Kinematics and H_2 morphology of the multipolar Post-AGB star IRAS 16594-4656

context: The spectrum of IRAS 16594-4656 shows shock excited H_2 emission and collisionally excited emission lines such as[O I],[C I],and [Fe II]. aim: The goal is to determine the location of the H_2 and [Fe II] shock emission, to determine the shock velocities,and constrain the physical properties in the shock. methods: High resolution spectra of the H_2 1-0 S(1),H_2 2-1 S(1), [Fe II], and Pa$\beta$ emission lines were obtained with the near infrared spectrograph Phoenix on Gemini South. results: The position-velocity diagrams of H_2 1-0 S(1), H_2 2-1 S(1), and [Fe II] are presented. The H_2 and [Fe II] emission is spatially extended. The collisionally excited [O I] and [C I] optical emission lines have a similar double peaked profile compared to the extracted H_2 profile and appear to be produced in the same shock. They all indicate an expansion velocity of ~8 km/s and the presence of a neutral, very high density region with $n_{\rm e}$ about 3 x 10^6 to 5 x10^7 cm$^{-3}$. The [Fe II] emission however is single peaked. It has a gaussian FWHM of 30 km/s and a total width of 62 km/s at 1% of the peak. The Pa$\beta$ profile is even wider with a gaussian FWHM of 48 km/s and a total width of 75 km/s at 1% of the peak. conclusions: The H$_2$ emission is excited in a slow 5 to 20 km/s shock into dense material at the edge of the lobes, caused by the interaction of the AGB ejecta and the post-AGB wind. The 3D representation of the H_2 data shows a hollow structure with less H_2 emission in the equatorial region. The [Fe II] emission is not present in the lobes, but originates close to the central star in fast shocks in the post-AGB wind or in a disk. The Pa$\beta$ emission also appears to originate close to the star.Comment: 11 pages and 8 figures; A&A in press; the paper includig high resolution figures can be downloaded from http://homepage.oma.be/gsteene/publications.htm

Activated monocytes augment TRAIL-mediated cytotoxicity by human NK cells through release of IFN-gamma

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that are able to directly kill tumor cells through different mechanisms including ligation of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptors. Zoledronic acid (ZA) is a bisphosphonate known to upregulate the expression of TRAIL on human γδ T cells. Here, we investigated whether exposure to ZA would upregulate TRAIL expression on human NK cells and augment their cytotoxicity against tumor cells. When cocultured with monocytes, treatment with ZA and IL-2 resulted in a significant upregulation of TRAIL expression on human NK cells (p = 0.002). Consequently, ZA-primed NK cells were significantly more cytotoxic against TRAIL sensitive tumor cells (p < 0.0001). In the presence of ZA and IL-2, monocytes produced high levels of IFN-γ; when cultured in the presence of neutralizing antibodies to IFN-γ, TRAIL expression and TRAIL-mediated cytotoxicity of NK cells were significantly reduced. Furthermore, in tumor-bearing SCID/Beige mice, a significant delayed tumor progression and prolonged survival was observed after infusion of ZA-primed NK cells compared with that observed in mice infused with unprimed NK cells. These findings represent a novel approach to potentiate TRAIL-mediated apoptosis by adoptively infused NK cells that could improve the outcome in patients with cancer.Swedish Research CouncilEuropean UnionManuscrip

Evidence from the archives of societies: historical sources in glaciology

Glaciers have been recognized as key indicators of climate change. To assess the current decline in glaciers worldwide, their changes must be compared with natural glacier fluctuations since the end of the last ice age. To reconstruct glacier changes over recent centuries, historical methods have proven especially valuable. Pictorial and cartographical documents as well as written accounts can provide a detailed picture of glacier fluctuations, in particular frontal length changes

Climate and glacier fluctuations at Jostedalsbreen and Folgefonna, southwestern Norway and in the western Alps from the 'Little Ice Age' until the present: The influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation

Glacier length, though an indirect and delayed signal of climate conditions, can be used to determine the relationship between climate and glacier response. This study discusses glacier length change of eight outlet glaciers of Jostedalsbreen and Folgefonna (southern Norway), from the ‘Little Ice Age’ (LIA) until the present. A climate index was calculated from meteorological data from Bergen to determine the specific frontal time lags of the individual glaciers. Short and steep outlet glaciers, such as Briksdalsbreen, react rapidly to changes in climatic conditions, whereas long and gently descending glaciers, such as Nigardsbreen, need longer time to adjust to changes in temperature and/or precipitation. The time lag of Briksdalsbreen was about twice as long during the LIA as today. The correlations between North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and climate conditions and glacier fluctuations in Norway and the European western Alps were analysed. As the influence of the NAO on glacier fluctuations is most pronounced during winter, only the winter NAO index was considered. Fluctuations of maritime Norwegian glaciers are highly correlated with the NAO, whereas variations of more continental glaciers in the European western Alps are only partly influenced by the NAO and tend to be anti-correlated. However, the (anti-)correlation with the NAO is not constant during the record, and significantly weaker or even inversed during some periods. A comparison of the LIA glacier fluctuations in southern Norway and the European western Alps suggests that the asynchronous LIA maxima in the two regions may partly be attributed to multidecadal trends in the NAO