#2024 Optical Collection

[thewatcher727]

Writing Description Notes: Eye Contact/Eye Movements

Updated 26th May 2024 More description notes

Three sets of eyes honed in towards him.

Everyone collectively shifted their gazes towards him.

His eyes widened like they were about to burst.

His eyes widened like saucers.

Humor was twinkling in his eyes at the irony of the situation.

Emotionless eyes contrasted with charged words.

His gaze parted from hers.

She caught his gaze with hers

He glared daggers.

Her eyes were fierce, but still reflected compassion.

Her hilariously wide eyes.

Ensnared by a pair of eyes.

Jane bore down on her friend with her sharp eyes, but surprisingly the glare had no effect.

A flash of frustration creased her brow and sparked in her eye, letting him know that his sound wasn't appreciated.

Their eyes trained on each other and silence swept over them.

His golden eyes dissected her, seeming to examine every quirk of her expression.

He could feel her gaze cutting into him.

Once again, he turned back to her, and was rewarded with just a small smile and her warm eyes.

His sky blue eyes veiled towards the large window claimed by the freezing temperatures.

His eyes burned into her, the fire intent on destroying whatever it could catch but she was ready for it this time.

His eyes scoped out the make-shift battle ground searching for something, anything that could help him out.

Their stares remained interlocked, neither of them making a move to look away.

His golden eyes shone in the dim light, reflecting every insecurity within him.

Amusement danced in those green eyes.

Her gaze flitted between their blanket and him.

Shielding her eyes on instinct, Jane recovered with wary blinks.

Red optics bore into her widened, watering eyes.

He gave John a sidelong stare.

His optics settled on Jane as she raised her fist with cheer.

The stare was of one hurt and buried, as if they feared being vulnerable more than the cold reality they had manufactured and serviced.

His stare was as uncomfortable as a chorus-girl corset and had the same effect on Jane’s breathing, constricted and shallow. There was no life behind those eyes. Every move he made betrayed his intentions and none of them were noble.

His eyes searched hers, looking to find some shred of... emotion in them.

He rolled his eyes, a nonverbal expression of exasperation.

[tvickiesims]

4t2 Party Essentials Kit

Conversion of everything from the Sims 4 Party Essentials kit.

Key features:

28 objects

Quarter tile placeable, smoothed out meshes, no shine on basic meshes, shine on some for special effects

Streamers are curtains, they have diagonal version (thank you @platinumaspiration)

Bar is functional (thank you @lordcrumps)

Disco ball is functional and animated (cloned from a disco ball by Franky and heavily edited)

Punch station is functional (cloned from an object by @crispsandkerosene), has full and empty state

Fog machine is functional (cloned from an effect by Sophie-David, further edited by @gummilutt to make it turn on and off on command)

TV and both music players (speaker and turntable) are functional too

Fiber Optic Garland comes in normal and neon version, you can keep both at the same time

Most items are categorized under "general-party", feel free to recategorize if it bothers you

Lord Crumps' shadow file is required for the shadows to work (not included this time)

Everything in one pic:

A big thank you to @platinumaspiration and @lordcrumps for their participation and @cora626 for testing! And a special thank you goes to @gummilutt for kindly adding her modding magic to the fog machine 🪄

Compressed, meshes merged with recolors, clearly labelled, picture and collection file are included.

🎈🎉🪩Download at SFS 🪩🎉🎈

UPDATE 27/08/2024

Fixed Party Starters Colorific Gobo's shadow inversion. The archive was updated but you can get only the updated file here.

[nct127s]

Nana Komatsu for Gentle Monster 2024 optical collection ‘Gentle High School’

[theforestghost]

MegOP Week 2024 Day 7

Day 7: Acceptance Fandom: Transformers Animated Prompt: Optimus is the reincarnation of the 13th but does not know it. Rating: T - Violence

Megatron walked through the halls of the Nemesis at a slightly slower pace than his normal stride. He would not admit his hesitance in seeking out this mech, but any who knew him could tell his reluctance. Megatron was used to making hard choices, he was used to having rough conversations and breaching topics that made others uncomfortable, he was no stranger to them given his position as a leader and at one time, a public speaker for the mistreated warframes. 

But the mech he was going to see was not his fellow Decepticons, nor was he an ambassador for a planet he intended to trade with. In all honesty, Megatron did not know who he would be speaking with though he hoped it was the mech he wanted. Stopping outside the door to the small archive on the Nemesis, Megatron allowed himself just a klik to recollect himself, to straighten his frame, tighten his panels and ready his spark for who waited inside. 

The door slid open right as he punched in the access code and walking inside, Megatron found the room to be lit softly with a red-orange glow from the sun they were currently passing. It washed away the dull purple lights that trailed along the floor, illuminating the tables and chairs and the singular mech standing inside with his back kibble to Megatron.

A part of Megatron relaxed slightly at seeing the all too familiar frame of Optimus but his instincts knew that everything about the mech was wrong. Optimus did not hold himself tall with the regal confidence that this mech did. Optimus did not stand straight with a slight lean to his left, one servo rested on the joint of the other arm in contemplation as he looked through a collection of data pads. Optimus did not give off the controlled field that stayed close but radiated a subtle comfort and softness that made Megatron want to drop his guard and embrace. Optimus did not turn to Megatron and give a small smile, pleasant and sweet nor did he have optics that shone bright with wisdom far deeper and older than Megatron’s entire existence.

Optimus did not have an ancient bauble behind his chassis panels that glowed dimly underneath them, letting all who came close to see through the glass.

But this wasn’t Optimus. It was his frame yes, but the mech inside was no longer Megatron’s Optimus. Instead, it was whatever had taken over when that glitched Alpha Trion had forced the Matrix into him.

“Good evening cycle.” The mech said, turning to face Megatron completely, servos rested at his sides. “I assume you have much you wish to converse with me?”

It was formal and overly polite and did not belong in Optimus’ voice. Megatron did not leave though, standing strong as he took a couple of steps towards the nearest table. The mech followed suit, waiting until Megatron took a seat before sitting across from him. Megatron placed his servos flat on the table,showing that he would not be a threat to this mech. For now at least.

The mech mimicked his action and looked up at Megatron. When the warlord did not speak, the mech assumed that was his right to speak. But the klik he opened his intake, Megatron interrupted.

“What should I call you?” Megatron demanded more than he asked. He refused to call this mech Optimus, even if he wore his frame.

This caught the mech off guard, and he displayed the surprise openly, much like Optimus did. He mused softly, tilting his helm to the side and his soft smile returned. “My siblings call me Thirteen. If you are more comfortable with that, please feel free to refer to me as such.” 

“Thirteen then. I will get straight to the point,” Megatron settled back in his chair, arms crossed over his chassis. “Is Optimus, the original owner of that frame, still in there? Or have you taken over completely?”

