THE RATE OF BINARY BLACK HOLE MERGERS INFERRED FROM ADVANCED LIGO OBSERVATIONS SURROUNDING GW150914

A transient gravitational-wave signal, GW150914, was identi fi ed in the twin Advanced LIGO detectors on 2015 September 2015 at 09:50:45 UTC. To asse ss the implications of this discovery, the detectors remained in operation with unchanged con fi gurations over a period of 39 days around the time of t he signal. At the detection statistic threshold corresponding to that observed for GW150914, our search of the 16 days of simultaneous two-detector observational data is estimated to have a false-alarm rate ( FAR ) of < ́ -- 4.9 10 yr 61 , yielding a p -value for GW150914 of < ́ - 210 7 . Parameter estimation follo w-up on this trigger identi fi es its source as a binary black hole ( BBH ) merger with component masses ( )( ) = - + - + mm M ,36,29 12 4 5 4 4 at redshift = - + z 0.09 0.04 0.03 ( median and 90% credible range ) . Here, we report on the constraints these observations place on the rate of BBH coalescences. Considering only GW150914, assuming that all BBHs in the universe have the same masses and spins as this event, imposing a search FAR threshold of 1 per 100 years, and assuming that the BBH merger rate is constant in the comoving frame, we infer a 90% credible range of merger rates between – -- 2 53 Gpc yr 31 ( comoving frame ) . Incorporating all search triggers that pass a much lower threshold while accounting for the uncerta inty in the astrophysical origin of each trigger, we estimate a higher rate, ranging from – -- 13 600 Gpc yr 31 depending on assumptions about the BBH mass distribution. All together, our various rate estimat es fall in the conservative range – -- 2 600 Gpc yr 31

Dendritic cells and their role in tumor immunosurveillance

Dendritic cells (DCs) comprise a heterogeneous population of cells that play a key role in initiating, directing and regulating adaptive immune responses, including those critically involved in tumor immunosurveillance. As a riposte to the central role of DCs in the generation of antitumor immune responses, tumors have developed various mechanisms which impair the immunostimulatory functions of DCs or even instruct them to actively contribute to tumor growth and progression. In the first part of this review we discuss general aspects of DC biology, including their origin, subtypes, immature and mature states, and functional plasticity which ensures a delicate balance between active immune response and immune tolerance. In the second part of the review we discuss the complex interactions between DCs and the tumor microenvironment, and point out the challenges faced by DCs during the recognition of tumor Ags. We also discuss the role of DCs in tumor angiogenesis and vasculogenesis

Therapeutic dendritic cell-based cancer vaccines: the state of art

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent professional antigen-presenting cells, capable of initiating proper adaptive immune responses. Although tumor-infiltrating DCs are able to recognize cancer cells and uptake tumor antigens, they often have impaired functions because of the immunosuppressive tumor milieu. Therefore, DCs are targeted by therapeutic means either in vivo or ex vivo to facilitate tumor antigen presentation to T cells and induce or promote efficient antitumor immune responses in cancer patients. This immunotherapeutical approach is defined as specific active tumor immunotherapy or therapeutic cancer vaccination. In this review we briefly discuss general aspects of DC biology, followed by a thorough description of the current knowledge and optimization trends of DC vaccine production ex vivo, including various approaches for the induction of proper DC maturation and efficient loading with tumor antigens. We also discuss critical clinical aspects of DC vaccine application in cancer patients, including protocols of administration (routes and regimens), individualization of tumor immunotherapy, prediction and proper evaluation of immune and clinical responses to immunotherapy, and the critical role of combining tumor immunotherapy with other cancer treatment strategies to achieve maximal therapeutic effects

Constructing tight frames of multivariate functions

10.1016/j.jat.2008.01.001Journal of Approximation Theory158149-68JAXT

Functionality of resistance gene Hero which controls plant root-infecting potato cyst nematodes, in leaves of tomato

The expression of host genomes is modified locally by root endoparasitic nematode secretions to induce the development of complex cellular structures referred as feeding sites. In compatible interactions, the feeding sites provide the environment and nutrients for the completion of the nematode's life cycle, whereas in an incompatible (resistant) interaction, the host immune system triggers a plant cell death programme, often in the form of a hypersensitive reaction, which restricts nematode reproduction. These processes have been studied in great detail in organ tissues normally infected by these nematodes: the roots. Here we show that host leaves can support a similar set of programmed developmental events in the potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis life cycle that are typical of the root-invading nematodes. We also show that a gene-for-gene type specific disease resistance that is effective against potato cyst nematodes (PCN) in roots also operates in leaves: the expression of the resistance (R) gene Hero and members of its gene family in leaves correlates with the elicitation of a hypersensitive response only during the incompatible interaction. These findings, and the ability to isolate RNA from relevant parasitic stages of the nematode, may have significant implications for the identification of nematode factors involved in incompatible interactions