85 research outputs found
Molecular-changes of titin in left-ventricular dysfunction as a result of chronic hibernation
The high-redshift gamma-ray burst GRB140515A
High-redshift gamma-ray bursts have several advantages for the study of the
distant universe, providing unique information about the structure and
properties of the galaxies in which they exploded. Spectroscopic identification
with large ground-based telescopes has improved our knowledge of the class of
such distant events. We present the multi-wavelength analysis of the high-
Swift gamma-ray burst GRB140515A (). The best estimate of the
neutral hydrogen fraction of the intergalactic medium (IGM) towards the burst
is . The spectral absorption lines detected for this event
are the weakest lines ever observed in gamma-ray burst afterglows, suggesting
that GRB140515A exploded in a very low density environment. Its circum-burst
medium is characterised by an average extinction (A) that
seems to be typical of events. The observed multi-band light curves
are explained either with a very flat injected spectrum () or with a
multi-component emission (). In the second case a long-lasting central
engine activity is needed in order to explain the late time X-ray emission. The
possible origin of GRB140515A from a Pop III (or from a Pop II stars with local
environment enriched by Pop III) massive star is unlikely.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables, submitted to Astronomy & Astrophysic
The optical identifcation of events with poorly defined locations: The case of the Fermi GBM GRB140801A
We report the early discovery of the optical afterglow of gamma-ray burst
(GRB) 140801A in the 137 deg 3- error-box of the Fermi Gamma-ray
Burst Monitor (GBM). MASTER is the only observatory that automatically react to
all Fermi alerts. GRB 140801A is one of the few GRBs whose optical counterpart
was discovered solely from its GBM localization. The optical afterglow of GRB
140801A was found by MASTER Global Robotic Net 53 sec after receiving the
alert, making it the fastest optical detection of a GRB from a GBM error-box.
Spectroscopy obtained with the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias and the 6-m BTA
of SAO RAS reveals a redshift of . We performed optical and
near-infrared photometry of GRB 140801A using different telescopes with
apertures ranging from 0.4-m to 10.4-m. GRB 140801A is a typical burst in many
ways. The rest-frame bolometric isotropic energy release and peak energy of the
burst is erg and
keV, respectively, which is consistent with the
Amati relation. The absence of a jet break in the optical light curve provides
a lower limit on the half-opening angle of the jet deg. The
observed is consistent with the limit derived from the
Ghirlanda relation. The joint Fermi GBM and Konus-Wind analysis shows that GRB
140801A could belong to the class of intermediate duration. The rapid detection
of the optical counterpart of GRB 140801A is especially important regarding the
upcoming experiments with large coordinate error-box areas.Comment: in press MNRAS, 201
Paternal Body Mass Index (BMI) Is Associated with Offspring Intrauterine Growth in a Gender Dependent Manner
Background: Environmental alternations leading to fetal programming of cardiovascular diseases in later life have been attributed to maternal factors. However, animal studies showed that paternal obesity may program cardio-metabolic diseases in the offspring. In the current study we tested the hypothesis that paternal BMI may be associated with fetal growth. Methods and Results: We analyzed the relationship between paternal body mass index (BMI) and birth weight, ultrasound parameters describing the newbornβs body shape as well as parameters describing the newborns endocrine system such as cortisol, aldosterone, renin activity and fetal glycated serum protein in a birth cohort of 899 father/mother/child triplets. Since fetal programming is an offspring sex specific process, male and female offspring were analyzed separately. Multivariable regression analyses considering maternal BMI, paternal and maternal age, hypertension during pregnancy, maternal total glycated serum protein, parity and either gestational age (for birth weight) or time of ultrasound investigation (for ultrasound parameters) as confounding showed that paternal BMI is associated with growth of the male but not female offspring. Paternal BMI correlated with birth parameters of male offspring only: birth weight; biparietal diameter, head circumference; abdominal diameter, abdominal circumference; and pectoral diameter. Cortisol was likewise significantly correlated with paternal BMI in male newborns only
βMedusa head ataxiaβ: the expanding spectrum of Purkinje cell antibodies in autoimmune cerebellar ataxia. Part 3: Anti-Yo/CDR2, anti-Nb/AP3B2, PCA-2, anti-Tr/DNER, other antibodies, diagnostic pitfalls, summary and outlook
