582 research outputs found
Lipids, Lipoproteins, and Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among the elderly. While excellent treatment has emerged for neovascular disease, treatment for early AMD is lacking due to an incomplete understanding of the early molecular events. A prominent age-related change is the accumulation of neutral lipid in normal Bruch's membrane (BrM) throughout adulthood and also disease-related BrM accumulations called basal deposits and drusen. AMD lesion formation has thus been conceptualized as sharing mechanisms with atherosclerotic plaque formation, where low-density lipoprotein (LDL) retention within the arterial wall initiates a cascade of pathologic events. However, we do not yet understand how lipoproteins contribute to AMD. This paper explores how systemic and local production of lipoproteins might contribute to the pathogenesis of AMD
Hyperstrong Radio-Wave Scattering in the Galactic Center. II. A Likelihood Analysis of Free Electrons in the Galactic Center
The scattering diameters of Sgr A* and several nearby OH masers (~ 1" at 1
GHz) indicate that a region of enhanced scattering is along the line of sight
to the Galactic center. We combine radio-wave scattering data and free-free
emission and absorption measurements in a likelihood analysis that constrains
the following parameters of the GC scattering region: The GC-scattering region
separation, d; the angular extent of the region, \psi_l; the outer scale on
which density fluctuations occur, l_0; and the gas temperature, T. The maximum
likelihood estimates of these parameters are d = 133_{-80}^{+200} pc, 0.5
degrees <= \psi_l <~ 1 degrees, and (l_0/1 pc)^{2/3}T^{-1/2} = 10^{-7 +/- 0.8}.
As host media for the scattering, we consider the photoionized surface layers
of molecular clouds and the interfaces between molecular clouds and the 10^7 K
ambient gas. We are unable to make an unambiguous determination, but we favor
an interface model in which the scattering medium is hot (T ~ 10^6 K) and dense
(n_e ~ 10 cm^{-3}). The GC scattering region produces a 1 GHz scattering
diameter for an extragalactic source of 90", if the region is a single screen,
or 180", if the region wraps around the GC, as appears probable. We modify the
Taylor-Cordes model for the Galactic distribution of free electrons in order to
include an explicit GC component. Pulsars seen through this region will have a
dispersion measure of approximately 2000 pc cm^{-3}, of which 75% arises from
the GC component. We stress the uniqueness of the GC scattering region,
probably resulting from the high-pressure environment in the GC.Comment: 39 pages with 9 PostScript figures; LaTeX2e with AASTeX macro aaspp4,
to be published in Ap
LXRs regulate features of age-related macular degeneration and may be a potential therapeutic target
Effective treatments and animal models for the most prevalent neurodegenerative form of blindness in elderly people, called age-related macular degeneration (AMD), are lacking. Genome-wide association studies have identified lipid metabolism and inflammation as AMD-associated pathogenic pathways. Given liver X receptors (LXRs), encoded by the nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group H members 2 and 3 (NR1H3 and NR1H2), are master regulators of these pathways, herein we investigated the role of LXR in human and mouse eyes as a function of age and disease and tested the therapeutic potential of targeting LXR. We identified immunopositive LXR fragments in human extracellular early dry AMD lesions and a decrease in LXR expression within the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) as a function of age. Aged mice lacking LXR presented with isoform-dependent ocular pathologies. Specifically, loss of the Nr1h3 isoform resulted in pathobiologies aligned with AMD, supported by compromised visual function, accumulation of native and oxidized lipids in the outer retina, and upregulation of ocular inflammatory cytokines, while absence of Nr1h2 was associated with ocular lipoidal degeneration. LXR activation not only ameliorated lipid accumulation and oxidant-induced injury in RPE cells but also decreased ocular inflammatory markers and lipid deposition in a mouse model, thereby providing translational support for pursuing LXR-active pharmaceuticals as potential therapies for dry AMD
Poly(β-Amino Ester)-Nanoparticle Mediated Transfection of Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells In Vitro and In Vivo
