Significantly high polarization degree of the very low-albedo asteroid (152679) 1998 KU2_\mathrm{2}

We present a unique and significant polarimetric result regarding the near-Earth asteroid (152679) 1998 KU$_\mathrm{2}$ , which has a very low geometric albedo. From our observations, we find that the linear polarization degrees of 1998 KU$_\mathrm{2}$ are 44.6 $\pm$ 0.5\% in the R$_\mathrm{C}$ band and 44.0 $\pm$ 0.6\% in the V band at a solar phase angle of 81.0\degr. These values are the highest of any known airless body in the solar system (i.e., high-polarization comets, asteroids, and planetary satellites) at similar phase angles. This polarimetric observation is not only the first for primitive asteroids at large phase angles, but also for low-albedo (< 0.1) airless bodies. Based on spectroscopic similarities and polarimetric measurements of materials that have been sorted by size in previous studies, we conjecture that 1998 KU$_\mathrm{2}$ has a highly microporous regolith structure comprising nano-sized carbon grains on the surface.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, and 3 tables, accepted for publication in A&

Dust from Comet 209P/LINEAR during its 2014 Return: Parent Body of a New Meteor Shower, the May Camelopardalids

We report a new observation of the Jupiter-family comet 209P/LINEAR during its 2014 return. The comet is recognized as a dust source of a new meteor shower, the May Camelopardalids. 209P/LINEAR was apparently inactive at a heliocentric distance rh = 1.6 au and showed weak activity at rh < 1.4 au. We found an active region of <0.001% of the entire nuclear surface during the comet's dormant phase. An edge-on image suggests that particles up to 1 cm in size (with an uncertainty of factor 3-5) were ejected following a differential power-law size distribution with index q=-3.25+-0.10. We derived a mass loss rate of 2-10 kg/s during the active phase and a total mass of ~5x10^7 kg during the 2014 return. The ejection terminal velocity of millimeter- to centimeter-sized particles was 1-4 m/s, which is comparable to the escape velocity from the nucleus (1.4 m/s). These results imply that such large meteoric particles marginally escaped from the highly dormant comet nucleus via the gas drag force only within a few months of the perihelion passage.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, accepted on 2014 December 11 for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letter

Cost Evaluation of Basiliximab Treatment for Renal Transplant Patients in Japan

Background: International phase III studies (CHIB 201 and 352) showed that basiliximab, a high affinity chimeric monoclonal antibody interleukin-2 receptor antagonist, is highly effective in preventing acute rejection when used as immunoprophylaxis in patients receiving cyclosporin (Neoral(R)). We conducted a cost evaluation by applying international clinical results to standard Japanese medical practice. Objective: To evaluate the impact of basiliximab in renal transplant patients receiving conventional immunosuppressive therapy using cyclosporin and corticosteroids from the perspective of the healthcare payer in Japan. Study design: A decision tree model was developed, comprising seven pathways with key clinical events identified after the transplantation. The average first-year treatment costs after transplantation for patients treated with and without basiliximab were calculated using the model. A sensitivity analysis was done to measure the degree of influence of several criteria including the incidences of rejection, and rejection responding to steroid pulse therapy and antibody therapy. Methods: Estimates of key clinical events were derived from the international studies. Calculation of direct medical costs were made from the payers Main outcome measures and results: Basiliximab use produced an estimated saving of Yen315 Conclusions: If the cost of basiliximab is less than Yen315Basiliximab, Cost-analysis, Immunosuppressants, Interleukin-2-receptor-antagonists, Pharmacoeconomics, Renal-transplant-rejection

Inhibition of Th17 differentiation by anti-TNF-alpha therapy in uveitis patients with Behçet's disease

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to determine whether anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF-α) antibody, infliximab, can inhibit T helper 17 (Th17) differentiation in uveitis patients who have Behçet's disease (BD). METHODS: To measure inflammatory cytokines, ocular fluid samples from BD patients being treated with infliximab were collected. Cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4)(+ )T cells from BD patients with active uveitis were co-cultured with anti-cluster of differentiation 3/cluster of differentiation 28 (CD3/CD28) antibodies in the presence of infliximab. For the induction of Th17 cells, CD4(+ )T cells from BD patients were co-cultured with anti-CD3/CD28, anti-interferon-gamma (anti-IFN-γ), anti-interleukin-4 (anti-IL-4), and recombinant proteins such as interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-23 (IL-23), and TNF-α. The BD T cells were co-cultured with infliximab, and the production of interleukin-17 (IL-17) was evaluated by ELISA and flow cytometry, and the expression of retinoid-acid receptor-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt) was also evaluated by flow cytometry. In addition, intraocular cells collected from mice with experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) were used for the assay with anti-TNF-α blocking antibody. RESULTS: Ocular fluids from active uveitis patients who have BD contained significant amounts of inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ, IL-2, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-17, while ocular fluids from infliximab patients did not contain any inflammatory cytokines. Activated CD4(+ )T cells from BD patients produced large amounts of TNF-α and IL-17, whereas T cells in the presence of infliximab failed to produce these cytokines. Polarized Th17 cell lines from BD patients produced large amounts of IL-17, and Th17 cells exposed to infliximab had significantly reduced IL-17 production. Polarized BD Th17 cells expressed large amounts of transcription factor RORγt. In contrast, in vitro-treated infliximab Th17 cells expressed less RORγt. Moreover, intraocular T cells from EAU mice had a high population of IL-17(+ )cells, and retinal antigen-specific T cells from EAU mice produced large amounts of IL-17 in the presence of retinal peptide. However, the EAU T cells produced less IL-17 if the T cells were treated with anti-TNF-α antibody. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that anti-TNF-α therapy suppresses effector T-cell differentiation in BD patients with uveitis. Thus, suppression of effector T-cell differentiation by anti-TNF-α therapy may provide protection from severe ocular inflammation in BD

Spontaneous Formation of Spherical Tokamak by ECH on LATE

Spontaneous formation of spherical tokamak is observed during a microwave discharge at the electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) under a steady vertical magnetic field. In the course of slow plasma current increase, a fast rise of current (usually within several ms) occurs and the magnetic field topology changes drastically from open field type to closed one. After this current jump, a steady plasma current is maintained. The plasma current in the steady stage is proportional to the strength of the vertical field which balances the outward hoop force of the plasma current and maintains the MHD equilibrium. When a 5GHz, 130kW, 60ms microwave power is injected at 85G vertical field, plasma current of 6.8kA is obtained

Immunosuppressive Properties of Regulatory T Cells Generated by Incubation of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells with Supernatants of Human RPE Cells

PURPOSE. To determine whether supernatants of human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells can convert CD4 þ T cells into regulatory T cells (Tregs) under Treg-induction conditions in vitro and in vivo. METHODS. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were cocultured with supernatants from TGFb2-pretreated human RPE lines on anti-CD3-coated plates. Cells were then separated with a CD4 þ CD25 þ Treg isolation kit and cultured with supernatants from RPE, anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies, high-dose IL-2, and TGFb2. By flow cytometry sorting, CD25 þ CD45RA À Tregs were separated. Expressions of CD25 high , Foxp3, CD152, and TNFRSF 18 on Tregs were analyzed by flow cytometry. Cytokine production by Tregs was measured by ELISA. Proliferation of target T cells was assessed by [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation or CFSE incorporation. In addition, mouse RPE-induced Tregs were used for the in vitro assay and in vivo experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) models. RESULTS. Human RPE-induced Tregs expressed higher levels of the Treg markers CD25 high , Foxp3, CD152, and TNFRSF 18. In addition, RPE-induced Tregs included significant numbers of CD4 þ CD25 high Foxp3 high CD45RA À active effector Tregs that significantly suppressed the activation of Th1/Th17 cell lines, indicating that they have immunosuppressive properties. Furthermore, CD4 þ CD25 low Foxp3 low CD45RA À nonsuppressing cytokine-secreting T cells were removed from the in vitro-manipulated Treg population. Administration of mouse RPE-induced Tregs significantly suppressed ocular inflammation in mice with EAU. In addition, the Tregs suppressed retinal antigen-specific T cells in vitro. CONCLUSIONS. It is hoped that through the data provided in this study that Tregs might become useful as individualized therapeutic agents for ocular autoimmune diseases. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012;53:7299-7309

Ocular infiltrating CD4+ T cells from patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease recognize human melanocyte antigens. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2006;47: 2547-54. -김영신 외 : 하라다 병의 빛간섭단층촬영 소견= 국문초록 = 보그트-고야나기-하라다 병에서의 스펙트럼 영역 빛간섭단층촬영 소견 2예 목적: 보그트-고야나기-하라다 병

PURPOSE. To determine whether patients with Vogt-KoyanagiHarada (VKH) disease have immune responses specific to the melanocyte antigens tyrosinase and gp100. METHODS. T-cell clones (TCCs) were established from cells infiltrating the aqueous humor and from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with VKH. The target cells were LDR4-transfected cells (HLA-DRB1*0405). The TCCs were cocultured with LDR4 in the presence of tyrosinase (tyrosinase [450][451][452][453][454][455][456][457][458][459][460][461][462] : SYLQDSDPDSFQD), gp100 (gp100 [44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59] : WN-RQLYPEWTEAQRLD), or a control peptide. The immune response was evaluated by cytokine production. The responding melanocyte peptide-specific VKH-TCCs were characterized by an immunofluorescence method with flow cytometry. A search was made for molecular mimicry among tyrosinase 450-462 , gp100 [44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59] , and exogenous antigens, such as viruses, by database screening. RESULTS. Cells infiltrating the eye and PBMCs in HLA-DR4 ϩ (HLA-DRB1*0405, 0410) patients with VKH contained a population of CD4 ϩ T lymphocytes that recognized tyrosinase and gp100 peptides and produced RANTES and IFN-␥ in response to the two peptides. The T cells were active memory Th1-type lymphocytes, and they recognized the tyrosinase peptide and produced IFN-␥ in response to HLA-DRB1*0405 ϩ melanoma cells. Cytomegalovirus envelope glycoprotein H (CMV-egH 290-302 ) had high amino acid homology with the tyrosinase peptide. In addition, some of the VKH-TCCs recognized CMV-egH 290-302 peptide, as well as the tyrosinase peptides. CONCLUSIONS. In VKH there are tyrosinase and gp100 peptidespecific T cells that can mediate an inflammatory response. Such melanocyte antigen-specific T cells could be associated with the cause and pathology of VKH disease. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci