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The pitch-angle distribution of electron intensities is an essential piece of information in order to understand the transport processes undergone by the particles in their journey from their acceleration sites to the spacecraft and, to infer properties of the particle sources such as their intensity and duration.In a previous work, we modelled fifteen solar relativistic electron events observed at different heliocentric radial distances by the Helios spacecraft (Pacheco et al. 2019). We used a Monte-Carlo transport model and an inversion procedure to fit the in-situ observations, and inferred both the electron mean free path in the interplanetary space and the injection histories of the electrons at two solar radii from the Sun. We applied a full inversion procedure, that is, we considered both the angular and the energetic responses of the Helios/E6 particle experiment in the modelling of the electron events. By using the same methodology as previously employed for ACE/EPAM, STEREO/SEPT and Helios/E6 instruments, we have modelled the angular response of the Electron Proton Telescope (EPT) of the Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) on board Solar Orbiter. Here, we present the study of the modelled angular response and its application to several of the solar energetic particle (SEP) events previously modelled as if Solar Orbiter were located at the Helios position. We compare the pitch-angle distributions measured by Solar Orbiter and Helios at different phases of the intensity-time profile of the SEP events, that is, near the particle onset, peak and on the decay of the event, and for different interplanetary magnetic field orientations provided by the Helios measurements. We found that despite Helios were spinning spacecraft which gathered electron information from eight angular sectors, the four Solar Orbiter/EPD/EPT fields of view will often offer similar angular coverage. We also found that, under specific circumstances, EPT can obtain better pitch angle distribution information than Helios, specifically when the interplanetary magnetic field points away from the ecliptic.We expect, then, that Solar Orbiter will provide us with numerous and valuable observations that will permit us to untangle the transport effects that electrons, protons and ions suffer in their journey through interplanetary space.

BackgroundRegulatory CD4 T cells (Tregs) in the mice gut are mainly specific for intestinal antigens and play an important role in the suppression of immune responses against harmless dietary antigens and members of the microbiota. However, information about the phenotype and function of Tregs in the human gut is limited.ObjectiveHere, we performed a detailed characterization of Foxp3+ CD4 Tregs in the human small intestine.MethodsTregs and conventional CD4 T cells derived from normal intestine as well as from transplanted duodenum and celiac disease lesions were subjected to extensive immunophenotyping and their suppressive activity and ability to produce cytokines were assessed.ResultsSmall intestinal Foxp3+ CD4 T cells were CD45RA- CD127- CTLA4+ and suppressed proliferation of autologous T cells. Approximately 60% of the Tregs expressed the transcription factor Helios. When stimulated, Helios- Tregs produced IL-17, IFN-γ and IL-10, whereas Helios+ Tregs produced very low levels of these cytokines. By sampling mucosal tissue from transplanted human duodenum we demonstrated that donor Helios+ Tregs have a short life span whereas Helios- Tregs persisted for at least 1 year post-transplantation. In normal small intestine, Foxp3+ Tregs constituted only 2% of all CD4 T cells, while in active celiac disease both subsets expanded 5-10-fold.ConclusionThe small intestine contains two subsets of Tregs with different functional capacities and very different life span. Both subsets are scarce in the normal situation but increase dramatically in a chronic inflammatory setting.

International audience; We discuss the solar wind electron temperatures T-e as measured in the nascent solar wind by Parker Solar Probe during its first perihelion pass. The measurements have been obtained by fitting the high-frequency part of quasithermal noise spectra recorded by the Radio Frequency Spectrometer. In addition we compare these measurements with those obtained by the electrostatic analyzer discussed in Halekas et al. These first electron observations show an anticorrelation between T-e and the wind bulk speed V: this anticorrelation is most likely the remnant of the wellknown mapping observed at 1 au and beyond between the fast wind and its coronal hole sources, where electrons are observed to be cooler than in the quiet corona. We also revisit Helios electron temperature measurements and show, for the first time, that an in situ (T-e, V) anticorrelation is well observed at 0.3 au but disappears as the wind expands, evolves, and mixes with different electron temperature gradients for different wind speeds.

