7,724 research outputs found
Asbestos modulates thioredoxin-thioredoxin interacting protein interaction to regulate inflammasome activation
BACKGROUND: Asbestos exposure is related to various diseases including asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma (MM). Among the pathogenic mechanisms proposed by which asbestos can cause diseases involving epithelial and mesothelial cells, the most widely accepted one is the generation of reactive oxygen species and/or depletion of antioxidants like glutathione. It has also been demonstrated that asbestos can induce inflammation, perhaps due to activation of inflammasomes. METHODS: The oxidation state of thioredoxin was analyzed by redox Western blot analysis and ROS generation was assessed spectrophotometrically as a read-out of solubilized formazan produced by the reduction of nitrotetrazolium blue (NTB) by superoxide. Quantitative real time PCR was used to assess changes in gene transcription. RESULTS: Here we demonstrate that crocidolite asbestos fibers oxidize the pool of the antioxidant, Thioredoxin-1 (Trx1), which results in release of Thioredoxin Interacting Protein (TXNIP) and subsequent activation of inflammasomes in human mesothelial cells. Exposure to crocidolite asbestos resulted in the depletion of reduced Trx1 in human peritoneal mesothelial (LP9/hTERT) cells. Pretreatment with the antioxidant dehydroascorbic acid (a reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger) reduced the level of crocidolite asbestos-induced Trx1 oxidation as well as the depletion of reduced Trx1. Increasing Trx1 expression levels using a Trx1 over-expression vector, reduced the extent of Trx1 oxidation and generation of ROS by crocidolite asbestos, and increased cell survival. In addition, knockdown of TXNIP expression by siRNA attenuated crocidolite asbestos-induced activation of the inflammasome. CONCLUSION: Our novel findings suggest that extensive Trx1 oxidation and TXNIP dissociation may be one of the mechanisms by which crocidolite asbestos activates the inflammasome and helps in development of MM
Debris disks in main sequence binary systems
We observed 69 A3-F8 main sequence binary star systems using the Multiband
Imaging Photometer for Spitzer onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope. We find
emission significantly in excess of predicted photospheric flux levels for
9(+4/-3)% and 40(+7/-6)% of these systems at 24 and 70 microns, respectively.
Twenty two systems total have excess emission, including four systems that show
excess emission at both wavelengths. A very large fraction (nearly 60%) of
observed binary systems with small (<3 AU) separations have excess thermal
mission. We interpret the observed infrared excesses as thermal emission from
dust produced by collisions in planetesimal belts. The incidence of debris
disks around main sequence A3-F8 binaries is marginally higher than that for
single old AFGK stars. Whatever combination of nature (birth conditions of
binary systems) and nurture (interactions between the two stars) drives the
evolution of debris disks in binary systems, it is clear that planetesimal
formation is not inhibited to any great degree. We model these dust disks
through fitting the spectral energy distributions and derive typical dust
temperatures in the range 100--200 K and typical fractional luminosities around
10^-5, with both parameters similar to other Spitzer-discovered debris disks.
Our calculated dust temperatures suggest that about half the excesses we
observe are derived from circumbinary planetesimal belts and around one third
of the excesses clearly suggest circumstellar material. Three systems with
excesses have dust in dynamically unstable regions, and we discuss possible
scenarios for the origin of this short-lived dust.Comment: ApJ, in press. 57 pages, including 7 figures (one of which is in
color
Advantages and disadvantages of advertising and promotion in the internet
Nowadays, advertising plays an important role in the promotion and advancement of any brand, product or service. Advertising influences on the image and style of life. Internet is a tool which is used for creation of advertising. It represents an ideal opportunity for the development of communication with consumers in an electronic environment. Online advertising is used by companies worldwide for promotion their products and services. Features, advantages and disadvantages of the Internet - advertising will be covered in this article.На сегодняшний день, реклама играет важную роль в раскрутке и продвижении любого бренда, товара и услуги. Реклама оказывает влияние на образ и стиль жизни человека, диктует определенные модели поведения в обществе. Интернет - это инструмент, используемый при создании рекламы. Он представляет собой идеальную возможность для развития коммуникации с потребителями в электронной среде. Интернет-рекламу для продвижения своих товаров и услуг используют компании по всему миру. Особенности, преимущества и недостатки интернет - рекламы будут освещены в данной статье
Absorption-selected galaxies trace the low-mass, late-type, star-forming population at
We report on the stellar content, half-light radii and star formation rates
of a sample of 10 known high-redshift () galaxies selected on
strong neutral hydrogen (HI) absorption (log(N(HI)/cm) toward
background quasars. We use observations from the {\it Hubble Space Telescope}
(HST) Wide Field Camera 3 in three broad-band filters to study the spectral
energy distribution(SED) of the galaxies. Using careful quasar point spread
function subtraction, we study their galactic environments, and perform the
first systematic morphological characterisation of such absorption-selected
galaxies at high redshifts. Our analysis reveals complex, irregular hosts with
multiple star-forming clumps. At a spatial sampling of 0.067 arcsec per pixel
(corresponding to 0.55 kpc at the median redshift of our sample), 40% of our
sample requires multiple S\'ersic components for an accurate modelling of the
observed light distributions. Placed on the mass-size relation and the `main
sequence' of star-forming galaxies, we find that absorption-selected galaxies
at high redshift extend known relations determined from deep
luminosity-selected surveys to an order of magnitude lower stellar mass, with
objects primarily composed of star-forming, late-type galaxies. We measure
half-light radii in the range 0.4 to 2.6 kpc based on the
reddest band (F160W) to trace the oldest stellar populations, and stellar
masses in the range 8 to 10
derived from fits to the broad-band SED. Spectroscopic and SED-based star
formation rates are broadly consistent, and lie in the range log(SFR/Myr) 0.0 to 1.7.Comment: 17 pages, Accepted for publication in MNRAS. This revision has minor
text change
Constraints on a Massive Dirac Neutrino Model
We examine constraints on a simple neutrino model in which there are three
massless and three massive Dirac neutrinos and in which the left handed
neutrinos are linear combinations of doublet and singlet neutrinos. We examine
constraints from direct decays into heavy neutrinos, indirect effects on
electroweak parameters, and flavor changing processes. We combine these
constraints to examine the allowed mass range for the heavy neutrinos of each
of the three generations.Comment: latex, 29 pages, 7 figures (not included), MIT-CTP-221
Closed-flavor pi + J/psi and pi + Upsilon Cross Sections at Low Energies from Dipion Decays
The scale of low energy c-cbar and b-bbar cross sections on light hadrons is
of great importance to searches for the quark gluon plasma using the
heavy-quarkonium suppression signature. Unfortunately, little is known about
these near-threshold cross sections at present, and recent theoretical
estimates span many orders of magnitude. Here we use experimental data on the
four observed closed-flavor heavy quarkonium hadronic decays psi' -> pi pi
J/psi, Upsilon' -> pi pi Upsilon, Upsilon'' -> pi pi Upsilon and Upsilon'' ->
pi pi Upsilon', combined with simple models of the transition amplitudes, to
estimate the pion scattering cross sections of c-cbar and b-bbar mesons near
threshold. Specifically we consider the closed-flavor reactions pi J/psi -> pi
psi', pi Upsilon -> pi Upsilon', pi Upsilon -> pi Upsilon'' and pi Upsilon' ->
pi Upsilon'' and their time-reversed analogues. Our results may be useful in
constraining theoretical models of the strong interactions of heavy quarkonia,
and can be systematically improved through future detailed studies of dipion
decays, notably psi' -> pi pi J/psi and Upsilon'' -> pi pi Upsilon.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure
Synthesis, Characterization and Magnetic Susceptibility of the Heavy Fermion Transition Metal Oxide LiV_{2}O_{4}
The preparative method, characterization and magnetic susceptibility \chi
measurements versus temperature T of the heavy fermion transition metal oxide
LiV_{2}O_{4} are reported in detail. The intrinsic \chi(T) shows a nearly
T-independent behavior below ~ 30 K with a shallow broad maximum at about 16 K,
whereas Curie-Weiss-like behavior is observed above 50-100 K. Field-cooled and
zero-field-cooled magnetization M measurements in applied magnetic fields H =
10 to 100 G from 1.8 to 50 K showed no evidence for spin-glass ordering.
