Paradoxical development of polymyositis-like autoimmunity through augmented expression of autoimmune regulator (AIRE)

Autoimmunity is prevented by the function of the autoimmune regulator [AIRE (Aire in mice)], which promotes the expression of a wide variety of tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs) from medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) and from a subset of peripheral antigen-presenting cells (APCs). We examined the effect of additive expression of human AIRE (huAIRE) in a model of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice. Unexpectedly, we observed that mice expressing augmented AIRE/Aire developed muscle-specific autoimmunity associated with incomplete maturation of mTECs together with impaired expression of Aire-dependent TRAs. This led to failure of deletion of autoreactive T cells together with dramatically reduced production of regulatory T cells in the thymus. In peripheral APCs, expression of costimulatory molecules was augmented. We suggest that levels of Aire expression need to be tightly controlled for maintenance of immunological tolerance. Our results also highlight the importance of coordinated action between central tolerance and peripheral tolerance under the common control of Aire

Search for eccentric black hole coalescences during the third observing run of LIGO and Virgo

Despite the growing number of confident binary black hole coalescences observed through gravitational waves so far, the astrophysical origin of these binaries remains uncertain. Orbital eccentricity is one of the clearest tracers of binary formation channels. Identifying binary eccentricity, however, remains challenging due to the limited availability of gravitational waveforms that include effects of eccentricity. Here, we present observational results for a waveform-independent search sensitive to eccentric black hole coalescences, covering the third observing run (O3) of the LIGO and Virgo detectors. We identified no new high-significance candidates beyond those that were already identified with searches focusing on quasi-circular binaries. We determine the sensitivity of our search to high-mass (total mass M>70 M⊙) binaries covering eccentricities up to 0.3 at 15 Hz orbital frequency, and use this to compare model predictions to search results. Assuming all detections are indeed quasi-circular, for our fiducial population model, we place an upper limit for the merger rate density of high-mass binaries with eccentricities 0<e≤0.3 at 0.33 Gpc−3 yr−1 at 90\% confidence level

Ultralight vector dark matter search using data from the KAGRA O3GK run

Among the various candidates for dark matter (DM), ultralight vector DM can be probed by laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors through the measurement of oscillating length changes in the arm cavities. In this context, KAGRA has a unique feature due to differing compositions of its mirrors, enhancing the signal of vector DM in the length change in the auxiliary channels. Here we present the result of a search for U(1)B−L gauge boson DM using the KAGRA data from auxiliary length channels during the first joint observation run together with GEO600. By applying our search pipeline, which takes into account the stochastic nature of ultralight DM, upper bounds on the coupling strength between the U(1)B−L gauge boson and ordinary matter are obtained for a range of DM masses. While our constraints are less stringent than those derived from previous experiments, this study demonstrates the applicability of our method to the lower-mass vector DM search, which is made difficult in this measurement by the short observation time compared to the auto-correlation time scale of DM

Seasonal characteristics on the wave-induced sediment resuspension potential off the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam

Monthly-mean climatology on wave heights and bottom stress intensities around the Mekong River Delta were estimated by conducting a wave simulation for the period from 1993 to 2006 to obtain fundamental information on the wave-induced sediment resuspension off the deltaic coast which is considered to have played a key role on the evolution of the delta morphology. It was found that the occurrence of large waves and strong bottom stresses were influenced primarily by the Southeast Asian monsoon climate and the shape of the delta. The seasonal occurrence of the high waves and intense stresses differed between western and eastern side of the delta. They were observed mainly during the southwest monsoon season in the western side, whereas took place quite frequently during the northeast monsoon season in the western side. Intense bottom stresses were observed mostly in coastal areas shallower than 20 m, though they were also found in some locations as deep as 50 m depth when waves having a long fetch approached to the area. These features agreed well with water-color distribution in satellite images

Anterior horn damage in brachial multisegmental amyotrophy with superficial siderosis and dural tear: an autopsy case report

Abstract Background Patients with superficial siderosis (SS) rarely show brachial multisegmental amyotrophy with ventral intraspinal fluid collection accompanied with dural tear. Case presentation We describe spinal cord pathology of a 58-year-old man who developed brachial multisegmental amyotrophy with ventral intraspinal fluid collection from the cervical to lumbar spinal levels accompanied with SS, dural tear, and snake-eyes appearance on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Radiological and pathological analyses detected diffuse and prominent superficial deposition of hemosiderin in the central nervous system. Snake-eyes appearance on MRI expanded from the C3 to C7 spinal levels without apparent cervical canal stenosis. Pathologically, severe neuronal loss at both anterior horns and intermediate zone was expanded from the upper cervical (C3) to middle thoracic (Th5) spinal gray matter, and these findings were similar to compressive myelopathy. Conclusion Extensive damage of the anterior horns in our patient may be due to dynamic compression induced by ventral intraspinal fluid collection