24 research outputs found
The Second Byurakan Survey Galaxies. I. The Optical Database
A database for the entire catalog of the Second Byurakan Survey (SBS)
galaxies is presented. It contains new measurements of their optical parameters
and additional information taken from the literature and other databases. The
measurements were made using Ipg(near-infrared), Fpg(red) and Jpg(blue) band
images from photographic sky survey plates obtained by the Palomar Schmidt
telescope and extracted from the STScI Digital Sky Survey (DSS). The database
provides accurate coordinates, morphological type, spectral and activity
classes, apparent magnitudes and diameters, axial ratios, and position angles,
as well as number counts of neighboring objects in a circle of radius 50 kpc.
The total number of individual SBS objects in the database is now 1676. The 188
Markarian galaxies which were re-discovered by SBS are not included in this
database. We also include redshifts that are now available for 1576 SBS
objects, as well as 2MASS infrared magnitudes for 1117 SBS galaxies.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figure, 1 tabl
Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) Val(108/158 )Met polymorphism does not modulate executive function in children with ADHD
BACKGROUND: An association has been observed between the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene, the predominant means of catecholamine catabolism within the prefrontal cortex (PFC), and neuropsychological task performance in healthy and schizophrenic adults. Since several of the cognitive functions typically deficient in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are mediated by prefrontal dopamine (DA) mechanisms, we investigated the relationship between a functional polymorphism of the COMT gene and neuropsychological task performance in these children. METHODS: The Val(108/158 )Met polymorphism of the COMT gene was genotyped in 118 children with ADHD (DSM-IV). The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Tower of London (TOL), and Self-Ordered Pointing Task (SOPT) were employed to evaluate executive functions. Neuropsychological task performance was compared across genotype groups using analysis of variance. RESULTS: ADHD children with the Val/Val, Val/Met and Met/Met genotypes were similar with regard to demographic and clinical characteristics. No genotype effects were observed for WCST standardized perseverative error scores [F(2,97 )= 0.67; p > 0.05], TOL standardized scores [F(2,99 )= 0.97; p > 0.05], and SOPT error scores [F(2,108 )= 0.62; p > 0.05]. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to the observed association between WCST performance and the Val(108/158 )Met polymorphism of the COMT gene in both healthy and schizophrenic adults, this polymorphism does not appear to modulate executive functions in children with ADHD
Observation of Gamma Rays from the Galactic Center with the MAGIC Telescope
Recently, the Galactic Center has been reported to be a source of very high
energy (VHE) gamma-rays by the VERITAS, CANGAROO and HESS experiments. The
energy spectra as measured by these experiments show substantial differences.
In this Letter we present MAGIC observations of the Galactic Center, resulting
in the detection of a differential gamma-ray flux consistent with a steady,
hard-slope power law, described as dN/(dA dt dE) = (2.9+/-0.6)*10^{-12}
(E/TeV)^{-2.2+/-0.2} cm^{-2}s^{-1}TeV^{-1}. The gamma-ray source is centered at
(Ra, Dec)=(17h 45m 20s, -29deg 2'. This result confirms the previous
measurements by the HESS experiment and indicates a steady source of TeV
gamma-rays. We briefly describe the observational technique used, the procedure
implemented for the data analysis, and discuss the results in the perspective
of different models proposed for the acceleration of the VHE gamma-rays.Comment: ApJL submitte
Laboratory testing for ADAMTS13
ADAMTS13 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13), also known as VWF (von Willebrand factor) protease, may be assessed in a vast array of clinical conditions. Notably, a severe deficiency of ADAMTS13 characterises TTP (thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura), a rare but potentially fatal disorder associated with thrombosis due to accumulation of prothrombotic ultra-large VWF multimers. Although prompt identification/exclusion of TTP can be facilitated by rapid ADAMTS13 testing, the most commonly utilised assays are based on ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) and require long turnaround time and have relatively limited throughput. Nevertheless, several rapid ADAMTS13 assays are now available, at least in select geographies. The current mini-review discusses these issues, as well as the potential utility of ADAMTS13 testing in a range of other conditions, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved