In Search of Possible Associations between Planetary Nebulae and Open Clusters

We consider the possibility of cluster membership for 13 planetary nebulae that are located in close proximity to open clusters lying in their lines of sight. The short lifetimes and low sample size of intermediate-mass planetary nebulae with respect to nearby open clusters conspire to reduce the probability of observing a true association. Not surprisingly, line of sight coincidences almost certainly exist for 7 of the 13 cases considered. Additional studies are advocated, however, for 6 planetary nebula/open cluster coincidences in which a physical association is not excluded by the available evidence, namely M 1-80/Berkeley 57, NGC 2438/NGC 2437, NGC 2452/NGC 2453, VBRC 2 & NGC 2899/IC 2488, and HeFa 1/NGC 6067. A number of additional potential associations between planetary nebulae and open clusters is tabulated for reference purposes. It is noteworthy that the strongest cases involve planetary nebulae lying in cluster coronae, a feature also found for short-period cluster Cepheids, which are themselves potential progenitors of planetary nebulae.Comment: Accepted for publication in PASP (December 2007

Эпидемиология коронарных аномалий отхождения и разветвления и их клиническая значимость

Purpose. Until the mid-20th century they could be discovered only during autopsy, it means after death. With the introduction of coronary angiography it become possible to find them in a living person. Later on, new modalities such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enhanced futher our abilities. It is very important to discover coronary anomalies in a living person, because some of them could lead to sudden cardiac death (SCD). In fact, coronary artery anomalies are the second main cause of the SCD in young athletes. Another importance is driven by the fact, that some of them could lead to lifethreatening complications during cardiac surgery when unknown before the operation.Methods. We prospectively reviewed all coronary angiography films from 2011 to 2016 in our center. Coronary anomalies were reviewed and classified by two independent experienced operators. Patients with congenital heart disease and coronary fistulas were excluded.Results. Out of 5055 patients 148 (2.9%) had coronary artery anomalies of origin and distribution. Those were 120 men (81.1%) and 28 women (18.9%) with an age range between 29 to 88 years. The three most common anomalies were myocardial bridge (48.7%), separate origin of the conus branch (13.5%) and separate origin of the LAD and LCX (8.1%).Conclusion. In our study we found more or less the same types and incidence rates of coronary artery anomalies as in the world literature. We had apparently higher rates of myocardial bridges, compared to average number on angiography studies, but very close to authopsy study rates.Цель исследования. До середины XX века аномалии обнаруживались только во время аутопсии, т.е. после смерти больного. Диагностика аномалий у живого человека стала возможной благодаря коронарной ангиографии. Позже КТ и МРТ совершенствовали эти возможности. Очень важно диагностировать аномалии коронарных сосудов у живого человека, так как некоторые из них могут спровоцировать внезапную сердечную смерть. У молодых атлетов аномалии коронарных сосудов – вторая основная причина, приводящая к внезапной сердечной смерти. С другой стороны, проблема актуальна и для кардиохирургии, так как дооперационная диагностика некоторых аномалий коронарных артерий может предотвратить нежелательные угрожающие жизни осложнения во время кардиохирургических операций.Материал и методы. Мы проспективно просмотрели все ангиографические фильмы нашего центра с 2011 по 2016 г. Коронарные аномалии были выявлены и классифицированы двумя независимыми опытными специалистами. Пациенты с врожденными аномалиями сердца и с коронарными фистулами были исключены из исследования.Результаты. Из 5055 обследованных пациентов 148 (2,9%) имели аномалии отхождения и разветвления коронарных артерий. Из них было 120 (81,1%) мужчин и 28 (18,9%) женщин в возрасте от 29 до 88 лет. Тремя самыми распространенными аномалиями оказались мышечные мостики (48,7%), отдельное отхождение конусной ветви (13,5%) и отдельное отхождение передней межжелудочковой ветви и огибающей ветви (8,1%).Заключение. В нашем исследовании мы нашли более или менее те же виды и частоту встречаемости коронарных аномалий, как и в мировой литерате. Но в то же время мы получили более высокий уровень мышечных мостиков по сравнению с остальными ангиографическими исследованиями, что очень близко к цифрам с аутопсий

