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Phenotypic and functional analysis of positive selection in the gamma/delta T cell lineage.
Recent evidence suggests that T cells expressing gamma/delta antigen receptors (T cell receptor [TCR]) are subject to positive selection during development. We have shown that T cells expressing a class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-specific gamma/delta TCR transgene (tg) are not positively selected in class I MHC-deficient, beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) gene knockout mice (tg+ beta 2m-). In this report, we examine phenotypic and functional parameters of gamma/delta positive selection in this transgenic model system. TCR-gamma/delta tg+ thymocytes of mature surface phenotype (heat stable antigen-, CD5hi) were found in beta 2m+ but not in beta 2m- mice. Moreover, subsets of tg+ thymocytes with the phenotype of activated T cells (interleukin [IL]2R+, CD44hi, or Mel-14lo) were also present only in the beta 2m+ mice. Cyclosporine A, which blocks positive selection of TCR-alpha/beta T cells, also inhibited gamma/delta tg+ T cell development. These results support the idea that positive selection of TCR-gamma/delta requires active TCR-mediated signal transduction. Whereas tg+ beta 2m+ thymocytes produced IL-2 and proliferated when stimulated by alloantigen, TCR engagement of tg+ beta 2m- thymocytes by antigen induced IL-2R expression but was uncoupled from the signal transduction pathway leading to IL-2 production and autocrine proliferation. Overall, these results demonstrate significant parallels between gamma/delta and alpha/beta lineage development, and suggest a general role for TCR signaling in thymic maturation
Origin of critical-temperature enhancement of an iron-based high-T_c superconductor, LaFeAsO_{1-x}F_{x} : NMR study under high pressure
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements of an iron (Fe)-based
superconductor LaFeAsO_{1-x}F_x (x = 0.08 and 0.14) were performed at ambient
pressure and under pressure. The relaxation rate 1/T_1 for the overdoped
samples (x = 0.14) shows T-linear behavior just above T_c, and pressure
application enhances 1/T_1T similar to the behavior of T_c. This implies that
1/T_1T = constant originates from the Korringa relation, and an increase in the
density of states at the Fermi energy D(E_F) leads to the enhancement of T_c.
In the underdoped samples (x = 0.08), 1/T_1T measured at ambient pressure also
shows T-independent behavior in a wide temperature range above T_c. However, it
shows Curie-Weiss-like T dependence at 3.0 GPa accompanied by a small increase
in T_c, suggesting that predominant antiferromagnetic fluctuation suppresses
development of superconductivity or remarkable enhancement of T_c. The
qualitatively different features between underdoped and overdoped samples are
systematically explained by a band calculation with hole and electron pockets
Density probability distribution in one-dimensional polytropic gas dynamics
We discuss the generation and statistics of the density fluctuations in
highly compressible polytropic turbulence, based on a simple model and
one-dimensional numerical simulations. Observing that density structures tend
to form in a hierarchical manner, we assume that density fluctuations follow a
random multiplicative process. When the polytropic exponent is equal
to unity, the local Mach number is independent of the density, and our
assumption leads us to expect that the probability density function (PDF) of
the density field is a lognormal. This isothermal case is found to be singular,
with a dispersion which scales like the square turbulent Mach
number , where and is the fluid density.
This leads to much higher fluctuations than those due to shock jump relations.
Extrapolating the model to the case , we find that, as the
Mach number becomes large, the density PDF is expected to asymptotically
approach a power-law regime, at high densities when , and at low
densities when . This effect can be traced back to the fact that the
pressure term in the momentum equation varies exponentially with , thus
opposing the growth of fluctuations on one side of the PDF, while being
negligible on the other side. This also causes the dispersion to
grow more slowly than when . In view of these
results, we suggest that Burgers flow is a singular case not approached by the
high- limit, with a PDF that develops power laws on both sides.Comment: 9 pages + 12 postscript figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Operational status of TAMA300 with the seismic attenuation system (SAS)
TAMA300 has been upgraded to improve the sensitivity at low frequencies after the last observation run in 2004. To avoid the noise caused by seismic activities, we installed a new seismic isolation system —- the TAMA seismic attenuation system (SAS). Four SAS towers for the test-mass mirrors were sequentially installed from 2005 to 2006. The recycled Fabry–Perot Michelson interferometer was successfully locked with the SAS. We confirmed the reduction of both length and angular fluctuations at frequencies higher than 1 Hz owing to the SAS
Force measurements of a superconducting-film actuator for a cryogenic interferometric gravitational-wave detector
We measured forces applied by an actuator with a YBCO film at near 77 K for
the Large-scale Cryogenic Gravitational-wave Telescope (LCGT) project. An
actuator consisting of both a YBCO film of 1.6 micrometers thickness and 0.81
square centimeters area and a solenoid coil exerted a force of up to 0.2 mN on
a test mass. The presented actuator system can be used to displace the mirror
of LCGT for fringe lock of the interferometer.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure
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