738 research outputs found
Progenitor constraint with circumstellar material for the magnetar-hosting supernova remnant RCW 103
Stellar winds blown out from massive stars () contain
precious information on the progenitor itself, and in this context, the most
important elements are carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and oxygen (O), which are
produced by the CNO cycle in the H-burning layer. Although their X-ray
fluorescence lines are expected to be detected in swept-up shock-heated
circumstellar materials (CSMs) in supernova remnants (SNRs), particularly those
of C and N have been difficult to detect so far. Here, we present a
high-resolution spectroscopy of a young magnetar-hosting SNR RCW~103 with the
Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) onboard XMM-Newton and report on the
detection of \ion{N}{7} Ly (0.50~keV) line for the first time. By
comparing the obtained abundance ratio of N to O (N/O) with
various stellar evolution models, we show that the progenitor of RCW~103 is
likely to have a low-mass (10--12~) and medium-rotation velocities
(). The results also rule out the possibility of
dynamo effects in massive () stars as a formation mechanism
of the associated magnetar 1E~1613485055. Our method is useful for
estimating various progenitor parameters for future missions with
microcalorimeters such as XRISM and Athena.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 11 pages, 8 figure
Compact and scalable polarimetric self-coherent receiver using dielectric metasurface
The polarimetric self-coherent system using a direct-detection-based
Stokes-vector receiver (SVR) is a promising technology to meet both the cost
and capacity requirements of the short-reach optical interconnects. However,
conventional SVRs require a number of optical components to detect the state of
polarization at high speed, resulting in substantially more complicated
receiver configurations compared with the current
intensity-modulation-direct-detection (IMDD) counterparts. Here, we demonstrate
a simple and compact polarimetric self-coherent receiver based on a thin
dielectric metasurface and a photodetector array (PDA). With a single
1.05-m-thick metasurface device fabricated on a compact silicon-on-quartz
chip, we implement functionalities of all the necessary passive components: a
13 splitter, three polarization beam splitters with different
polarization bases, and six focusing lenses. Combined with a high-speed PDA, we
demonstrate self-coherent transmission of 20-GBd 16-ary quadrature amplitude
modulation (16QAM) and 50-GBd quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) signals over
a 25-km single-mode fiber. Owing to the surface-normal configuration, it can
easily be scaled to receive spatially multiplexed channels from a multicore
fiber or a fiber bundle, enabling compact and low-cost receiver modules for the
future highly parallelized self-coherent systems.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures (main manuscript) + 2 pages, 2 figures
(supplementary info
Oral Treatment with Extract of Agaricus blazei Murill Enhanced Th1 Response through Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Suppressed OVA-Sensitized Allergy in Mice
To clarify the mechanism of the antiallergic activity of Agaricus blazei Murill extract (ABME), the present paper used an in vivo allergy model and an in vitro intestinal gut model. During OVA sensitization, the serum IgE levels decreased significantly in ABME group. Interleukin (IL)-4 and -5 produced from OVA-restimulated splenocytes was significantly decreased, and anti-CD3ε/CD28 antibody treatment also reduced IL-10, -4, and -5 production and increased IFN-γ production in ABME group. These results suggest that oral administration of ABME improves Th1/Th2 balance. Moreover, a coculture system constructed of Caco-2 cells and splenocytes from OT-II mice or RAW 264.7 cells indicated that the significant increases in IFN-γ production by ABME treatment. Therefore, it was concluded that the antiallergic activity of ABME was due to the activation of macrophages by epithelial cells and the promotion of the differentiation of naïve T cells into Th1 cells in the immune
Rhophilin, a small GTPase Rho-binding protein, is abundantly expressed in the mouse testis and localized in the principal piece of the sperm tail
AbstractTissue distribution and cellular localization of rhophilin, a 71 kDa Rho-binding protein, were examined in mice. Rhophilin mRNA was highly expressed in adult testis, but was absent in the testis of W/WV mice deficient in germ cells. An anti-rhophilin antibody detected a band of an expected size in sperm extracts, which was enriched in the tail fraction. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed two lines of striated staining running in parallel in the principal piece of the sperm tail. These results suggest that rhophilin is expressed in germ cells and localized in the fibrous sheath of the sperm tail
Novel Measurement Technique for the Sagittal Vertical Axis and Its Clinical Application in Adult Spinal Deformity
