2,403 research outputs found
A Multi-wavelength analysis of M81: insight on the nature of Arp's loop
Context: The optical ring like structure detected by Arp (1965) around M81
(commonly referenced as "Arp's loop") represents one of the most spectacular
feature observed in nearby galaxies. Arp's loop is commonly interpreted as a
tail resulting from the tidal interaction between M81 and M82. However, since
its discovery the nature of this feature has remained controversial. Aims: Our
primary purpose was to identify the sources of optical and infrared emission
observed in Arp's loop. Methods: The morphology of the Arp's loop has been
investigated with deep wide-field optical images. We also measured its colors
using IRAS and Spitzer-MIPS infrared images and compared them with those of the
disk of M81 and Galactic dust cirrus that fills the area where M81 is located.
Results: Optical images reveal that this peculiar object has a filamentary
structure characterized by many dust features overlapping M81's field. The
ratios of far-infrared fluxes and the estimated dust-to-gas ratios indicate the
infrared emission of Arp's loop is dominated by the contribution of cold dust
that is most likely from Galactic cirrus. Conclusions: The above results
suggest that the light observed at optical wavelengths is a combination of
emission from i) a few recent star forming regions located close to M81, where
both bright UV complexes and peaks in the HI distribution are found, ii) the
extended disk of M81 and iii) scattered light from the same Galactic cirrus
that is responsible for the bulk of the far infrared emission.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication by A&
Healthy dietary pattern and their corresponding gut microbiota profile are linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, independent of the presence of obesity
Background: Prediabetes and old age are both high risk factors for developing Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), while obesity is one of the most important factors triggering the disease. Nutritional interventions are the most effective tool for preventing T2D, as they improve different biochemical and anthropometric outcomes and growth-promoting/inhibiting gut microbiota populations. However, to date there are no specific dietary recommendations to stop the development of T2D in elderly groups, for whom hypocaloric diets and other commonly used weight-loss programs could be considered dangerous. The objective of our study, thus, was to understand the impact of dietary patterns on T2D risk as related to gut microbiota profile in obese and non-obese elderly prediabetic subjects. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in 182 subjects 65 years old with prediabetes, divided into obese (OB) or non-obese (NOB) subgroups, and their risk of developing T2D was measured according to FINDRISK score and biochemical parameters. Also, clusters into different dietary patterns in each group by PCA analysis was related with gut microbiota, which was analyzed from stool samples by qPCR. The creation of clusters was used to re-evaluate T2D risk. Results: OB was at higher risk of developing T2D and showed worse metabolic outcomes. Unhealthier and healthier dietary pattern clusters were observed for both OB (OB-6 and OB-5 respectively) and NOB (NOB-2 and NOB-3 respectively) groups. Results obtained from the gut microbiota showed that only Prevotella was higher in NOB, but when comparisons were made between clusters, a clear relation with dietary pattern was observed; showing in healthier dietary clusters a decrease in Prevotella, an increase of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and an increase in lactic acid bacteria. T2D risk was greater in the obese group between unhealthier dietary clusters. No difference between healthier dietary clusters was observed. Conclusion: A healthy dietary pattern and the growth-promoting beneficial and growth-inhibiting disadvantageous gut microbiota populations linked to it provide protection against the development of T2D in an obese population with advanced age and preDM
Radial velocity eclipse mapping of exoplanets
Planetary rotation rates and obliquities provide information regarding the
history of planet formation, but have not yet been measured for evolved
extrasolar planets. Here we investigate the theoretical and observational
perspective of the Rossiter-McLauglin effect during secondary eclipse (RMse)
ingress and egress for transiting exoplanets. Near secondary eclipse, when the
planet passes behind the parent star, the star sequentially obscures light from
the approaching and receding parts of the rotating planetary surface. The
temporal block of light emerging from the approaching (blue-shifted) or
receding (red-shifted) parts of the planet causes a temporal distortion in the
planet's spectral line profiles resulting in an anomaly in the planet's radial
velocity curve. We demonstrate that the shape and the ratio of the
ingress-to-egress radial velocity amplitudes depends on the planetary
rotational rate, axial tilt and impact factor (i.e. sky-projected planet
spin-orbital alignment). In addition, line asymmetries originating from
different layers in the atmosphere of the planet could provide information
regarding zonal atmospheric winds and constraints on the hot spot shape for
giant irradiated exoplanets. The effect is expected to be most-pronounced at
near-infrared wavelengths, where the planet-to-star contrasts are large. We
create synthetic near-infrared, high-dispersion spectroscopic data and
demonstrate how the sky-projected spin axis orientation and equatorial velocity
of the planet can be estimated. We conclude that the RMse effect could be a
powerful method to measure exoplanet spins.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in ApJ on 2015
June 1
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the care of cancer patients in Spain
Background: Studies evaluating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on public healthcare systems are limited, particularly in cancer management. As no such studies have been carried out in Spain, our objective is to describe and quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer patients in Spanish hospitals during the first wave of the pandemic. Materials and methods: This retrospective, multicenter, nationwide study collected information from hospital departments treating oncology patients. An electronic questionnaire comparing outcomes and management of oncohematological patients for the March-June 2019 and March-June 2020 periods was used. Results: Information from 78 departments (36 tertiary hospitals) was analyzed. Forty-four departments implemented adapted protocols during March 2020. Most of these (n = 38/44; 86.4%) carried out COVID-19 triage, while 26 of 44 (59.1%) carried out onsite polymerase chain reaction tests for clinically suspected cases. A shift from in-person to telephone visits was observed in 43 of 44 (97.7%) departments. Comparing the March-June 2019 and March-June 2020 periods, the number of new patients decreased by 20.8% (from 160.2 to 126.4). Decreases were also seen in the mean number of total (2858.2 versus 1686.1) and cancer (465.5 versus 367.2) biopsies, as well as the mean number of bone marrow biopsies (30.5 versus 18.6). Concerning the number of patients visiting specific cancer care departments, a decrease from 2019 to 2020 was seen for mean number of chemotherapy treatments (712.7 versus 643.8) and radiation therapy (2169.9 versus 2139.9). Finally, a reduction from 2019 to 2020 of 12.9% (from 8.6 to 7.4) in the mean number of patients included in clinical trials was noted. Conclusions: This study provides the first comprehensive data concerning the impact of COVID-19 on cancer care in Spain. The pandemic caused a 20.8% decrease in newly diagnosed patients, which may impact future outcomes. Measures must be taken to ensure cancer management receives priority in times of healthcare emergencies
Determination of diquat by flow injection-chemiluminescence
A simple, economic, sensitive and rapid method for the determination of the pesticide diquat was described. This new method was based on the coupling of flow injection analysis methodology and direct chemiluminescent detection; to the authors' knowledge, this approach had not been used up to now with this pesticide. It was based on its oxidation with ferricyanide in alkaline medium; significant improvements in the analytical signal were achieved by using high temperatures and quinine as sensitiser. Its high throughput (144 h(-1)), together with its low limit of detection (2 ng mL(-1)), achieved without need of preconcentration steps, permitted the reliable quantification of diquat over the linear range of (0.01-0.6) mu g mL(-1) in samples from different origins (river, tap, mineral and ground waters), even in the presence of a 40-fold concentration of paraquat, a pesticide commonly present in the commercial formulations of diquat.López-Paz, JL.; Catalá-Icardo, M.; Antón Garrido, B. (2009). Determination of diquat by flow injection-chemiluminescence. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. 394(4):1073-1079. doi:10.1007/s00216-009-2609-zS107310793944Hayes WJ Jr, Laws ER Jr (1991) Handbook of pesticide toxicology, Academic Press, San DiegoUS Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/06WDW/contaminants/dw_contamfs/diquat.html (accessed in August 2008)Horwitz W (2000) Official methods of analysis of AOAC International 17th edition. AOAC International, Gaithersburg, MD, USAHara S, Sasaki N, Takase D, Shiotsuka S, Ogata K, Futagami K, Tamura K (2007) Anal Sci 23(5):523–531Rial Otero R, Cancho Grande B, Pérez Lamela C, Simal Gandara J, Aria Estevez M (2006) J Chromatogr Sci 44(9):539–542Aramendia MA, Borau V, Lafont F, Marinas JM, Moreno JM, Porras JM, Urbano FJ (2006) Food Chem 97(1):181–188Nuñez O, Moyano E, Galceran MT (2004) Anal Chim Acta 525(2):183–190Martinez Vidal JL, Belmonte Vega A, Sanchez Lopez FJ, Garrido Frenich AJ (2004) Chromatogr A 1050(2):179–184Lee XP, Kumazawa T, Fujishiro M, Hasegawa C, Arinobu T, Seno H, Sato K (2004) J Mass Spectrom 39(10):1147–1152De Almeida RM, Yonamine M (2007) J Chromatogr B 853(1–2):260–264De Souza D, Machado SAS (2006) Electroanalysis 18(9):862–872De Souza D, Da Silva MRC, Machado SAS (2006) Electroanalysis 18(23):2305–2313Picó Y, Rodriguez R, Manes J (2003) Trends Anal Chem 22(3):133–151Ishiwata T (2004) Bunseki Kagaku 53(8):863–864Carneiro MC, Puignou L, Galcerán MT (2000) Anal Chim Acta 408:263Luque M, Rios A, Valcarcel M (1998) Analyst 123(11):2383–2387Perez Ruiz T, Martínez Lozano C, Tomas V (1991) Int J Environ Anal Chem 44(4):243–252Perez Ruiz T, Martínez Lozano C, Tomas V (1991) Anal Chim Acta 244(1):99–104Townshend A (1990) Analyst 115:495–500López Paz JL, Catalá Icardo M (2008) Anal Chim Acta 625:173–179Pawlicová Z, Sahuquillo I, Catalá Icardo M, García Mateo JV, Martínez Calatayud J (2006) Anal Sci 22:29–34Albert García JR, Catalá Icardo M, Martínez Calatayud J (2006) Talanta 69:608–614Tomlin CDS (1997) The pesticide manual, 11th edn.The British Crop Protection CouncilUKCatalá-Icardo M, Martínez-Calatayud J (2008) Crit Rev Anal Chem 38:118–130Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino. http://www.marm.es/ (accessed in September 2008)US Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/OGWWDW/contaminants (accessed in October 2008
