373 research outputs found
Mass Transfer, Transiting Stream and Magnetopause in Close-in Exoplanetary Systems with Applications to WASP-12
We study mass transfer by Roche lobe overflow in close-in exoplanetary
systems. The planet's atmospheric gas passes through the inner Lagrangian point
and flows along a narrow stream, accelerating to 100-200\kms velocity before
forming an accretion disk. We show that the cylinder-shaped accretion stream
can have an area (projected in the plane of the sky) comparable to that of the
planet and a significant optical depth to spectral line absorption. Such a
"transiting cylinder" may produce an earlier ingress of the planet transit, as
suggested by recent HST observations of the WASP-12 system. The asymmetric disk
produced by the accretion stream may also lead to time-dependent obscuration of
the star light and apparent earlier ingress. We also consider the interaction
of the stellar wind with the planetary magnetosphere. Since the wind speed is
subsonic/sub-Alfvenic and comparable to the orbital velocity of the planet, the
head of the magnetopause lies eastward relative to the substellar line (the
line joining the planet and the star). The gas around the magnetopause may, if
sufficiently compressed, give rise to asymmetric ingress/egress during the
planet transit, although more works are needed to evaluate this possibility.Comment: 6 pages with 2 figures. Accepted in ApJ. Small changes (add
discussion on asymmetric disks
Gene-modified T cells for adoptive immunotherapy of renal cell cancer maintain transgene-specific immune functions in vivo
Abstract
BACKGROUND: We have treated three patients with carboxy-anhydrase-IX (CAIX) positive metastatic renal cell cancer (RCC) by adoptive transfer of autologous T-cells that had been gene-transduced to express a single-chain antibody-G250 chimeric receptor [scFv(G250)], and encountered liver toxicity necessitating adaptation of the treatment protocol. Here, we investigate whether or not the in vivo activity of the infused scFv(G250)(+) T cells is reflected by changes of selected immune parameters measured in peripheral blood. METHODS: ScFv(G250)-chimeric receptor-mediated functions of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from three patients during and after treatment were compared to the same functions of scFv(G250)(+) T lymphocytes prior to infusion, and were correlated with plasma cytokine levels. RESULTS: Prior to infusion, scFv(G250)(+) T lymphocytes showed in vitro high levels of scFv(G250)-chimeric receptor-mediated functions such as killing of CAIX(+) RCC cell lines and cytokine production upon exposure to these cells. High levels of IFN-gamma were produced, whilst production of TNF-alpha, interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-5 and IL-10 was variable and to lower levels, and that of IL-2 virtually absent. PBMC taken from patients during therapy showed lower levels of in vitro scFv(G250)-receptor-mediated functions as compared to pre-infusion, whilst IFN-gamma was the only detectable cytokine upon in vitro PBMC exposure to CAIX. During treatment, plasma levels of IFN-gamma increased only in the patient with the most prominent liver toxicity. IL-5 plasma levels increased transiently during treatment in all patients, which may have been triggered by the co-administration of IL-2. CONCLUSION: ScFv(G250)-receptor-mediated functions of the scFv(G250)(+) T lymphocytes are, by and large, preserved in vivo upon administration, and may be reflected by fluctuations in plasma IFN-gamma levels
Transit Variability in Bow Shock-Hosting Planets
We investigate the formation of bow shocks around exoplanets as a result of
the interaction of the planet with the coronal material of the host star,
focusing on physical causes that can lead to temporal variations in the shock
characteristics. We recently suggested that WASP-12b may host a bow shock
around its magnetosphere, similarly to the one observed around the Earth. For
WASP12b, the shock is detected in the near-UV transit light curve.
Observational follow-up suggests that the near-UV light curve presents temporal
variations, which may indicate that the stand-off distance between the shock
and the planet is varying. This implies that the size of the planet's
magnetosphere is adjusting itself in response to variations in the surrounding
ambient medium. We investigate possible causes of shock variations for the
known eccentric (e>0.3) transiting planets. We show that, because the distance
from the star changes along the orbit of an eccentric planet, the shock
characteristics are modulated by orbital phase. We predict time offsets between
the beginnings of the near-UV and optical light curves that are, in general,
less than the transit duration. Variations in shock characteristics caused in
eccentric systems can only be probed if the shock is observed at different
orbital phases, which is, in general, not the case for transit observations.
