618 research outputs found
Neutral absorber dips in the periodic burster LMXB XB 1323-619 from Suzaku
We present results of an observation with Suzaku of the dipping, periodic
bursting low mass X-ray binary XB 1323-619. Using the energy band 0.8 - 70 keV,
we show that the source spectrum is well-described as the emission of an
extended accretion disk corona, plus a small contribution of blackbody emission
from the neutron star. The dip spectrum is well-fitted by the progressive
covering model in which the extended ADC is progressively overlapped by the
absorbing bulge of low ionization state in the outer accretion disk and that
dipping is basically due to photoelectric absorption in the bulge. An
energy-independent decrease of flux at high energies (20 - 70 keV) is shown to
be consistent with the level of Thomson scattering expected in the bulge. An
absorption feature at 6.67 keV (Fe XXV) is detected in the non-dip spectrum and
other possible weak features. In dipping, absorption lines of medium and highly
ionized states are seen suggestive of absorption in the ADC but there is no
evidence that the lines are stronger than in non-dip. We show that the
luminosity of the source has changed substantially since the Exosat observation
of 1985, increasing in luminosity between 1985 and 2003, then in 2003 - 2007
falling to the initial low value. X-ray bursting has again become periodic,
which it ceased to do in its highest luminosity state, and we find that the
X-ray bursts exhibit both the fast decay and later slow decay characteristic of
the rp burning process. We present arguments against the recent proposal that
the decrease of continuum flux in the dipping LMXB in general can be explained
as absorption in an ionized absorber rather than in the bulge in the outer disk
generally accepted to be the site of absorption.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, Astronomy and Astrophysics in pres
Highlights from the 2018 European Respiratory Society International Congress: sleep and clinical physiology.
The 2018 European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress held in Paris, France, served as a platform to discover the latest research on respiratory diseases, the improvement in their treatments and patient care. Specifically, the scientific sessions organised by ERS Assembly 4 provided novel insights into sleep disordered breathing and fresh knowledge in respiratory physiology, stressing its importance to understanding and treating respiratory diseases. This article, divided by session, will summarise the most relevant studies presented at the ERS International Congress. Each session has been written by early career members specialised in the different fields of this interdisciplinary assembly
TeV-scale seesaw from a multi-Higgs model
We suggest new simple model of generating tiny neutrino masses through a
TeV-scale seesaw mechanism without requiring tiny Yukawa couplings. This model
is a simple extension of the standard model by introducing extra one Higgs
singlet, and one Higgs doublet with a tiny vacuum expectation value.
Experimental constraints, electroweak precision data and no large flavor
changing neutral currents, are satisfied since the extra doublet only has a
Yukawa interaction with lepton doublets and right-handed neutrinos, and their
masses are heavy of order a TeV-scale. Since active light neutrinos are
Majorana particles, this model predicts a neutrinoless double beta decay.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figure
New risks and challenges within the context of OSCE
A Organização para a Segurança e Cooperação
na Europa (OSCE) é um instrumento fundamental para a cooperação na região Euro-
-Atlântica no combate às novas ameaças que
surgiram com os atentados de 11 de Setembro.
