539 research outputs found
Variable Corticosteroid Sensitivity of Thymic Cortex and Medullary Peripheral-type Lymphoid Tissue in Myasthenia Gravis Patients: Structural and Functional Effects
The thymus has been studied in myasthenia gravis patients to assess the effects of previous immunosuppresslon on total yields of cell suspension, immunohistology and culture responses. The reduction in cell yields by pretreatment with corticosteroid was very variable. In 16 of 32 cases, cortical, medullary and total cell numbers were all greatly reduced (‘depleted cases'), whereas in the others, they were within or near the typical range for untreated myasthenics. Cortical thymocytes were even more depleted than precursor thymic blasts. Thus the interpatient differences in sensitivity to corticosteroid recently described for mature T cells also affected immature cortical thymocytes and their differentiating medullary progeny.In the medulla, mature (CD3+)T lymphocytes and germinal centres were enriched by the loss of cortex and appeared relatively healthy, but somewhat depopulated. Concomitantly, in-vitro T-cell responses to acetylcholine receptor (AChR) and production of anti-A ChR antibody and total IgG by thymic cells were usually well within the typical range (assessed per 106 cells). Moreover, the total productivity of the entire thymus was reduced almost entirely by the cellular depopulation rather than by decreased function per surviving cell. Thus the main actions of this alternate day therapy with corticosteroids were apparently on total peripheral cell numbers, and perhaps on activated cells and effector mechanisms too, and its thymic effects were inessentia
Electronic density of states derived from thermodynamic critical field curves for underdoped La-Sr-Cu-O
Thermodynamic critical field curves have been measured for
over the full range of carrier concentrations
where superconductivity occurs in order to determine changes in the normal
state density of states with carrier concentration. There is a substantial
window in the plane where the measurements are possible because the
samples are both thermodynamically reversible and the temperature is low enough
that vortex fluctuations are not important. In this window, the data fit
Hao-Clem rather well, so this model is used to determine and
for each temperature and carrier concentration. Using N(0) and the ratio of the
energy gap to transition temperature, , as fitting
parameters, the curves give over the
whole range of . Values of N(0) remain rather constant in the optimum-doped
and overdoped regime, but drops quickly toward zero in the underdoped regime.
Non-magnetic impurities in two dimensional superconductors
A numerical approach to disordered 2D superconductors described by BCS mean
field theory is outlined. The energy gap and the superfluid density at zero
temperature and the quasiparticle density of states are studied. The method
involves approximate self-consistent solutions of the Bogolubov-deGennes
equations on finite square lattices. Where comparison is possible, the results
of standard analytic approaches to this problem are reproduced. Detailed
modeling of impurity effects is practical using this approach. The {\it range}
of the impurity potential is shown to be of {\it quantitative importance} in
the case of strong potential scatterers. We discuss the implications for
experiments, such as the rapid suppression of superconductivity by Zn doping in
Copper-Oxide superconductors.Comment: 16 pages, latex, 8 figures( available upon request
Spatial point process theory
No abstract
Anisotropy of superconducting MgB2 as seen in electron spin resonance and magnetization data
We have observed the conduction electron spin resonance (CESR) in fine
powders of MgB2 both in the superconducting and normal states. The Pauli
susceptibility is chi_s=2.0*10^{-5} emu/mole in the temperature range of 450 to
600 K. The spin relaxation rate has an anomalous temperature dependence. The
CESR measured below T_c at several frequencies suggests that MgB_2 is a
strongly anisotropic superconductor with the upper critical field, H_c2,
ranging between 2 and 16 T. The high-field reversible magnetization data of a
randomly oriented powder sample are well described assuming that MgB_2 is an
anisotropic superconductor with H_c2^{ab} / H_{c2}^{c} \approx 6--9.Comment: 4 pages, 4 eps figure
Dynamics of the Local Moment Induced by Nonmagnetic Defects in Cuprates
We present a study of the spin dynamics of magnetic defects induced by Li
substitution of the plane Cu in the normal state of YBaCuO. The
fluctuations of the coupled Cu magnetic moments in the vicinity of Li are
probed by near-neighbour Y {\it and} Li NMR spin lattice relaxation.
The data indicates that the magnetic perturbation fluctuates as a single entity
with a correlation time which scales with the local static
susceptibility. This behaviour is reminiscent of the low Kondo state of
magnetic impurities in conventional metals. Surprisingly it extends well above
the ``Kondo'' temperature for the underdoped pseudogapped case.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures (same), major modifications to text, accepted in
PR
The GRA Beam-Splitter Experiments and Particle-Wave Duality of Light
Grangier, Roger and Aspect (GRA) performed a beam-splitter experiment to
demonstrate the particle behaviour of light and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer
experiment to demonstrate the wave behaviour of light. The distinguishing
feature of these experiments is the use of a gating system to produce near
ideal single photon states. With the demonstration of both wave and particle
behaviour (in two mutually exclusive experiments) they claim to have
demonstrated the dual particle-wave behaviour of light and hence to have
confirmed Bohr's principle of complementarity. The demonstration of the wave
behaviour of light is not in dispute. But we want to demonstrate, contrary to
the claims of GRA, that their beam-splitter experiment does not conclusively
confirm the particle behaviour of light, and hence does not confirm
particle-wave duality, nor, more generally, does it confirm complementarity.
Our demonstration consists of providing a detailed model based on the Causal
Interpretation of Quantum Fields (CIEM), which does not involve the particle
concept, of GRA's which-path experiment. We will also give a brief outline of a
CIEM model for the second, interference, GRA experiment.Comment: 24 pages, 4 figure
Effect of preoperative thoracic duct drainage on canine kidney transplantation
Chronic drainage of the thoracic duct to the esophagus was developed in dogs, and its efficacy in immunomodulation was tested using kidney transplantation. Compared to 9.7 days in the control, the mean animal survival was prolonged to 9.9 days, 17.8 days, and 18.5 days when TDD was applied preoperatively for 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 9 weeks, respectively. Prolongation was significant after 6 weeks. Patency of the fistula was 93.5, 80.4, and 76.1% at respective weeks. Number of peripheral T-lymphocytes determined by a new monoclonal antibody diminished after 3 weeks. All animals were in normal health, requiring no special care for fluid, electrolyte, or protein replacement
Hysteretic behavior of the vortex lattice at the onset of the second peak for HgBaCuO superconductor
By means of local Hall probe ac and dc permeability measurements we
investigated the phase diagram of vortex matter for the HgBaCuO superconductor in the regime near the critical temperature. The second peak
line, , in contrast to what is usually assumed, doesn't terminate
at the critical temperature. Our local ac permeability measurements revealed
pronounced hysteretic behavior and thermomagnetic history effects near the
onset of the second peak, giving evidence for a phase transition of vortex
matter from an ordered qausilattice state to a disordered glass
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