75% of the patients who had received DLI and 83% of the patients with clinically significant GVHD had FDC in this compartment. In addition, 72% of the patients with mixed hematopoiesis receiving DLI converted to complete donor-derived hematopoiesis, of whom only 34% developed clinically significant GVHD. Our data show that competitive repopulation can be sufficient to reach complete donor-derived hematopoiesis, but that some alloimmunologic pressure is needed for the establishment of a completely donor-derived T cell compartment, either by the development of GVHD or by administration of DLI. We illustrate that it is possible to separate the graft-versus-leukemia effect from GVHD, as conversion to durable complete donor-derived hematopoiesis following DLI did not require induction of clinically significant GVHD. (c) 2023 The American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. Immunobiology of allogeneic stem cell transplantation and immunotherapy of hematological disease

How to measure, report and verify soil carbon change to realize the potential of soil carbon sequestration for atmospheric greenhouse gas removal

Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd There is growing international interest in better managing soils to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) content to contribute to climate change mitigation, to enhance resilience to climate change and to underpin food security, through initiatives such as international ‘4p1000’ initiative and the FAO\u27s Global assessment of SOC sequestration potential (GSOCseq) programme. Since SOC content of soils cannot be easily measured, a key barrier to implementing programmes to increase SOC at large scale, is the need for credible and reliable measurement/monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) platforms, both for national reporting and for emissions trading. Without such platforms, investments could be considered risky. In this paper, we review methods and challenges of measuring SOC change directly in soils, before examining some recent novel developments that show promise for quantifying SOC. We describe how repeat soil surveys are used to estimate changes in SOC over time, and how long-term experiments and space-for-time substitution sites can serve as sources of knowledge and can be used to test models, and as potential benchmark sites in global frameworks to estimate SOC change. We briefly consider models that can be used to simulate and project change in SOC and examine the MRV platforms for SOC change already in use in various countries/regions. In the final section, we bring together the various components described in this review, to describe a new vision for a global framework for MRV of SOC change, to support national and international initiatives seeking to effect change in the way we manage our soils