The unexpected surface of asteroid (101955) Bennu.

NASA'S Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft recently arrived at the near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu, a primitive body that represents the objects that may have brought prebiotic molecules and volatiles such as water to Earth1. Bennu is a low-albedo B-type asteroid2 that has been linked to organic-rich hydrated carbonaceous chondrites3. Such meteorites are altered by ejection from their parent body and contaminated by atmospheric entry and terrestrial microbes. Therefore, the primary mission objective is to return a sample of Bennu to Earth that is pristine-that is, not affected by these processes4. The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft carries a sophisticated suite of instruments to characterize Bennu's global properties, support the selection of a sampling site and document that site at a sub-centimetre scale5-11. Here we consider early OSIRIS-REx observations of Bennu to understand how the asteroid's properties compare to pre-encounter expectations and to assess the prospects for sample return. The bulk composition of Bennu appears to be hydrated and volatile-rich, as expected. However, in contrast to pre-encounter modelling of Bennu's thermal inertia12 and radar polarization ratios13-which indicated a generally smooth surface covered by centimetre-scale particles-resolved imaging reveals an unexpected surficial diversity. The albedo, texture, particle size and roughness are beyond the spacecraft design specifications. On the basis of our pre-encounter knowledge, we developed a sampling strategy to target 50-metre-diameter patches of loose regolith with grain sizes smaller than two centimetres4. We observe only a small number of apparently hazard-free regions, of the order of 5 to 20 metres in extent, the sampling of which poses a substantial challenge to mission success.

Observation of a many-body dynamical phase transition with a 53-qubit quantum simulator.

A quantum simulator is a type of quantum computer that controls the interactions between quantum bits (or qubits) in a way that can be mapped to certain quantum many-body problems. As it becomes possible to exert more control over larger numbers of qubits, such simulators will be able to tackle a wider range of problems, such as materials design and molecular modelling, with the ultimate limit being a universal quantum computer that can solve general classes of hard problems. Here we use a quantum simulator composed of up to 53 qubits to study non-equilibrium dynamics in the transverse-field Ising model with long-range interactions. We observe a dynamical phase transition after a sudden change of the Hamiltonian, in a regime in which conventional statistical mechanics does not apply. The qubits are represented by the spins of trapped ions, which can be prepared in various initial pure states. We apply a global long-range Ising interaction with controllable strength and range, and measure each individual qubit with an efficiency of nearly 99 per cent. Such high efficiency means that arbitrary many-body correlations between qubits can be measured in a single shot, enabling the dynamical phase transition to be probed directly and revealing computationally intractable features that rely on the long-range interactions and high connectivity between qubits.

The impact of propranolol on apoptosis in cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas.

OBJECTIVES: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a common cancer in Caucasian populations. Treatments registered for high-risk cSCC are still undetermined. Experimental data have demonstrated possibly useful effects of a combined application of beta­blockers in cancer therapy. The goal of this study was to examine the efficacy of propranolol in the treatment of cSCC and its impact on apoptosis. Thus, we aimed to investigate the apoptotic pathway protein levels and activity in beta­blocker­treated cSCC cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed on human cSCC cancer cell line culture. One of the cSCC cell lines was treated with propranolol, whereas no treatment was given to the other group. Then, the levels of apoptotic pathway proteins were determined by ELISA test in both groups. RESULTS: The propranolol treatment group exhibited a remarkable difference as compared with the other group. It was found that propranolol treatment enhanced the activity of caspase-3 while the expression of bax, wee1, gadd153, grp78 and AIF decreased bcl-2 which is antiapoptotic protein in cSCC cell lines. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that propranolol treatment has anti-cancer properties with an effect on various apoptotic pathways in cSCC. These data are important because propronalol may be involved in future cSCC treatment (Tab. 1, Fig. 3, Ref. 22).

Is there a correlation between obstructive sleep-apnea syndrome severity and prolidase activity as an oxidative stress marker?

