On the calibration of the relation between geometric albedo and polarimetric properties for the asteroids

We present a new extensive analysis of the old problem of finding a satisfactory calibration of the relation between the geometric albedo and some measurable polarization properties of the asteroids. To achieve our goals, we use all polarimetric data at our disposal. For the purposes of calibration, we use a limited sample of objects for which we can be confident to know the albedo with good accuracy, according to previous investigations of other authors. We find a new set of updated calibration coefficients for the classical slope - albedo relation, but we generalize our analysis and we consider also alternative possibilities, including the use of other polarimetric parameters, one being proposed here for the first time, and the possibility to exclude from best-fit analyzes the asteroids having low albedos. We also consider a possible parabolic fit of the whole set of data.Comment: Accepted by MNRA

C1q acts in the tumour microenvironment as a cancer-promoting factor independently of complement activation

Complement C1q is the activator of the classical pathway. However, it is now recognized that C1q can exert functions unrelated to complement activation. Here we show that C1q, but not C4, is expressed in the stroma and vascular endothelium of several human malignant tumours. Compared with wild-type (WT) or C3- or C5-deficient mice, C1q-deficient (C1qa(-/-)) mice bearing a syngeneic B16 melanoma exhibit a slower tumour growth and prolonged survival. This effect is not attributable to differences in the tumour-infiltrating immune cells. Tumours developing in WT mice display early deposition of C1q, higher vascular density and an increase in the number of lung metastases compared with C1qa(-/-) mice. Bone marrow (BM) chimeras between C1qa(-/-) and WT mice identify non-BM-derived cells as the main local source of C1q that can promote cancer cell adhesion, migration and proliferation. Together these findings support a role for locally synthesized C1q in promoting tumour growth

Dependence of nuclear magnetic moments on quark masses and limits on temporal variation of fundamental constants from atomic clock experiments

We calculate the dependence of the nuclear magnetic moments on the quark masses including the spin-spin interaction effects and obtain limits on the variation of the fine structure constant $\alpha$ and $(m_q/\Lambda_{QCD})$ using recent atomic clock experiments examining hyperfine transitions in H, Rb, Cs, Yb$^+$ and Hg$^+$ and the optical transition in H, Hg$^+$ and Yb$^+$

A Semantic Hierarchy for Erasure Policies

We consider the problem of logical data erasure, contrasting with physical erasure in the same way that end-to-end information flow control contrasts with access control. We present a semantic hierarchy for erasure policies, using a possibilistic knowledge-based semantics to define policy satisfaction such that there is an intuitively clear upper bound on what information an erasure policy permits to be retained. Our hierarchy allows a rich class of erasure policies to be expressed, taking account of the power of the attacker, how much information may be retained, and under what conditions it may be retained. While our main aim is to specify erasure policies, the semantic framework allows quite general information-flow policies to be formulated for a variety of semantic notions of secrecy.Comment: 18 pages, ICISS 201

A case of morgagnian cataract mimicking an iris tumor

Purpose: To report, with the aid of original imaging, an unusual differential diagnosis of an iris tumor. Observations: A 60-year-old Caucasian man visited our clinic with a large amelanotic iris mass in the left eye in the absence of concomitant extraocular inflammation or neoplastic evidence. The patient reported an ocular trauma caused by a wire 5 years prior to his visit, which resolved after a short course of antibiotic eye drops. Orbital magnetic resonance imaging with contrast enhancement was consistent with an iris tumor; ultrasound biomicroscopy indicated a semi-solid, mid-stromal iris formation continuous with the lens. Surgical inspection was performed. Surgery showed the presence of a hypermature cataract with a fine break in the anterior capsule of the lens covered by the iris surface. The liquefied cortex infiltrated the iris without diffusing into the aqueous humor. Conclusions and Importance: A so-called morgagnian cataract developed, likely following a penetrating ocular wound. The progressive, slow infiltration of the iris stroma by the crystalline matrix mimicked the appearance of an amelanotic iris tumor