Serological testing for anti-neural autoantibodies is important in patients presenting with idiopathic cerebellar ataxia, since these autoantibodies may indicate cancer, determine treatment and predict prognosis. While some of them target nuclear antigens present in all or most CNS neurons (e.g. anti-Hu, anti-Ri), others more specifically target antigens present in the cytoplasm or plasma membrane of Purkinje cells (PC). In this series of articles, we provide a detailed review of the clinical and paraclinical features, oncological, therapeutic and prognostic implications, pathogenetic relevance, and differential laboratory diagnosis of the 12 most common PC autoantibodies (often referred to as βMedusa head antibodiesβ due to their characteristic somatodendritic binding pattern when tested by immunohistochemistry). To assist immunologists and neurologists in diagnosing these disorders, typical high-resolution immunohistochemical images of all 12 reactivities are presented, diagnostic pitfalls discussed and all currently available assays reviewed. Of note, most of these antibodies target antigens involved in the mGluR1/calcium pathway essential for PC function and survival. Many of the antigens also play a role in spinocerebellar ataxia. Part 1 focuses on anti-metabotropic glutamate receptor 1-, anti-Homer protein homolog 3-, anti-Sj/inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor- and anti-carbonic anhydrase-related protein VIII-associated autoimmune cerebellar ataxia (ACA); part 2 covers anti-protein kinase C gamma-, anti-glutamate receptor delta-2-, anti-Ca/RhoGTPase-activating protein 26- and anti-voltage-gated calcium channel-associated ACA; and part 3 reviews the current knowledge on anti-Tr/delta notch-like epidermal growth factor-related receptor-, anti-Nb/AP3B2-, anti-Yo/cerebellar degeneration-related protein 2- and Purkinje cell antibody 2-associated ACA, discusses differential diagnostic aspects and provides a summary and outlook
βMedusa head ataxiaβ: the expanding spectrum of Purkinje cell antibodies in autoimmune cerebellar ataxia. Part 3: Anti-Yo/CDR2, anti-Nb/AP3B2, PCA-2, anti-Tr/DNER, other antibodies, diagnostic pitfalls, summary and outlook
Maternal High Fat Diet Is Associated with Decreased Plasma nβ3 Fatty Acids and Fetal Hepatic Apoptosis in Nonhuman Primates
To begin to understand the contributions of maternal obesity and over-nutrition to human development and the early origins of obesity, we utilized a non-human primate model to investigate the effects of maternal high-fat feeding and obesity on breast milk, maternal and fetal plasma fatty acid composition and fetal hepatic development. While the high-fat diet (HFD) contained equivalent levels of n-3 fatty acids (FA's) and higher levels of n-6 FA's than the control diet (CTR), we found significant decreases in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and total n-3 FA's in HFD maternal and fetal plasma. Furthermore, the HFD fetal plasma n-6βΆn-3 ratio was elevated and was significantly correlated to the maternal plasma n-6βΆn-3 ratio and maternal hyperinsulinemia. Hepatic apoptosis was also increased in the HFD fetal liver. Switching HFD females to a CTR diet during a subsequent pregnancy normalized fetal DHA, n-3 FA's and fetal hepatic apoptosis to CTR levels. Breast milk from HFD dams contained lower levels of eicosopentanoic acid (EPA) and DHA and lower levels of total protein than CTR breast milk. This study links chronic maternal consumption of a HFD with fetal hepatic apoptosis and suggests that a potentially pathological maternal fatty acid milieu is replicated in the developing fetal circulation in the nonhuman primate
Associations of obesity and circulating insulin and glucose with breast cancer risk: a Mendelian randomization analysis.
BACKGROUND: In addition to the established association between general obesity and breast cancer risk, central obesity and circulating fasting insulin and glucose have been linked to the development of this common malignancy. Findings from previous studies, however, have been inconsistent, and the nature of the associations is unclear. METHODS: We conducted Mendelian randomization analyses to evaluate the association of breast cancer risk, using genetic instruments, with fasting insulin, fasting glucose, 2-h glucose, body mass index (BMI) and BMI-adjusted waist-hip-ratio (WHRadj BMI). We first confirmed the association of these instruments with type 2 diabetes risk in a large diabetes genome-wide association study consortium. We then investigated their associations with breast cancer risk using individual-level data obtained from 98Β 842 cases and 83Β 464 controls of European descent in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium. RESULTS: All sets of instruments were associated with risk of type 2 diabetes. Associations with breast cancer risk were found for genetically predicted fasting insulin [odds ratio (OR) = 1.71 per standard deviation (SD) increase, 95% confidence interval (CI)β=β1.26-2.31, p β=β 5.09 βΓ β10-4], 2-h glucose (ORβ=β1.80 per SD increase, 95% CIβ=β1.3 0-2.49, pβ =β 4.02 βΓβ 10-4), BMI (ORβ=β0.70 per 5-unit increase, 95% CIβ=β0.65-0.76, p β=β 5.05 βΓβ 10-19) and WHRadj BMI (ORβ=β0.85, 95% CIβ=β0.79-0.91, pβ = β9.22 βΓβ 10-6). Stratified analyses showed that genetically predicted fasting insulin was more closely related to risk of estrogen-receptor [ER]-positive cancer, whereas the associations with instruments of 2-h glucose, BMI and WHRadj BMI were consistent regardless of age, menopausal status, estrogen receptor status and family history of breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed the previously reported inverse association of genetically predicted BMI with breast cancer risk, and showed a positive association of genetically predicted fasting insulin and 2-h glucose and an inverse association of WHRadj BMI with breast cancer risk. Our study suggests that genetically determined obesity and glucose/insulin-related traits have an important role in the aetiology of breast cancer
Contact sites between the inner and outer mitochondrial-membranes in stunned versus hibernating myocardium
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