Slot Die Coated Triple Halide Perovskites for Efficient and Scalable Perovskite Silicon Tandem Solar Cells

Wide bandgap halide perovskite materials show promising potential to pair with silicon bottom cells. To date, most efficient wide bandgap perovskites layers are fabricated by spin coating, which is difficult to scale up. Here, we report on slot die coating for an efficient, 1.68 eV wide bandgap triple halide 3halide perovskite absorber, Cs0.22FA0.78 Pb I0.85Br0.15 3 5 mol MAPbCl3. A suitable solvent system is designed specifically for the slot die coating technique. We demonstrate that our fabrication route is suitable for tandem solar cells without phase segregation. The slot die coated wet halide perovskite is dried by a nitrogen N2 knife with high reproducibility and avoiding antisolvents. We explore varying annealing conditions and identify parameters allowing crystallization of the perovskite film into large grains reducing charge collection losses and enabling higher current density. At 150 C, an optimized trade off between crystallization and the PbI2 aggregates on the film s top surface is found. Thus, we improve the cell stability and performance of both single junction cells and tandems. Combining the 3halide top cells with a 120 amp; 956;m thin saw damage etched commercial Czochralski industrial wafer, a 2 terminal monolithic tandem solar cell with a PCE of 25.2 on a 1 cm2 active area is demonstrated with fully scalable processe

High Performance Flexible All Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells with Reduced Voc Deficit in Wide Bandgap Subcell

Among various types of perovskite based tandem solar cells TSCs , all perovskite TSCs are of particular attractiveness for building and vehicle integrated photovoltaics, or space energy areas as they can be fabricated on flexible and lightweight substrates with a very high power to weight ratio. However, the efficiency of flexible all perovskite tandems is lagging far behind their rigid counterparts primarily due to the challenges in developing efficient wide bandgap WBG perovskite solar cells on the flexible substrates as well as their low open circuit voltage VOC . Here, it is reported that the use of self assembled monolayers as hole selective contact effectively suppresses the interfacial recombination and allows the subsequent uniform growth of a 1.77 eV WBG perovskite with superior optoelectronic quality. In addition, a postdeposition treatment with 2 thiopheneethylammonium chloride is employed to further suppress the bulk and interfacial recombination, boosting the VOC of the WBG top cell to 1.29 V. Based on this, the first proof of concept four terminal all perovskite flexible TSC with a power conversion efficiency of 22.6 is presented. When integrating into two terminal flexible tandems, 23.8 flexible all perovskite TSCs with a superior VOC of 2.1 V is achieved, which is on par with the VOC reported on the 28 all perovskite tandems grown on the rigid substrat

Molecular cloning and functional characterization of V₂ [8-lysine] vasopressin and oxytocin receptors from a pig kidney cell line

[Arg8]vasopressin and oxytocin are the two main members of the neurohypophysial hormone family found to be present in nearly all mammals. [Lys8]vasopressin ([Lys8]VP) has been identified as the antidiuretic hormone in pig and some marsupial families. The porcine‐derived kidney epithelial cell line, LLC‐PK1, expresses both [Lys8]VP receptors coupled to the activation of adenylate cyclase (V2 receptors) and oxytocin receptors. Here we report the molecular cloning of the V2 [Lys8]VP receptor and the oxytocin receptor from LLC‐PK1 cells. The cloned V2 [Lys8]VP receptor differs from human and rat V2 [Arg8] receptors mainly in its N‐terminal region, in residues located in the extracellular loops and in intracellular phosphorylation sites. When expressed in COS7 cells, the V2 [Lys8]VP receptor exhibits the relative order of ligand affinity [Lys8]VP = [Arg8]VP ≫ 1‐deamino[d‐Arg8]VP ≥ oxytocin and adenylate‐cyclase stimulation, expected for the porcine V2 [Lys8]VP receptor but different from V2 [Arg8]VP receptors. Adenylate‐cyclase activation by [Lys8]VP was inhibited in COS7 cells by a V2 antagonist. The cloned oxytocin receptor exhibits in COS7 cells a ligand specificity typical of mammalian oxytocin receptors. mRNA‐distribution analysis revealed a single 5.5‐kb transcript in the uterus from pregnant guinea pig

