The HST Key Project on the Extragalactic Distance Scale XXVI. The Calibration of Population II Secondary Distance Indicators and the Value of the Hubble Constant

A Cepheid-based calibration is derived for four distance indicators that utilize stars in the old stellar populations: the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB), the planetary nebula luminosity function (PNLF), the globular cluster luminosity function (GCLF) and the surface brightness fluctuation method (SBF). The calibration is largely based on the Cepheid distances to 18 spiral galaxies within cz =1500 km/s obtained as part of the HST Key Project on the Extragalactic Distance Scale, but relies also on Cepheid distances from separate HST and ground-based efforts. The newly derived calibration of the SBF method is applied to obtain distances to four Abell clusters in the velocity range between 3800 and 5000 km/s, observed by Lauer et al. (1998) using the HST/WFPC2. Combined with cluster velocities corrected for a cosmological flow model, these distances imply a value of the Hubble constant of H0 = 69 +/- 4 (random) +/- 6 (systematic) km/s/Mpc. This result assumes that the Cepheid PL relation is independent of the metallicity of the variable stars; adopting a metallicity correction as in Kennicutt et al. (1998), would produce a (5 +/- 3)% decrease in H0. Finally, the newly derived calibration allows us to investigate systematics in the Cepheid, PNLF, SBF, GCLF and TRGB distance scales.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. 48 pages (including 13 figures and 4 tables), plus two additional tables in landscape format. Also available at http://astro.caltech.edu/~lff/pub.htm K' SBF magnitudes have been update

Yellow fever vaccine viremia following ablative BM suppression in AML

Univ São Paulo, Sch Med, Dept Infect & Parasit Dis, São Paulo, BrazilHosp Sirio Libanes, São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Sch Med, Div Clin Immunol & Allergy, São Paulo, BrazilFundacao Prosangue Hemoctr São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Infect Dis Div DIPA, São Paulo, BrazilFundacao Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Infect Dis Div DIPA, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Limbal BCAM expression identifies a proliferative progenitor population capable of holoclone formation and corneal differentiation

The corneal epithelium is renowned for high regenerative potential, which is dependent on the coordinated function of its diverse progenitor subpopulations. However, the molecular pathways governing corneal epithelial progenitor differentiation are incompletely understood. Here, we identify a highly proliferative limbal epithelial progenitor subpopulation characterized by expression of basal cell adhesion molecule (BCAM) that is capable of holocone formation and corneal epithelial sheet generation. BCAM-positive cells can be found among ABCB5-positive limbal stem cells (LSCs) as well as among ABCB5-negative limbal epithelial cell populations. Mechanistically, we show that BCAM is functionally required for cellular migration and differentiation and that its expression is regulated by the transcription factor p63. In aggregate, our study identifies limbal BCAM expression as a marker of highly proliferative corneal epithelial progenitor cells and defines the role of BCAM as a critical molecular mediator of corneal epithelial differentiation

Infrared Spectra of the Subluminous Type Ia Supernova 1999by

Near-infrared spectra of the subluminous Type Ia SN1999by are presented which cover the time evolution from about 4 days before to 2 weeks after maximum. Analysis of these data was accomplished through the construction of an extended set of delayed detonation (DD) models. The explosion, light curves and spectra including their evolution with time are calculated consistently leaving the initial WD and the description of the nuclear burning front the free parameters. We cover the entire range of normal to subluminous SNeIa. From this model set, one was selected for SN99by by matching properties of the synthetic & observed optical light curves. We find DD models require a certain amount of burning during the deflagration phase setting a lower limit for the absolute brightness. For SN1999by, a model close to the minimum 56Ni production is required. Without tuning,good agreement has been found between synthetic and observed IR spectra. In contrast to 'normal' SNeIa and prior to maximum, the NIR spectra of SN1999by are dominated by products of explosive carbon burning. Spectra taken after maximum are dominated by products of incomplete Si burning. Pure deflagration scenarios or mergers are unlikely. However,problems for DD models still remain, as the data seem to be at odds with recent predictions from 3-D models which find significant mixing of the inner layers. Possible solutions include the effects of rapid rotation on the propagation of nuclear flames, or extensive burning of carbon just prior to the runaway.Comment: 42 pages including 14 figures, ApJ, accepte

Relationship between job stress, temperament and depressive symptoms in female nurses