“Optimus is still here. He is currently in a suspended state much like stasis.” Thirteen explained, placing a servo over his spark, over the Matrix. “Once my mission is done, I will return this frame to him.”

“And why must I wait for your mission to be done?” Megatron growled, optics narrowing. “You have hacked into a frame that is not yours and you expect me to just accept that you will return them once your so-called mission is done?”

“I understand that this is a difficult circumstance.” Thirteen began. “But I have not hacked this frame, I am merely borrowing it.”

“Then why not borrow the frame of that glitch Alpha Trion? He was more than willing to have you returned!” Megatron slammed his fist on the table as he leaned over it. Thirteen did not flinch but his smile was gone and instead he looked… remorseful. Megatron hated that.

“It is… not that simple.” Thirteen spoke carefully. “I am one of the original creations of Primus and much like my siblings, I did not return to the Well of All Sparks when my spark faded but rather into the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix is meant to be a conduit between Primus, us and the Wearer. But we would only be able to advise from a distance, unable to properly interact with the living world. 

“This would usually be no issue, however the current state of Cybertron has brought worry to Primus. He seeks to amend the damages done, but is unable to do so on his own. So he made the decision to choose one of us siblings to be reincarnated into Cybertron in hopes of guiding them back to prosperity.” 

Thirteen spoke with such confidence that Megatron had little doubt that the mech spoke the truth. But this still did not answer his questions.

“What does this have to do with Optimus?” Megatron asked.

“This frame that you have come to know as Optimus was created to be my own.” Thirteen said. “It was meant to be put in Alpha Trion’s path, so that he could give me the Matrix and I could awaken properly long before this frame developed a conscience of its own.”

Megatron stood so quickly that his chair fell behind him, clattering loudly. “Are you saying that Optimus was never meant to exist?” He glared down at the mech before him, servos clenched so hard he could feel wires popping. It was taking all of his control to not harm Thirteen. It took all of his control to remember that the frame was still Optimus.

“It sounds harsh but if I am to remain honest then yes; the mech you have come to know as Optimus was never meant to be.” Thirteen looked away. “It was a mistake that led him to the Academy and caused him to develop the way he did. Had that mistake not happened, I am certain that we would not be here but inste-!”

Megatron grabbed Thirteen by the throat and slammed him into the shelf behind him. The mech groaned as datapads fell around them, bouncing off of their frames. Thirteen opened one optic as his servos tried to remove Megatron’s large one.

“Do not speak of Optimus like that!” Megatron snarled. He was seeing red, rage bubbling in his lines as steam emitted from his vents. His optics burned bright, smoldering the smaller mech as he forgot all about control and only focused on the mech that had insulted Optimus to such a degree. “His existence is not a mistake! He was not created to be your tool!”

“Alpha Trion had the frame made to my specifications!” Thirteen pleaded, trying to speak logic to the enraged warframe. “He was never meant to gain a sentient mind! If I had gained access to this frame from the start, all of you would be back on Cybertron by now! Living in peace!”

“You speak nonsense!” Megatron growled, adding more pressure.

“My mission was to bring the All Spark and the warframes back to Cybertron before our planet died! If I had been able to do that from the start, instead of spending so much energy trying to get Optimus back to Alpha Trion, none of this would be happening!” Thirteen explained.

“Are you blaming Optimus for all of this?” Megatron actually calmed down a tad at that absurdity. Only a tad.

“I only mean that had everything gone as planned, you would not be enraged over the loss of this frame.” Thirteen said. 

“You said he was not lost!” Megatron snapped.

“He is not, but his being was never meant to exist. Optimus’ existence may very well disappear over time, whether I had regained this frame or not. You could have woken one solar cycle to find him simply gone.” Thirteen looked remorseful again, like he actually felt bad for what was happening to Optimus and not the direct cause. “I do feel responsible for Optimus and I will do my best to return this frame to him, but Megatron you must accept that he may never come back, even after I have returned to my siblings.”

Megatron stared at him, optics focused as the boiling rage vanished from his systems and a deadly cold washed through him and into his field. Thirteen shivered, fear finally showing in his own field as Megatron leaned in closer. 

“You will make sure that Optimus is returned to me, or I will make sure you never see your siblings again.”

[heliopauseentertainments]

Volatile Mixtures

Part of MegOp Week 2024 Prompt - Day 5: Heat/Scars

Continuity: IDW1

Rating: Teen

Relationships: Megatron & Optimus Prime

Characters: Megatron, Optimus Prime

Warnings: Ambiguous Relationships, Vignette, Silly, Tomfoolery, Minor Injuries, Accidental Arson

Summary: In which Optimus tries to rescue Megatron and himself from a blizzard.

Crossposting: AO3 | Dreamwidth

Fic under cut. See AO3 for complete notes

Optimus let the heavy door to the hangar slam shut behind him, blocking out the worst of the howl of the blizzard outside. Collected snow fell from his armor and onto the dusty, concrete floor.

It was a lucky thing he had happened upon this abandoned human military installation when he had.

Megatron’s unconscious body on his shoulder seemed to weigh far more now than when he was awake to kick and scream about it.

Their kind were far less vulnerable to most changes in temperature than organics with their comparatively fragile internal chemistries, but extremes could kill Cybertronians just the same, especially when water was involved.

The arid polar climate of Iacon was nothing; no special protections were required to stroll the streets whether under the midnight sun or the noontime moon, but Earth… Earth was notoriously damp. Water with the right minerals could corrode or melt into fragile seams and refreeze. Otherwise tolerable or even comfortable temperatures were made dangerous by the addition of such a simple chemical.

It was dark inside the hangar; the walls effectively blocked the what little sunlight penetrated the blizzard. They didn’t, however, block the roar of the wind nor would they completely insulate the new temporary squatters from the cold.

But some shelter was more than no shelter.

And, despite the advice that Optimus knew he would have been given by some of his trusted friends and soldiers, he couldn’t just leave Megatron outside, injured and exposed to the elements. Especially because the injury had been his fault.

The wasn’t the Autobot way to abandon someone in need. Even an enemy was worth saving. Unfortunately, Megatron wouldn’t have said the same, he was sure, if their positions were reversed. Though, Megatron acting contrary to his own words wasn’t… unknown. Perhaps….

War philosophy aside, Optimus was still left with the unenviable task of finding a way to get both him and his unconscious erstwhile companion warm.

Or warmer, anyway.

Currently the only source of warmth was whatever radiated off of Megatron’s unconscious frame—Optimus consciously knew he too threw off some warmth, but regrettably could not sense his own aside from the chill in the air as snow melted off his armor.

In the glow of his optics, Optimus saw a stack of crates nearby. He put Megatron down in the corner the crates formed, hoping their walls would better reflect body heat back towards the source. The layer of snow on Megatron’s armor began to melt, giving Optimus hope.

Even in the dark, Optimus could make out the large dent in the side of Megatron’s helmet. Left by Optimus’s own foot.

