658 research outputs found
Testing a new luminosity/redshift indicator for -ray bursts
We have tested a relative spectral lag (RSL) method suggested earlier as a
luminosity/redshift (or distance) estimator, using the generalized method by
Schaefer & Collazzi. We find the derivations from the luminosity/redshift-RSL
(L/R-RSL) relation are comparable with the corresponding observations. Applying
the luminosity-RSL relation to two different GRB samples, we find that there
exist no violators from the generalized test, namely the Nakar & Piran test and
Li test. We also find that about 36 per cent of Schaefer's sample are outliers
for the L/R-RSL relation within 1 confidence level, but no violators at
3 level within the current precision of L/R-RSL relation. An analysis
of several potential outliers for other luminosity relations shows they can
match the L/R-RSL relation well within an acceptable uncertainty. All the
coincident results seem to suggest that this relation could be a potential tool
for cosmological study.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures and 1 table; Comments are welcom
Hydrophilic intraocular lens opacification after posterior lamellar keratoplasty - a material analysis with special reference to optical quality assessment
Background: Laboratory analysis and optical quality assessment of explanted hydrophilic intraocular lenses (IOLs) with clinically significant opacification after posterior lamellar keratoplasty (DMEK and DSAEK). Methods: Thirteen opacified IOLs after posterior lamellar keratoplasty, 8 after descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK), 3 after descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) and 2 after both DSAEK and DMEK were analysed in our laboratory. Analyses included optical bench assessment for optical quality, light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDS). Results: In all IOLs the opacification was caused by a thin layer of calciumphosphate that had accumulated underneath the anterior optical surface of the IOLs in the area spared by the pupil/anterior capsulorhexis. The calcifications lead to a significant deterioration of the modulation transfer function across all spatial frequencies of the affected IOLs. Conclusions: The instillation of exogenous material such as air or gas into the anterior chamber increases the risk for opacification of hydrophilic IOLs irrespective of the manufacturer or the exact composition of the hydrophilic lens material. It is recommended to avoid the use of hydrophilic acrylic IOLs in patients with endothelial dystrophy that will likely require procedures involving the intracameral instillation of air or gas, such as DMEK or DS(A)EK
Intranasal Introduction of Fc-Fused Interleukin-7 Provides Long-Lasting Prophylaxis against Lethal Influenza Virus Infection
Influenza A virus (IAV) infection frequently causes hospitalization and mortality due to severe immunopathology. Annual vaccination and antiviral drugs are the current countermeasures against IAV infection, but they have a limited efficacy against new IAV variants. Here, we show that intranasal pretreatment with Fc-fused interleukin-7 (IL-7-mFc) protects mice from lethal IAV infections. The protective activity of IL-7-mFc relies on transcytosis via neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) in the lung and lasts for several weeks. Introduction of IL-7-mFc alters pulmonary immune environments, leading to recruitment of T cells from circulation and their subsequent residency as tissue-resident memory-like T (T-RM-like) cells. IL-7-mFc-primed pulmonary T-RM-like cells contribute to protection upon IAV infection by dual modes. First, T-RM-like cells, although not antigen specific but polyclonal, attenuate viral replication at the early phase of IAV infection. Second, T-RM-like cells augment expansion of IAV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), in particular at the late phase of infection, which directly control viruses. Thus, accelerated viral clearance facilitated by pulmonary T cells, which are either antigen specific or not, alleviates immunopathology in the lung and mortality from IAV infection. Depleting a subset of pulmonary T cells indicates that both CD4 and CD8 T cells contribute to protection from IAV, although IL-7-primed CD4 T cells have a more prominent role. Collectively, we propose intranasal IL-7-mFc pretreatment as an effective means for generating protective immunity against IAV infections, which could be applied to a potential prophylaxis for influenza pandemics in the future.