CD4 Tregs are involved in the regulation of various autoimmune diseases, but believed to be highly heterogeneous. Studies have indicated that Helios controls a distinct subset of functional Tregs. However, the immunological changes in circulating Helios+ and Helios- Tregs and contributing factors for these two Treg subsets are not fully understood in type 1 diabetes (T1D). Here, we elucidated the differences in maturation status and immune regulatory phenotypes of Helios+ and Helios- Tregs and their correlations with monocyte subsets in T1D individuals. As CD25-/low Foxp3+ Tregs also represent a subset of functional Tregs, we defined Tregs as Foxp3+CD127-/low and examined circulating Helios+ and Helios- Treg subpopulations in 68 islet-specific autoantibody-positive T1D individuals and 68 age-matched autoantibody-negative healthy controls. We found that Foxp3 and CTLA4 expression diminished in Helios- Tregs, while the proportion of CD25-/low Tregs increased in Helios+ Tregs of T1D individuals. Although the frequencies of neither Helios+ nor Helios- Tregs were affected by T1D genetic risk loci, Helios+ Tregs correlated with age at T1D diagnosis negatively and disease duration positively. Moreover, for Helios+ Tregs identified by CD45RA/CCR7 expression, the negative correlation between central and effector memory proportions in healthy controls disrupted in T1D individuals. Finally, regulatory non-classical and intermediate monocytes also decreased in T1D individuals, and positive correlations between regulatory monocytes and Helios+/Helios- Treg subsets in healthy controls disappeared in T1D individuals. These findings shed new light on the immunological changes on Helios+ and Helios- Treg subsets and their correlations with other regulatory immune cells underlying T1D, which may help stratify patients for clinical trials and for monitoring immunotherapy outcomes. Funding Statement: This study was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81670715), Jiangsu Province Youth Medical Talents Project (QNRC2016584), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK2012486), Jiangsu Government Scholarship for Overseas Studies (JS-2013-260), and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD). Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that there is no duality of interest associated with this manuscript. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and conducted according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Background: Loss of immune homeostasis to enteric pathogens is considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC), and regulatory T cells (Tregs) are key for this immune homeostasis. Helios exhibits an important effect on regulating the suppressive function of Tregs. Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is more commonly detected in UC. However, whether there is an association between EBV infection and Helios+Tregs and its impact on disease activity of UC remain unclear. We aimed to explore the clinical significance of Helios+Tregs and their potential association with EBV infection in UC. Methods: Seventy-six UC patients and 38 controls were consecutively enrolled. Helios+FoxP3+Tregs were analyzed using flow cytometry and compared among groups. Eight active UC patients treated with 5-aminosalicylic acid were followed up. Correlation analyses were conducted between Helios+FoxP3+Tregs and disease activity indicators. In addition, EBV viral loads in the mucosal lesion were quantified in active UC by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and were comprehensively analyzed in subgroups of different disease severity, and their associations with Helios+FoxP3+Tregs were also analyzed. Results: Helios+FoxP3+Tregs were significantly decreased in active UC and were inversely correlated with serum C-reactive protein and Mayo score. Moreover, we observed the recovery of Helios+FoxP3+Tregs in followed-up active UC achieving remission after treatment. EBV loads were higher in active UC, and levels of Helios+FoxP3+Tregs in the EBV-positive subgroup were lower than the EBV-negative subgroup in moderate and severe active patients. Most importantly, we found that Helios+FoxP3+Tregs were significantly negatively correlated with EBV viral loads. Conclusion: Helios+FoxP3+Tregs are likely to play a pivotal role in disease activity of UC and may be influenced by EBV infection.