OBJECTIVE: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a highly prevalent breathing disorder in sleep. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between OSAS and prolidase activity, the oxidative stress index (OSI), total antioxidative capacity (TAC), total oxidative capacity (TOC) and the carotid intima media thickness (CIMT). METHOD: : After night polysomnography, 74 people were diagnosed with OSAS and simple snoring. Plasma prolidase activities, TAC and TOC were measured in blood samples taken in the morning after the sleep study. The patients' bilateral common carotid arteries were scanned. RESULTS: In total, 56 patients were in OSAS group [13 subjects 23.2% mild, 19 subjects 33.9% moderate, 24 subjects 42.8% severe] and 18 in simple snoring control group. The mean Prolidase, TOC, TAC and OSI levels were 744.7 ± 156.8, 59.2 ± 19.2, 2.12 ± 0.41, 3.12 ± 1.03, in the mild OSAS group, 761.6 ± 114.4, 57.9 ± 18.3, 2.03 ± 0.37, 3.15 ± 0.8, in the moderate OSAS group, 754.08 ± 133.9, 51.15 ± 12.1, 1.97 ± 0.27, 2.8 ± 0.82, in the severe OSAS group, and 711.9 ± 139, 52.3 ± 15.1, 1.83 ± 0.32, 3.06 ± 0.92 in the control group, respectively. Mean CIMT measurements were 0.71(±0,13) in the OSAS group and 0.76(±0.07) in the control group. CONCLUSION: There was no difference between the control and OSAS groups in terms of the parameters studied. Further studies should be undertaken in order to clarify the relation.

Non-thermalization in trapped atomic ion spin chains.

Linear arrays of trapped and laser-cooled atomic ions are a versatile platform for studying strongly interacting many-body quantum systems. Effective spins are encoded in long-lived electronic levels of each ion and made to interact through laser-mediated optical dipole forces. The advantages of experiments with cold trapped ions, including high spatio-temporal resolution, decoupling from the external environment and control over the system Hamiltonian, are used to measure quantum effects not always accessible in natural condensed matter samples. In this review, we highlight recent work using trapped ions to explore a variety of non-ergodic phenomena in long-range interacting spin models, effects that are heralded by the memory of out-of-equilibrium initial conditions. We observe long-lived memory in static magnetizations for quenched many-body localization and prethermalization, while memory is preserved in the periodic oscillations of a driven discrete time crystal state.This article is part of the themed issue 'Breakdown of ergodicity in quantum systems: from solids to synthetic matter'.

[Dental care to military dogs].

Oketz is a military special unit that operates different dog species for various missions. The dogs get routine medical and dental treatments in order to maintain their health and function. The dental treatment is based on the principles of contemporary dentistry for small animals. Furthermore, these working dogs need special care due to higher risk to trauma and attrition. The dogs go through routine dental examination and prophylactic dental cleaning. Each dental procedure is performed under general anesthesia; therefore it is well planned ahead including all the pre-operative workup needed. The article presents the current concepts of dental treatment of dogs especially in respect to their activity.

Associations between early alcohol and tobacco use and prolonged time to puberty in boys.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has demonstrated a relationship between prepubertal alcohol and tobacco use and delayed pubertal characteristics in girls. Although, laboratory research indicates that alcohol and tobacco use inhibits sexual maturation in male rats, human research in this area is lacking. To address this question among boys, we conducted a study to explore the association between early use of alcohol and tobacco and time to development of secondary sexual characteristics. METHODS: The study population included 3199 boys interviewed between the ages of 11 and 21. Participants reported the ages at which they first experienced body hair growth, deepening of the voice and facial hair growth. Early alcohol and tobacco use were defined as first use preceding the age of pubertal development among those reporting regular consumption patterns. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Early alcohol use was associated with longer time to body hair growth (HR 0.77; 95% CI 0.69-0.87), voice changes (HR 0.72; 95% CI 0.64-0.82) and facial hair growth (HR 0.77; 95% CI 0.68-0.86), after adjusting for tobacco use and age at interview. Tobacco use was not independently associated with the puberty indicators after controlling for alcohol use and age at interview. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that alcohol may inhibit puberty onset in boys, an association that has been previously observed among young girls. Thus, alcohol may be an exposure deserving more scrutiny as a disruptor to normal pubertal development.

Alpha-linolenic acid protects against methotrexate-induced nephrotoxicity in mouse kidney cells.

OBJECTIVE: Methotrexate (MTX) is a folic acid antagonist used in chronic inflammatory diseases and various cancer treatments. Although the main mechanism of the toxic effect of MTX is not known, it is stated that it causes oxidative stress and inflammation. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) protects against oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation. For this reason, we aimed to find out the useful effect of ALA on MTX-induced nephrotoxicity MATERIALS AND METHODS: The mice were divided into 4 groups randomly. The control group was treated with physiological saline solution; the ALA group was treated with ALA (200 mg/kg) by gavage; MTX-treated group received 20 mg/kg i.p. (intraperitoneal) MTX; and MTX+ALA treated group received 20 mg/kg i.p. MTX and ALA 200 mg/kg by gavage. All of the drugs were performed once a day for 9 days. RESULTS: Alpha-linolenic acid significantly decreased oxidative stress parameters and MTX-induced inflammatory and apoptotic mediators. Furthermore, histopathological examination showed that MTX induced significant edematous damage, and ALA treatment attenuated this damage in renal tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed that ALA may be helpful against MTX-induced nephrotoxicity in mice via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Spacecraft sample collection and subsurface excavation of asteroid (101955) Bennu.

