298 research outputs found
Graphene Inkjet-Printed Ultrawideband Tapered Coplanar-Waveguide Antenna on Kapton Substrate
This paper presents an ultra-wideband graphene antenna with tapered coplanar-waveguide feed. The proposed antenna covers the 2.7-8.2 GHz bandwidth (2.6-10 GHz measured), with two main resonance frequencies at 3.1 and 5.5 gigahertz (3.1 and 5.8 measured). Simulations show a radiation pattern that looks quasi-omnidirectional with a maximum gain limited to 3.15 dBi and efficiency above 84.7%. In order to post-process the graphene ink and to provide flexibility, Kapton Polyimide is used as a substrate. The flexibility, as well as the lightweight and ease in the fabrication of accurate designs, turns this antenna into a suitable candidate for wearable and flexible wireless applications
Outflows of hot molecular gas in ultra-luminous infra-red galaxies mapped with VLT-SINFONI
We present the detection and morphological characterization of hot molecular
gas outflows in nearby ultra-luminous infrared galaxies, using the near-IR
integral-field spectrograph SINFONI on the VLT. We detect outflows observed in
the 2.12 micron H 1-0 S(1) line for three out of four ULIRGs analyzed;
IRAS 12112+0305, 14348-1447, and 22491-1808. The outflows are mapped on scales
of 0.7-1.6 kpc, show typical outflow velocities of 300-500 km/s, and appear to
originate from the nuclear region. The outflows comprise hot molecular gas
masses of ~6-8x10 M(sun). Assuming a hot-to-cold molecular gas mass ratio
of 6x10, as found in nearby luminous IR galaxies, the total (hot+cold)
molecular gas mass in these outflows is expected to be ~1x10 M(sun). This
translates into molecular mass outflow rates of ~30-85 M(sun)/yr, which is a
factor of a few lower than the star formation rate in these ULIRGs. In
addition, most of the outflowing molecular gas does not reach the escape
velocity of these merger systems, which implies that the bulk of the outflowing
molecular gas is re-distributed within the system and thus remains available
for future star formation. The fastest H outflow is seen in the
Compton-thick AGN of IRAS 14348-1447, reaching a maximum outflow velocity of
~900 km/s. Another ULIRG, IRAS 17208-0014, shows asymmetric H line
profiles different from the outflows seen in the other three ULIRGs. We discuss
several alternative explanations for its line asymmetries, including a very
gentle galactic wind, internal gas dynamics, low-velocity gas outside the disk,
or two superposed gas disks. We do not detect the hot molecular counterpart to
the outflow previously detected in CO(2-1) in IRAS 17208-0014, but we note that
our SINFONI data are not sensitive enough to detect this outflow if it has a
small hot-to-cold molecular gas mass ratio of < 9x10.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A (11 pages, 10 figures
Tumor Resident Memory T Cells: New Players in Immune Surveillance and Therapy.
Tissue resident memory T cells (Trm) are a subset of memory T cells mainly described in inflammation and infection settings. Their location in peripheral tissues, such as lungs, gut, or skin, makes them the earliest T cell population to respond upon antigen recognition or under inflammatory conditions. The study of Trm cells in the field of cancer, and particularly in cancer immunotherapy, has recently gained considerable momentum. Different reports have shown that the vaccination route is critical to promote Trm generation in preclinical cancer models. Cancer vaccines administered directly at the mucosa, frequently result in enhanced Trm formation in mucosal cancers compared to vaccinations via intramuscular or subcutaneous routes. Moreover, the intratumoral presence of T cells expressing the integrin CD103 has been reported to strongly correlate with a favorable prognosis for cancer patients. In spite of recent progress, the full spectrum of Trm anti-tumoral functions still needs to be fully established, particularly in cancer patients, in different clinical contexts. In this mini-review we focus on the recent vaccination strategies aimed at generating Trm cells, as well as evidence supporting their association with patient survival in different cancer types. We believe that collectively, this information provides a strong rationale to target Trm for cancer immunotherapy
High-resolution imaging of the molecular outflows in two mergers: IRAS17208-0014 and NGC1614
Galaxy evolution scenarios predict that the feedback of star formation and
nuclear activity (AGN) can drive the transformation of gas-rich spiral mergers
into ULIRGs, and, eventually, lead to the build-up of QSO/elliptical hosts. We
study the role that star formation and AGN feedback have in launching and
maintaining the molecular outflows in two starburst-dominated advanced mergers,
NGC1614 and IRAS17208-0014, by analyzing the distribution and kinematics of
their molecular gas reservoirs. We have used the PdBI array to image with high
spatial resolution (0.5"-1.2") the CO(1-0) and CO(2-1) line emissions in
NGC1614 and IRAS17208-0014, respectively. The velocity fields of the gas are
analyzed and modeled to find the evidence of molecular outflows in these
sources and characterize the mass, momentum and energy of these components.