Molecular cloning of a new bombesin receptor subtype expressed in uterus during pregnancy

The homology screening approach has been used to clone a new member of the guanine-nucleotide-binding-protein-coupled receptor superfamily from guinea pig uterus. The cloned cDNA encodes a 399-amino-acid protein and shows the highest amino acid similarity to members of the bombesin receptor family; 52% and 47% similarity to the gastrin-releasing-peptide (GRP) receptor and the neuromedin-B receptor, respectively. Binding experiments with the stably transfected LLC-PK1 cell line expressing the new receptor protein confirmed the bombesin-like nature of the cloned receptor. The relative order of ligand affinity, GRP = neuromedin C much greater than neuromedin B, suggests that the cloned cDNA represents the GRP subtype rather than the neuromedin-B subtype of bombesin receptors. Northern-blot analysis of mRNA species from several guinea-pig tissues showed that the mRNA for the new bombesin receptor subtype is expressed mainly in uteri of pregnant animals

Influence of collaterals on the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and serum NT-proBNP levels in patients with coronary chronic total occlusion

Objective: Although numerous studies have shown the protective effects of the well-developed coronary collaterals on left ventricular functions, the relationship between collateral grade and left ventricular end diastolic pressure has not been studied in chronic total occlusion patients. Also, there are conflicting data on the effect of collaterals on NT-proBNP levels. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between coronary collateral circulation and left ventricular end diastolic pressure and NT-proBNP levels in chronic total occlusion patients. Methods: Study group was retrospectively selected from the patients who had undergone coronary angiography at our hospital between June 2011 and March 2013. Clinical, biochemical, angiographic and hemodynamic data of 199 consecutive patients having at least one totally occluded major epicardial coronary artery were evaluated. Coronary collateral circulation was graded according to Rentrop classification. While Rentrop grade 3 was defined as well-developed, all the remaining collateral grades were regarded as poor collaterals. Results: Overall 87 patients were found to have good collaterals and 112 patients had poor collaterals. There was no significant difference between the patients with well- or poorly developed coronary collaterals with regard to left ventricular end diastolic pressure (16.84 ± 5.40 mmHg vs 16.10 ± 6.09, respectively, p = 0,632) and logNT-proBNP (2.46 ± 0.58 vs 2.59 ± 0.76, respectively, p = 0,335). Conclusion: In patients with coronary chronic total occlusion even well-developed coronary collaterals are not capable of protecting the rise of left ventricular end diastolic pressure and NT-proBNP levels which are reliable markers of the left ventricular dysfunction

Cloning and functional characterization of the amphibian mesotocin receptor, a member of the oxytocin/vasopressin receptor superfamily

Mesotocin is the oxytocin-like hormone found in most terrestrial vertebrates from lungfishes to marsupials, which includes all non-mammalian tetrapods (amphibians, reptiles, and birds). It has the largest distribution in vertebrates after vasotocin found in all non-mammalian vertebrates and isotocin identified in bony fishes. In this study, we report the cloning and functional characterization of the cDNA for the mesotocin receptor (MTR) from the urinary bladder of the toad Bufo marinus. The cloned cDNA encodes a polypeptide of 389 amino acids that shows the greatest similarity to the teleost fish isotocin receptor and to mammalian oxytocin receptors with mutations in extracellular loops which are involved in ligand binding. When expressed in COSM6 cells, MTR exhibits the following relative order of ligand affinity: mesotocin > vasotocin = oxytocin > vasopressin > hydrin 1, isotocin, hydrin 2. Injection of MTR cRNA into Xenopus laevis oocytes induces membrane chloride currents in response to mesotocin, which indicates the coupling of the mesotocin receptor to the inositol phosphate/calcium pathway. This response is inhibited by an oxytocin antagonist, but not by a vasopressin antagonist specific for V2 vasopressin receptors. MTR mRNA is not only found in toad urinary bladder, but also in kidney, muscle, and brain tissue of the toad as revealed by northern blot analysis and reverse-transcriptase PCR. The results suggest a variety of function for mesotocin and its receptor including, in particular, an involvement in the regulation of water and salt transport