However, non-thermal radio emission produced by the interaction of the star and
planet should be modulated by orbital phase. We also quantify the response of
the shock to variations in the coronal material itself due to, e.g., a
non-axisymmetric stellar corona, planetary obliquity, intrinsic variations of
the stellar magnetic field. Such variations do not depend on the system
eccentricity. We conclude that, for systems where a shock is detectable through
transit light curve observations, shock variations should be a common
occurrence. (Abridged)Comment: 10 pages, 11 figures, 1 table. MNRAS accepte
Abrogation of IL-6-mediated JAK signalling by the cyclopentenone prostaglandin 15d-PGJ2 in oral squamous carcinoma cells
Cyclopentenone 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) exerts antineoplastic effects on various types of human cancer. We recently showed that treatment with 15d-PGJ2 induces apoptosis accompanied by downregulation of the oncogenic signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) signalling in human oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells. The current study examines the effects of 15d-PGJ2 on the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and Janus Kinase (JAK)-mediated signalling pathways. Inhibition of Stat3 by 15d-PGJ2 was abolished by exogenous stimulation with transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-α), but not interleukin 6 (IL-6), supporting a selective effect of 15d-PGJ2 on IL-6-mediated signalling. Importantly, 15d-PGJ2 selectively abrogated constitutive and IL-6-mediated JAK phosphorylation without affecting EGFR-activated levels. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of 15d-PGJ2 on JAK signalling required the reactive α,β-unsaturated carbon within the cyclopentenone ring. Targeting of JAK signalling using a specific JAK inhibitor also abolished Stat3 phosphorylation and resulted in apoptosis in oral SCC cells. Our findings provide the first evidence for 15d-PGJ2–mediated downregulation of constitutive and IL-6-induced JAK signalling in cancer and support that JAK inhibition and suppression of EGFR-independent Stat3 activation by 15d-PGJ2 represent a promising approach for induction of apoptosis in oral SCC cells
Binary microlensing event OGLE-2009-BLG-020 gives a verifiable mass, distance and orbit predictions
We present the first example of binary microlensing for which the parameter
measurements can be verified (or contradicted) by future Doppler observations.
This test is made possible by a confluence of two relatively unusual
circumstances. First, the binary lens is bright enough (I=15.6) to permit
Doppler measurements. Second, we measure not only the usual 7 binary-lens
parameters, but also the 'microlens parallax' (which yields the binary mass)
and two components of the instantaneous orbital velocity. Thus we measure,
effectively, 6 'Kepler+1' parameters (two instantaneous positions, two
instantaneous velocities, the binary total mass, and the mass ratio). Since
Doppler observations of the brighter binary component determine 5 Kepler
parameters (period, velocity amplitude, eccentricity, phase, and position of
periapsis), while the same spectroscopy yields the mass of the primary, the
combined Doppler + microlensing observations would be overconstrained by 6 + (5
+ 1) - (7 + 1) = 4 degrees of freedom. This makes possible an extremely strong
test of the microlensing solution. We also introduce a uniform microlensing
notation for single and binary lenses, we define conventions, summarize all
known microlensing degeneracies and extend a set of parameters to describe full
Keplerian motion of the binary lenses.Comment: 51 pages, 8 figures, 2 appendices. Submitted to ApJ. Fortran codes
for Appendix B are attached to this astro-ph submission and are also
available at http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~jskowron/OGLE-2009-BLG-020
Atmospheric Muon Flux at Sea Level, Underground, and Underwater
The vertical sea-level muon spectrum at energies above 1 GeV and the
underground/underwater muon intensities at depths up to 18 km w.e. are
calculated. The results are particularly collated with a great body of the
ground-level, underground, and underwater muon data. In the hadron-cascade
calculations, the growth with energy of inelastic cross sections and pion,
kaon, and nucleon generation in pion-nucleus collisions are taken into account.