Currently, molecular, electrophysiological and structural studies delineate several neural subtypes in the hippocampus. However, the precise developmental mechanisms that lead to this diversity are still unknown. Here we show that alterations in a concrete hippocampal neuronal subpopulation during development specifically affect hippocampal-dependent spatial memory. We observed that the genetic deletion of the transcription factor Helios in mice, which is specifically expressed in developing hippocampal calbindin-positive CA1 pyramidal neurons (CB-CA1-PNs), induces adult alterations affecting spatial memory. In the same mice, CA3-CA1 synaptic plasticity and spine density and morphology in adult CB-CA1-PNs were severely compromised. RNAseq experiments in developing hippocampus identified an aberrant increase on the Visinin-like protein 1 (VSNL1) expression in the hippocampi devoid of Helios. This aberrant increase on VSNL1 levels was localized in the CB-CA1-PNs. Normalization of VSNL1 levels in CB-CA1-PNs devoid of Helios rescued their spine loss in vitro. Our study identifies a novel and specific developmental molecular pathway involved in the maturation and function of a CA1 pyramidal neuronal subtype., This study was supported by grants from the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (SAF 2014-57160-R to JA; BFU2017-88393-P, to EDM; SAF2016-76340R to ES; and SAF2015-66505-R to J.M.C;), Spain; Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) [CIBERNED, to JA and ES; Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (PI11/00704) to MP; and RETICS (RD16/0011/0011 to JCS; RD16/0011/0012 to JMC, Red de Terapia Celular), to JMC], Spain; Generalitat de Catalunya (2017SGR-1095 to JA, and 2017SGR-1408 to JMC), Spain; and ADVANCE(CAT) with the support of ACCIÓ (Catalonia Trade & Investment; Generalitat de Catalunya), the European Community under the Catalonian ERDF operational program 2014–2020], Spain and from Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (RTI2018-094678-A-I00 to AG; RTI2018-099001-B-I00 to JMC). AG is a Ramón y Cajal fellow (RYC-2016-19466).