As far as he could tell, like Optimus, Megatron must have gotten separated from his men in the storm after commlink signals went down. Optimus had blindly tripped over his enemy while stumbling through the thick snow.

The injury though…. It was all speculation, at least without being able to see it in better detail. Not that Optimus had any kind of medical training to speak of. Anything he might attempt in way of treatment could very well make the situation worse.

If only Ratchet were here, he thought, spark heavy; Ratchet would treat an enemy no matter what he was ordered to do. Even if he were ordered not to.

All Optimus could do on that front was wait for the storm to clear so he could signal for a rescue. Who knew how long that would be.

Perhaps, though, there would be something around this hangar he could use as a source of heat. Humans used many energy-dense carbon-based fuels for their machines; surely some would have been forgotten when they left this hangar behind who knew how long ago.

Leaving Megatron alone, propped up against the crates, Optimus began to feel his away around in the dim hangar. The lack of additional light severely hampered his progress.

In the dark, his palm came upon something smooth and round. He ran his hands over the cold surface. If he weren’t certain it was just a trick of sensation from the cold, he would have thought his hands had come away wet.

A barrel.

The stale yet pungent smell of some sort of fuel lingered in the air. Promising.

He pried the lid off to check the contents; it came up surprisingly easily.

In the dim light given off by his optics, he could see that the barrel was only about half full, the surface of the liquid glinting as he jostled the container.

The fumes wafting up reminded him of a mixture of what humans put in their ground vehicles or used in certain lanterns. Acrid and awful.

He would need to figure out how to best use it, of course. Humans preferred to use liquid fuel for their machines, not unlike how energon was most useful in it’s refined liquid state…. Perhaps they could drink it—No. Well, maybe. The smell was vile. It would have to have been a last resort.

Optimus put the lid back on the barrel and carried it back over to where he had left Megatron, only bumping into items in the dark a few times.

He heard a groan from where Megatron had been left.

Finally, he was waking up.

Optimus leaned over the propped up frame of his companion. Red optics burned up at him in aggravation, but no obvious malice. Not yet anyway. Maybe there was hope, maybe they could put their disagreements aside.

“Take it easy, old friend.” He put his hands out towards Megatron, ready to steady him if necessary. That dent was nothing to scoff at, after all. “You’re injured.”

“What in the—“

Optimus interrupted before Megatron could start swearing; he already knew what question would follow any preamble of cursing anyway.

“I rescued you from the blizzard; unfortunately, the raging of the storm outside is preventing us from summoning our comrades for aid.”

“No, that’s not—Prime, you smell revolting." Megatron pushed him away. “What did you do?”

“Oh. Hm.” It was likely the fumes from the barrel. It wasn’t exactly a refined bouquet like one would find in commercial fragrances. “I sourced some fuel from nearby.”

Megatron grunted as he got to his feet, clearly trying to not to acknowledge the injury that had to be terribly painful. Putting on a brave face no matter the adversity, an admirable trait if he didn’t always use it for selfish purposes.

“You mean to say that you stole it.”

“I procured it,” Optimus corrected, standing aside as Megatron staggered the few paces between his resting place and the partially filled barrel.

He would say “scavenged” would have been more accurate.

“You can hide misdeeds behind obfuscating language all you’d like, but we both know better.”

“You are the last one I would expect to hear complaining about theft.”

Not that Optimus stole anything.

He pried the loose lid back off the barrel, releasing the unpleasant fumes into the air once more.

It wasn’t as though there was anyone around to pay for it, though perhaps he could leave some nominal amount shanix with whatever human military agency had previously owned the facility. Then again, humans had balked at shanix before since it didn’t readily convert to fungible currency as they understood it.

They probably wouldn’t have been concerned about a half-empty barrel of aircraft fuel. Megatron surely knew that; he must have just wanted under Optimus’s plating. As usual.

Megatron reached into his subspace and pulled out an empty cube.

Optimus clutched the lid to his chest, aghast.

“Megatron, surely you can’t intend to—“

“Do you see any energon around here that isn’t already in our lines? Or have the Autobots at last sunk so low as to regularly engage in cannibalism?”

Without hesitation, Megatron plunged the cube into the fuel.

“Megatron, that’s not at all what I was implying and you know that.”

The only reply was a defiant huff as the cube was retrieved. The foul-smelling liquid inside appeared clear in the dim light of their optics now that it wasn’t backed by the solid metal canister.

“I was actually planning on burning it so that we can better dry our armor and—“

Ignoring him, Megatron took a swig from the cube and immediately spat the swig back into the barrel.

“Revolting.”

“That should have been obvious by the smell alone, don’t you think?”

With a sigh, Optimus turned back to the barrel itself. Megatron could amuse himself with his distasteful meal while he did something productive. It served him right.

He didn’t have a purpose-made lighter on hand, but he would make do. If he struck the lid with his arm just right, it ought to generate a spark.

Holding the lid over the barrel at an angle, Optimus began scraping the edge of his forearm armor against the metal. If only he could have done this without the earsplitting screech.

“Prime.”

“Hm?”

It was difficult to hear over the racket of metal on metal.

Megatron said something, but all Optimus heard was “leaking?”

He finally managed to make a spark with the makeshift striker, the spark landing in the barrel.

“What was that?” Now that he could actually hear again.

The fuel within roared as flames spread across the surface, rising high over the barrel’s metal side where it had been splashed in transit.

Excellent, now they would have a source of warmth for… however long the fuel lasted. He was, regrettably, unfamiliar with this mixture’s particulars. He could only assume it was intended for human aircraft.

He turned back to see Megatron pointing at something on the floor, now that there was sufficient light by which to see.

“The barrel is leaking, Prime,” he said, pausing afterward to take a sip of his cube.

On the floor there was a wet-looking trail extending from the barrel back the way Optimus must have brought it before. There was no way he would have seen the clear fuel in the dark, especially not when he had been wet from the snow.

The flames drew themselves down the sides of the barrel and raced down that trail of dropped fuel.

No good deed went unpunished.

“Excellent work, Prime. You’ve made an improvised incendiary device. And aimed it at yourself.”

As though Megatron himself were somehow exempt from whatever fate would befall the both of them as a result.

“The sarcasm is unnecessary, old friend.” Especially while continuing to sip the rancid fuel like he actually enjoyed it.

“Well, I think freezing to death will be the least of our concerns.” Megatron paused, looking around at the hangar, as though determining how flammable the contents were. “For about twenty minutes….”

The fuselage of one of the abandoned aircraft exploded, splattering ignited oil over the hangar, including onto additional barrels of… Primus knew what. Probably more gasoline… or oil.

“Correction: two minutes, Prime.”

--

There had been two small blessings out of this whole fiasco, Optimus thought as he stood there with Megatron, watching the conflagration that had once been their meager shelter.