For evaluating the prompt muon contribution to the muon flux, we apply two
phenomenological approaches to the charm production problem: the recombination
quark-parton model and the quark-gluon string model. To solve the muon
transport equation at large depths of homogeneous medium, a semi-analytical
method is used. The simple fitting formulas describing our numerical results
are given. Our analysis shows that, at depths up to 6-7 km w. e., essentially
all underground data on the muon intensity correlate with each other and with
predicted depth-intensity relation for conventional muons to within 10%.
However, the high-energy sea-level data as well as the data at large depths are
contradictory and cannot be quantitatively decribed by a single nuclear-cascade
model.Comment: 47 pages, REVTeX, 15 EPS figures included; recent experimental data
and references added, typos correcte
Intra-observer and interobserver variability of biventricular function, volumes and mass in patients with congenital heart disease measured by CMR imaging
Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging provides highly accurate measurements of biventricular volumes and mass and is frequently used in the follow-up of patients with acquired and congenital heart disease (CHD). Data on reproducibility are limited in patients with CHD, while measurements should be reproducible, since CMR imaging has a main contribution to decision making and timing of (re)interventions. The aim of this study was to assess intra-observer and interobserver variability of biventricular function, volumes and mass in a heterogeneous group of patients with CHD using CMR imaging. Thirty-five patients with CHD (7–62 years) were included in this study. A short axis set was acquired using a steady-state free precession pulse sequence. Intra-observer and interobserver variability was assessed for left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) volumes, function and mass by calculating the coefficient of variability. Intra-observer variability was between 2.9 and 6.8% and interobserver variability was between 3.9 and 10.2%. Overall, variations were smallest for biventricular end-diastolic volume and highest for biventricular end-systolic volume. Intra-observer and interobserver variability of biventricular parameters assessed by CMR imaging is good for a heterogeneous group of patients with CHD. CMR imaging is an accurate and reproducible method and should allow adequate assessment of changes in ventricular size and global ventricular function
A Measurement of Rb using a Double Tagging Method
The fraction of Z to bbbar events in hadronic Z decays has been measured by
the OPAL experiment using the data collected at LEP between 1992 and 1995. The
Z to bbbar decays were tagged using displaced secondary vertices, and high
momentum electrons and muons. Systematic uncertainties were reduced by
measuring the b-tagging efficiency using a double tagging technique. Efficiency
correlations between opposite hemispheres of an event are small, and are well
understood through comparisons between real and simulated data samples. A value
of Rb = 0.2178 +- 0.0011 +- 0.0013 was obtained, where the first error is
statistical and the second systematic. The uncertainty on Rc, the fraction of Z
to ccbar events in hadronic Z decays, is not included in the errors. The
dependence on Rc is Delta(Rb)/Rb = -0.056*Delta(Rc)/Rc where Delta(Rc) is the
deviation of Rc from the value 0.172 predicted by the Standard Model. The
result for Rb agrees with the value of 0.2155 +- 0.0003 predicted by the
Standard Model.Comment: 42 pages, LaTeX, 14 eps figures included, submitted to European
Physical Journal
Measurement of the B+ and B-0 lifetimes and search for CP(T) violation using reconstructed secondary vertices
The lifetimes of the B+ and B-0 mesons, and their ratio, have been measured in the OPAL experiment using 2.4 million hadronic Z(0) decays recorded at LEP. Z(0) --> b (b) over bar decays were tagged using displaced secondary vertices and high momentum electrons and muons. The lifetimes were then measured using well-reconstructed charged and neutral secondary vertices selected in this tagged data sample. The results aretau(B+) = 1.643 +/- 0.037 +/- 0.025 pstau(Bo) = 1.523 +/- 0.057 +/- 0.053 pstau(B+)/tau(Bo) = 1.079 +/- 0.064 +/- 0.041,where in each case the first error is statistical and the second systematic.A larger data sample of 3.1 million hadronic Z(o) decays has been used to search for CP and CPT violating effects by comparison of inclusive b and (b) over bar hadron decays, No evidence fur such effects is seen. The CP violation parameter Re(epsilon(B)) is measured to be Re(epsilon(B)) = 0.001 +/- 0.014 +/- 0.003and the fractional difference between b and (b) over bar hadron lifetimes is measured to(Delta tau/tau)(b) = tau(b hadron) - tau((b) over bar hadron)/tau(average) = -0.001 +/- 0.012 +/- 0.008
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