IMPORTANCE
The major consequence of a highly pathogenic IAV infection is severe pulmonary inflammation, which can result in organ failure and death at worst. Although vaccines for seasonal IAVs are effective, frequent variation of surface viral proteins hampers development of protective immunity. In this study, we demonstrated that intranasal IL-7-mFc pretreatment protected immunologically naive mice from lethal IAV infections. Intranasal pretreatment with IL-7-mFc induced an infiltration of T cells in the lung, which reside as effector/memory T cells with lung-retentive markers. Those IL-7-primed pulmonary T cells contributed to development of protective immunity upon IAV infection, reducing pulmonary immunopathology while increasing IAV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Since a single treatment with IL-7-mFc was effective in the protection against multiple strains of IAV for an extended period of time, our findings suggest a possibility that IL-7-mFc treatment, as a potential prophylaxis, can be developed for controlling highly pathogenic IAV infections.open1175sciescopu
Superfluid-insulator transition of the Josephson junction array model with commensurate frustration
We have studied the rationally frustrated Josephson-junction array model in
the square lattice through Monte Carlo simulations of D XY-model. For
frustration , the model at zero temperature shows a continuous
superfluid-insulator transition. From the measurement of the correlation
function and the superfluid stiffness, we obtain the dynamical critical
exponent and the correlation length critical exponent . While the dynamical critical exponent is the same as that for cases
, 1/2, and 1/3, the correlation length critical exponent is surprisingly
quite different. When , we have the nature of a first-order transition.Comment: RevTex 4, to appear in PR
In vitro comparative optical bench analysis of a spherical and aspheric optic design of the same IOL model
Background: To analyse objective optical properties of the spherical and aspheric design of the same intraocular lens (IOL) model using optical bench analysis. Methods: This study entailed a comparative analysis of 10 spherical C-flex 570 C and 10 aspheric C-flex 970 C IOLs (Rayner Intraocular Lenses Ltd., Hove, UK) of 26 diopters [D] using an optical bench (OptiSpheric, Trioptics, Germany). In all lenses, we evaluated the modulation transfer function (MTF) at 50 lp/mm and 100 lp/mm and the Strehl Ratio using a 3-mm (photopic) and 4.5-mm (mesopic) aperture. Results: At 50 lp/mm, the MTF values were 0.713/0.805 (C-flex 570 C/C-flex 970 C) for a 3-mm aperture and 0.294/0.591 for a 4.5-mm aperture. At 100 lp/mm, the MTF values were 0.524/0.634 for a 3-mm aperture and 0.198/0.344 for a 4.5-mm aperture. The Strehl Ratio was 0.806/0.925 and 0.237/0.479 for a 3-mm and 4.5-mm aperture respectively. A MannâWhitney U test revealed all intergroup differences to be statistically significant (pâ<â0.01). Conclusion: The aspheric IOL design achieved higher MTF values than the spherical design of the same IOL for both apertures. Moreover, the differences between the two designs of the IOL were more prominent for larger apertures. This suggests that the evaluated IOL provides enhanced optical quality to patients with larger pupils or working under mesopic conditions
A Study of the X-Ray Emission of Magnetic Cataclysmic Variable Ae Aquarii
We report results from analysis of the X-ray observations of AE Aqr, made
with Ginga in June 1988 and with ASCA in October 1995. Pulsations are detected
clearly with a sinusoidal pulse profile with periods of s
(Ginga) and s (ASCA)\@. The pulse amplitude is relatively
small and the modulated flux remains nearly constant despite a factor of 3
change in the average flux during the flare. We reproduce the time-averaged
spectrum in the 0.4 -- 10 keV energy band by a thermal emission model with a
combination of two different temperatures: kT keV
and kT keV\@. There is no significant difference
between the quiescent and flare energy spectra, although a hint of spectral
hardening is recognized during the flare. We interpret these observational
results with a model in which AE Aqr is in a propeller stage. Based on this
propeller scenario, we suggest that the X-ray emission is originated from
magnetospheric radiation.Comment: 24 pages, 7 Postscript figures, AAS LaTex, To appear in the Nov 1
issue of Ap
Phase diagram of the restricted solid-on-solid model coupled to the Ising model
We study the phase transitions of a restricted solid-on-solid model coupled
to an Ising model, which can be derived from the coupled XY-Ising model. There
are two kinds of phase transition lines. One is a Ising transition line and the
other is surface roughening transition line. The latter is a KT transition line
from the viewpoint of the XY model. Using a microcanonical Monte Carlo
technique, we obtain a very accurate two dimensional phase diagram. The two
transition lines are separate in all the parameter space we study. This result
is strong evidence that the fully frustrated XY model orders by two separate
transitions and that roughening and reconstruction transitions of crystal
surfaces occur separately.Comment: 17 pages, source RevTeX file and 8 PS figures are tarred and
compressed via uufile
UBVI Surface Photometry of the Spiral Galaxy NGC 300 in the Sculptor Group
We present UBVI surface photometry for 20.'5 X 20.'5 area of a late-type
spiral galaxy NGC 300. In order to understand the morphological properties and
luminosity distribution characteristics of NGC 300, we have derived isophotal
maps, surface brightness profiles, ellipticity profiles, position angle
profiles, and color profiles. By merging the I-band data of our surface
brightness measurements with those of Boeker et al. (2002) based on Hubble
Space Telescope observations, we have made combined I-band surface brightness
profiles for the region of 0."02 < r < 500" and decomposed the profiles into
three components: a nucleus, a bulge, and an exponential disk.Comment: 16 pages(cjaa209.sty), Accepted by the Chinese J. Astron. Astrophys.,
Fig 2 and 8 are degraded to reduce spac
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