Objectives: A casual relationship between temperament, job stress and depressive symptoms has not been established yet. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationships between job stress, temperament and depressive symptoms in female nurses at a Japanese general hospital. Material and Methods: A self-report survey was conducted among 706 nurses. We measured job stress, temperament, and depressive symptoms using the Brief-Job Stress Questionnaire, the TEMPS-A and a screening scale of items from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. In order to examine the causal relationship between the measures the stepwise multiple regression and path analyses were used. Results: Depressive symptoms were modestly correlated with job stress (γ = -0.23-0.30). Except for hyperthymic temperament measures, the correlations between depressive symptoms and temperament types were significant and moderate (γ = 0.36-0.50). Overtime, job control as well as depressive and cyclothymic types of temperament were significantly correlated with depressive symptoms (β = 0.15, p < 0.05; β = 0.19, p < 0.01; β = 0.26, p < 0.001; β = 0.32, p < 0.001, respectively). Path-analysis revealed that depressive and cyclothymic types of temperament influenced depressive symptoms both directly (β = 0.67, p < 0.001) and indirectly via job stress (β = 0.35, p < 0.001 from temperament to job stress; β = 0.20, p < 0.05 from job stress to depressive symptoms). Irritable and anxious types of temperament and quantitative job overload did not contri­bute to the path-analytic model. Conclusions: Health care professionals should consider temperament, especially depressive and cyclothymic types, in order to help employees cope better with job stress factors. We need further research about the effective intervention to help employees better cope with their job stress

The Effect of Metallicity on Cepheid-Based Distances

We have used the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 on board the Hubble Space Telescope to obtain V and I images of seven nearby galaxies. For each, we have measured a distance using the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) method. By comparing the TRGB distances to published Cepheid distances, we investigate the metallicity dependence of the Cepheid period-luminosity relation. Our sample is supplemented by 10 additional galaxies for which both TRGB and Cepheid distances are available in the literature, thus providing a uniform coverage in Cepheid abundances between 1/20 and 2 (O/H)solar. We find that the difference between Cepheid and TRGB distances decreases monotonically with increasing Cepheid abundance, consistent with a mean metallicity dependence of the Cepheid distance moduli of (delta(m-M))/(delta[O/H]) = -0.24 +- 0.05 mag/dex.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. 56 pages, 16 figures (jpg). Version with embedded figures can be retrieved from http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~shoko/pub.htm

Structured floral arrangement programme for improving visuospatial working memory in schizophrenia

Several cognitive therapies have been developed for patients with schizophrenia. However, little is known about the outcomes of these therapies in terms of non-verbal/visuospatial working memory, even though this may affect patients’ social outcomes. In the present pilot study, we investigated the effect of a structured floral arrangement (SFA) programme, where participants were required to create symmetrical floral arrangements. In this programme, the arrangement pattern and the order of placing each of the natural materials was predetermined. Participants have to identify where to place each material, and memorise the position temporarily to complete the floral arrangement. The schizophrenic patients who participated in this programme showed significant improvement in their scores for a block-tapping task backward version; whereas, non-treated control patients did not show such an improvement. The present results suggest that the SFA programme may positively stimulate visuospatial working memory in patients

Insight into the Regulation of Glycan Synthesis in Drosophila Chaoptin Based on Mass Spectrometry

BACKGROUND: A variety of N-glycans attached to protein are known to involve in many important biological functions. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi localized enzymes are responsible to this template-independent glycan synthesis resulting glycoforms at each asparagine residues. The regulation mechanism such glycan synthesis remains largely unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In order to investigate the relationship between glycan structure and protein conformation, we analyzed a glycoprotein of Drosophila melanogaster, chaoptin (Chp), which is localized in photoreceptor cells and is bound to the cell membrane via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor. Detailed analysis based on mass spectrometry revealed the presence of 13 N-glycosylation sites and the composition of the glycoform at each site. The synthetic pathway of glycans was speculated from the observed glycan structures and the composition at each N-glycosylation site, where the presence of novel routes were suggested. The distribution of glycoforms on a Chp polypeptide suggested that various processing enzymes act on the exterior of Chp in the Golgi apparatus, although virtually no enzyme can gain access to the interior of the horseshoe-shaped scaffold, hence explaining the presence of longer glycans within the interior. Furthermore, analysis of Chp from a mutant (RNAi against dolichyl-phosphate alpha-d-mannosyltransferase), which affects N-glycan synthesis in the ER, revealed that truncated glycan structures were processed. As a result, the distribution of glycoforms was affected for the high-mannose-type glycans only, whereas other types of glycans remained similar to those observed in the control and wild-type. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results indicate that glycan processing depends largely on the backbone structure of the parent polypeptide. The information we obtained can be applied to other members of the LRR family of proteins