While most (>95%) of the CO emission stems from spatially-resolved
(~2-3kpc-diameter) rotating disks, we also detect in both mergers the emission
from high-velocity line wings that extend up to +-500-700km/s, well beyond the
estimated virial range associated with rotation and turbulence. The kinematic
major axis of the line wing emission is tilted by ~90deg in NGC1614 and by
~180deg in IRAS17208-0014 relative to their respective rotating disk major
axes. These results can be explained by the existence of non-coplanar molecular
outflows in both systems. In stark contrast with NGC1614, where star formation
alone can drive its molecular outflow, the mass, energy and momentum budget
requirements of the molecular outflow in IRAS17208-0014 can be best accounted
for by the existence of a so far undetected (hidden) AGN of L_AGN~7x10^11
L_sun. The geometry of the molecular outflow in IRAS17208-0014 suggests that
the outflow is launched by a non-coplanar disk that may be associated with a
buried AGN in the western nucleus.Comment: Final version in press, accepted by A&A. Reference list updated.
Minor typos correcte
Enhanced Phenotype Definition for Precision Isolation of Precursor Exhausted Tumor-Infiltrating CD8 T Cells.
In the context of adoptive T cell transfer (ACT) for cancer treatment, it is crucial to generate in vitro large amounts of tumor-specific CD8 T cells with high potential to persist in vivo. PD-1, Tim3, and CD39 have been proposed as markers of tumor-specific tumor-infiltrating CD8 T lymphocytes (CD8 TILs). However, these molecules are highly expressed by terminally differentiated exhausted CD8 T cells (Tex) that lack proliferation potential. Therefore, optimized strategies to isolate tumor-specific TILs with high proliferative potential, such as Tcf1+ precursor exhausted T cells (Tpe) are needed to improve in vivo persistence of ACT. Here we aimed at defining cell surface markers that would unequivocally identify Types for precision cell sorting increasing the purity of tumor-specific PD-1+ Tcf1+ Tpe from total TILs. Transcriptomic analysis of Tpe vs. Tex CD8 TIL subsets from B16 tumors and primary human melanoma tumors revealed that Tpes are enriched in Slamf6 and lack Entpd1 and Havcr2 expression, which encode Slamf6, CD39, and Tim3 cell surface proteins, respectively. Indeed, we observed by flow cytometry that CD39- Tim3- Slamf6+ PD-1+ cells yielded maximum enrichment for tumor specific PD-1+ Tcf1+ OT1 TILs in B16.OVA tumors. Moreover, this population showed higher re-expansion capacity upon an acute infection recall response compared to the CD39+ counterparts or bulk PD-1+ TILs. Hence, we report an enhanced sorting strategy (CD39- Tim3- Slamf6+ PD-1+) of Tpes. In conclusion, we show that optimization of CD8 TIL cell sorting strategy is a viable approach to improve recall capacity and in vivo persistence of transferred cells in the context of ACT
Star formation in the hosts of GHz peaked spectrum and compact steep spectrum radio galaxies
AIMS: Search for star formation regions in the hosts of potentially young
radio galaxies (Gigahertz Peaked Spectrum and Compact Steep Spectrum sources).
METHODS: Near-UV imaging with the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for
Surveys.} RESULTS: We find near-UV light which could be the product of recent
star formation in eight of the nine observed sources, though other explanations
are not currently ruled out. The UV luminosities of the GPS and CSS sources are
similar to those of a sample of nearby large scale radio galaxies. Stellar
population synthesis models are consistent with a burst of recent star
formation occuring before the formation of the radio source. However,
observations at other wavelengths and colors are needed to definitively
establish the nature of the observed UV light. In the CSS sources 1443+77 and
1814-637 the near-UV light is aligned with and is co-spatial with the radio
source. We suggest that in these sources the UV light is produced by star
formation triggered and/or enhanced by the radio source.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figs. Accepted to A&A. Paper with high resolution images
can be found at
http://damir.iem.csic.es/extragalactic/publications/publications.htm
Soft Graphene-Based Antennas for Ultrawideband Wireless Communication
Ensuring user-friendliness and the seamless integration of technology into the fabric is a key challenge both for academics and industry participants. Thus, textiles that provide a seamless command-oriented user interface, and are capable of wireless communication have been an increasingly popular topic in recent years. In the field of textile antennas, patch antennas either with the use of embroidering techniques, conductive fabrics or inkjet-printing are leading the way over traditional bulky antennas.
However, there are still significant problems in additive antenna fabrication such as the need to use metallic components as the conductive element which quickly becoming corroded and oxidised and also lead to high material costs.
The main objective of this study is to develop graphene-based antennas for smart textiles that push the state-of-the-art in wireless body-centric systems, by utilising traditional textile manufacturing techniques. Hence, this research suggests a graphene-based antenna on a textile substrate, where the conformity of the antenna is highly desirable for wearable and body-centric applications. The designed antenna consists of a coplanar-waveguide-fed planar inverted cone-shaped patch geometry, aiming at ultrawideband antennas that work in a wide spectrum from 3.1 to 10.6GHz
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