Crystalline electric field theory for an assumed cubic V point group symmetry
is found insufficient to describe the observed temperature variation of the
effective magnetic moment. The Kondo and Coqblin-Schrieffer models do not
describe the magnitude and T dependence of \chi with realistic parameters. In
the high T range, fits of \chi(T) by the predictions of high temperature series
expansion calculations provide estimates of the V-V antiferromagnetic exchange
coupling constant J/k_{B} ~ 20 K, g-factor g ~ 2 and the T-independent
susceptibility. Other possible models to describe the \chi(T) are discussed.
The paramagnetic impurities in the samples were characterized using isothermal
M(H) measurements with 0 < H <= 5.5 Tesla at 2 to 6 K. These impurities are
inferred to have spin S_{imp} ~ 3/2 to 4, g_{imp} ~ 2 and molar concentrations
of 0.01 to 0.8 %, depending on the sample.Comment: 19 typeset RevTeX pages, 16 eps figures included, uses epsf; to be
published in Phys. Rev.
Angular Momentum and the Formation of Stars and Black Holes
The formation of compact objects like stars and black holes is strongly
constrained by the requirement that nearly all of the initial angular momentum
of the diffuse material from which they form must be removed or redistributed
during the formation process. The mechanisms that may be involved and their
implications are discussed for (1) low-mass stars, most of which probably form
in binary or multiple systems; (2) massive stars, which typically form in
clusters; and (3) supermassive black holes that form in galactic nuclei. It is
suggested that in all cases, gravitational interactions with other stars or
mass concentrations in a forming system play an important role in
redistributing angular momentum and thereby enabling the formation of a compact
object. If this is true, the formation of stars and black holes must be a more
complex, dynamic, and chaotic process than in standard models. The
gravitational interactions that redistribute angular momentum tend to couple
the mass of a forming object to the mass of the system, and this may have
important implications for mass ratios in binaries, the upper stellar IMF in
clusters, and the masses of supermassive black holes in galaxies.Comment: Accepted by Reports on Progress in Physic
Chandra spectroscopy of the hot star beta Crucis and the discovery of a pre-main-sequence companion
In order to test the O star wind-shock scenario for X-ray production in less
luminous stars with weaker winds, we made a pointed 74 ks observation of the
nearby early B giant, beta Cru (B0.5 III), with the Chandra HETGS. We find that
the X-ray spectrum is quite soft, with a dominant thermal component near 3
million K, and that the emission lines are resolved but quite narrow, with
half-widths of 150 km/s. The forbidden-to-intercombination line ratios of Ne IX
and Mg XI indicate that the hot plasma is distributed in the wind, rather than
confined near the photosphere. It is difficult to understand the X-ray data in
the context of the standard wind-shock paradigm for OB stars, primarily because
of the narrow lines, but also because of the high X-ray production efficiency.
A scenario in which the bulk of the outer wind is shock heated is broadly
consistent with the data, but not very well motivated theoretically. It is
possible that magnetic channeling could explain the X-ray properties, although
no field has been detected on beta Cru. We detected periodic variability in the
hard (hnu > 1 keV) X-rays, modulated on the known optical period of 4.58 hours,
which is the period of the primary beta Cep pulsation mode for this star. We
also have detected, for the first time, an apparent companion to beta Cru at a
projected separation of 4 arcsec. This companion was likely never seen in
optical images because of the presumed very high contrast between it and beta
Cru in the optical. However, the brightness contrast in the X-ray is only 3:1,
which is consistent with the companion being an X-ray active low-mass
pre-main-sequence star. The companion's X-ray spectrum is relatively hard and
variable, as would be expected from a post T Tauri star.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS; 19 pages, 15 figures, some in
color; version with higher-resolution figures available at
http://astro.swarthmore.edu/~cohen/papers/bcru_mnras2008.pd
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