A variety of genetic diseases in the retina, including retinitis pigmentosa and leber congenital amaurosis, might be excellent targets for gene delivery as treatment. A major challenge in non-viral gene delivery remains finding a safe and effective delivery system. Poly(beta-amino ester)s (PBAEs) have shown great potential as gene delivery reagents because they are easily synthesized and they transfect a wide variety of cell types with high efficacy in vitro. We synthesized a combinatorial library of PBAEs and evaluated them for transfection efficacy and toxicity in retinal pigment epithelial (ARPE-19) cells to identify lead polymer structures and transfection formulations. Our optimal polymer (B5-S5-E7 at 60 w/w polymer∶DNA ratio) transfected ARPE-19 cells with 44±5% transfection efficacy, significantly higher than with optimized formulations of leading commercially available reagents Lipofectamine 2000 (26±7%) and X-tremeGENE HP DNA (22±6%); (p<0.001 for both). Ten formulations exceeded 30% transfection efficacy. This high non-viral efficacy was achieved with comparable cytotoxicity (23±6%) to controls; optimized formulations of Lipofectamine 2000 and X-tremeGENE HP DNA showed 15±3% and 32±9% toxicity respectively (p>0.05 for both). Our optimal polymer was also significantly better than a gold standard polymeric transfection reagent, branched 25 kDa polyethyleneimine (PEI), which achieved only 8±1% transfection efficacy with 25±6% cytotoxicity. Subretinal injections using lyophilized GFP-PBAE nanoparticles resulted in 1.1±1×103-fold and 1.5±0.7×103-fold increased GFP expression in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)/choroid and neural retina respectively, compared to injection of DNA alone (p = 0.003 for RPE/choroid, p<0.001 for neural retina). The successful transfection of the RPE in vivo suggests that these nanoparticles could be used to study a number of genetic diseases in the laboratory with the potential to treat debilitating eye diseases
Observation of Hadronic W Decays in t-tbar Events with the Collider Detector at Fermilab
We observe hadronic W decays in t-tbar -> W (-> l nu) + >= 4 jet events using
a 109 pb-1 data sample of p-pbar collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.8 TeV collected with
the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF). A peak in the dijet invariant mass
distribution is obtained that is consistent with W decay and inconsistent with
the background prediction by 3.3 standard deviations. From this peak we measure
the W mass to be 77.2 +- 4.6 (stat+syst) GeV/c^2. This result demonstrates the
presence of two W bosons in t-tbar candidates in the W (-> l nu) + >= 4 jet
channel.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PR
Measurement of the lepton charge asymmetry in W-boson decays produced in p-pbar collisions
We describe a measurement of the charge asymmetry of leptons from W boson
decays in the rapidity range 0 enu, munu events from
110+/-7 pb^{-1}of data collected by the CDF detector during 1992-95. The
asymmetry data constrain the ratio of d and u quark momentum distributions in
the proton over the x range of 0.006 to 0.34 at Q2 \approx M_W^2. The asymmetry
predictions that use parton distribution functions obtained from previously
published CDF data in the central rapidity region (0.0<|y_l|<1.1) do not agree
with the new data in the large rapidity region (|y_l|>1.1).Comment: 13 pages, 3 tables, 1 figur
Search for Narrow Diphoton Resonances and for gamma-gamma+W/Z Signatures in p\bar p Collisions at sqrt(s)=1.8 TeV
We present results of searches for diphoton resonances produced both
inclusively and also in association with a vector boson (W or Z) using 100
pb^{-1} of p\bar p collisions using the CDF detector. We set upper limits on
the product of cross section times branching ratio for both p\bar
p\to\gamma\gamma + X and p\bar p\to\gamma\gamma + W/Z. Comparing the inclusive
production to the expectations from heavy sgoldstinos we derive limits on the
supersymmetry-breaking scale sqrt{F} in the TeV range, depending on the
sgoldstino mass and the choice of other parameters. Also, using a NLO
prediction for the associated production of a Higgs boson with a W or Z boson,
we set an upper limit on the branching ratio for H\to\gamma\gamma. Finally, we
set a lower limit on the mass of a `bosophilic' Higgs boson (e.g. one which
couples only to \gamma, W, and Z$ bosons with standard model couplings) of 82
GeV/c^2 at 95% confidence level.Comment: 30 pages, 11 figure
Measurement of the Associated Production Cross Section in Collisions at TeV
We present the first measurement of associated direct photon + muon
production in hadronic collisions, from a sample of 1.8 TeV
collisions recorded with the Collider Detector at Fermilab. Quantum
chromodynamics (QCD) predicts that these events are primarily from the Compton
scattering process , with the final state charm quark producing
a muon. Hence this measurement is sensitive to the charm quark content of the
proton. The measured cross section of is compared to a
leading-order QCD parton shower model as well as a next-to-leading-order QCD
calculation.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures Added more detailed description of muon
background estimat
Measurement of the top quark mass and top-antitop production cross section from dilepton events at the Collider Detector at Fermilab
We present an analysis of dilepton events originating from top-antitop
production in proton-antiproton collisions at sqrt{s}=1.8 TeV at the Fermilab
Tevatron Collider. The sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 109+-7
pb^{-1}. We observe 9 candidate events, with an estimated background of
2.4+-0.5 events. We determine the mass of the top quark to be M_top =
161+-17(stat.)+-10(syst.) GeV/c^2. In addition we measure a top-antitop
production cross section of 8.2+4.4-3.4 pb (where M_top = 175 GeV/c^2 has been
assumed for the acceptance estimate).Comment: 6 pages of text, 3 figure
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