Calcitonin receptor-like receptor is expressed on gastrointestinal immune cells

Background/Aims: Pharmacological and morphological studies suggest that the gut mucosal immune system and local neuropeptide-containing neurones interact. We aimed to determine whether gut immune cells are targets for calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which has potent immune regulatory properties. Methods: Using density gradient centrifugation, rat lamina propria mononuclear cells (LP-MNCs) and intra-epithelial lymphocytes (IELs) were isolated. RT-PCR was employed for the detection of mRNA of rat calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CRLR), which is considered to represent the pharmacologically defined CGRP receptor-1 subtype, as well as mRNA of the receptor activity-modifying proteins, which are essential for CRLR function and determine ligand specificity. A radioreceptor assay was employed for the detection of specific CGRP binding sites. Results: RT-PCR and DNA sequencing showed that LP-MNCs and IELs express CRLR. Incubation of isolated LP-MNCs with radiolabelled alphaCGRP revealed the existence of specific binding sites for CGRP. Conclusion: These novel data indicate that mucosal immune cells of the rat gut are a target for CGRP and provide significant evidence that CGRP functions as an immune regulator in the gut mucosa. Copyright (C) 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel

High voltage solar array study Final report

High voltage solar array stud

A 2k2k-Vertex Kernel for Maximum Internal Spanning Tree

We consider the parameterized version of the maximum internal spanning tree problem, which, given an $n$-vertex graph and a parameter $k$, asks for a spanning tree with at least $k$ internal vertices. Fomin et al. [J. Comput. System Sci., 79:1-6] crafted a very ingenious reduction rule, and showed that a simple application of this rule is sufficient to yield a $3k$-vertex kernel. Here we propose a novel way to use the same reduction rule, resulting in an improved $2k$-vertex kernel. Our algorithm applies first a greedy procedure consisting of a sequence of local exchange operations, which ends with a local-optimal spanning tree, and then uses this special tree to find a reducible structure. As a corollary of our kernel, we obtain a deterministic algorithm for the problem running in time $4^k \cdot n^{O(1)}$

Spatial clustering of defect luminescence centers in Si-doped low resistivity Al0.82Ga0.18N

A series of Si-doped AlN-rich AlGaN layers with low resistivities was characterized by a combination of nanoscale imaging techniques. Utilizing the capability of scanning electron microscopy to reliably investigate the same sample area with different techniques, it was possible to determine the effect of doping concentration, defect distribution, and morphology on the luminescence properties of these layers. Cathodoluminescence shows that the dominant defect luminescence depends on the Si-doping concentration. For lower doped samples, the most intense peak was centered between 3.36 eV and 3.39 eV, while an additional, stronger peak appears at 3 eV for the highest doped sample. These peaks were attributed to the (VIII-ON)2− complex and the V3−III vacancy, respectively. Multimode imaging using cathodoluminescence, secondary electrons, electron channeling contrast, and atomic force microscopy demonstrates that the luminescence intensity of these peaks is not homogeneously distributed but shows a strong dependence on the topography and on the distribution of screw dislocations.DFG, 43659573, SFB 787: Halbleiter - Nanophotonik: Materialien, Modelle, BauelementeBMBF, 13N12587, Photonische Plattformtechnologie zur ultrasensitiven und hochspezifischen biochemischen Sensorik auf Basis neuartiger UV-LEDs (UltraSens

Empirical evidence to understand the human factor for effective rapid testing against SARS-CoV-2

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) rapid antigen point-of-care and home tests are available to laypeople. In four cross-sectional mixed-methods data collections conducted between December 2020 and March 2021 (n = 4,026), we showed that a majority of subjects were willing to test despite mistrust and ignorance regarding rapid tests’ validity. Experimental evidence shows that low costs and access to events could increase testing intentions. Mandatory reporting and isolation after positive results were not identified as major barriers. Instead, assuming that testing and isolation can slow down the pandemic and the possibility to protect others were related to greater willingness to get tested. While we did not find evidence for risk compensation for past tests, experimental evidence suggests that there is a tendency to show less mask wearing and physical distancing in a group of tested individuals. A short communication intervention reduced complacent behavior. The derived recommendations could make rapid testing a successful pillar of pandemic management

Multi-decadal increase of forest burned area in Australia is linked to climate change

Fire activity in Australia is strongly affected by high inter-annual climate variability and extremes. Through changes in the climate, anthropogenic climate change has the potential to alter fire dynamics. Here we compile satellite (19 and 32 years) and ground-based (90 years) burned area datasets, climate and weather observations, and simulated fuel loads for Australian forests. Burned area in Australia’s forests shows a linear positive annual trend but an exponential increase during autumn and winter. The mean number of years since the last fire has decreased consecutively in each of the past four decades, while the frequency of forest megafire years (>1 Mha burned) has markedly increased since 2000. The increase in forest burned area is consistent with increasingly more dangerous fire weather conditions, increased risk factors associated with pyroconvection, including fire-generated thunderstorms, and increased ignitions from dry lightning, all associated to varying degrees with anthropogenic climate change

Twin-beam sub-shot-noise raster-scanning microscope

By exploiting the quantised nature of light, we demonstrate a sub-shot-noise scanning optical transmittance microscope. Our microscope demonstrates, with micron scale resolution, a factor of improvement in precision of 1.76(9) in transmittance estimation gained per probe photon relative to the theoretical model, a shot-noise-limited source of light, in an equivalent single-pass classical version of the same experiment using the same number of photons detected with a 90% efficient detector. This would allow us to observe photosensitive samples with nearly twice the precision, without sacrificing image resolution or increasing optical power to improve signal-to-noise ratio. Our setup uses correlated twin-beams produced by parametric down-conversion, and a hybrid detection scheme comprising photon-counting-based feed-forward and a highly efficient CCD camera

Analysis of Stars Common to the IRAS and HIPPARCOS Surveys

For about 11,000 stars observed in the HIPPARCOS Survey and detected by IRAS we calculate bolometric luminosities by integrating their spectral energy distributions from the B band to far-IR wavelengths. We present an analysis of the dependence of dust emission on spectral type and correlations between the luminosity and dust emission for about 1000 sources with the best data (parallax error less than 30%, error in luminosity of about 50% or better). This subsample includes stars of all spectral types and is dominated by K and M giants. We use the IRAS [25]-[12] color to select stars with emission from circumstellar dust and show that they are found throughout the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, including on the main sequence. Clear evidence is found that M giants with dust emission have luminosities about 3 times larger (about 3000 Lsun) than their counterparts without dust, and that mass loss on the asymptotic giant branch for both M and C stars requires a minimum luminosity of order 2000 Lsun. Above this threshold the mass-loss rate seems to be independent of, or only weakly dependent on, luminosity. We also show that the mass-loss rate for these stars is larger than the core mass growth rate, indicating that their evolution is dominated by mass loss.Comment: Accepted to ApJ, 14 pages, 5 figure