Identifying SARS-CoV-2 'memory' NK cells from COVID-19 convalescent donors for adoptive cell therapy
COVID-19 disease is the manifestation of syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, which is causing a worldwide pandemic. This disease can lead to multiple and different symptoms, being lymphopenia associated with severity one of the most persistent. Natural killer cells (NK cells) are part of the innate immune system, being fighting against virus-infected cells one of their key roles. In this study, we determined the phenotype of NK cells after COVID-19 and the main characteristic of SARS-CoV-2-specific-like NK population in the blood of convalescent donors. CD57+ NKG2C+ phenotype in SARS-CoV-2 convalescent donors indicates the presence of 'memory'/activated NK cells as it has been shown for cytomegalovirus infections. Although the existence of this population is donor dependent, its expression may be crucial for the specific response against SARS-CoV-2, so that, it gives us a tool for selecting the best donors to produce off-the-shelf living drug for cell therapy to treat COVID-19 patients under the RELEASE clinical trial (NCT04578210)
Mapping the ionized gas of the metal-poor HII galaxy PHL 293B with MEGARA
Here we report the first spatially resolved spectroscopic study for the
galaxy PHL293B using the high-resolution GTC/MEGARA IFU. PHL293B is a local,
extremely metal-poor, high ionization galaxy. This makes PHL 293B an excellent
analogue for galaxies in the early Universe. The MEGARA aperture (~12.5''x
11.3'') covers the entire PHL 293B main body and its far-reaching ionized gas.
We created and discussed maps of all relevant emission lines, line ratios and
physical-chemical properties of the ionized ISM. The narrow emission gas
appears to be ionized mainly by massive stars according to the observed
diganostic line ratios, regardless of the position across the MEGARA aperture.
We detected low intensity broad emission components and blueshifted absorptions
in the Balmer lines (H,H) which are located in the brightest
zone of the galaxy ISM. A chemically homogeneity, across hundreds of parsecs,
is observed in O/H. We take the oxygen abundance 12+log(O/H)=7.64 0.06
derived from the PHL293B integrated spectrum as the representative metallicity
for the galaxy. Our IFU data reveal for the first time that the nebular
HeII4686 emission from PHL 293B is spatially extended and coincident with the
ionizing stellar cluster, and allow us to compute its absolute HeII ionizing
photon flux. Wolf-Rayet bumps are not detected excluding therefore Wolf-Rayet
stars as the main HeII excitation source. The origin of the nebular HeII4686 is
discussed.Comment: 14 pages, 9 Figures, 3 Tables; Accepted for publication in MNRA
Multiscale Phenomenology of the Cosmic Web
We analyze the structure and connectivity of the distinct morphologies that
define the Cosmic Web. With the help of our Multiscale Morphology Filter (MMF),
we dissect the matter distribution of a cosmological CDM N-body
computer simulation into cluster, filaments and walls. The MMF is ideally
suited to adress both the anisotropic morphological character of filaments and
sheets, as well as the multiscale nature of the hierarchically evolved cosmic
matter distribution. The results of our study may be summarized as follows:
i).- While all morphologies occupy a roughly well defined range in density,
this alone is not sufficient to differentiate between them given their overlap.
Environment defined only in terms of density fails to incorporate the intrinsic
dynamics of each morphology. This plays an important role in both linear and
non linear interactions between haloes. ii).- Most of the mass in the Universe
is concentrated in filaments, narrowly followed by clusters. In terms of
volume, clusters only represent a minute fraction, and filaments not more than
9%. Walls are relatively inconspicous in terms of mass and volume. iii).- On
average, massive clusters are connected to more filaments than low mass
clusters. Clusters with M h have on average
two connecting filaments, while clusters with M
h have on average five connecting filaments. iv).- Density profiles
indicate that the typical width of filaments is 2\Mpch. Walls have less well
defined boundaries with widths between 5-8 Mpc h. In their interior,
filaments have a power-law density profile with slope ,
corresponding to an isothermal density profile.Comment: 28 pages, 22 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS. For a
high-res version see http://www.astro.rug.nl/~weygaert/webmorph_mmf.pd
Breakdown of the semiclassical approximation at the black hole horizon
The definition of matter states on spacelike hypersurfaces of a 1+1
dimensional black hole spacetime is considered. The effect of small quantum
fluctuations of the mass of the black hole due to the quantum nature of the
infalling matter is taken into account. It is then shown that the usual
approximation of treating the gravitational field as a classical background on
which matter is quantized, breaks down near the black hole horizon.
Specifically, on any hypersurface that captures both infalling matter near the
horizon and Hawking radiation, quantum fluctuations in the background geometry
become important, and a semiclassical calculation is inconsistent. An estimate
of the size of correlations between the matter and gravity states shows that
they are so strong that a fluctuation in the black hole mass of order
exp[-M/M_{Planck}] produces a macroscopic change in the matter state.Comment: Latex, 31 pages + 5 uuencoded figure
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