1,235 research outputs found
Age-Related Changes in the Epithelial and Stromal Compartments of the Mammary Gland in Normocalcemic Mice Lacking the Vitamin D3 Receptor
The vitamin D3 receptor (VDR) serves as a negative growth regulator during mammary gland development via suppression of branching morphogenesis during puberty and modulation of differentiation and apoptosis during pregnancy, lactation and involution. To assess the role of the VDR in the aging mammary gland, we utilized 12, 14, and 16 month old VDR knockout (KO) and wild type (WT) mice for assessment of integrity of the epithelial and stromal compartments, steroid hormone levels and signaling pathways. Our data indicate that VDR ablation is associated with ductal ectasia of the primary mammary ducts, loss of secondary and tertiary ductal branches and atrophy of the mammary fat pad. In association with loss of the white adipose tissue compartment, smooth muscle actin staining is increased in glands from VDR KO mice, suggesting a change in the stromal microenviroment. Activation of caspase-3 and increased Bax expression in mammary tissue of VDR KO mice suggests that enhanced apoptosis may contribute to loss of ductal branching. These morphological changes in the glands of VDR KO mice are associated with ovarian failure and reduced serum 17ÎČ-estradiol. VDR KO mice also exhibit progressive loss of adipose tissue stores, hypoleptinemia and increased metabolic rate with age. These developmental studies indicate that, under normocalcemic conditions, loss of VDR signaling is associated with age-related estrogen deficiency, disruption of epithelial ductal branching, abnormal energy expenditure and atrophy of the mammary adipose compartment
Temporal dynamics of Prochlorococcus ecotypes in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
To better understand the temporal and spatial dynamics of Prochlorococcus populations, and how these populations co-vary with the physical environment, we followed monthly changes in the abundance of five ecotypesâtwo high-light adapted and three low-light adaptedâover a 5-year period in coordination with the Bermuda Atlantic Time Series (BATS) and Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT) programs. Ecotype abundance displayed weak seasonal fluctuations at HOT and strong seasonal fluctuations at BATS. Furthermore, stable âlayeredâ depth distributions, where different Prochlorococcus ecotypes reached maximum abundance at different depths, were maintained consistently for 5 years at HOT. Layered distributions were also observed at BATS, although winter deep mixing events disrupted these patterns each year and produced large variations in ecotype abundance. Interestingly, the layered ecotype distributions were regularly reestablished each year after deep mixing subsided at BATS. In addition, Prochlorococcus ecotypes each responded differently to the strong seasonal changes in light, temperature and mixing at BATS, resulting in a reproducible annual succession of ecotype blooms. Patterns of ecotype abundance, in combination with physiological assays of cultured isolates, confirmed that the low-light adapted eNATL could be distinguished from other low-light adapted ecotypes based on its ability to withstand temporary exposure to high-intensity light, a characteristic stress of the surface mixed layer. Finally, total Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus dynamics were compared with similar time series data collected a decade earlier at each location. The two data sets were remarkably similarâtestimony to the resilience of these complex dynamic systems on decadal time scales.National Science Foundation (U.S.)Gordon and Betty Moore Foundatio
Culture change in elite sport performance teams: Examining and advancing effectiveness in the new era
Reflecting the importance of optimizing culture for elite teams, Fletcher and Arnold (2011) recently suggested the need for expertise in culture change. Acknowledging the dearth of literature on the specific process, however, the potential effectiveness of practitioners in this area is unknown. The present paper examines the activity's precise demands and the validity of understanding in sport psychology and organizational research to support its delivery. Recognizing that sport psychologists are being increasingly utilized by elite team management, initial evidence-based guidelines are presented. Finally, to stimulate the development of ecologically valid, practically meaningful knowledge, the paper identifies a number of future research directions
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Dose-dependent T-cell Dynamics and Cytokine Cascade Following rVSV-ZEBOV Immunization.