Firstly, the blizzard had died down enough—though the snow still gusted by in rough vortices—to get SOS messages out to their respective troops. Soon, they would be rescued.

Secondly, the flaming wreckage of the hangar at least kept one side of their frames warm, preventing the ice and snow in the seams of their armor from freezing and causing damage.

Unfortunately, Megatron was still loudly sipping at his cube of fuel. An awful, wet sound.

“I always wondered what enforcers did for fun,” he said, giving Optimus a brief respite from the earsplitting noise. “I always thought it was something like beating prisoners or availing themselves of confiscated circuit boosters. Now, however, it is clear you do what the rest of us do.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Megatron let out a rough laugh and slapped Optimus on the shoulder, like he expected him to be in the joke.

“Arson—“ He paused, swirling the remaining fuel around the cube clutched in his hand. “You know, after you get used to it, this human fuel has a certain surprising appeal, Prime. You are truly missing out. ”

[persephinae]

U.S. Copyright Office Presses 'Pause' on DMCA Exemption for Video Games

By Lydia Leung, LLB | Last updated on November 08, 2024

When we think of a library, we picture never-ending shelves of books; the world's knowledge available to us at the touch of a finger. But nowadays, it's not just physical records that libraries collect. Many now lend video games to their members, providing their local communities with entertainment while helping preserve the software for future generations.

The recent decision by the U.S. Copyright Office (USCO) to reject an exemption to the DMCA for video games in libraries' collections has put that practice into question. The decision prevents video games from being accessed remotely by researchers. While some in the games industry view this ruling as a win for rights holders, others see it as a major setback for arts research, especially compared to researchers in other fields with "routine and regular access" to digital archives.

What Is The DMCA?

Passed in 1998, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) brought the U.S. in line with treaties of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), updating copyright law for the digital age. Section 1201 of the DMCA criminalizes the "circumvention of copyright protection systems" that prevent unauthorized access to copyrighted works, such as reading encrypted optical discs or removing copy restrictions from electronic documents.

Exemptions are made for some uses, including for nonprofit libraries, archives and educational institutions (section 1201(d)), as long as a "good faith" determination is made. Libraries are permitted to create digital copies of obsolete works for purpose of preservation, but those works must not be commercially available for a "reasonable price" and can only be accessed onsite.

The Petition

The Video Game History Foundation (VGHF) has been working with the Software Preservation Network (SPN) since 2021 on a petition to the U.S. Copyright Office, proposing that the DMCA digital copying exemption be expanded to allow access to games outside of the physical premises of an institution. A study published by the VGHF in July 2023 estimated that 87% of video games released in the US before 2010 are "critically endangered" and inaccessible, being out of print in either physical or digital form. Options to play classic games are limited as many require vintage hardware or are no longer available on a digital storefront, potentially pushing consumers and researchers towards piracy as the most convenient means of access.

The petition's main argument is framed from the perspective of fair use: works kept by archives and collections are exempt from copyright infringement laws if they are used for purposes such as research or teaching. To enable this, the SPN proposed a system of user vetting and copyright notices, allowing institutions to restrict access only to users who submit a research request detailing the scope of their project and providing notices to remind them that their access is subject to copyright law.

The requirement of having to request specific access ensures that games are being used for research purposes, with the SPN citing "academic literacy" as a way of filtering out users planning to access them for entertainment. The USCO already allows institutions to lend other forms of media remotely, and the SPN argued that the DMCA's stringent rules around distribution of software programs places impediments on video game scholarship that are not present in other disciplines.

Arguments Against

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), a trade association representing the U.S. video game industry, opposed the SPN petition, stating that the exemption would leave rights owners insufficiently protected and that the market for classic video games would be damaged. The SPN's proposed method of fair use vetting was dismissed by the ESA as "illusory", arguing that this was not enough justification for the breadth of use they would enable. It would be too difficult for libraries to supervise multiple users remotely accessing games, thus enabling usage for entertainment purposes.

Furthermore, the ESA contended that the market for classic video games is "vibrant and growing", citing the number of titles currently available on digital storefronts such as the Xbox Game Pass, not to mention frequent re-releases of individual titles on modern systems. That a game is "out of print" does not mean it is lost forever, only that the copyright owner decided not to put it on the market. Allowing widespread remote access to classic games would present a serious risk to the market and prevent copyright owners from enforcing their copyrights.

The USCO Ruling

The USCO observed that, for a fair use exemption, access to the games would have to be guarded against recreational use by containing "appropriately tailored restrictions". The view taken by the ESA on the SPN's proposed restrictions was echoed by the USCO, which ruled that they were not specific enough to prevent market harm and that the SPN had not met the burden of showing that allowing simultaneous remote access by multiple users was likely to be fair.

Regarding the claims of market damage put forth by the ESA, the USCO acknowledged the evidence presented of a "substantial market" for classic video games, and the SPN's concession that the industry has made a greater effort in recent years to reissue older games. Considering these arguments, the Register ultimately rejected the petition, but recommended clarifying the wording used in the DMCA to reflect that a computer program may be accessed by as many individuals as the institution owns copies.

What Does This Mean?

As a newer form of digital media, U.S. law has yet to settle on a definitive classification of what copyrights arise from a video game. A common view is for games to be treated as computer software and for the source code to be considered a literary work. However, unlike "traditional" literary works such as books or newspapers, the interactive nature of a video game makes regulating access to it more complicated.

Games are often limited to their corresponding hardware, potentially leading to research costs going up as researchers may be forced to travel long distances or somehow purchase a retro console for themselves; not to mention potential consideration of extra-legal methods. Researchers are pushed into focusing on works that are easy to access rather than those they have a true interest in studying. Teaching is also affected: academics cannot assign their students games with historical or technological significance if they may not be able to access them (for example,  the original Metroid Prime (2002), noted for its female protagonist and being the first game in the series to use 3D graphics, is only available on the GameCube). This curtails the growth of video game studies, introducing obstacles to a field with deepening cultural impact and technological advancement.

In their submission to the USCO, the SPN compared the rise of video games to the film industry, highlighting the creation of the National Film Preservation Board in 1988 as a way of recognizing that films are a part of cultural heritage, worthy of academic preservation and study. Whether games will ever reach that status remains uncertain: they make up a large part of our cultural and entertainment landscape today and it's clear that they are here to stay, but only time will tell whether the USCO's attitudes change.

Man, come the fuck on....

i think CEO's should be rounded up and shot personally

[daintyitgirl]

gentle monster's campaign for 2024 optical collection "gentle high school" produced by kidzfromnowhere.

[usafphantom2]

The 1,000th F-35 Has Been Built

Delays with a key upgrade program mean Lockheed Martin has yet to deliver the 1,000th F-35 and others to their customers.

Tyler RogowayPUBLISHED Jan 10, 2024 1:28 PM EST

Lockheed Martin has built the 1,000th F-35, but delays with a key upgrade program mean it is parked away awaiting delivery.

