839 research outputs found
SO(n + 1) Symmetric Solutions of the Einstein Equations in Higher Dimensions
A method of solving the Einstein equations with a scalar field is presented.
It is applied to find higher dimensional vacuum metrics invariant under the
group SO(n + 1) acting on n-dimensional spheres.Comment: 11 page
The beta Pictoris association: Catalog of photometric rotational periods of low-mass members and candidate members
We intended to compile the most complete catalog of bona fide members and
candidate members of the beta Pictoris association, and to measure their
rotation periods and basic properties from our own observations, public
archives, and exploring the literature. We carried out a multi-observatories
campaign to get our own photometric time series and collected all archived
public photometric data time series for the stars in our catalog. Each time
series was analyzed with the Lomb-Scargle and CLEAN periodograms to search for
the stellar rotation periods. We complemented the measured rotational
properties with detailed information on multiplicity, membership, and projected
rotational velocity available in the literature and discussed star by star. We
measured the rotation periods of 112 out of 117 among bona fide members and
candidate members of the beta Pictoris association and, whenever possible, we
also measured the luminosity, radius, and inclination of the stellar rotation
axis. This represents to date the largest catalog of rotation periods of any
young loose stellar association. We provided an extensive catalog of rotation
periods together with other relevant basic properties useful to explore a
number of open issues, such as the causes of spread of rotation periods among
coeval stars, evolution of angular momentum, and lithium-rotation connection.Comment: Forthcoming article, Received: 20 June 2016 / Accepted: 09 September
2016; 40 pages, 2 figures. The online figures A1-A73 are available at CD
Characterizing HR3549B using SPHERE
Aims. In this work, we characterize the low mass companion of the A0 field
star HR3549. Methods. We observed HR3549AB in imaging mode with the the NIR
branch (IFS and IRDIS) of SPHERE@VLT, with IFS in YJ mode and IRDIS in the H
band. We also acquired a medium resolution spectrum with the IRDIS long slit
spectroscopy mode. The data were reduced using the dedicated SPHERE GTO
pipeline, purposely designed for this instrument. We employed algorithms such
as PCA and TLOCI to reduce the speckle noise. Results. The companion was
clearly visible both with IRDIS and IFS.We obtained photometry in four
different bands as well as the astrometric position for the companion. Based on
our astrometry, we confirm that it is a bound object and put constraints on its
orbit. Although several uncertainties are still present, we estimate an age of
~100-150 Myr for this system, yielding a most probable mass for the companion
of 40-50MJup and T_eff ~300-2400 K. Comparing with template spectra points to a
spectral type between M9 and L0 for the companion, commensurate with its
position on the color-magnitude diagram.Comment: Accepted by A&A, 13 pages, 10 Figures (Figures 9 and 10 degraded to
reduce the dimension
Podoplanin drives dedifferentiation and amoeboid invasion of melanoma
Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer developing from melanocytes, frequently resulting in metastatic disease. Melanoma cells utilize amoeboid migration as mode of local invasion. Amoeboid invasion is characterized by rounded cell morphology and high actomyosin contractility driven by Rho GTPase signalling. Migrastatic drugs targeting actin polymerization and contractility are therefore a promising treatment option for metastatic melanoma. To predict amoeboid invasion and metastatic potential, biomarkers functionally linked to contractility pathways are needed. The glycoprotein podoplanin drives actomyosin contractility in lymphoid fibroblasts and is overexpressed in many cancers. We show that podoplanin enhances amoeboid invasion in melanoma. Podoplanin expression in murine melanoma drives rounded cell morphology, increasing motility, and invasion in vivo. Podoplanin expression is increased in a subset of dedifferentiated human melanoma, and in vitro is sufficient to upregulate melanoma-associated marker Pou3f2/Brn2. Together, our data define podoplanin as a functional biomarker for dedifferentiated invasive melanoma and a promising migrastatic therapeutic target
Real-Time MRI-Guided Catheter Tracking Using Hyperpolarized Silicon Particles
Visualizing the movement of angiocatheters during endovascular interventions is typically accomplished using x-ray fluoroscopy. There are many potential advantages to developing magnetic resonance imaging-based approaches that will allow three-dimensional imaging of the tissue/vasculature interface while monitoring other physiologically-relevant criteria, without exposing the patient or clinician team to ionizing radiation. Here we introduce a proof-of-concept development of a magnetic resonance imaging-guided catheter tracking method that utilizes hyperpolarized silicon particles. The increased signal of the silicon particles is generated via low-temperature, solid-state dynamic nuclear polarization, and the particles retain their enhanced signal for ?40?minutesâallowing imaging experiments over extended time durations. The particles are affixed to the tip of standard medical-grade catheters and are used to track passage under set distal and temporal points in phantoms and live mouse models. With continued development, this method has the potential to supplement x-ray fluoroscopy and other MRI-guided catheter tracking methods as a zero-background, positive contrast agent that does not require ionizing radiation
Quasiâperiodic ionospheric disturbances with a 40âmin period during prolonged northward interplanetary magnetic field
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95506/1/grl12118.pd
Results of a randomized, double-blind phase II clinical trial of NY-ESO-1 vaccine with ISCOMATRIX adjuvant versus ISCOMATRIX alone in participants with high-risk resected melanoma.
BACKGROUND: To compare the clinical efficacy of New York Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma-1 (NY-ESO-1) vaccine with ISCOMATRIX adjuvant versus ISCOMATRIX alone in a randomized, double-blind phase II study in participants with fully resected melanoma at high risk of recurrence. METHODS: Participants with resected stage IIc, IIIb, IIIc and IV melanoma expressing NY-ESO-1 were randomized to treatment with three doses of NY-ESO-1/ISCOMATRIX or ISCOMATRIX adjuvant administered intramuscularly at 4-week intervals, followed by a further dose at 6 months. Primary endpoint was the proportion free of relapse at 18 months in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population and two per-protocol populations. Secondary endpoints included relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS), safety and NY-ESO-1 immunity. RESULTS: The ITT population comprised 110 participants, with 56 randomized to NY-ESO-1/ISCOMATRIX and 54 to ISCOMATRIX alone. No significant toxicities were observed. There were no differences between the study arms in relapses at 18 months or for median time to relapse; 139 vs 176 days (p=0.296), or relapse rate, 27 (48.2%) vs 26 (48.1%) (HR 0.913; 95% CI 0.402 to 2.231), respectively. RFS and OS were similar between the study arms. Vaccine recipients developed strong positive antibody responses to NY-ESO-1 (pâ€0.0001) and NY-ESO-1-specific CD4+ and CD8+ responses. Biopsies following relapse did not demonstrate differences in NY-ESO-1 expression between the study populations although an exploratory study demonstrated reduced (NY-ESO-1)+/Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) class I+ double-positive cells in biopsies from vaccine recipients performed on relapse in 19 participants. CONCLUSIONS: The vaccine was well tolerated, however, despite inducing antigen-specific immunity, it did not affect survival endpoints. Immune escape through the downregulation of NY-ESO-1 and/or HLA class I molecules on tumor may have contributed to relapse
From Predicting Solar Activity to Forecasting Space Weather: Practical Examples of Research-to-Operations and Operations-to-Research
The successful transition of research to operations (R2O) and operations to
research (O2R) requires, above all, interaction between the two communities. We
explore the role that close interaction and ongoing communication played in the
successful fielding of three separate developments: an observation platform, a
numerical model, and a visualization and specification tool. Additionally, we
will examine how these three pieces came together to revolutionize
interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) arrival forecasts. A discussion of
the importance of education and training in ensuring a positive outcome from
R2O activity follows. We describe efforts by the meteorological community to
make research results more accessible to forecasters and the applicability of
these efforts to the transfer of space-weather research.We end with a
forecaster "wish list" for R2O transitions. Ongoing, two-way communication
between the research and operations communities is the thread connecting it
all.Comment: 18 pages, 3 figures, Solar Physics in pres
Trouble at the top: The construction of a tenant identity in the governance of social housing organizations
The project of citizen governance has transformed the social housing sector in England where 20,000 tenants now sit as directors on the boards of housing associations, but the entrance of social housing tenants to the boardroom has aroused opposition from the chief executives of housing companies and triggered regulatory intervention from government inspectors. This paper investigates the cause of these tensions through a theoretical framework drawn from the work of feminist philosopher Judith Butler. It interprets housing governance as an identificatory project with the power to constitute tenant directors as regulated subjects, and presents evidence to suggest that this project of identity fails to completely enclose its subject, allowing tenant directors to engage in âidentity workâ that threatens the supposed unity of the board. The paper charts the development of antagonism and political tension in the board rooms of housing companies to present an innovative account of the construction and contestation of identities in housing governance
Pre-Main Sequence stars in the star forming complex Sh 2-284
Located at the galactic anticenter, Sh 2-284 is a HII region which harbors
several young open clusters; Dolidze 25, a rare metal poor (Z~0.004) young
cluster, is one of these. Given its association with Sh 2-284, it is reasonable
to assume the low metallicity for the whole HII region. Sh~2-284 is expected to
host a significant population of Pre-Main Sequence (PMS) stars of both low and
intermediate mass stars (Herbig Ae stars). We aim at characterizing these stars
by means of a spectroscopic and photometric survey conducted with VIMOS@VLT and
complemented with additional optical and infrared observations. In this survey
we selected and characterized 23 PMS objects. We derived the effective
temperature, the spectral energy distribution and luminosity of these objects;
using theoretical PMS evolutionary tracks, with the appropriate metallicity, we
estimated the mass and the age of the studied objects. We also estimated a
distance of 4 Kpc for Sh 2-284 by using spectroscopic parallax of 3 OB stars.
From the age determination we concluded that triggered star formation is in act
in this region. Our results show that a significant fraction of the young
stellar objects (YSOs) may have preserved their disk/envelopes, in contrast
with what is found in other recent studies of low-metallicity star forming
regions in the Galaxy. Finally, among the 23 bona fide PMS stars, we identified
8 stars which are good candidates to pulsators of the delta Scuti type.Comment: accepted for publication in MNRA
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