Carbonaceous asteroids, such as (101955) Bennu, preserve material from the early Solar System, including volatile compounds and organic molecules. We report spacecraft imaging and spectral data collected during and after retrieval of a sample from Bennu's surface. The sampling event mobilized rocks and dust into a debris plume, excavating a 9-meter-long elliptical crater. This exposed material is darker, spectrally redder, and more abundant in fine particulates than the original surface. The bulk density of the displaced subsurface material was 500 to 700 kilograms per cubic meter, which is about half that of the whole asteroid. Particulates that landed on instrument optics spectrally resemble aqueously altered carbonaceous meteorites. The spacecraft stored 250 ± 101 grams of material, which will be delivered to Earth in 2023.

Fas ligand (CD95 ligand) controls angiogenesis beneath the retina.

A principal cause of blindness is subretinal neovascularization associated with age-related macular degeneration. Excised neovascular membranes from patients with age-related macular degeneration demonstrated a pattern of Fas+ new vessels in the center of the vascular complex, surrounded by FasL+ retinal pigment epithelial cells. In a murine model, Fas (CD95)-deficient (Ipr) and FasL-defective (gld) mice had a significantly increased incidence of neovascularization compared with normal mice. Furthermore, in gld mice there is massive subretinal neovascularization with uncontrolled growth of vessels. We found that cultured choroidal endothelial cells were induced to undergo apoptosis by retinal pigment epithelial cells through a Fas-FasL interaction. In addition, antibody against Fas prevented vascular tube formation of choroidal endothelial cells derived from the eye in a three-dimensional in vitro assay. Thus, FasL expressed on retinal pigment epithelial cells may control the growth and development of new subretinal vessels that can damage vision.

Cellular basis of graft versus host tolerance in chimeras prepared with total lymphoid irradiation.

BALB/c mice given allogeneic (C57BL/Ka) bone marrow cells after toal lymphoid irradiation become stable chimeras approximately 80% donor-type and 20% host-type cells in the spleen. The chimeras doe not develop graft vs. host disease (GVHD). Purified cells of C57BL/Ka origin from the chimeras mediated GVHD in lightly irradiated C3H (third party), but not in BALB/c (host-strain) mice. Thus graft vs. host tolerance in the chimeras could not be explained by complete immunodeficiency of donor-type cells, serum blocking factors, or suppressor cells of host (BALB/c) origin. Clonal deletion or suppression of lymphocytes reactive with host tissues remain possible explanations. The transfer of donor-type chimeric spleen cells to BALB/c recipients given 500-550 rad whole-body irradiation WBI led to stable mixed chimerism in approximately 50% of recipients. The cells were presumably acting as tolerogens because similarly irradiated BALB/c mice given (BALB/c X C57BL/Ka)F1 spleen or bone marrow cells also became stable mixed chimeras.

Induction of specific tissue transplantation tolerance using fractionated total lymphoid irradiation in adult mice: long-term survival of allogeneic bone marrow and skin grafts.

BALB/c mice were treated with fractionated high dose (3,400 rads) total lymphoid irradiation (TLI), and given semiallogeneic (BALB/c x C57BL/Ka) or allogeneic (C57BL/Ka) bone marrow and/or skin allografts. TLI alone prolonged the mean survival time (m.s.t.) of C57BL/Ka skin grafts to 49.1 days (control, 10.7 days). Shielding of the thymus during TLI produced only a slight increase in graft survival (m.s.t., 19 days). TLI combined with splenectomy was no more effective than TLI alone. Infusion of 10(7) semiallogeneic or allogeneic bone marrow cells after TLI produced stable chimeras in 7/8 and 8/15 recipients, respectively. Chimeras were specifically tolerant to donor tissues, since C57BL/Ka skin grafts were accepted for more than 250 days, but third-party (C3H/He) skin grafts were rejected rapidly. In addition, chimeric lymphocytes responded to C3H/He and C3H. Q but not to C57BL/Ka cells in the one-way mixed leukocyte reactions. BALB/c C57BL/Ka chimeras showed no clinical evidence of graft vs. host disease. These findings may have application of clinical organ transplantation, since (a) the recipient treatment (TLI) has already been shown to be safe in humans, (b) donors and recipients can be completely allogeneic, and (c) bone marrow and skin graft survival was permanent (greater than 250 days).