A newly produced F-35 is seen in its primer colors in Fort Worth, Texas. Lockheed Martin capture

Lockheed Martin has hit a huge milestone in F-35 Joint Strike Fighter production. However, that accomplishment, while outstanding, is complicated by the ongoing saga surrounding the development and testing of Tech Refresh-3 (TR-3) hardware configuration. TR-3 underpins the F-35's future capabilities, known collectively as Block 4. Delays with TR-3 mean that F-35s are being parked and not delivered after they are constructed, waiting for these features. So is the case for the 1,000th F-35.

Lockheed Martin

We asked Lockheed Martin about the status of deliveries of F-35s, including the 1,000th example, and they gave us the following statement:

"We continue to produce F-35s at rate and have jets in various stages of the final production process. Once these jets receive the necessary TR-3 hardware and final TR-3 software is available, they will continue through the production process, including parking, until they are delivered."

Regardless, hitting the 1,000 mark is really an incredible accomplishment for the controversial program that has struggled significantly at times.

As of early January, the F-35 enterprise has amassed over 773,000 flying hours, trained over 2,280 pilots and 15,400 maintainers across 14 flying services around the world, and flown more than 469,000 total sorties. There are now 32 bases and 11 ships hosting or capable of hosting F-35 units. As of now, there are a whopping 17 countries participating in the international Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program.

Current and expected future F-35 operating bases/ships. Lockheed Martin

Demand for the F-35 has never been higher. Recent geopolitical events and shifting threats have spiked orders. For newer customers or existing ones that are ordering more jets, getting TR-3 jets and potentially Block 4 capabilities will be of significant value. They will be receiving a far more mature aircraft and one with drastically expanded capabilities and growth potential than past versions.

Block 4 will include many new features, including much-expanded processing power, new displays, enhanced cooling, new EOTS and DAS electro-optical sensors, and a slew of additional weapons that will really unlock the F-35's potential. Above all else, the jet's new radar and electronic warfare suite should give it its biggest boost. The electronic warfare aspect alone is the biggest advantage Block 4 will bring, according to the Air Combat Command's top uniformed officer.

Some of the unclassified upgrades are expected to be part of Block 4. The exact configuration is not publicly disclosed just yet. DOD

The current issue is that F-35s need a new hardware backbone and associated baseline software, collectively called TR-3, to handle the various demands of the Block 4 upgrades. TR-3 has and continues to suffer numerous delays in its development.

The increasing age of the F-35 program's current fleet of test jets and other limitations in existing test infrastructure, especially with regard to software labs on the ground, have compounded these issues. The first flight of an F-35 test jet with a version of the TR-3 backbone took place in January 2023 and efforts are underway to create a dedicated TR-3 test force with a total of six Joint Strike Fighters.

A US Air Force F-35A test jet. USAF

As of December, the expectation is that the development of TR-3 will be finished sometime between April and June of this year, according to Defense News. If that schedule holds, this work be done between a year and 18 months later than expected.

The delays have also translated into significant added costs for the F-35 program. At a House Armed Services Committee hearing in December, Representative Donald Norcross, a Democrat from New Jersey, said that problems with TR-3 had led to a $1 billion cost overrun. The full estimated cost of the F-35 program though the end of its expected lifecycle in the 2070s is currently pegged around around $1.7 trillion, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

USAF

At the House Armed Services Committee hearing last month, Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt, the current head of the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), seemed less than optimistic about the likelihood of there being no further TR-3 delays.

"Relative to the stability issues that were that we're seeing, we are working through them. ... I wish I had all of the solutions in place that prove to me that when I do something in the lab, it's going to show up that way in the air," Schmidt told the assembled legislators. "We have a number of fixes addressing the stability challenges. We will get to a stable, capable, maintainable airplane here."

However, "the data tells me it will be in the middle of spring, but I would have had a more positive answer six months ago ... so I don't have a super solid 'I can guarantee you this date,'" he added.

After the completion of the development of the TR-3 package, these improvements will still need to be integrated into existing jets. The F-35 program is separately pursuing upgrades to the Pratt & Whitney F135 engines that power all variants of the Joint Strike Fighter, as well as power and thermal management systems, which will also be critical for enabling Block 4 capabilities. The issues surrounding the F135 engine have become a very hot topic of debate.

In the meantime, the U.S. military has made clear that it will not accept any new F-35s until the TR-3 issues are ironed out. This is ostensibly because the necessary checkout flights cannot be conducted on the jets until the hardware and its core software work reliably.

So, for at least another few months, the 1,000th F-35, and many others, are set to stay parked away waiting for work on the core TR-3 upgrades to be finished.

Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Webb observations confirm 20-year-old galaxy models

New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have confirmed a decades-old galaxy model, originally proposed by a University of Portsmouth Professor in 2005.

The findings are published today in Nature Astronomy and resolve a long-standing debate about the contribution of specific types of stars to distant galaxies' emissions, providing insight into galaxy formation and evolution.

Professor Claudia Maraston, from the University of Portsmouth's Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, published her models in 2005, which were met with controversy at the time due to their stark differences from existing theories.

She said, "My models, which were quite different from what was available in the literature, have been debated for years. We always believed that the ultimate test would come from observing distant galaxies with the advanced resolution that JWST is now capable of."

The observations, made possible by the JWST's unparalleled ability to capture detailed infrared data, reveal that thermally pulsing asymptotic-giant-branch (TP-AGB) stars contribute more significantly to the light from distant galaxies than previously thought.

The breakthrough is crucial for understanding the true physics of galaxies—when they form, how big they are, and how they evolve.

It has far-reaching implications for how astronomers calculate key properties of galaxies, and offers new insights into the makeup of these galaxies and the stars within them.

Professor Maraston added, "This is the first time we've been able to see the complete emission spectrum of these galaxies with such precision. The JWST's larger size and its ability to detect infrared light make it possible to capture these galaxies as they appeared 10 billion years ago.

"One galaxy was so massive and luminous that we were seeing it at a better resolution than nearer galaxies with telescopes from the ground. The signal was so clear we were seeing detailed spectral features that were previously impossible to detect. It really was showcasing the JWST in its full glory."

The Hubble telescope is an optical instrument, but the JWST is three times bigger and can collect more radiation from fainter sources. This means it can detect optical and near-infrared light making it possible to capture these galaxies from so long ago.

The success of these observations has earned Professor Maraston and her colleagues more observation time with JWST, and they will soon obtain a larger program to study 100 more galaxies. She said, "This result is a personal triumph after 20 years of debates and discussions. It's incredibly satisfying to finally have the data that confirms the models we developed so long ago."

Professor Maraston worked with colleagues from Nanjing University in China and Paris-Saclay University in France. Her French collaborator, Emanuele Daddi, played a key role in finding the crucial galaxy data in the JWST archives. Shiying Lu was the Ph.D. student who performed the comparison between models and data.

Together, they plan to refine and improve the models further in light of these new observations.

Professor Maraston said, "I'm not an observer, but seeing what the galaxy looked like so far away was breathtaking. For an astrophysicist to see that detail—to see Carbon, Titanium, and Sodium absorptions in detail was incredible."

IMAGE: NIR rest-frame spectrum of the quiescent galaxy D36123 at z = 1.082. Credit: Nature Astronomy (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-024-02391-9

[coochiequeens]

A piece about surrogacy that focuses on the baby.

We are putting the interests of adults above those of children

Helen Gibson 11 May, 2024

Many readers will have seen that surrogacy clip which went viral on Twitter this week. A man, complete with false nails and hair in pigtails, having a newborn baby handed to him, ostensibly for the bonding process of “skin to skin”; a process usually reserved for the baby and their mother, in order to calm the baby after delivery, stimulate her milk production, and encourage the expulsion of the placenta. The baby in the aforementioned clip was distressed, and shuddering. As the man, apparently the father, held the baby, she started to scream. Not the cries of a hungry newborn, but the screams of a desperate infant.

Whether you’re a mother or not, most people who see such footage will have a visceral reaction 

For the tens of thousands who have seen the footage, the majority of us, I think I can safely claim, felt sickened to our core. For here is surrogacy in all its raw truth. A baby is born, and handed away from the mother it knows and wants, and to hell with the consequences. Whether you’re a mother or not, most people who see such footage will have a visceral reaction.

Of course, the optics of this particular case put the situation even more clearly: a man, cosplaying as a woman, able to design and commission a baby in order to validate his lifestyle choices; with no thought for the impact on the newborn child, desperately flailing and wanting her mother. This particular situation jarred with so many because it so obviously sits at the centre of the Venn diagram between surrogacy and gender ideology, with all the latter’s negatives for women and children already understood by most of the viewers of the clip. 

Outside of feminist Twitter, many people have never given surrogacy any thought at all

Outside of feminist Twitter, many people have never given surrogacy any thought at all; but this is what it is. This is what it looks like. Newborns handed away at birth, with no thought given to their needs or welfare, or who the commissioning parent might be. No follow up by any agency, clinic or social services after delivery. No tracking of the child or idea of where they end up living, or what happens to them. In many US states the baby buyers gain parental rights at birth and the baby removed, often abroad; the mother simply seen as a vessel, in all but name, with no rights to the child or recourse if she changes her mind. If the Law Commission of England and Wales, with the Scottish Law Commission, gets their way, it’s where we’ll be headed in the UK, with oversight and granting of Parental Orders by the Family Court stripped away for surrogacy “teams” proceeding on a new Pathway.

And surrogacy can be far darker even than this video suggests. In March, a Chicago veterinarian was charged on suspicion of distributing child sexual abuse images, just days before he was due to fly to California and collect his son, who was born to a surrogate mother. The child is, as I currently understand it, living with the arrested man’s husband and in-laws. Three weeks ago, the anti-trafficking charity Unseen declared the first cases of forced surrogacy in the UK being reported to their modern slavery helpline in 2023. Meanwhile, we have seen a post which shows a pregnant surrogate mother expressing concern at never having met the commissioning (single) father of the child she is carrying, even online. “I’ve been informed the parent has hired someone to come pick up surro baby after delivery to take him back home(china). Idk how to feel, I would have thought the IP would be more involved…I Guess i just would have thought he’d want to at least be there for the birth:/”. 

And for a very English spin on things, in April the multi-millionaire British socialite Alice Naylor-Leyland had her fourth child, born to a surrogate mother in the US. “I’m aware it was greedy to have this burning desire to complete our Family, but due to too many complications, setbacks and miscarriages & then being told I was no longer able to carry, we decided to venture down the world of Surrogacy”. Naylor-Leyland was already a mother of three but decided to outsource the risk of “complications and miscarriages” to another woman instead, in order to fulfil her dream of a fourth baby. 

Surrogacy only exists to satisfy the desires of adults, and to hell with the consequences for women and children. The numbers have ballooned around the world since the first cases of surrogacy in the 1980s. Tens of thousands of children have been born through “gestational surrogacy” in the US alone; the industry is worth billions. Thailand, which banned international commercial surrogacy in 2015, has recently announced it is to lift its ban on the practice; meaning within the next few years we will see Thailand become the main surrogacy hub for south-east Asia, with women undoubtedly being trafficked in to, and within, the country in their hundreds, if not more, to meet the new demand. 

Surrogacy is growing, just as social media is helping more people come to understand precisely what the practice is, and what it means. Seeing babies taken off their mothers so freely is so shocking that most people who witness photographs and videos which show surrogacy happening can’t believe it is legal. As I have written about previously in The Critic, the women involved in surrogacy are groomed by the industry in to not realising they are the mothers of their own children, even in cases where they use their own egg; believing the lies peddled to them by a rapacious industry, that they are doing something “kind” and “beautiful”. A mother is the primary safeguarder of her child; if the mother in the case of surrogacy doesn’t believe herself to be so, who is acting to keep the child safe? Certainly not the agencies, who are incentivised by both money and an apparent evangelical commitment to the ‘miracle’ of surrogacy. 

The test for whether or not surrogacy is acceptable to its supporters seems to be “she consented”. That old chestnut, which allows so many despicable practices to flourish, while those who might be expected to be tasked with thinking about them shrug and are relieved of the intellectual burden of doing so. 

And is it true consent if it is bought? Is it true consent if she doesn’t understand she is the mother, even when her own egg is not used? It certainly can’t be construed as consent in cases where the woman is coerced, pressured by family, or, as in one case we saw, offered up for surrogacy by her own husband, without her prior knowledge.

It is extraordinary to consider, that in this time of hyper awareness of social injustice, when every perceived slight or misdemeanour can be considered a cancel-worthy offence, that so many think nothing of the process of commissioning a baby to order: anonymous eggs harvested from a twenty-something woman and chosen from a catalogue, surrogate mothers matched with strangers by agencies, and ditched when they have one too many miscarriages. That so many think so little of women and children says so much about our society. None of it good.

This is the X account mentioned in the article

This is who posted it

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

Henry Cavill will take on the iconic role of the Highlander himself Connor MacLeod – portrayed in the original by Christopher Lambert.

Lionsgate Moving Forward With Henry Cavill & Chad Stahelski ‘Highlander’ Reboot As Action-Fantasy Pic Heads To AFM To Enliven A Strike-Hit Market

By Andreas Wiseman

October 27, 2023 8:17am

EXCLUSIVE: In the world of Highlander reboots, there can still only be one…and it’s a good one at that.

For the first time, Lionsgate will be launching sales at the AFM on their long-gestating fantasy reboot which has Henry Cavill aboard to star as the eponymous Scottish swordsman and John Wick filmmaker Chad Stahelski set to direct.

