112 research outputs found
Transforming Growth Factor-Beta: Selective Increase in Glycosaminoglycan Synthesis by Cultures of Fibroblasts From Patients With Progressive Systemic Sclerosis
Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) has been found in all cells examined thus far, and has been shown to play an important role in inflammation and connective tissue formation. We now report that TGF-beta, alone or in combination with epidermal growth factor (EGF), led to a preferential increase in glycosaminoglycan synthesis by cultures of dermal fibroblasts from patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) when compared with normal fibroblasts (p < 0.001). Transforming growth factor-beta increased collagen synthesis to the same extent in both PSS and normal fibroblasts, whereas EGF had no stimulatory activity on collagen synthesis. The addition of EGE to cultures incubated with TGF-beta led to a decrease in collagen synthesis compared with the effect seen with TGF-beta alone (p <0.02). These studies suggest that TGF-beta may play an important role in the accumulation of connective tissue seen in PSS and that the combined action of multiple growth factors may modulate the synthetic activity of human dermal fibroblasts
Lymphocyte Adhesion to Psoriatic Dermal Endothelium: Mechanism and Modulation
Psoriasis is characterized by the hyperproliferation of keratinocytes in the epidermis and the accumulation of activated CD4+ T lymphocytes in the upper dermis. We have recently rested the hypothesis that the abnormal endothelial proliferation in the dermal papillae of psoriaric lesions may be mechanistically linked to the expression of endothelial ligands capable of promoting lymphocytes binding and extravasation. The results indicated that specialized endothelial cells lining the post-capillary venules of psoriatic lesions are capable of promoting the selective adherence of human CD4+ T cells and its memory subset. In contrast, B cells, CD8+ T cells, and CD45RA+ T cells are deficient in their capacities to bind. The adhesion process is energy and calcium dependent and involves tissue-specific lymphocyte receptors, with LFA-1 molecules playing an accessory role. We concluded that transformation of the dermal endothelium into a lymphocyte-receptive phenotype by defined growth factors or cytokines may represent a positive feedback mechanism promoting lymphocyte migration into the diseased sites
Estimating the Parameters of Sgr A*'s Accretion Flow Via Millimeter VLBI
Recent millimeter-VLBI observations of Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) have, for the
first time, directly probed distances comparable to the horizon scale of a
black hole. This provides unprecedented access to the environment immediately
around the horizon of an accreting black hole. We leverage both existing
spectral and polarization measurements and our present understanding of
accretion theory to produce a suite of generic radiatively inefficient
accretion flow (RIAF) models of Sgr A*, which we then fit to these recent
millimeter-VLBI observations. We find that if the accretion flow onto Sgr A* is
well described by a RIAF model, the orientation and magnitude of the black
hole's spin is constrained to a two-dimensional surface in the spin,
inclination, position angle parameter space. For each of these we find the
likeliest values and their 1-sigma & 2-sigma errors to be a=0(+0.4+0.7),
inclination=50(+10+30)(-10-10) degrees, and position angle=-20(+31+107)(-16-29)
degrees, when the resulting probability distribution is marginalized over the
others. The most probable combination is a=0(+0.2+0.4), inclination=90(-40-50)
degrees and position angle=-14(+7+11)(-7-11) degrees, though the uncertainties
on these are very strongly correlated, and high probability configurations
exist for a variety of inclination angles above 30 degrees and spins below
0.99. Nevertheless, this demonstrates the ability millimeter-VLBI observations,
even with only a few stations, to significantly constrain the properties of Sgr
A*.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, accepted by Ap
On the evolution of the Gamma- and X-ray luminosities of Pulsar Wind Nebulae
Pulsar wind nebulae are a prominent class of very high energy (E > 0.1 TeV)
Galactic sources. Their Gamma-ray spectra are interpreted as due to inverse
Compton scattering of ultrarelativistic electrons on the ambient photons,
whereas the X-ray spectra are due to synchrotron emission. We investigate the
relation between the Gamma- and-X-ray emission and the pulsars' spin-down
luminosity and characteristic age. We find that the distance-independent Gamma-
to X-ray flux ratio of the nebulae is inversely proportional to the spin-down
luminosity, (\propto \dot{E}^-1.9), while it appears proportional to the
characteristic age, (\propto tau_c^2.2), of the parent pulsar. We interpret
these results as due to the evolution of the electron energy distribution and
the nebular dynamics, supporting the idea of so-called relic pulsar wind
nebulae. These empirical relations provide a new tool to classify unidentified
diffuse Gamma-ray sources and to estimate the spin-down luminosity and
characteristic age of rotation powered pulsars with no detected pulsation from