Анотація. Зміна кліматичних умов зони Степу України, часте розміщення ячменю ярого після попередника соняшника та багато інших причин зумовили необхідність удосконалити систему основного обробітку ґрунту під ячмінь ярий для її мінімізації із урахуванням технологій вирощування сільськогосподарських культур. Питання основного обробітку ґрунту під ячмінь ярий після соняшнику, який наразі дуже часто є його попередником, практично не було досліджене. У зв’язку з цим на основі комплексних експериментальних досліджень вивчалася дія різних видів основного обробітку ґрунту та їх вплив на врожайність ячменю ярого в умовах Луганської області. Метою досліджень було визначення кращих способів основного обробітку ґрунту під ячмінь ярий із загальнофоновим залишенням післяжнивних решток усіх польових культур, внесення мінеральних добрив і вплив даних факторів на врожайність ячменю ярого в умовах Луганської області. У досліді висівали ячмінь ярий – Адапт, Сталкер, Геліос, Вакула. У результаті проведених досліджень найкращі показники мали при безполицевому обробітку ґрунту з використанням сучасних агрегатів та з сумісним застосування Аміачної селітри та Діамонію фосфату, по всіх біометричних показниках культури, що вивчалася, оскільки такий обробіток ґрунту не тільки добре розпушив його, але й краще забезпечив накопичення та збереження вологи, що в подальшому вплинуло на врожайність рослин ячменю ярого в зоні недостатнього зволоження. Найвищі показники мали сорти Сталкер і Геліос при сумісному застосуванні Аміачної селітри, Діамонію фосфату та безполицевій обробці ґрунту на рівні 47,5 ц/га та 58,8 ц/га відповідно. Полицевий обробіток ґрунту дав менший результат за такої системи удобрення. Найменші показники мали на варіанті дискування у всіх зразках, що вивчалися., Аннотация. Изменение климатических условий зоны Степи Украины, частое размещение ячменя ярового после предшественника подсолнечника и многие другие причины обусловили необходимость усовершенствовать систему основной обработки почвы под ячмень для ее минимизации с учетом технологий выращивания сельскохозяйственных культур. Вопрос основной обработки почвы под ячмень яровой после подсолнечника, который сейчас очень часто является его предшественником, практически не было исследовано. В связи с этим на основе комплексных экспериментальных исследований изучалось воздействие различных видов основной обработки почвы и их влияние на урожайность ячменя ярового в условиях Луганской области. Целью исследований было определение лучших способов основной обработки почвы под ячмень с загальнофоновим оставлением пожнивных остатков всех полевых культур, внесение минеральных удобрений и влияние данных факторов на урожайность ячменя ярового в условиях Луганской области. В опыте высевали ячмень – Адапт, Сталкер, Гелиос, Вакула. В результате проведенных исследований лучшие показатели имели при безотвальной обработки почвы с использованием современных агрегатов и совместимыми применениями аммиачной селитры и диаммония фосфата, по всех биометрических показателях культуры, что изучалась, поскольку такой обработкой почвы не только хорошо разрыхлили, но и лучше обеспечили накопление и сохранение влаги, что в дальнейшем повлияло на урожайность растений ячменя ярового в зоне недостаточного увлажнения. Самые высокие показатели имели сорта Сталкер и Гелиос при совместном применении аммиачной селитры, диаммония фосфата и безотвальной обработке почвы на уровне 47,5 ц / га и 58,8 ц / га соответственно. Полицевая обработка почвы дала меньший результат при такой системе удобрения. Наименьшие показатели имели на варианте дискование во всех образцах, что изучались., Changes in the climate conditions of the steppe zone of Ukraine, frequent placement of spring barley after the sunflower predecessor and many other reasons, cause the necessity to improve the system of basic tillage for spring barley in the direction of its minimization taking into account the technologies of growing crops. The issue of basic tillage for spring barley after sunflower, which is fairly common predecessor today, has not been studied yet. In this case, based on the complex experimental studies the effect of different types of basic tillage and their impact on the yield of spring barley in the Luhansk region has been studied. The aim of the research was to determine the best methods of basic tillage for spring barley with general background post-harvest residues of all field crops, application of mineral fertilizers and the influence of these factors on the yield of spring barley in Luhansk region. The following types of spring barley were sown during the experiment – Adapt, Stalker, Helios, Vakula. As a result of the conducted researches the best indicators were obtained at non-shelf tillage with the usage of modern aggregates and with joint application of Ammonium nitrate and Diammonium phosphate, at all biometric indicators of the studied culture. Since such tillage has not only loosened it well, but also ensured better accumulation and retention of moisture, which further affected the yield of spring barley plants in the area of insufficient moisture. Such strains as Stalker and Helios had the highest rates with the combined use of Ammonium Nitrate and Diammonium Phosphate in shelfless tillage at the level of 47,5 c/ha and 58,8 c/ha accordingly. Shelf tillage gave less results with such a fertilizer system. The lowest indicators were in the variant of disking in all studied samples.

