Bouncing gel balls: impact of soft gels onto rigid surface

After thrown onto a solid substrate, very soft spherical gels bounce repeatedly. Separate rheological measurements suggest that these balls can be treated as nearly elastic. The Hertz contact deformation expected in the static (elastic) limit was observed only at very small impact velocities. For larger velocities, the gel ball deformed into flattened forms like a pancake. We measured the size of the gel balls at the maximal deformation and the contact time as a function of velocities for the samples different in the original spherical radius and the Young modulus. The experimental results revealed a number of scaling relations. To interpret these relations, we developed scaling arguments to propose a physical picture.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures (minor revisions, To appear in Europhys. Lett.

High Angular Resolution, Sensitive CS J=2-1 and J=3-2 Imaging of the Protostar L1551 NE: Evidence for Outflow-Triggered Star Formation ?

High angular resolution and sensitive aperture synthesis observations of CS ($J=2-1$) and CS ($J=3-2$) emissions toward L1551 NE, the second brightest protostar in the Taurus Molecular Cloud, made with the Nobeyama Millimeter Array are presented. L1551 NE is categorized as a class 0 object deeply embedded in the red-shifted outflow lobe of L1551 IRS 5. Previous studies of the L1551 NE region in CS emission revealed the presence of shell-like components open toward L1551 IRS 5, which seem to trace low-velocity shocks in the swept-up shell driven by the outflow from L1551 IRS 5. In this study, significant CS emission around L1551 NE was detected at the eastern tip of the swept-up shell from $V_{\rm{lsr}}$ = 5.3 km s$^{-1}$ to 10.1 km s$^{-1}$, and the total mass of the dense gas is estimated to be 0.18 $\pm$ 0.02 $M_\odot$. Additionally, the following new structures were successfully revealed: a compact disklike component with a size of $\approx$ 1000 AU just at L1551 NE, an arc-shaped structure around L1551 NE, open toward L1551 NE, with a size of $\sim 5000$ AU, i.e., a bow shock, and a distinct velocity gradient of the dense gas, i.e., deceleration along the outflow axis of L1551 IRS 5. These features suggest that the CS emission traces the post-shocked region where the dense gas associated with L1551 NE and the swept-up shell of the outflow from L1551 IRS 5 interact. Since the age of L1551 NE is comparable to the timescale of the interaction, it is plausible that the formation of L1551 NE was induced by the outflow impact. The compact structure of L1551 NE with a tiny envelope was also revealed, suggesting that the outer envelope of L1551 NE has been blown off by the outflow from L1551 IRS 5.Comment: 29 pages, 12 figures, Accepted for Publication in the Astrophysical Journa

A case of juvenile fibroadenoma arising from axillary accessory mammary gland

A case is２０years old woman. She had previously noticed a mass in the left axilla. The mass grew, so she went to the hospital. Ultrasonography revealed a ７１ × ５１ mm well-defined tumor in the left axilla. We suspected a benign tumor but could not rule out axillary lymph node metastasis or accessory breast cancer. The findings of fine needle aspiration cytology suggested fibroadenoma or phyllodes tumor. Although we diagnosed fibroadenoma by needle biopsy, a definitive diagnosis was made by tumor resection because it is located in the axilla and large in size, and other diseases such as phyllodes tumors can be distinguished. The histopathological diagnosis of the excised specimen was juvenile fibroadenoma. We report a case of juvenile fibroadenoma arising from the axillary accessory mammary gland

Antiviral TRIMs: friend or foe in autoimmune and autoinflammatory disease?

The concept that viral sensing systems, via their ability to drive pro-inflammatory cytokine and interferon production, contribute to the development of autoimmune and autoinflammatory disease is supported by a wide range of clinical and experimental observations. Recently, the tripartite motif-containing proteins (TRIMs) have emerged as having key roles in antiviral immunity — either as viral restriction factors or as regulators of pathways downstream of viral RNA and DNA sensors, and the inflammasome. Given their involvement in these pathways, we propose that TRIM proteins contribute to the development and pathology of autoimmune and autoinflammatory conditions, thus making them potential novel targets for therapeutic manipulation

An intrathoracic ectopic liver with pleural effusion in a dog

A 10-year-old, spayed female dog with intermittent coughing and respiratory distress was presented at our hospital. Thoracic radiographs revealed a 71×43 mm intrathoracic solitary mass. After one week, coughing worsened and pleural effusion was found. The intrathoracic mass had the same intensity as the liver in contrast-enhanced computed tomography images. There were no signs of diaphragmatic hernia, and attachment of the mass to the diaphragm and the caudal vena cava was observed during surgery. Histopathologically, the mass was composed of normal hepatic parenchyma, and based on this finding and the gross findings, it was diagnosed as an ectopic liver. Owing to its location, the ectopic liver may have caused regional venous occlusion, which resulted in the clinical symptoms observed