7,201 research outputs found
Resting state functional connectivity in early blind humans
Task-based neuroimaging studies in early blind humans (EB) have demonstrated heightened visual cortex responses to non-visual paradigms. Several prior functional connectivity studies in EB have shown altered connections consistent with these task-based results. But these studies generally did not consider behavioral adaptations to lifelong blindness typically observed in EB. Enhanced cognitive abilities shown in EB include greater serial recall and attention to memory. Here, we address the question of the extent to which brain intrinsic activity in EB reflects such adaptations. We performed a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study contrasting 14 EB with 14 age/gender matched normally sighted controls (NS). A principal finding was markedly greater functional connectivity in EB between visual cortex and regions typically associated with memory and cognitive control of attention. In contrast, correlations between visual cortex and non-deprived sensory cortices were significantly lower in EB. Thus, the available data, including that obtained in prior task-based and resting state fMRI studies, as well as the present results, indicate that visual cortex in EB becomes more heavily incorporated into functional systems instantiating episodic recall and attention to non-visual events. Moreover, EB appear to show a reduction in interactions between visual and non-deprived sensory cortices, possibly reflecting suppression of inter-sensory distracting activity
HST Paschen alpha and 1.9 micron imaging of Sgr A West
We present HST/NICMOS images at 0.2" resolution of the HI Paschen Alpha (PaA)
emission line in a 70" x 90" region of the Galactic center centered on the
non-thermal radio source Sgr A*. The majority of the emission arises from
ionized gas in the mini-spiral in the central parsec. PaA emission is also seen
from 26 stellar sources, presumably early-type stars with mass-loss winds. The
new data reveal significant small-scale structure (<1"~0.04pc) in the ionized
gas of the mini-spiral; low surface brightness emission features are also seen
for the first time. Extinction, estimated from the ratio of observed PaA
emission to 6-cm continuum emission, varies from 20 to 50 mag with a median
Av=31.1 mag, in excellent agreement with earlier estimates for the stellar
sources and indepedent measurements derived using H92alpha recombination line
data. Large increases in extinction are seen along the periphery of the ionized
gas, suggesting that the ionized gas is partially extincted by dust in the
molecular clouds at the outside of the ionized regions. The small-scale,
filamentary structures in the ionized gas have a free thermal expansion time of
only ~ 3000 yrs; either magnetic fields or mass-loss winds from the hot
emission line stars may contain the ionized filaments. For both the ionized gas
and the stellar continuum, the centroids of the emission remain within ~+/- 1"
from a radius of 2" out to 40", providing further evidence that Sgr A* is
indeed at or extremely close to the dynamical center of the Galactic nucleus
stellar distribution. The 1.9 micron surface brightness increases inwards to
0.9" and then decreases or levels off closer to Sgr A*, possibly indicating the
core radius of the central stellar distribution or depletion of the late-type
stars by stellar collisions near the central black hole.Comment: 43 pages, 15 figures, 2 tables; Accepted to ApJ (9/1/03 issue
Filter-less WDM for visible light communications using colored pulse amplitude modulation
This paper demonstrates, for the first time, a new wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) scheme for visible light communications using multi-level coloured pulse amplitude modulation (M-CPAM). Unlike traditional WDM, no optical bandpass filters
are required and only a single optical detector is used. We show that, by transmitting n independent sets of weighted on-off keying non-return-to-zero data on separate wavelengths over a line-of-sight transmission path, the resultant additive symbols can
be successfully demodulated. Hence, the data rates can be aggregated for a single user or divided into individual colours for multiple user access schemes. The system is empirically tested for M = 4 and 8 using an off-the-shelf red, green and blue (RGB) chip light emitting diode (LED). We demonstrate that for M = 4, using the R and B chips a bit error rate (BER) of ≤10-6 can be achieved for each wavelength at bit rates up to 10 Mbps, limited by the LEDs under test. For M = 8 using R, G and B a BER of ≤10-6 can be achieved for each wavelength at bit rates up to 5 Mbps
Fibroblasts profiling in scarring trachoma identifies IL-6 as a functional component of a fibroblast-macrophage pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory feedback loop.
Trachoma is a conjunctiva scarring disease, which is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. Yet, the molecular mechanisms underlying progressive fibrosis in trachoma are unknown. To investigate the contribution of local resident fibroblasts to disease progression, we isolated conjunctival fibroblasts from patients with scarring trachoma and matching control individuals, and compared their gene expression profiles and functional properties in vitro. We show that scarring trachoma fibroblasts substantially differ from control counterparts, displaying pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory features matched by an altered gene expression profile. This pro-inflammatory signature was exemplified by increased IL-6 expression and secretion, and a stronger response to macrophage-mediated stimulation of contraction. We further demonstrate that scarring trachoma fibroblasts can promote Akt phosphorylation in macrophages in an IL-6 -dependent manner. Overall this work has uncovered a distinctive molecular fingerprint for scarring trachoma fibroblasts, and identified IL-6- as a potential contributor to the chronic conjunctival fibrosis, mediating reciprocal pro-fibrotic/pro-inflammatory interactions between macrophages and fibroblasts
The Institute of Archaeology & Siegfried H. Horn Museum Newsletter Volume 33.2
Tall Jalul 2012, Randall Younker, Paul Z. Gregor, and Paul J. Ray, Jr.
Bridge Building, Kevin Burton
Ceramic Finds: Typological and Technological Studies of the Pottery Remains from Tell Hesban and Vicinity
Random Surveyhttps://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/iaham-news/1050/thumbnail.jp
XMM-Newton observations of the supernova remnant IC443: I. soft X-ray emission from shocked interstellar medium
The shocked interstellar medium around IC443 produces strong X-ray emission
in the soft energy band (E<1.5 keV). We present an analysis of such emission as
observed with the EPIC MOS cameras on board the XMM-Newotn observatory, with
the purpose to find clear signatures of the interactions with the interstellar
medium (ISM) in the X-ray band, which may complement results obtained in other
wavelenghts. We found that the giant molecular cloud mapped in CO emission is
located in the foreground and gives an evident signature in the absorption of
X-rays. This cloud may have a torus shape and the part of torus interacting
with the IC443 shock gives rise to 2MASS-K emission in the southeast. The
measured density of emitting X-ray shocked plasma increases toward the
northeastern limb, where the remnant is interacting with an atomic cloud. We
found an excellent correlation between emission in the 0.3-0.5 keV band and
bright optical/radio filament on large spatial scales. The partial shell
structure seen in this band therefore traces the encounter with the atomic
cloud.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ (20 September
2006, v649). For hi-res figures, see
http://www.astropa.unipa.it/Library/OAPA_preprints/ic443ele1.ps.g
Isolated X-ray -- infrared sources in the region of interaction of the supernova remnant IC 443 with a molecular cloud
The nature of the extended hard X-ray source XMMU J061804.3+222732 and its
surroundings is investigated using XMM-Newton, Chandra, and Spitzer
observations. This source is located in an interaction region of the IC 443
supernova remnant with a neighboring molecular cloud. The X-ray emission
consists of a number of bright clumps embedded in an extended structured
non-thermal X-ray nebula larger than 30" in size. Some clumps show evidence for
line emission at ~1.9 keV and ~3.7 keV at the 99% confidence level. Large-scale
diffuse radio emission of IC 443 passes over the source region, with an
enhancement near the source. An IR source of about 14" x 7" size is prominent
in the 24 um, 70 um, and 2.2 um bands, adjacent to a putative Si K-shell X-ray
line emission region. The observed IR/X-ray morphology and spectra are
consistent with those expected for J/C-type shocks of different velocities
driven by fragmented supernova ejecta colliding with the dense medium of a
molecular cloud. The IR emission of the source detected by Spitzer can be
attributed to both continuum emission from an HII region created by the ejecta
fragment and line emission excited by shocks. This source region in IC 443 may
be an example of a rather numerous population of hard X-ray/IR sources created
by supernova explosions in the dense environment of star-forming regions.
Alternative Galactic and extragalactic interpretations of the observed source
are also discussed.Comment: The Astrophysical Journal, v. 677 (April 2008), in pres
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