Transplantation of allogeneic bone marrow without graft-versus-host disease using total lymphoid irradiation.

Bone marrow (BM) and skin allografts from C57BL/Ka (H-2b/b) mice were transplanted to BALB/c (H-2d/d) recipients treated with total lymphoid irradiation (TLI), whole-body irradiation (WBI), or fractionated thymic irradiation TLI prolonged skin allograft survival about five times as long as that in untreated controls, and allowed for permanent engraftment of BM cells in approximately equal to 90% of recipients. None of the BM recipients showed clinical signs of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (diarrhea, weight loss, hunched back, etc.). On the other hand, recipients given WBI and allogeneic BM cells developed severe clinical GVHD. The majority of the latter recipients died within 12 days after BM transplantation, and 95% died within 61 days. Although TLI protected BALB/c mice against GVHD induced by BM cells, all recipients given TLI and allogeneic spleen cells developed lethal GVHD. Thymic irradiation alone marginally prolonged skin allograft survival, and did not allow for allogeneic BM engraftment. These results suggest that TLI may be a useful regimen in clinical BM transplantation, since this form of radiotherapy is used extensively in humans and has few severe side effects.

T-cell lymphoma induction by radiation leukemia virus in athymic nude mice.

We report the development of extrathymic lymphoblastic lymphomas in RadLV-inoculated congenitally athymic nude mice. Thus, a leukemogenic virus which appears to require the presence of a thymus for its replication in normothymic mice can infect and transform target cells in the absence of this organ in the athymic host. The cells of one of these lymphomas have been established in vitro as a permanent cell line, BALB/Nu1. This cell line as well as a lymphoma induced in NIH/Swiss nude mice exhibit several T-cell markers, including terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase activity, Thy-1.2, and Ly-2.2, but not Ly-1.2 nor TL. Ig determinants were not detected. The characteristics of the tumor cells support the view that cells with T-cell markers may normally exist in nude mice and undergo neoplastic transformation and clonal expansion after infection with a leukemogenic virus. The alternative possibility that virus-induced differentiation of prothymocytes may lead to the expression of Thy-1.2 and Ly-2.2 antigens is also considered. BALB/Nu1 cells release large numbers of type C viral particles. The virus, designated radiation leukemia virus (RadLV)/Nu1, has RTase activity and the protein profile characteristic of murine leukemia virus (MuLV). In radioimmunoassays, it cross-reacts completely with RadLV/VL3, a virus obtained from RadLV-induced C57BL/Ka thymic lymphoma cells in culture, and slightly with a xenotropic virus (BALB:virus-2) and with AKR MuLV. On inoculation into C57BL/Ka mice it has thymotropic and leukemogenic activity. In vitro it is B-tropic, poorly fibrotropic, and has limited xenotropic activity. Thus, RadLV/Nu1 appears to be biologically and serologically similar or identical to its parent virus, RadLV.

Transplantation tolerance in adult rats using total lymphoid irradiation: permanent survival of skin, heart, and marrow allografts.

Lewis rats given total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) accepted bone marrow allografts from AgB-incompatible donors. The chimeras showed no clinical signs of graft-versus-host disease. Skin allografts from the marrow donor strain survived for more than 150 days on the chimeras. However, third-party skin grafts were rejected promptly. Although heart allografts survived more than 300 days in Lewis recipients given TLI and bone marrow allografts, detectable levels of chimerism were not required for permanent survival.

Studies on the immune response to a characterized antigenic determinant of the tobacco mosaic virus protein.

THE FOLLOWING PEPTIDES HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN SHOWN TO BIND SPECIFICALLY WITH ANTIBODIES TO TMVP: (a) An eicosapeptide representing residues 93-112 of TMVP and having the sequence Ileu-Ileu-Glu-Val-Glu-AspNH(2)-GluNH(2)-Ala-AspNH(2)-Pro-Thr-Thr-Ala-Glu-Thr-Leu-Asp-Ala-Thr-Arg. (b) Its C-terminal decapeptide. (c) Its C-terminal pentapeptide. (d) N-octanoyl-C-terminal-tripeptide. (e) (Lys)(4)-C-terminal-pentapeptide. (f) (Lys)(7) C-terminal-pentapeptide. The present communication deals with the investigation of several parameters of the immunological activity of the peptides. The results show that none of the peptides tested were immunogenic in guinea pigs, nor did they stimulate the incorporation of (14)C-thymidine by spleen cells derived from TMVP-primed animals. Results also showed that all of the peptides tested could elicit specific delayed and immediate skin reactions in TMVP-sensitized guinea pigs, and furthermore, that the peptides could specifically inhibit the migration of peritoneal exudate cells derived from these animals. The elicitation of delayed skin reactions and the ability to inhibit migration of peritoneal exudate cells were independent of carrier specificity.

Thromboxane generation by human peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

Human peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes were stimulated to generate thromboxane B2 in a time- and concentration-dependent fashion upon exposure to serum-treated zymosan particles. Conversion by stimulated PMN of [14C] arachidonic acid to [14C]thromboxane B2 was confirmed by thin-layer radiochromatography, radio-gas chromatography, and mass spectrometry. Generation of thromboxane B2 was independent of platelet contamination and could be inhibited by the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin. Cells rendered incapable of ingesting particles by treatment with cytochalasin B generated comparable amounts of thromboxane B2. These results suggest that human peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes synthesize thromboxanes in response to surface stimulation independently of phagocytosis.

Process of care events in transplantation: effects on the cost of hospitalization.

Deviations in the processes of healthcare delivery that affect patient outcomes are recognized to have an impact on the cost of hospitalization. Whether deviations that do not affect patient outcome affects cost has not been studied. We have analyzed process of care (POC) events that were reported in a large transplantation service (n = 3,012) in 2005, delineating whether or not there was a health consequence of the event and assessing the impact on hospital resource utilization. Propensity score matching was used to adjust for patient differences. The rate of POC events varied by transplanted organ: from 10.8 per 1000 patient days (kidney) to 17.3 (liver). The probability of a POC event increased with severity of illness. The majority (81.5%) of the POC events had no apparent effect on patients' health (63.6% no effect and 17.9% unknown). POC events were associated with longer length of stay (LOS) and higher costs independent of whether there was a patient health impact. Multiple events during the same hospitalization were associated with the highest impact on LOS and cost. POC events in transplantation occur frequently, more often in sicker patients and, although the majority of POC events do not harm the patient, their effect on resource utilization is significant.

Deep learning analysis provides accurate COVID-19 diagnosis on chest computed tomography.

INTRODUCTION: Computed Tomography is an essential diagnostic tool in the management of COVID-19. Considering the large amount of examinations in high case-load scenarios, an automated tool could facilitate and save critical time in the diagnosis and risk stratification of the disease. METHODS: A novel deep learning derived machine learning (ML) classifier was developed using a simplified programming approach and an open source dataset consisting of 6868 chest CT images from 418 patients which was split into training and validation subsets. The diagnostic performance was then evaluated and compared to experienced radiologists on an independent testing dataset. Diagnostic performance metrics were calculated using Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis. Operating points with high positive (>10) and low negative (<0.01) likelihood ratios to stratify the risk of COVID-19 being present were identified and validated. RESULTS: The model achieved an overall accuracy of 0.956 (AUC) on an independent testing dataset of 90 patients. Both rule-in and rule out thresholds were identified and tested. At the rule-in operating point, sensitivity and specificity were 84.4 % and 93.3 % and did not differ from both radiologists (p > 0.05). At the rule-out threshold, sensitivity (100 %) and specificity (60 %) differed significantly from the radiologists (p < 0.05). Likelihood ratios and a Fagan nomogram provide prevalence independent test performance estimates. CONCLUSION: Accurate diagnosis of COVID-19 using a basic deep learning approach is feasible using open-source CT image data. In addition, the machine learning classifier provided validated rule-in and rule-out criteria could be used to stratify the risk of COVID-19 being present.

Bright carbonate veins on asteroid (101955) Bennu: Implications for aqueous alteration history.

The composition of asteroids and their connection to meteorites provide insight into geologic processes that occurred in the early Solar System. We present spectra of the Nightingale crater region on near-Earth asteroid Bennu with a distinct infrared absorption around 3.4 micrometers. Corresponding images of boulders show centimeters-thick, roughly meter-long bright veins. We interpret the veins as being composed of carbonates, similar to those found in aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. If the veins on Bennu are carbonates, fluid flow and hydrothermal deposition on Bennu's parent body would have occurred on kilometer scales for thousands to millions of years. This suggests large-scale, open-system hydrothermal alteration of carbonaceous asteroids in the early Solar System.