Can COBE see the shape of the universe?

In recent years, the large angle COBE--DMR data have been used to place constraints on the size and shape of certain topologically compact models of the universe. Here we show that this approach does not work for generic compact models. In particular, we show that compact hyperbolic models do not suffer the same loss of large angle power seen in flat or spherical models. This follows from applying a topological theorem to show that generic hyperbolic three manifolds support long wavelength fluctuations, and by taking into account the dominant role played by the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect in a hyperbolic universe.Comment: 16 Pages, 5 Figures. Version published in Phys. Rev.

Melanoma clonal heterogeneity leads to secondary resistance after adoptive cell therapy with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes.

Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) is effective in melanoma patients, although long-term responses seem restricted to patients who have complete remissions. Many patients develop secondary resistance to TIL-ACT but the involved mechanisms are unclear. Here, we describe a case of secondary resistance to TIL-ACT likely due to intratumoral heterogeneity and selection of a resistant tumor cell clone by the transferred T cells. To our knowledge, this is the first case of clonal selection of a pre-existing non-dominant tumor cell clone and it demonstrates a mechanism involved in secondary resistance to TIL-ACT that could potentially change current clinical practice, because it advocates for T-cell collection from multiple tumor sites and analysis of tumor heterogeneity before the treatment with TIL-ACT

Geographic and temporal variation in the consumption of bats by European barn owls

Capsule We report a review of the occurrence of bats in the Barn Owl diet Tyto alba in Europe. Based on 802 studies reporting 4.02 million prey items identified in pellets, 4949 were bats (0.12%). We found that bat predation decreased during the last 150 years, is more frequent on islands than mainland, and is higher in eastern than western Europe and in southern than northern Europe. Although Barn Owls usually capture bats opportunistically, they can sometimes specialize on them

The Galactic kinematics of cataclysmic variables

Kinematical properties of CVs were investigated according to population types and orbital periods, using the space velocities computed from recently updated systemic velocities, proper motions and parallaxes. Reliability of collected space velocity data was refined by removing 34 systems with largest space velocity errors. The 216 CVs in the refined sample were shown to have a dispersion of 53.70 +/- 7.41 kms(-1) corresponding to a mean kinematical age of 5.29 +/- 1.35 Gyr. Population types of CVs were identified using their Galactic orbital parameters. According to the population analysis, seven old thin disc, nine thick disc and one halo CV were found in the sample, indicating that 94 % of CVs in the Solar Neighbourhood belong to the thin-disc component of the Galaxy. Mean kinematical ages 3.40 +/- 1.03 and 3.90 +/- 1.28 Gyr are for the nonmagnetic thin-disc CVs below and above the period gap, respectively. There is not a meaningful difference between the velocity dispersions below and above the gap. Velocity dispersions of the non-magnetic thin-disc systems below and above the gap are 24.95 +/- 3.46 and 26.60 +/- 4.18 kms(-1), respectively. This result is not in agreement with the standard formation and evolution theory of CVs. The mean kinematical ages of the CV groups in various orbital period intervals increase towards shorter orbital periods. This is in agreement with the standard theory for the evolution of CVs. Rate of orbital period change was found to be dP/dt =-1.62(+/- 0.15) x10(-5) sec yr(-1)