14,199 research outputs found
Polarization Elements-A Group Theoretical Study
The Classification of Polarization elements, the polarization affecting
optical devices which have a Jones matrix representation, according to the
types of eigenvectors they possess, is given a new visit through the
Group-theoretical connection of polarization elements. The diattenuators and
retarders are recognized as the elements corresponding to boosts and rotations
respectively. The structure of homogeneous elements other than diattenuators
and retarders are identified by giving the quaternion corresponding to these
elements. The set of degenerate polarization elements is identified with the so
called `null' elements of the Lorentz Group. Singular polarization elements are
examined in their more illustrative Mueller matrix representation and finally
the eigenstructure of a special class of singular Mueller matrices is studied.Comment: 7 pages, 2 tables, submitted to `Optics Communications
Microchimerism, dendritic cell progenitors and transplantation tolerance
The recent discovery of multilineage donor leukocyte microchimerism in allograft recipients up to three decades after organ transplantation implies the migration and survival of donor stem cells within the host. It has been postulated that in chimeric graft recipients, reciprocal modulation of immune responsiveness between donor and recipient leukocytes may lead, eventually, to the induction of mutual immunologic nonreactivity (tolerance). A prominent donor leukocyte, both in human organ transplant recipients and in animals, has invariably been the bone marrowâderived dendritic cell (DC). These cells have been classically perceived as the most potent antigenâpresenting cells but evidence also exists for their tolerogenicity. The liver, despite its comparatively heavy leukocyte content, is the whole organ that is most capable of inducing tolerance. We have observed that DC progenitors propagated from normal mouse liver in response to GMâCSF express only low levels of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigen and little or no cell surface B7 family T cell costimulatory molecules. They fail to activate resting naive allogeneic T cells. When injected into normal allogeneic recipients, these DC progenitors migrate to Tâdependent areas of host lymphoid tissue, where some at least upregulate cell surface MHC class II. These donorâderived cells persist indefinitely, recapitulating the behavior pattern of donor leukocytes after the successful transplantation of all whole organs, but most dramatically after the orthotopic (replacement) engraftment of the liver. A key finding is that in mice, progeny of these donorâderived DC progenitors can be propagated ex vivo from the bone marrow and other lymphoid tissues of nonimmunosuppressed spontaneously tolerant liver allograft recipients. In humans, donor DC can also be grown from the blood of organ allograft recipients whose organâsource chimerism is augmented with donor bone marrow infusion. DC progenitors cannot, however, be propagated from the lymphoid tissue of nonimmunosuppressed cardiacâallografted mice that reject their grafts. These findings are congruent with the possibility that bidirectional leukocyte migration and donor cell chimerism play key roles in acquired transplantation tolerance. Although the cell interactions are undoubtedly complex, a discrete role can be identified for DC under wellâdefined experimental conditions. Bone marrowâderived DC progenitors (MHC class II+, B7â1dim, B7â2â) induce alloantigenâspecific hyporesponsiveness (anergy) in naive T cells in vitro. Moreover, costimulatory moleculeâdeficient DC progenitors administered systemically prolong the survival of mouse heart or pancreatic islet allografts. How the regulation of donor DC phenotype and function relates to the balance between the immunogenicity and tolerogenicity of organ allografts remains to be determined. Copyright © 1995 AlphaMed Pres
Throughput Optimization in High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA)
In this paper, we investigate throughput optimization
in High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA). Specifically,
we propose offline and online algorithms for adjusting
the Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) used by the network to
schedule data transmission. In the offline algorithm, a given
target BLER is achieved by adjusting CQI based on ACK/NAK
history. By sweeping through different target BLERs, we can
find the throughput optimal BLER offline. This algorithm could
be used not only to optimize throughput but also to enable fair
resource allocation among mobile users in HSDPA. In the online
algorithm, the CQI offset is adapted using an estimated short
term throughput gradient without specifying a target BLER. An
adaptive stepsize mechanism is proposed to track temporal variation
of the environment. We investigate convergence behavior
of both algorithms. Simulation results show that the proposed
offline algorithm can achieve the given target BLER with good
accuracy. Both algorithms yield up to 30% HSDPA throughput
improvement over that with 10% target BLER
Isolation, phenotype, and allostimulatory activity of mouse liver dendritic cells
