highly skilled migrants and technological diversification in the us and europe

Abstract We have investigated the impact of highly skilled migrants on the evolution of the technological portfolios of European and US sub-regional geographical areas. The specific contribution of the international mobility of inventors on the technological diversification of the innovation output, a driver of regional economic growth and of the emergence of new industries, has been neglected in previous literature. Migrant inventors have been identified by comparing their nationalities with the residence addresses reported in the patent documents. The diversification of the local technological portfolio has been measured as the number of fields of specialization, which were identified from a comparison with the aggregate portfolio of all the analyzed geographical areas. The measure has been calculated using the Hidalgo–Hausman method of reflections on patent data. The applied econometric models show a negative relationship between migration and diversification of technological specializations, thereby supporting the presence of a specialty matching mechanism associated with migration. We have also computed indicators of the relative rarity of a technological field across regions. Rarity results to be positively correlated with the local incidence of migrant inventors, thus suggesting that destination regions are more likely to enter specialization fields of higher complexity

Role of female sex hormones, estradiol and progesterone, in mast cell behavior

Female sex hormones have long been suspected to have an effect on mast cell (MC) behavior. This assumption is based on the expression of hormone receptors in MCs as well as on the fact that many MC-related pathophysiological alterations have a different prevalence in females than in males. Further, serum IgE levels are much higher in allergic female mice compared to male mice. Ovariectomized rats developed less airway inflammation compared to sham controls. Following estrogen replacement ovariectomized rats re-established airway inflammation levels’ found in intact females. In humans, a much higher asthma prevalence was found in women at reproductive age as compared to men. Serum levels of estradiol and progesterone have been directly correlated with the clinical and functional features of asthma. Around 30–40% of women who have asthma experienced worsening of their symptoms during the perimenstrual phase, the so-called perimenstrual asthma. Postmenopausal women receiving hormone replacement therapy have an increased risk of new onset of asthma. Beside, estrus cycle dependent changes on female sex hormones are related to changes on MC number in mouse uterine tissue and estradiol and progesterone were shown to induce uterine MC maturation and degranulation. We will discuss here the currently available information concerning the role of these female sex hormones on MC behavior

B1 B cells acquire a proliferative and anti-inflammatory profile during pregnancy in mice

B1 B cells are a distinct subpopulation of B cells characterized by their unique capacity of self-renewal and the ability to secrete IgM without foreign antigen exposure (natural antibodies). In addition, upon activation, B1 B cells produce large quantities of the potent anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Though the mechanisms that control natural antibodies production are not fully elucidated, it was recently associated with a down-regulation of CD1d expression in B1 B cells. Taking into account that both, IL-10 and natural antibodies are known to be fundamental components in pregnancy wellbeing, the aim of this study was to evaluate proliferation status as well as CD1d expression and IL-10 production by B1 B cells during pregnancy. Flow cytometry analysis, on splenic B1 B cells from pregnant (P) and non-pregnant (NP) mice was performed to evaluate ki-67 (proliferation marker) and CD1d expression as well as IL-10 production upon LPS stimulation. We observed significantly higher expression levels of Ki-67 in splenic B1 B cells from P compared to NP (Unpaired t-test p<0,0001; n=3) mice which was mirrored by higher percentages of B1 B cells in the spleen of P mice (Unpaired t-test p=0,0095; n=11). In addition, B1 B cells from P mice expressed lower levels of CD1d as compared to NP mice (Unpaired t-test p<0,0001; n=3). Furthermore, LPS-stimulated B1 B cells from P mice produced significantly higher levels of IL-10 compared to NP mice in vitro (Unpaired t-test p=0,015; n=5).Overall, our results demonstrate that not only B1 B cells are expanded in the spleen during pregnancy but they also seem to acquire the capacity to produce higher levels of natural antibodies and IL-10 during this period, suggesting their critical role in the intricate process of pregnancy tolerance.Fil: Valeff, Natalin Jimena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaFil: Abba, Martin C.. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Centro de Investigaciones Inmunológicas Básicas y Aplicadas; ArgentinaFil: Jensen, Federico. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaLXVI Reunión anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica; LXIX Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología; LIII Reunión Anual de la Asociación Argentina de Farmacología Experimental y XI Reunión Anual de la Asociación Argentina de NanomedicinasBuenos AiresArgentinaSociedad Argentina de Investigación ClínicaSociedad Argentina de InmunologíaAsociación Argentina de Farmacología ExperimentalAsociación Argentina de Nanomedicina

Heat pipe collectors with overheating prevention in a cost-optimized system concept: Monitoring of system performance and stagnation loads under real conditions

Heat pipe collectors can significantly reduce stagnation loads in solar thermal systems due to their thermophysical properties. The paper experimentally investigates a novel system concept based on both evacuated tube collectors and flat-plate collectors with overheating prevention. Due to the resulting temperature limitation in the collector, the use of polymeric pipes as well as a significantly downsized expansion volume is possible. We implemented this concept in five demonstration plants and monitored their behavior over more than one year of operation. Both domestic hot water systems and combi-systems with space heating support in residential and office buildings are under consideration. The measured collector performance in all the systems matches the theoretical collector efficiency curve with a maximum deviation of five percentage points. Depending on the individual system configurations, the specific annual yield ranges between 174 kWh/m² and 445 kWh/m². During stagnation, we report a maximum temperature between 105 °C and 127 °C. In comparison to state-of-the-art systems, the maximum temperature in the solar circuit is 80–100 K lower and evaporation does not occur. The approach leads to reductions in investment costs of up to 16% and can significantly decrease the annual maintenance effort. Assuming a system lifetime of 25 years, we estimate a cost reduction of up to 22% in Levelized Cost of Heat (LCoH) compared to common system configurations

Self-similar correlation function in brain resting-state fMRI

Adaptive behavior, cognition and emotion are the result of a bewildering variety of brain spatiotemporal activity patterns. An important problem in neuroscience is to understand the mechanism by which the human brain's 100 billion neurons and 100 trillion synapses manage to produce this large repertoire of cortical configurations in a flexible manner. In addition, it is recognized that temporal correlations across such configurations cannot be arbitrary, but they need to meet two conflicting demands: while diverse cortical areas should remain functionally segregated from each other, they must still perform as a collective, i.e., they are functionally integrated. Here, we investigate these large-scale dynamical properties by inspecting the character of the spatiotemporal correlations of brain resting-state activity. In physical systems, these correlations in space and time are captured by measuring the correlation coefficient between a signal recorded at two different points in space at two different times. We show that this two-point correlation function extracted from resting-state fMRI data exhibits self-similarity in space and time. In space, self-similarity is revealed by considering three successive spatial coarse-graining steps while in time it is revealed by the 1/f frequency behavior of the power spectrum. The uncovered dynamical self-similarity implies that the brain is spontaneously at a continuously changing (in space and time) intermediate state between two extremes, one of excessive cortical integration and the other of complete segregation. This dynamical property may be seen as an important marker of brain well-being both in health and disease.Comment: 14 pages 13 figures; published online before print September 2

Splenic B1 B Cells Acquire a Proliferative and Anti-Inflamatory Profile During Pregnancy in Mice

B cells are a heterogeneous cell population with differential ontogeny, anatomical location, and functions. B1 B cells are a distinct subpopulation characterized by their unique capacity of self-renewal, the production of large quantities of IL-10, and the ability to secrete protective, anti-inflammatory natural antibodies (NAbs), presumably upon down-regulation of CD1d expression. Although natural antibodies are thought to be protective, due to their polyreactivity, their participation in certain autoimmune diseases has been suggested. In the context of pregnancy, the role of B1 B cells has been discussed controversially. While in human pregnancies B1 B cells and natural/polyreactive antibodies they produce are involved in the development of preeclampsia, in mice they promote healthy gestation and fetal protection. In this work, we aimed to functionally characterize the splenic B1 B cell population during pregnancy in mice. Functional enrichment analysis using only up-regulated transcripts from a transcriptomic profile performed on total splenic B cells from pregnant compared to non-pregnant mice showed augmented cell cycle and DNA replication pathways. Proliferation studies by flow cytometry showed augmented Ki-67 proliferation marker expression and percentages of B1 B cells. Furthermore, B1 B cells produced higher levels of IL-10 and lower levels of TNF-α leading to an increased IL-10/TNF-α ratio and showing an immunoregulatory phenotype. Finally, we observed lower expression of CD1d on B1 B cells, suggesting a higher capacity to produce NAbs in the context of pregnancy. In summary, our results showed not only an expanded and proliferative splenic B1 B cell population during pregnancy but also the acquisition of immunomodulatory capacities suggesting its critical role in the intricate process of pregnancy tolerance

Marginal zone B cells emerge as a critical component of pregnancy well-being

The success of eutherian mammal evolution was certainly supported by the ability of the already existing immune system to adapt to the presence of the semi-allogeneic fetus without losing the capability to defend the mother against infections. This required the acquisition of highly regulated and coordinated immunological mechanisms. Failures in the development of these strategies not only lead to the interruption of pregnancy but also compromise maternal health. Alongside changes on the cytokine profile - expansion of tolerogenic dendritic and regulatory T cells - a profound adaptation of the B cell compartment during pregnancy was recently described. Among others, the suppression of B cell lymphopoiesis and B cell lymphopenia were proposed to be protective mechanisms tending to reduce the occurrence of autoreactive B cells that might recognize fetal structures and put pregnancy on risk. On the other hand, expansion of the pre-activated marginal zone (MZ) B cell phenotype was described as a compensatory strategy launched to overcome B cell lymphopenia thus ensuring a proper defense. In this work, using an animal model of pregnancy disturbances, we demonstrated that the suppression of B cell lymphopoiesis as well as splenic B cell lymphopenia occur independently of pregnancy outcome. However, only animals undergoing normal pregnancies, but not those suffering from pregnancy disturbances, could induce an expansion and activation of the MZ B cells. Hence, our results clearly show that MZ B cells, probably due to the production of natural protective antibodies, participate in the fine balance of immune activation required for pregnancy well-being.Fil: Muzzio, Damián Oscar. University of Greifswald; AlemaniaFil: Ziegler, Katharina B.. University of Greifswald; AlemaniaFil: Ehrhardt, Jens. University of Greifswald; AlemaniaFil: Zygmunt, Marek. University of Greifswald; AlemaniaFil: Jensen, Cristian Federico. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentina. University of Greifswald; Alemania. Universidad Nacional Arturo Jauretche; Argentin

The developing ovary of the South American plains vizcacha, Lagostomus maximus (Mammalia, Rodentia): Massive proliferation with no sign of apoptosis-mediated germ cell attrition

Apoptosis-dependent massive germ cell death is considered a constitutive trait of the developing mammalian ovary that eliminates 65-85% of the germinal tissue depending on the species. After birth and during adult lifetime, apoptotic activity moves from the germ cell proper to the somatic compartment, decimating germ cells through follicular atresia until the oocyte reserve is exhausted. In contrast, the South American rodent Lagostomus maximus shows suppressed apoptosis-dependent follicular atresia in the adult ovary, with continuous folliculogenesis and massive polyovulation, which finally exhausts the oocyte pool. The absence of follicular atresia in adult L. maximus might arise from a failure to move apoptosis from the germinal stratum to the somatic compartment after birth or being a constitutive trait of the ovarian tissue with no massive germ cell degeneration in the developing ovary. We tested these possibilities by analysing oogenesis, expression of germ cell-specific VASA protein, apoptotic proteins BCL2 and BAX, and DNA fragmentation by TUNEL assay in the developing ovary of L. maximus. Immunolabelling for VASA revealed a massive and widespread colonisation of the ovary and proliferation of germ cells organised in nests that disappeared at late development when folliculogenesis began. No sign of germ cell attrition was found at any time point. BCL2 remained positive throughout oogenesis, whereas BAXwas slightly detected in early development. TUNEL assay was conspicuously negative throughout the development. These results advocate for an unrestricted proliferation of germ cells, without apoptosis-driven elimination, as a constitutive trait of L. maximus ovary as opposed to what is normally found in the developing mammalian ovary.Fil: Leopardo, Noelia Paola. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Jensen, Cristian Federico. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Willis, Miguel Alfredo. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Espinosa, Maria Beatriz. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Vitullo, Alfredo Daniel. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

LEVERAGING DIGITAL INNOVATION IN HEALTHCARE: HARNESSING BIG DATA, CLOUD AND MOBILE COMPUTING FOR BETTER HEALTH

Harnessing digital innovations for healthcare delivery has raised high expectations as well as major concerns. Several countries across the globe have made progress in achieving three common goals of lower costs, higher quality, and increased patient access to healthcare services through investments in digital infrastructures. New technologies are leveraged to achieve widespread 24x7 disease management, patients’ wellbeing, home-based healthcare and other patient-centric service innovations. Yet, digital innovations in healthcare face barriers in terms of standardization, data privacy and security concerns, fragmented markets, and misaligned incentives across stakeholders. The panel will focus on this apparent paradox and highlight the potential of big data, cloud and mobile computing for achieving better health. The panel co-chairs will introduce differences in healthcare delivery landscapes in selected countries. Then panelists with expertise in digital data streams, cloud, and mobile computing will present concrete examples of healthcare service innovations that have the potential to address one or more of the global goals. ECIS attendees are invited to join a debate about the facilitators and barriers of widespread implementation of these types of digital innovations, and the opportunities for significant IS research contributions