Study DesignProspective physical measurement of the sagittal vertical axis (SVA).PurposeTo evaluate a simple method for measuring SVA by analyzing its relationship with radiographic measurements and clinical appearance.Overview of LiteratureNo studies have examined physical measurements using the cranial center of gravity (CCG) in a relaxed standing position.MethodsThe physical measurement of the horizontal distance between CCG and spina iliaca posterior superior (CCG-SIPS) was measured using a straight ruler in 252 healthy volunteers and 56 patients with adult spinal deformity. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) was evaluated using the Oswestry disability index (ODI), and clinical symptoms were assessed according to standing status and the presence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).ResultsCCG-SIPS increased with age in the volunteer group and strongly correlated with radiographic SVA in the patient group (r=0.984). Differences increased between CCG-SIPS in patients in the relaxed position and radiographic SVA with an increase in sagittal malalignment (r=0.692, p120 mm) was significantly larger in the patient group than in the group with low sagittal malalignment (59.9±18.8 vs. 45.1±17.0; p=0.004); these patients (CCG-SIPS>120 mm) needed crutches or walkers for standing. The patient group with GERD had significantly larger sagittal malalignment than the group without GERD (160.3 mm vs. 81.0 mm).ConclusionsThe CCG-SIPS correlated with age and strongly reflected radiographic SVA and HRQOL in the patients. Moreover, it reflects a relaxed posture without a backward shift in the radiographic position even in patients with severe sagittal malalignment. The critical limit of CCG-SIPS can be relevant to clinical appearance, including standing assistance (>120 mm) and the existence of GERD (>150 mm). Thus, it will be a useful predictor of true SVA in clinical practice before radiographic evaluation
Preliminary Trial of Rebamipide for Prevention of Low-Dose Aspirin-Induced Gastric Injury in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Cross-Over Study
Although low-dose aspirin is widely used, since it is a cheap and effective means of prevention of cardiovascular events, it can cause hemorrhagic gastrointestinal complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of rebamipide in preventing low-dose aspirin-induced gastric injury. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial was performed in twenty healthy volunteers. Aspirin 81 mg was administered with placebo or rebamipide 300 mg three times daily for 7 consecutive days. The rebamipide group exhibited significant prevention of erythema in the antrum compared with the placebo group (p = 0.0393, respectively). Results for the body and fornix did not differ significantly between the placebo and rebamipide groups. In conclusion, short-term administration of low-dose aspirin induced slight gastric mucosal injury in the antrum, but not in the body or fornix. Rebamipide may be useful for preventing low-dose aspirin-induced gastric mucosal injury, especially which confined to the antrum
Crowdsourcing genomic analyses of ash and ash dieback – power to the people
Ash dieback is a devastating fungal disease of ash trees that has swept across Europe and recently reached the UK. This emergent pathogen has received little study in the past and its effect threatens to overwhelm the ash population. In response to this we have produced some initial genomics datasets and taken the unusual step of releasing them to the scientific community for analysis without first performing our own. In this manner we hope to ‘crowdsource’ analyses and bring the expertise of the community to bear on this problem as quickly as possible. Our data has been released through our website at oadb.tsl.ac.uk and a public GitHub repository
Chalcones and Dihydrochalcones Augment TRAIL-Mediated Apoptosis in Prostate Cancer Cells
Chalcones and dihydrochalcones exhibit chemopreventive and antitumor activity. TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) is a natural endogenous anticancer agent. We examined the cytotoxic and apoptotic effect of chalcones and dihydrochalcones on TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. The cytotoxicity was evaluated by the MTT and LDH assays. The apoptosis was detected using annexin V-FITC by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. The ΔΨm was evaluated using DePsipher staining by fluorescence microscopy. Our study showed that two tested chalcones (chalcone and 2’,6’dihydroxy-4’-methoxychalcone) and three dihydrochalcones (2’,6’-dihydroxy-4’4-dimethoxydihydrochalcone, 2’,6’-dihydroxy-4’-methoxydihydro- chalcone, and 2’,4’,6’-trihydroxydihydrochalcone, called phloretin) markedly augmented TRAIL-induced apoptosis and cytotoxicity in LNCaP cells and confirmed the significant role of chalcones in chemoprevention of prostate cancer
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