Uma das principais tarefas da OSCE é a de
funcionar como um instrumento de alerta precoce no caso de novos desafios e ameaças à
segurança internacional. A organização pode
ser um fórum onde se estabelecem novas normas e princípios de segurança e processos de
cooperação entre os Estados. A luta contra o
terrorismo tornou-se uma das prioridades da
OSCE, e devido à sua experiência nesse domí-
nio pode vir a ter um papel preponderante no
âmbito das instituições Euro-Atlânticas
The influence of sleep deprivation and obesity on DNA damage in female Zucker rats
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate overall genetic damage induced by total sleep deprivation in obese, female Zucker rats of differing ages. METHOD: Lean and obese Zucker rats at 3, 6, and 15 months old were randomly distributed into two groups for each age group: home-cage control and sleep-deprived (N = 5/group). The sleep-deprived groups were deprived sleep by gentle handling for 6 hours, whereas the home-cage control group was allowed to remain undisturbed in their home-cage. At the end of the sleep deprivation period, or after an equivalent amount of time for the home-cage control groups, the rats were brought to an adjacent room and decapitated. The blood, brain, and liver tissue were collected and stored individually to evaluate DNA damage. RESULTS: Significant genetic damage was observed only in 15-month-old rats. Genetic damage was present in the liver cells from sleep-deprived obese rats compared with lean rats in the same condition. Sleep deprivation was associated with genetic damage in brain cells regardless of obesity status. DNA damage was observed in the peripheral blood cells regardless of sleep condition or obesity status. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results suggest that obesity was associated with genetic damage in liver cells, whereas sleep deprivation was associated with DNA damage in brain cells. These results also indicate that there is no synergistic effect of these noxious conditions on the overall level of genetic damage. In addition, the level of DNA damage was significantly higher in 15-month-old rats compared to younger rats
Oblique triangular antiferromagnetic phase in CsCuCoCl
The spin-1/2 stacked triangular antiferromagnet CsCuCoCl with
undergoes two phase transitions at zero field. The
low-temperature phase is produced by the small amount of Co doping. In
order to investigate the magnetic structures of the two ordered phases, the
neutron elastic scattering experiments have been carried out for the sample
with . It is found that the intermediate phase is identical to
the ordered phase of CsCuCl, and that the low-temperature phase is an
oblique triangular antiferromagnetic phase in which the spins form a triangular
structure in a plane tilted from the basal plane. The tilting angle which is
42 at K decreases with increasing temperature, and becomes
zero at K. An off-diagonal exchange term is proposed as the
origin of the oblique phase.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure
Immuno-surgical management of pancreatic cancer with analysis of cancer exosomes
Exosomes (EXs), a type of extracellular vesicles secreted from various cells and especially cancer cells, mesenchymal cells, macrophages and other cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME), are involved in biologically malignant behaviors of cancers. Recent studies have revealed that EXs contain microRNAs on their inside and express proteins and glycolipids on their outsides, every component of which plays a role in the transmission of genetic and/or epigenetic information in cell-to-cell communications. It is also known that miRNAs are involved in the signal transduction. Thus, EXs may be useful for monitoring the TME of tumor tissues and the invasion and metastasis, processes that are associated with patient survival. Because several solid tumors secrete immune checkpoint proteins, including programmed cell death-ligand 1, the EX-mediated mechanisms are suggested to be potent targets for monitoring patients. Therefore, a companion therapeutic approach against cancer metastasis to distant organs is proposed when surgical removal of the primary tumor is performed. However, EXs and immune checkpoint mechanisms in pancreatic cancer are not fully understood, we provide an update on the recent advances in this field and evidence that EXs will be useful for maximizing patient benefit in precision medicine
REM-associated sleep apnoea: prevalence and clinical significance in the HypnoLaus cohort
This study determined the prevalence of rapid eye movement (REM) related sleep-disordered breathing (REM-SDB) in the general population and investigated the associations of REM-SDB with hypertension, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and depression.Home polysomnography (PSG) recordings (n=2074) from the population-based HypnoLaus Sleep Cohort (48.3% men, 57±11 years old) were analysed. The apnoea-hypopnoea index was measured during REM and non-REM sleep (as REM-AHI and NREM-AHI, respectively). Regression models were used to explore the associations between REM-SDB and hypertension, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and depression in the entire cohort and in subgroups with NREM-AHI <10 events·h <sup>-1</sup> and total AHI <10 events·h <sup>-1</sup> The prevalence of REM-AHI ≥20 events·h <sup>-1</sup> was 40.8% in the entire cohort. An association between increasing REM-AHI and metabolic syndrome was found in the entire cohort and in both the NREM-AHI and AHI subgroups (p-trend=0.014, <0.0001 and 0.015, respectively). An association was also found between REM-AHI ≥20 events·h <sup>-1</sup> and diabetes in both the NREM-AHI <10 events·h <sup>-1</sup> (odds ratio (OR) 3.12 (95% CI 1.35-7.20)) and AHI <10 events·h <sup>-1</sup> (OR 2.92 (95% CI 1.12-7.63)) subgroups. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were positively associated with REM-AHI ≥20 events·h <sup>-1</sup> REM-SDB is highly prevalent in our middle-to-older age sample and is independently associated with metabolic syndrome and diabetes. These findings suggest that an increase in REM-AHI could be clinically relevant
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