Topographic laser scanning is a remote sensing method to create detailed 3D point cloud representations of the Earth's surface. Since data acquisition is expensive, simulations can complement real data given certain premises are met: (i) models of 3D scene and scanner are available and (ii) modelling of the beam-scene interaction is simplified to a computationally feasible while physically realistic level. A number of laser scanning simulators for different purposes exist, which we enrich by presenting HELIOS++. HELIOS++ is an open-source simulation framework for terrestrial static, mobile, UAV-based and airborne laser scanning implemented in C++. The HELIOS++ concept provides a flexible solution for the trade-off between physical accuracy (realism) and computational complexity (runtime, memory footprint), as well as ease of use and of configuration. Features of HELIOS++ include the availability of Python bindings ( pyhelios ) for controlling simulations, and a range of model types for 3D scene representation. Such model types include meshes, digital terrain models, point clouds and partially transmissive voxels, which are especially useful in laser scanning simulations of vegetation. In a scene, object models of different types can be combined, so that representations spanning multiple spatial scales in different resolutions and levels of detail are possible. HELIOS++ follows a modular design, where the core components of platform, scene, and scanner can be individually interchanged, and easily configured. HELIOS++ further allows the simulation of beam divergence using a subsampling strategy, and is able to create full-waveform outputs as a basis for detailed analysis. We show how HELIOS++ positions among other VLS software in terms of input model support and simulation of beam divergence in a literature survey. We also perform a direct comparison of simulations with DART, where we employ a scene from the Radiative Transfer Model Intercomparison (RAMI). This example shows that HELIOS++ takes about 10 times longer than DART for parsing and preparing the 3D scene, but performs about 314,000 times faster in the beam simulation, achieving 200,000 rays/s. Comparing HELIOS++ to its predecessor, HELIOS, revealed reduced runtimes by up to 99%. Virtually scanned point clouds may be used for a broad range of applications as shown in literature. We could identify four main categories of use cases prevailing at present, which benefit from simulated LiDAR point clouds: data acquisition planning, method evaluation, method training and sensing experimentation. We conclude that a general-purpose LiDAR simulator can be employed for many different scientific applications, as long as it is ensured that the simulation adequately represents reality, which is specific to the given research question.

To determine appropriate treatment doses of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP), the Canady Helios Cold Plasma Scalpel was tested across numerous cancer cell types including renal adenocarcinoma, colorectal carcinoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, ovarian adenocarcinoma, and esophageal adenocarcinoma. Various CAP doses were tested consisting of both high (3 L/min) and low (1 L/min) helium flow rates, several power settings, and a range of treatment times up to 5 min. The impact of cold plasma on the reduction of viability was consistently dose-dependent, however, the anti-cancer capability varied significantly between cell lines. While the lowest effective dose varied from cell line to cell line, in each case an 80–99% reduction in viability was achievable 48 h after CAP treatment. Therefore, it is critical to select the appropriate CAP dose necessary for treating a specific cancer cell type.

CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells express the transcription factor FOXP3 and play an essential role in preventing autoimmunity. Abundant Treg cell accumulation in tumors and tumor draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) has been reported to correlate with both poor and favorable prognosis in various cancers, which suggests that Tregs may have multiple effects on antitumor immunity. However, the heterogeneity of tumor- and TDLN-infiltrating Treg cells remains unclear. Here we provide heterogeneity analysis of tumor infiltrating human CD4+ Treg cells and their matched adjacent tissues and TDLNs. We defined three different subpopulations of tumor- and TDLN-infiltrating Treg cells by Helios and CCR8 expression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and confirmed their functional heterogeneity. Helios+ CCR8+ Treg cells with potent suppressor function and limited IL-2 and IFN-γ secretion were identified in tumors and TDLNs. On the contrary, Helios− CCR8− Treg cells have impaired suppressive activity, and elevated expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. More advanced grades of PDAC have predominantly Helios+ CCR8+ Treg cells and few Helios− CCR8− Treg cells both in tumors and TDLNs that suggests poor prognosis. These data could help further define the role of Treg cells and their functional role in tumors and TDLNs.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder in which immunological imbalance has been suggested to be a major etiological component. Helios, a transcription factor, has been studied extensively in the context of human T cell regulation in health and disease, yet the role of Helios signaling has not been examined in children with ASD. In the present study, we investigated the production of Helios in CD4+, CD8+, and TIM-3+, CXCR3+ cells in typically developing (TD) controls and children with ASD and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We assayed the production of IFN-γ+Helios+, IL-21+Helios+, T-bet+Helios+, and Foxp3+Helios+ cells, and determined Helios mRNA and protein expression levels in PBMCs, in TD controls and children with ASD. Our results revealed that children with ASD had lower numbers of CD4+Helios+ CD8+Helios+, TIM-3+Helios+, and CXCR3+Helios+ cells as compared to TD controls. Our results also showed that children with ASD had decreased IFN-γ+Helios+, IL-21+Helios+, T-bet+Helios+, and Helios+Foxp3+ production compared to that in TD controls. Moreover, our results indicated that children with ASD had lower Helios mRNA and protein expression levels compared to those in TD controls. These results suggest that the Helios transcription factor may be critical to immune alterations in children with ASD. Therefore, our results suggest that targeting Helios signaling might offer a strategy for developing ASD therapies.