BACKGROUND: The recent West African Ebola epidemic led to accelerated efforts to test Ebola vaccine candidates. As part of the World Health Organisation-led VSV Ebola Consortium (VEBCON), we performed a phase I clinical trial investigating rVSV-ZEBOV (a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus-vectored Ebola vaccine), which has recently demonstrated protection from Ebola virus disease (EVD) in phase III clinical trials and is currently in advanced stages of licensing. So far, correlates of immune protection are incompletely understood and the role of cell-mediated immune responses has not been comprehensively investigated to date. METHODS: We recruited 30 healthy subjects aged 18-55 into an open-label, dose-escalation phase I trial testing three doses of rVSV-ZEBOV (3Ă105 plaque-forming units (PFU), 3Ă106 PFU, 2Ă107 PFU) (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT02283099). Main study objectives were safety and immunogenicity, while exploratory objectives included lymphocyte dynamics, cell-mediated immunity and cytokine networks, which were assessed using flow cytometry, ELISpot and LUMINEX assay. FINDINGS: Immunization with rVSV-ZEBOV was well tolerated without serious vaccine-related adverse events. Ebola virus-specific neutralizing antibodies were induced in nearly all individuals. Additionally, vaccinees, particularly within the highest dose cohort, generated Ebola glycoprotein (GP)-specific T cells and initiated a cascade of signaling molecules following stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with Ebola GP peptides. INTERPRETATION: In addition to a benign safety and robust humoral immunogenicity profile, subjects immunized with 2Ă107 PFU elicited higher cellular immune responses and stronger interlocked cytokine networks compared to lower dose groups. To our knowledge these data represent the first detailed cell-mediated immuneprofile of a clinical trial testing rVSV-ZEBOV, which is of particular interest in light of its potential upcoming licensure as the first Ebola vaccine. VEBCON trial Hamburg, Germany (NCT02283099)
Large-basis shell-model calculations for p-shell nuclei
Results of large-basis shell-model calculations for nuclei with A=7-11 are
presented. The effective interactions used in the study were derived
microscopically from the Reid93 potential and take into account the Coulomb
potential as well as the charge dependence of T=1 partial waves. For A=7, a
model space was used, while for the rest of the studied
nuclides, the calculations were performed in a model space. It
is demonstrated that the shell model combined with microscopic effective
interactions derived from modern nucleon-nucleon potentials is capable of
providing good agreement with the experimental properties of the ground state
as well as with those of the low-lying excited states.Comment: 17 pages. REVTEX. 16 PostScript figure
Recommendations of the LHC Dark Matter Working Group: Comparing LHC searches for heavy mediators of dark matter production in visible and invisible decay channels
Weakly-coupled TeV-scale particles may mediate the interactions between
normal matter and dark matter. If so, the LHC would produce dark matter through
these mediators, leading to the familiar "mono-X" search signatures, but the
mediators would also produce signals without missing momentum via the same
vertices involved in their production. This document from the LHC Dark Matter
Working Group suggests how to compare searches for these two types of signals
in case of vector and axial-vector mediators, based on a workshop that took
place on September 19/20, 2016 and subsequent discussions. These suggestions
include how to extend the spin-1 mediated simplified models already in
widespread use to include lepton couplings. This document also provides
analytic calculations of the relic density in the simplified models and reports
an issue that arose when ATLAS and CMS first began to use preliminary numerical
calculations of the dark matter relic density in these models.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figures; v2: author list and LaTeX problem fixe
Z boson production in p+Pb collisions at sNNâ=5.02 TeV measured with the ATLAS detector
The ATLAS Collaboration has measured the inclusive production of Z bosons via their decays into electron and muon pairs in p+Pb collisions at â sNN = 5.02 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider. The measurements are made using data corresponding to integrated luminosities of 29.4 nbâ1 and 28.1 nbâ1 for Z â ee and Z â ””, respectively. The results from the two channels are consistent and combined to obtain a cross section times the Z â `` branching ratio, integrated over the rapidity region |y â Z | < 3.5, of 139.8 ± 4.8 (stat.) ± 6.2 (syst.) ± 3.8 (lumi.) nb. Differential cross sections are presented as functions of the Z boson rapidity and transverse momentum, and compared with models based on parton distributions both with and without nuclear corrections. The centrality dependence of Z boson production in p+Pb collisions is measured and analyzed within the framework of a standard Glauber model and the modelâs extension for fluctuations of the underlying nucleon-nucleon scattering cross sectionFil: Aad, G.. Aix-Marseille UniversitĂ©; FranciaFil: Abbott, B.. Oklahoma State University; Estados UnidosFil: Abdallah, J.. Academia Sinica; ChinaFil: Abdinov, O.. Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences; AzerbaiyĂĄnFil: Aben, R.. University of Amsterdam; PaĂses BajosFil: Alconada Verzini, MarĂa Josefina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de FĂsica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de FĂsica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Alonso, Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de FĂsica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de FĂsica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Arduh, Francisco Anuar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de FĂsica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de FĂsica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Dova, Maria Teresa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de FĂsica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de FĂsica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Monticelli, Fernando Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de FĂsica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de FĂsica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Wahlberg, Hernan Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de FĂsica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de FĂsica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Otero y Garzon, Gustavo Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Oficina de CoordinaciĂłn Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de FĂsica de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de FĂsica de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Piegaia, Ricardo Nestor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Oficina de CoordinaciĂłn Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de FĂsica de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de FĂsica de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Reisin, Hernan Diego. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Oficina de CoordinaciĂłn Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de FĂsica de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de FĂsica de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Sacerdoti, Sabrina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Oficina de CoordinaciĂłn Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de FĂsica de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de FĂsica de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Zieminska, D.. Indiana University; Estados UnidosFil: Zimine, N. I.. Joint Institute for Nuclear Research ; RusiaFil: Zimmermann, C.. UniversitĂ€t Mainz; AlemaniaFil: Zimmermann, S.. Albert-Ludwigs-UniversitĂ€t; AlemaniaFil: Zinonos, Z.. Georg-August-UniversitĂ€t; AlemaniaFil: Zinser, M.. UniversitĂ€t Mainz; AlemaniaFil: Ziolkowski, M.. UniversitĂ€t Siegen ; AlemaniaFil: ĆœivkoviÄ, L.. University of Belgrade; SerbiaFil: Zobernig, G.. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Zoccoli, A.. UniversitĂ di Bologna; ItaliaFil: Nedden, M. zur. Humboldt University; AlemaniaFil: Zurzolo, G.. UniversitĂ di Napoli; ItaliaFil: Zwalinski, L.. Cern - European Organization For Nuclear Research; SuizaFil: The ATLAS Collaboration. No especifica
Hartree Fock Calculations in the Density Matrix Expansion Approach
The density matrix expansion is used to derive a local energy density
functional for finite range interactions with a realistic meson exchange
structure. Exchange contributions are treated in a local momentum
approximation. A generalized Slater approximation is used for the density
matrix where an effective local Fermi momentum is chosen such that the next to
leading order off-diagonal term is canceled. Hartree-Fock equations are derived
incorporating the momentum structure of the underlying finite range
interaction. For applications a density dependent effective interaction is
determined from a G-matrix which is renormalized such that the saturation
properties of symmetric nuclear matter are reproduced. Intending applications
to systems far off stability special attention is paid to the low density
regime and asymmetric nuclear matter. Results are compared to predictions
obtained from Skyrme interactions. The ground state properties of stable nuclei
are well reproduced without further adjustments of parameters. The potential of
the approach is further exemplified in calculations for A=100...140 tin
isotopes. Rather extended neutron skins are found beyond 130Sn corresponding to
solid layers of neutron matter surrounding a core of normal composition.Comment: Revtex, 29 pages including 14 eps figures, using epsfig.st
Three-body halos. V. Computations of continuum spectra for Borromean nuclei
We solve the coordinate space Faddeev equations in the continuum. We employ
hyperspherical coordinates and provide analytical expressions allowing easy
computation of the effective potentials at distances much larger than the
ranges of the interactions where only s-waves in the different Jacobi
coordinates couple. Realistic computations are carried out for the Borromean
halo nuclei 6He (n+n+\alpha) for J\pi = 0+-, 1+-, 2+- and 11Li (n+n+9Li) for
(1/2)+-, (3/2)+-, (5/2)+-. Ground state properties, strength functions, Coulomb
dissociation cross sections, phase shifts, complex S-matrix poles are computed
and compared to available experimental data. We find enhancements of the
strength functions at low energies and a number of low-lying S-matrix poles.Comment: 35 pages, 14 figure
Single-Proton Removal Reaction Study of 16B
The low-lying level structure of the unbound system B has been
investigated via single-proton removal from a 35 MeV/nucleon C beam. The
coincident detection of the beam velocity B fragment and neutron allowed
the relative energy of the in-flight decay of B to be reconstructed. The
resulting spectrum exhibited a narrow peak some 85 keV above threshold. It is
argued that this feature corresponds to a very narrow (100 keV)
resonance, or an unresolved multiplet, with a dominant + configuration which decays by d-wave neutron
emission.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, submitted to Phys. Lett.
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