We hear this will be a big-budget proposition, north of $100M. Stahelski himself has previously talked about it as akin to John Wick with swords. The team is eyeing a 2024 start.

This will be welcome news for AFM buyers whose pool of pre-sale projects has been diminished by the ongoing strike.

The new movie will be based on the 1986 original, which starred Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery and Clancy Brown as immortal beings, hunting down one another and collecting more power. The time-jumping film — with its “There can be only one” tagline — spawned four sequels and three TV series including the popular USA series starring Adrian Paul. Queen memorably provided the soundtrack for the original movie.

Producing the reboot are Joshua Davis, Fast And The Furious producer Neal H. Moritz, Stahelski (thru his 87Eleven Entertainment production company) and Louise Rosner.

The current draft of the screenplay is by Mike Finch. The late Peter S. Davis, the producer of the original Highlander, initiated the development of the new film. Summit first acquired remake rights to the original in 2008.

Former Superman and The Witcher actor Cavill remains in high demand. Among movies in post are Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle and two Guy Ritchie projects, including WWII pic The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

Stahelski has directed all four John Wick films, which have been a goldmine for Lionsgate, taking more than $1BN. He previously talked about the new Highlander as the first in a trilogy but we’ve not had word whether that’s still the case.

Cavill and Stahelski were attached and reported before the strike.

The arrival of the Highlander reboot is a shot in the arm for the AFM, whose business has been hampered by the SAG-AFTRA strike. This and Kevin Costner’s Horizon movies, which we told you this week would also be on sale, are the two biggest-budget prospects revealed for the market so far. A number of packages haven’t come together or aren’t being officially announced due to strike restrictions or anxiety over optics. Frankly, given the limitations posed by the strike, I’ve been surprised at the number of new or reworked projects that are on sale (many are shooting in Europe). There are still a handful of pre-sales packages for buyers to get their teeth into, even if more action may be done this market on completed and near-completed movies.

I'm all for Henry in a kilt! 😊

[noctisferu]

nana komatsu for gentle monster 2024 optical collection "gentle high school"

[imasallstars]

pSSR 【Cherry Blossoms, They Never Stop】Haruki Ikuta

availability: 　[TwiColle] Twilight Collection Gacha 　from 2024/02/28 15:00 costume name: 　Reflectic Optic

APTITUDE

Song: S Cute, S Cool, S Positive, S Relax, S Emotional Performance: S High Pace, S Middle Pace, S Slow Pace Environment: S Bright, S Clear, S Cloudy, S Rainy

MEMORY APPEAL

[I Chased After It,] The Beyond 　Memory Appeal/DANCE 1.5~2 Appeal Link Appeal: (w. Luca Ikaruga, Hana Suzuki) 　DANCE 1~3 AoE Appeal

LIVE SKILLS

[Cherry Blossoms, They Never Stop] 　DANCE 3.5 Appeal/SKILL RESET (once) Link Appeal: (w. Luca Ikaruga, Hana Suzuki) 　DANCE 60% UP (5T) [Cherry Blossoms, They Never Stop+] ※Uncap1 　DANCE 5 Appeal/SKILL RESET (once)/GENERATE (Cherry Blossoms, They Never Stop+) Plus Appeal: (Turn 3 or BEFORE, Full CoMETIK in Team) 　INTEREST 0.3x (1T) [Cherry Blossoms, They Never Stop++] ※Uncap4 　DANCE 4.5 AoE Appeal/SKILL RESET (twice)/GENERATE (Cherry Blossoms, They Never Stop++) Link Appeal: (w. Luca Ikaruga, Hana Suzuki) 　DANCE 1 AoE Appeal

GENERATED SKILLS

[Cherry Blossoms, They Never Stop+] ※GENERATED from [Cherry Blossoms, They Never Stop+] 　DANCE 5 AoE Appeal/DANCE 100% UP (4T)/Duet (CoMETIK) Plus Appeal: (≥3 CoMETIK in SKILL HISTORY) 　DANCE 60% UP (4T) [Cherry Blossoms, They Never Stop++] ※GENERATED from [Cherry Blossoms, They Never Stop++] 　DANCE 5.5 AoE Appeal/DANCE 160% UP (4T)/Duet (CoMETIK) Plus Appeal: (≥3 CoMETIK in SKILL HISTORY) 　DANCE 2 AoE Appeal

PASSIVE SKILLS

[DANCE 50% UP] ※Uncap1 　Turn 2 or BEFORE/30% Chance/Max 1 proc [DANCE 130% UP] ※Uncap2 　Full CoMETIK in Team/30% Chance/Max 2 procs [DANCE 170% UP] ※Uncap3 　≥4 CoMETIK in SKILL HISTORY/30% Chance/Max 2 procs [RNB: DANCE 220% UP] ※Uncap4 　Turn 4 or AFTER, Full CoMETIK in Team/30% Chance/Max 2 procs

ABILITY

[MEMORY GAUGE&APPEAL UP] 　+5% boost to Memory Gauge gain, +3% boost to All Appeals

UNCAPS

[DANCE +50], [DANCE +100] [DANCEL +150] ※Uncap1 [VOCAL&DANCE&VISUAL +100] ※Uncap2 [MENTAL +200] ※Uncap3 [VOCAL&DANCE&VISUAL +100] ※Uncap4

[frank-olivier]

Quantum Simulation: A Frontier in Scientific Research

Quantum simulation, a burgeoning field in modern physics, leverages the unique properties of quantum systems to replicate and investigate the behavior of other complex quantum systems. This approach offers a powerful tool to study intricate quantum phenomena that are otherwise challenging to analyze using classical computational methods or experimental setups. By harnessing the principles of quantum mechanics, quantum simulation enables researchers to explore parameter spaces inaccessible to classical simulations and gain unique insights into the underlying physics.

One of the primary platforms for quantum simulation is ultracold atomic gases, cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero. The low temperatures and high phase-space density of these systems allow for the study of individual atoms and molecules in a highly controlled environment, with minimal interactions with the surrounding environment. Optical lattices, created by interfering laser beams, provide a versatile and highly controllable platform for quantum simulations. By adjusting the laser parameters, researchers can engineer various types of lattice structures, enabling the study of phenomena such as Anderson localization, quantum phase transitions, and many-body dynamics. The periodic potential created by the optical lattice can mimic the crystal lattice of solid-state systems, allowing for the investigation of condensed matter physics in a clean and controllable environment.

Superconducting qubits, trapped ions, and nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds are alternative platforms for quantum simulation, each with its unique strengths and capabilities. Superconducting qubits use superconducting circuits to encode quantum information and exhibit long coherence times. Trapped ions allow for precise control and readout of their quantum states using electromagnetic fields. Nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds offer long-lived spins and coupling to other spins, making them useful for quantum information processing and sensing applications.

A significant challenge in quantum simulation is minimizing and correcting errors, which can arise from imperfections in the experimental setup or external disturbances. These errors can lead to decoherence, causing the quantum system to lose its coherence and become difficult to control. Researchers have developed robust quantum simulation methods and error correction codes to mitigate these errors and extend the capabilities of quantum simulations. Techniques such as quantum error correction, dynamical error suppression, and fault-tolerant quantum computing aim to overcome these challenges and enable longer and more accurate quantum simulations.

Quantum simulation has enabled the discovery of new phases, such as topological insulators and supersolids, and the study of strongly correlated systems, like high-temperature superconductors. By mimicking condensed matter systems in the laboratory, researchers can observe and understand their behavior in detail, leading to a deeper understanding of quantum phenomena and the development of new materials and technologies. Quantum simulations have the potential to revolutionize fields such as condensed matter physics, materials science, and chemistry. By simulating molecular Hamiltonians, quantum simulations can provide insights into chemical reactions, electronic structures, and excited states, with implications for drug discovery and materials design. Furthermore, quantum simulations can accelerate materials discovery by predicting the properties of new materials and optimizing existing ones for specific applications.

Esteban Adrian Martinez: Introduction to Quantum Simulators (Summer School on Collective Behaviour in Quantum Matter, September 2018)

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

[contentment-of-cats]

Washington Post:

Scientists found a major clue why 4 of 5 autoimmune patients are women By Mark Johnson and Sabrina Malhi February 1, 2024 at 11:02 a.m. EST

An international team led by scientists at Stanford University has discovered a probable explanation for a decades-old biological mystery: why vastly more women than men suffer from autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Women account for about 80 percent of the people afflicted with autoimmune diseases, a collection of more than 100 ailments that burden a combined 50 million Americans, according to the nonprofit Autoimmune Association. In simple terms, these illnesses manipulate the body’s immune system to attack healthy tissue.

In a paper published Thursday in the journal Cell, researchers present new evidence that a molecule called Xist — pronounced like the word “exist” and found only in women — is a major culprit in these diseases.

Better understanding of this molecule could lead to new tests that catch autoimmune diseases sooner and, in the longer term, to new and more effective treatments, researchers said.

Women typically have two X chromosomes, while men usually have an X and a Y. Chromosomes are tight bundles of genetic material that carry instructions for making proteins. Xist plays a crucial role by inactivating one of the X chromosomes in women, averting what would otherwise be a disastrous overproduction of proteins.

However, the research team found that in the process Xist also generates strange molecular complexes linked to many autoimmune diseases.

Although scientists conducted much of their work in mice, they made an intriguing discovery involving human patients: The Xist complexes ― long strands of RNA entangled with DNA and proteins ― trigger a chemical response in people that is a hallmark of autoimmune diseases.

Discovery of the role played by the Xist molecule does not explain how men get these diseases, or why a few autoimmune diseases, such as Type 1 diabetes, have a higher incidence among men.

“Clearly there’s got to be more, because one-tenth of lupus patients are men,” said David Karp, chief of the division of rheumatic diseases at the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. “So it’s not the only answer, but it’s a very interesting piece of the puzzle.”

A tale of two X’s

An illustration shows one of the two X chromosomes typically found in women being disabled to ensure the right levels of protein production. (Emily Moskal/Stanford Medicine) Autoimmune diseases have long proved difficult to address. Treatments are limited, and many of the diseases are chronic, requiring lifelong management. Most have no cure, leaving millions of Americans hoping that science will eventually offer better explanations for these ailments.

Stephanie Buxhoeveden was 25 when she began experiencing vision problems in her left eye and found herself unable to hold a syringe in her left hand — a critical tool for her nursing job. The reason: multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the protective covering of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves.

“I was overwhelmed and scared because I knew there was no cure,” the Virginia resident said. “All of these things that I had laid out, planned and worked really hard for all of a sudden were completely up in the air and no longer guaranteed.”

Previous theories had suggested that the gender imbalance in these diseases might be caused by the main female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, or by the mere presence of a second X chromosome.

A tantalizing clue stemmed from men who have two X chromosomes and one Y chromosome, a rare condition called Klinefelter syndrome. These men run a much higher risk of suffering from autoimmune diseases, suggesting that the number of X chromosomes plays an important role.

Howard Y. Chang, senior author on the Cell paper and professor of dermatology and genetics at Stanford, said he began thinking about the ideas that led to the new discovery when he identified more than 100 proteins that either bind directly to Xist or to other proteins that bind to Xist. Looking at those collaborator proteins, he noticed that many had been linked to autoimmune diseases.

Chang and his team engineered male mice that produced Xist to test whether males that made the molecule would also have higher rates of autoimmune diseases.

Since Xist by itself is not sufficient to cause an autoimmune disease, the scientists used an environmental trigger to induce a lupus-like disease in these mice. They observed that male mice then produced Xist at levels close to those of regular female mice, and well above those of regular male mice.

In humans, genetics and environmental factors, such as a viral or bacterial infection, can also help trigger autoimmune diseases.

The scientists obtained serums from human patients with dermatomyositis, a rare autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness and skin rash. Serum is the part of the blood that contains antibodies that fight disease. They found that in these patients, Xist complexes produce what are called autoantibodies. Instead of defending the body from invaders, as an antibody would, the autoantibody targets features of the body.

Inactivation of the second X chromosome remains an important process “that you don’t necessarily want to get rid of or tinker with too much,” said Karp of UT Southwestern.

“But this work takes it in a totally different direction, and says that the mechanism that is needed to turn off the second X chromosome, that mechanism in itself might be responsible for generating autoimmunity,” Karp said.

A better understanding of the mechanisms in these diseases would be significant if researchers can use it to develop new diagnostic tools, he added: “We are still using laboratory tests that were developed in the 1940s and ’50s and ’60s because they were easy to do, and they detected the most robust autoimmune responses.”

A long road to new treatments

Jeffrey A. Sparks, an associate physician and director of immuno-oncology and autoimmunity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital who was not involved in the study, said that it will be interesting to see how the treatment options available now might fit into this newfound mechanism.

“The sky’s the limit here,” Sparks said, adding, “I think once you understand the fundamental mechanisms, you could think about developing therapies, early detection and preventions.”

Major advances in treatment, though, may be years away, according to Keith B. Elkon, an adjunct professor of immunology and associate director at the Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Diseases at the University of Washington.

Still, he said, scientific breakthroughs in the past 20 years have prolonged the lives of many people with autoimmune conditions.

“In 1950, if you’ve got a diagnosis of lupus, it would have been as bad as getting a diagnosis of cancer,” Elkon said. “But over the last 15, 20 years there’ve been really striking breakthroughs in understanding disease. It’s at the cusp of now being manageable.”

Buxhoeveden, who is now 36 and a PhD candidate in nursing, is using immunosuppressants to manage her MS. She said she was encouraged by the fact that “we’ve made progress like this study to better understand what it is that triggers it.”