29 research outputs found
Evolution of Supernova Remnants Expanding out of the Dense Circumstellar Matter into the Rarefied Interstellar Medium
We carry out 3D-hydrodynamical calculations for the interaction of expanding
supernova ejecta with the dense circumstellar matter (CSM) and the rarefied
interstellar medium (ISM) outside. The CSM is composed of the stellar wind
matter from the progenitor in its pre-supernova phase, and assumed to be
axially symmetric: more matter around the equator than in the polar direction
driven by rotation of the progenitor. Because of high density of the CSM, the
ionization state of the shock-heated ejecta quickly becomes equilibrium with
the electron temperature. When the blast wave breaks out of the CSM into the
rarefied ISM, the shocked ejecta cools rapidly due to adiabatic expansion, and
hence an over-ionized/recombining plasma would be left. The ejecta is reheated
by the second reverse shock due to the interaction with the ISM. We calculate
the emission measure of the supernova remnant (SNR) along the line of sight,
and find that the over-ionized plasma appears to be bar-like with wings in the
edge-on (equatorial view), while shell-like in the face-on (polar view)
geometry with respect to the rotation axis. The hot gas heated by the blast
wave exists in the outermost region of the SNR with a nearly complete shell,
but the X-rays therefrom are too faint to be observable. Thus, depending on the
viewing angle, the SNR of the over-ionized plasma would exhibit center-filled
morphology in X-rays, like W49B, a mixed-morphology SNR. The bar-like structure
is swept out by the second reverse shock and disappears eventually, and then
the SNR becomes shell-like in both the equatorial and polar views in the later
phase of the evolution.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in PAS
Discovery of Enhanced Radiative Recombination Continua of He-like Iron and Calcium from IC 443 and Its Implications
We present deep observations of the Galactic supernova remnant IC 443 with
the {\it Suzaku X-ray satellite}. We find prominent K-shell lines from iron and
nickel, together with a triangle residual at 8--10~keV, which corresponds to
the energy of the radiative recombination continuum (RRC) of He-like iron. In
addition, the wavy residuals have been seen at 5.1 and 5.5~keV. We
confirm that the residuals show the first enhanced RRCs of He- and H-like
calcium found in supernova remnants. These facts provide robust evidence for
the recombining plasma. We reproduce the plasma in the 3.7--10~keV band using a
recombining plasma model at the electron temperature 0.65~keV. The
recombination parameter ( is electron density and
is elapsed time after formation of a recombining plasma) and abundances of iron
and nickel are strongly correlated, and hence the errors are large. On the
other hand, the ratio of nickel to iron relative to the solar abundances is
well constrained to 11 (1). A possibility is that the large
abundance ratio is a result of an asymmetric explosion of the progenitor star.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, published in Ap
X-Ray Spectrum of a Peculiar Supernova Remnant G359.1-0.5
We present the Suzaku results of a supernova remnant (SNR), G359.1-0.5 in the
direction of the Galactic center region. From the SNR, we find prominent
K-shell lines of highly ionized Si and S ions, together with unusual structures
at 2.5-3.0 and 3.1-3.6 keV. No canonical SNR plasma model, in either ionization
equilibrium or under-ionization, can explain the structures. The energies and
shapes of the structures are similar to those of the radiative transitions of
free electrons to the K-shell of He-like Si and S ions (radiative recombination
continuum: RRC). The presence of the strong RRC structures indicates that the
plasma is in over-ionization. In fact, the observed spectrum is well fitted
with an over-ionized plasma model. The best-fit electron temperature of 0.29
keV is far smaller than the ionization temperature of 0.77 keV, which means
that G359.1-0.5 is in extreme condition of over-ionization. We report some
cautions on the physical parameters, and comment possible origins for the
over-ionized plasma.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in PAS
RUNX1 transactivates BCR-ABL1 expression in Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia
The emergence of tyrosine kinase inhibitors as part of a front-line treatment has greatly improved the clinical outcome of the patients with Ph⁺ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, a portion of them still become refractory to the therapy mainly through acquiring mutations in the BCR-ABL1 gene, necessitating a novel strategy to treat tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-resistant Ph⁺ ALL cases. In this report, we show evidence that RUNX1 transcription factor stringently controls the expression of BCR-ABL1, which can strategically be targeted by our novel RUNX inhibitor, Chb-M'. Through a series of in vitro experiments, we identified that RUNX1 binds to the promoter of BCR and directly transactivates BCR-ABL1 expression in Ph⁺ ALL cell lines. These cells showed significantly reduced expression of BCR-ABL1 with suppressed proliferation upon RUNX1 knockdown. Moreover, treatment with Chb-M' consistently downregulated the expression of BCR-ABL1 in these cells and this drug was highly effective even in an imatinib-resistant Ph⁺ ALL cell line. In good agreement with these findings, forced expression of BCR-ABL1 in these cells conferred relative resistance to Chb-M'. In addition, in vivo experiments with the Ph⁺ ALL patient-derived xenograft cells showed similar results. In summary, targeting RUNX1 therapeutically in Ph⁺ ALL cells may lead to overcoming TKI resistance through the transcriptional regulation of BCR-ABL1. Chb-M' could be a novel drug for patients with TKI-resistant refractory Ph⁺ ALL
Localization and trafficking of aquaporin 2 in the kidney
Aquaporins (AQPs) are membrane proteins serving in the transfer of water and small solutes across cellular membranes. AQPs play a variety of roles in the body such as urine formation, prevention from dehydration in covering epithelia, water handling in the blood–brain barrier, secretion, conditioning of the sensory system, cell motility and metastasis, formation of cell junctions, and fat metabolism. The kidney plays a central role in water homeostasis in the body. At least seven isoforms, namely AQP1, AQP2, AQP3, AQP4, AQP6, AQP7, and AQP11, are expressed. Among them, AQP2, the anti-diuretic hormone (ADH)-regulated water channel, plays a critical role in water reabsorption. AQP2 is expressed in principal cells of connecting tubules and collecting ducts, where it is stored in Rab11-positive storage vesicles in the basal state. Upon ADH stimulation, AQP2 is translocated to the apical plasma membrane, where it serves in the influx of water. The translocation process is regulated through the phosphorylation of AQP2 by protein kinase A. As soon as the stimulation is terminated, AQP2 is retrieved to early endosomes, and then transferred back to the Rab 11-positive storage compartment. Some AQP2 is secreted via multivesicular bodies into the urine as exosomes. Actin plays an important role in the intracellular trafficking of AQP2. Recent findings have shed light on the molecular basis that controls the trafficking of AQP2
Improvement of The Method of Plaque Formation of Influenza Virus and Its Application to Neutralization Tests
Studies on The Characteristics of A Herpes-Type Virus Isolated from A Chicken with Marek's Disease
Effect of cation species on surface-induced phase transition observed for platinum complex anions in platinum electrodeposition using nanoporous silicon.
In an earlier work [K. Fukami et al., J. Chem. Phys. 138, 094702 (2013)], we reported a transition phenomenon observed for platinum complex anions in our platinum electrodeposition experiment using nanoporous silicon. The pore wall surface of the silicon electrode was made hydrophobic by covering it with organic molecules. The anions are only weakly hydrated due to their large size and excluded from the bulk aqueous solution to the hydrophobic surface. When the anion concentration in the bulk was gradually increased, at a threshold the deposition behavior exhibited a sudden change, leading to drastic acceleration of the electrochemical deposition. It was shown that this change originates from a surface-induced phase transition: The space within a nanopore is abruptly filled with the second phase in which the anion concentration is orders of magnitude higher than that in the bulk. Here we examine how the platinum electrodeposition behavior is affected by the cation species coexisting with the anions. We compare the experimental results obtained using three different cation species: K(+), (CH3)4N(+), and (C2H5)4N(+). One of the cation species coexists with platinum complex anions [PtCl4](2-). It is shown that the threshold concentration, beyond which the electrochemical deposition within nanopores is drastically accelerated, is considerably dependent on the cation species. The threshold concentration becomes lower as the cation size increases. Our theoretical analysis suggests that not only the anions but also the cations are remarkably enriched in the second phase. The remarkable enrichment of the anions alone would give rise to the energetic instability due to electrostatic repulsive interactions among the anions. We argue that the result obtained cannot be elucidated by the prevailing view based on classical electrochemistry. It is necessitated to consult a statistical-mechanical theory of confined aqueous solutions using a molecular model for water