Tel Aviv University

About: Tel Aviv University is a education organization based out in Tel Aviv, Israel. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Medicine. The organization has 47791 authors who have published 115959 publications receiving 3904391 citations. The organization is also known as: TAU & Universiṭat Tel-Aviv.

International recommendations for the assessment of autoantibodies to cellular antigens referred to as anti-nuclear antibodies

Abstract: Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) are fundamental for the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases, and have been determined by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIFA) for decades. As the demand for ANA testing increased, alternative techniques were developed challenging the classic IIFA. These alternative platforms differ in their antigen profiles, sensitivity and specificity, raising uncertainties regarding standardisation and interpretation of incongruent results. Therefore, an international group of experts has created recommendations for ANA testing by different methods. Two groups of experts participated in this initiative. The European autoimmunity standardization initiative representing 15 European countries and the International Union of Immunologic Societies/World Health Organization/Arthritis Foundation/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention autoantibody standardising committee. A three-step process followed by a Delphi exercise with closed voting was applied. Twenty-five recommendations for determining ANA (1-13), anti-double stranded DNA antibodies (14-18), specific antibodies (19-23) and validation of methods (24-25) were created. Significant differences between experts were observed regarding recommendations 24-25 (p<0.03). Here, we formulated recommendations for the assessment and interpretation of ANA and associated antibodies. Notably, the roles of IIFA as a reference method, and the importance of defining nuclear and cytoplasmic staining, were emphasised, while the need to incorporate alternative automated methods was acknowledged. Various approaches to overcome discrepancies between methods were suggested of which an improved bench-to-bedside communication is of the utmost importance. These recommendations are based on current knowledge and can enable harmonisation of local algorithms for testing and evaluation of ANA and related autoantibodies. Last but not least, new more appropriate terminologies have been suggested.

Functions of the Nonverbal in CMC: Emoticons and Illocutionary Force

Abstract: The term 'emoticons'—short for 'emotion icons'—refers to graphic signs, such as the smiley face, that often accompany computer-mediated textual communication. They are most often characterized as iconic indicators of emotion, conveyed through a communication channel that is parallel to the linguistic one. In this article, it is argued that this conception of emoticons fails to account for some of their important uses. We present a brief outline of speech act theory and use it to provide a complementary account of emoticons, according to which they also function as indicators of illocutionary force. More broadly, we identify and illustrate three ways in which emoticons function: 1) as emotion indicators, mapped directly onto facial expression; 2) as indicators of non-emotional meanings, mapped conventionally onto facial expressions, and 3) as illocutionary force indicators that do not map conventionally onto a facial expression. In concluding, we draw parallels between emoticons and utterance-final punctuation marks, and show how our discussion of emoticons bears upon the broader question of the bounds between linguistic and non-linguistic communication.

Foveal ganglion cell loss is size dependent in experimental glaucoma.

Abstract: Thirty-two areas located in the temporal midperipheral retina were evaluated in whole-mount preparations from four monkeys with monocular experimental glaucoma. Diameter frequency distributions of remaining ganglion cells in the glaucomatous eye were compared with corresponding areas in the normal fellow eye. Large cells were significantly more vulnerable at each stage of cell damage as determined by linear-regression analysis. The magnitude of size-dependent loss was moderate at an early stage (20% loss), peaked at 50% total cell loss, and decreased in advanced damage (70% loss). In glaucomatous eyes, the lower retina had significantly more large cell loss than the corresponding areas of the upper retina. In optic nerve zones that matched the retinal areas studied, large axons selectively were damaged first. Psychophysical testing aimed at functions subserved by larger ganglion cells is recommended for detection and follow-up of early glaucoma; however, assessment of functions unique to small cells is more appropriate for detecting change in advanced glaucoma.

Transcriptome-wide mapping of N6-methyladenosine by m6A-seq based on immunocapturing and massively parallel sequencing

Abstract: N(6)-methyladenosine-sequencing (m(6)A-seq) is an immunocapturing approach for the unbiased transcriptome-wide localization of m(6)A in high resolution To our knowledge, this is the first protocol to allow a global view of this ubiquitous RNA modification, and it is based on antibody-mediated enrichment of methylated RNA fragments followed by massively parallel sequencing Building on principles of chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq) and methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP), read densities of immunoprecipitated RNA relative to untreated input control are used to identify methylated sites A consensus motif is deduced, and its distance to the point of maximal enrichment is assessed; these measures further corroborate the success of the protocol Identified locations are intersected in turn with gene architecture to draw conclusions regarding the distribution of m(6)A between and within gene transcripts When applied to human and mouse transcriptomes, m(6)A-seq generated comprehensive methylation profiles revealing, for the first time, tenets governing the nonrandom distribution of m(6)A The protocol can be completed within ~9 d for four different sample pairs (each consists of an immunoprecipitation and corresponding input)