In this study a brief description of the polynomial interpolation of few-group constants on sparse grids for VVER-1000 reactor is adduced. The calculations about various burnup instances were made for the method. Besides, comparative analysis of the irregularity factor of kv и kq calculation was made with the help of the preparation of constants by using this method while arranging by different software products.

The control of auto-reactive cells is defective in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Regulatory T (Treg) cells which play a key role in the modulation of immune responses have an impaired function in RA. Foxp3 is a master regulator of Treg cells which its expression is under the tight control of epigenetic mechanisms. In the current study, we analyzed the epigenetic modulation of the Foxp3 Treg-specific demethylated region (TSDR) and Helios gene expression to determine Treg cells alteration in RA patients.We have recruited 20 newly diagnosed patients with RA and 41 healthy controls in our study. The measurement of Foxp3 and Helios gene expression was performed by the real-time PCR technique and the methylation level of TSDR was analyzed by bisulfite treatment and quantitative methylation-specific PCR (Q-MSP).We found that RA patients had significantly lower level of Foxp3 gene expression and TSDR demethylation compared to healthy subjects (P 0.001 and P = 0.006, respectively). Inversely, the Helios gene expression was elevated significantly in RA patients group (P = 0.048). We also observed a significant correlation between Foxp3 and Helios gene expression (P = 0.016) as well as a significant correlation between FoxP3 expression and demethylation rate of TSDR (P = 0.010).Our results suggested that both epigenetic modifications and Helios gene expression may have important roles in the pathogenesis of RA through their effects on Foxp3 gene expression.

In this progress report we describe several design improvements that have been implemented at the HELIOS laboratory, as well as presenting the output characteristics that have been measured as a result. The main focus will be on the redesign of the gas cell, which has enhanced the photon flux of the XUV probe beam. Also, a frequency trippler utilizing sum frequency generation has been installed at the end of the pump line, which increases the photon flux available for both 3.1 eV (400 nm) and 4.66 eV (266 nm) applications without significant increment in the pulse width of the pump.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) characterized by the transcription factor forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) are crucial for maintaining immune tolerance and preventing autoimmunity. However, FoxP3 does not function alone and Helios is considered a potential candidate for defining Treg subsets. In this study, we investigated the expression and function of Helios for identifying Tregs in childhood precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pre-B ALL). Our results demonstrated that patients with pre-B ALL had a higher percentage of Helios+ FoxP3+ CD4+ Tregs. And there was a positive correlation between the expression of Helios and the suppressive function of Tregs, the risk gradation of ALL. Helios in combination with CD4 and FoxP3 may be an effective way to detect functional Tregs in pre-B ALL by promoting the secretion of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1. Furthermore, Helios+ Tregs could regulate angiogenesis in the BM niche of pre-B ALL via the VEGFA/VEGFR2 pathway. We also found Helios+ Tregs decreased apoptosis rate of nalm-6 cells by up-regulating the expression of anti-apoptosis protein Bcl-2. In summary, these data strongly imply the physiological importance of Helios expression in Tregs, and suggest that the manipulation of Helios may serve as a novel strategy for cancer immunotherapy.

High-resolution, time-accurate computational fluid dynamics validation of a 9.34 ft, four-blade, Mach-scaled S-76 rotor in hover is performed using the U.S. Department of Defense Computational Rese...

The ability to measure immunomodulatory effects of a vaccine is crucial for novel vaccine design. While traditional animal models have been effective, a better understanding of the response in humans to new vaccines in pre-clinical development is critical for advancement to clinical trials. A translational methodology that can capture the complexity of a vaccine-driven response in a human model, which does not require human exposure, is needed. Here we have designed a platform that uses fresh human whole blood as a key component to study the adaptive immune memory response to vaccine formulations. The response is monitored by high-parameter single cell analysis using mass cytometry (Helios, CyTOF System), allowing for a rapid, in-depth characterization of antigen specific proliferation and expansion of preexisting memory T cells in concert with an innate adjuvant-driven response. In this work we demonstrate the capability of this platform to characterize biologically relevant changes in the cellular response across memory T-cells, B cells, monocytes, and NK cells, at an unprecedented level of detail. This approach that we call Immunocartography has the potential to transform the way new vaccines can be assessed before and throughout clinical development.

I summarize here the recent scientific achievements exploring the causal chain of solar activity. Following the causal chain has led to a novel, comprehensive picture, including system-level regulation of local processes, such as the mass flows in the solar interior. I call attention to some crucial aspects of solar activity and present a series of facts that demand a revision of the old picture, according to which the Sun is a mere “hot ball of gas.” For example, the magnetic changes of solar activity are accelerated more than a billion times faster in comparison to theoretical expectations. The closer aspects of the comprehensive picture show that the mass flows accelerating magnetic changes deviate significantly from their physically prescribed behavior corresponding to the given physical conditions of the solar interior. I argue that they must be orchestrated in a highly sophisticated manner. Another novel aspect that has been found is that the dynamo process is not enough to give an account of the magnetic cycle, since a regulative factor is needed to make the dynamo a machine. I show that the existence of a machine within the Sun introduces novel conceptual issues transcending the conceptual framework of physics. The novel problems have guided my search for the ultimate causes of solar activity toward biology. I present arguments showing the difference between the thermodynamic behavior of far-from-equilibrium open systems and the non-physical behavior of solar activity initiated by biological causes determining and organizing quantum uncertainties. Remarkably, the results fit adequately with the Whiteheadean view of organizational duality and show that the Sun can be regarded as a compound individual.

Lattice physics codes are primarily used to generate cross-section data for nodal codes. In this work the methodology of homogenized constant generation was applied to a small Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) core, using the deterministic code Helios and the Monte Carlo code Serpent. Subsequently, a 3D analysis of the PWR core was performed with the nodal diffusion code PARCS using the two-group cross section data sets generated by Helios and Serpent. Moreover, a full 3D model of the PWR core was developed using Serpent in order to obtain a reference solution. Several parameters, such as keff, axial and radial power, fission and capture rates were compared and found to be in good agreement.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a potential role in operational tolerance in liver transplantation (LT) patients, and microRNAs (miRNAs) are known to be involved in immunological responses and tolerance. Thus, we analyzed the implication of different peripheral blood Treg subsets and miRNAs on LT tolerance in 24 tolerant (Tol) and 23 non-tolerant (non-Tol) LT recipients by cellular, genetic, and epigenetic approximation. Non-Tol patients had a lower demethylation rate of the forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) regulatory T cell-specific demethylated region (TSDR) than Tol patients that correlated with the frequency of circulating Tregs. Tol patients presented a different signature of Treg subset markers compared with non-Tol patients with increased expression of HELIOS and FOXP3 and a higher proportion of latency-associated peptide (LAP)+ Tregs and CD45RA- human leukocyte antigen D related (HLA-DR)+ activated effector-memory Tregs. The expression of miR95, miR24, miR31, miR146a, and miR155 was higher in Tol than in non-Tol patients and was positively correlated with activated Treg markers. In conclusion, these data suggest that activated effector-memory Tregs and a TSDR-demethylation state of Tregs may play a role in the complex system of regulation of LT tolerance. In addition, we describe a set of miRNAs differentially expressed in human LT Tol patients providing suggestive evidence that miRNAs are implied in the preservation of self-tolerance as mediated by Tregs. Liver Transplantation 23 933-945 2017 AASLD.