the X- and Gamma-ray properties of the associated pulsar wind nebulae. We apply
these relations to predict the spin-down luminosity and characteristic age of
four (so far unpulsing) candidate pulsars associated to wind nebulae.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ (6 pages, 2 figures
Methods for detecting flaring structures in Sagittarius A* with high frequency VLBI
The super massive black hole candidate, Sagittarius A*, exhibits variability
from radio to X-ray wavelengths on time scales that correspond to < 10
Schwarzschild radii. We survey the potential of millimeter-wavelength VLBI to
detect and constrain time variable structures that could give rise to such
variations, focusing on a model in which an orbiting hot spot is embedded in an
accretion disk. Non-imaging algorithms are developed that use interferometric
closure quantities to test for periodicity, and applied to an ensemble of
hot-spot models that sample a range of parameter space. We find that structural
periodicity in a wide range of cases can be detected on most potential VLBI
arrays using modern VLBI instrumentation. Future enhancements of mm/sub-mm VLBI
arrays including phased array processors to aggregate VLBI station collecting
area, increased bandwidth recording, and addition of new VLBI sites all
significantly aid periodicity detection. The methods described herein can be
applied to other models of Sagittarius A*, including jet outflows and
Magneto-Hydrodynamic accretion simulations.Comment: Submitted to Ap
GYOTO: a new general relativistic ray-tracing code
GYOTO, a general relativistic ray-tracing code, is presented. It aims at
computing images of astronomical bodies in the vicinity of compact objects, as
well as trajectories of massive bodies in relativistic environments. This code
is capable of integrating the null and timelike geodesic equations not only in
the Kerr metric, but also in any metric computed numerically within the 3+1
formalism of general relativity. Simulated images and spectra have been
computed for a variety of astronomical targets, such as a moving star or a
toroidal accretion structure. The underlying code is open source and freely
available. It is user-friendly, quickly handled and very modular so that
extensions are easy to integrate. Custom analytical metrics and astronomical
targets can be implemented in C++ plug-in extensions independent from the main
code.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figure
Simultaneous observations of PKS 2155-304 with H.E.S.S., Fermi, RXTE and ATOM: spectral energy distributions and variability in a low state
We report on the first simultaneous observations that cover the optical,
X-ray, and high energy gamma-ray bands of the BL Lac object PKS 2155-304. The
gamma-ray bands were observed for 11 days, between 25 August and 6 September
2008, jointly with the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and the H.E.S.S.
atmospheric Cherenkov array, providing the first simultaneous MeV-TeV spectral
energy distribution with the new generation of gamma-ray telescopes. The ATOM
telescope and the RXTE and Swift observatories provided optical and X-ray
coverage of the low-energy component over the same time period. The object was
close to the lowest archival X-ray and Very High Energy state, whereas the
optical flux was much higher. The light curves show relatively little (~30%$)
variability overall when compared to past flaring episodes, but we find a clear
optical/VHE correlation and evidence for a correlation of the X-rays with the
high energy spectral index. Contrary to previous observations in the flaring
state, we do not find any correlation between the X-ray and VHE components.
Although synchrotron self-Compton models are often invoked to explain the SEDs
of BL Lac objects, the most common versions of these models are at odds with
the correlated variability we find in the various bands for PKS 2155-304.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
The LOFT mission concept: a status update
The Large Observatory For x-ray Timing (LOFT) is a mission concept which was proposed to ESA as M3 and M4 candidate in the framework of the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 program. Thanks to the unprecedented combination of effective area and spectral resolution of its main instrument and the uniquely large field of view of its wide field monitor, LOFT will be able to study the behaviour of matter in extreme conditions such as the strong gravitational field in the innermost regions close to black holes and neutron stars and the supra-nuclear densities in the interiors of neutron stars. The science payload is based on a Large Area Detector (LAD, >8m2 effective area, 2-30 keV, 240 eV spectral resolution, 1 degree collimated field of view) and a Wide Field Monitor (WFM, 2-50 keV, 4 steradian field of view, 1 arcmin source location accuracy, 300 eV spectral resolution). The WFM is equipped with an on-board system for bright events (e.g., GRB) localization. The trigger time and position of these events are broadcast to the ground within 30 s from discovery. In this paper we present the current technical and programmatic status of the mission
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