Donor liver-derived dendritic cells (DC) have recently been identified within various lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissues of organ allograft recipients, including nonimmunosuppressed mice transplanted with and permanently accepting major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-disparate hepatic allografts. These findings have raised questions about the basis of the tolerogenicity of the liverâand, in particular, about the properties of liver-derived DC. To study further the structure, immunophenotype and allostimu-latory activity of leukocytes resident in normal mouse (B10.BR; H-2k, I-Ek) liver, a procedure was developed to maximize the yield of viable, nonparenchymal cells (NPC) obtained following collagenase digestion of perfused liver fragments and density centrifugation (Per-coll). These cells comprised populations expressing lymphoid and myeloid cell surface antigens. As compared with spleen cells, they proved good allostimula-tors of naive (BIO; H-2b, I-E") splenic T cells when tested in primary mixed leukocyte reactions (MLR). After overnight (18-hr) incubation of the NPC, enrichment for transiently adherent, low-density (LD) cells on metrizamide gradients permitted the recovery of low numbers of cells (approx. 2-5 Ă 105 per liver), many of which displayed distinct DC morphology. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that these cells were CD3-, CD4-, CD8-, and B220-, but strongly expressed CD45 (leukocyte-common antigen), and mild-to-moderate levels of CD lib, heat-stable antigen, and CD44. The cells also expressed moderate intensity of NLDC 145 but not 33D1, DC restricted markers which have been shown to be differentially expressed on mouse DC isolated from various organs. This DC-enriched population was more strongly MHC class II(I-Ek)+ than NPC, as determined by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry and exhibited much more potent allo-stimulatory activity for naive T cells. These findings demonstrate that freshly isolated murine liver NPC, and perhaps their counterparts in situ, exhibit allo-stimulatory activity that is enhanced in the nonadherent, low-density (DC-enriched) fraction after overnight culture. They further suggest that the © 1994 by Williams and Wilkins
Progressive amorphization of GeSbTe phase-change material under electron beam irradiation
Fast and reversible phase transitions in chalcogenide phase-change materials
(PCMs), in particular, Ge-Sb-Te compounds, are not only of fundamental
interests, but also make PCMs based random access memory (PRAM) a leading
candidate for non-volatile memory and neuromorphic computing devices. To RESET
the memory cell, crystalline Ge-Sb-Te has to undergo phase transitions firstly
to a liquid state and then to an amorphous state, corresponding to an abrupt
change in electrical resistance. In this work, we demonstrate a progressive
amorphization process in GeSb2Te4 thin films under electron beam irradiation on
transmission electron microscope (TEM). Melting is shown to be completely
absent by the in situ TEM experiments. The progressive amorphization process
resembles closely the cumulative crystallization process that accompanies a
continuous change in electrical resistance. Our work suggests that if
displacement forces can be implemented properly, it should be possible to
emulate symmetric neuronal dynamics by using PCMs
Dislocation constriction and cross-slip in Al and Ag: an ab initio study
A novel model based on the Peierls framework of dislocations is developed.
The new theory can deal with a dislocation spreading at more than one slip
planes. As an example, we study dislocation cross-slip and constriction process
of two fcc metals, Al and Ag. The energetic parameters entering the model are
determined from ab initio calculations. We find that the screw dislocation in
Al can cross-slip spontaneously in contrast with that in Ag, which splits into
partials and cannot cross-slip without first being constricted. The dislocation
response to an external stress is examined in detail. We determine dislocation
constriction energy and critical stress for cross-slip, and from the latter, we
estimate the cross-slip energy barrier for the straight screw dislocations
TGF-11 pretreatment impairs the allostimulatory function of human bone marrow-derived antigen-presenting cells for both naive and primed T cells
In vitro propagation and homing of liver-derived dendritic cell progenitors to lymphoid tissues of allogeneic recipients: Implications for the establishment and maintenance of donor cell chimerism following liver transplantation
Dendritic cell (DC) progenitors were propagated in liquid culture from nonparenchymal cells resident in normal mouse (B10.BR; H-2k, I-E+) liver in response to granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). The liver-derived DC progenitors were MHC class II-/dim and did not express counter receptors for CTLA-4, a structural homologue of the Đą cell activation molecule CD28. Following subcutaneous or intravenous injection, these liver-derived cells migrated to Đą cell-dependent areas of lymph nodes and spleen of unmodified, allogeneic (BIO; H-2b; I-E_) recipients, where they were identified 1-5 days, and 1 and 2 months after injection by their strong surface expression of donor MHC class II (I-Ek) and their dendritic morphology. Maximal numbers of liver-derived DC in the spleen were recorded 5 days after injection. Both clusters of strongly donor MHC class II+ cellsâ and (more rarely) dividing cellsâcould also be identified, suggesting cell replication in situ. Using the same techniques employed to generate DC progenitors from normal liver, GM-CSF-stimulated cells were propagated for 10 days from the bone marrow and spleen of nonimmunosuppressed mice sacrificed 14 days after orthotopic liver transplantation (B10;H-2b â C3H;H-2k). Immunocytochemical staining for recipient and donor MHC class II phenotype revealed the growth both of host cells with DC characteristics, and of cells expressing donor alloantigens (I-Ab). These results are consistent with the growth, in response to GM-CSF, of donor-derived DC from progenitors seeded from the liver allograft to recipient lymphoid tissue. The functional activity of the progenitors of chimeric DC and the possible role of these cells in the establishment and maintenance of donor-specific tolerance following liver transplantation remain to be determined. © 1995 by Williams and Wilkins
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