22 research outputs found
A Database of 2MASS Near-Infrared Colors of Magellanic Cloud Star Clusters
The (rest-frame) near-IR domain contains important stellar population
diagnostics and is often used to estimate masses of galaxies at low as well as
high redshifts. However, many stellar population models are still relatively
poorly calibrated in this part of the spectrum. To allow an improvement of this
calibration we present a new database of integrated near-infrared JHKs
magnitudes for 75 star clusters in the Magellanic Clouds, using the 2-Micron
All-Sky Survey (2MASS). The majority of the clusters in our sample have robust
age and metallicity estimates from color-magnitude diagrams available in the
literature, and populate a range of ages from 10 Myr to 15 Gyr and a range in
[Fe/H] from -2.17 to +0.01 dex. A comparison with matched star clusters in the
2MASS Extended Source Catalog (XSC) reveals that the XSC only provides a good
fit to the unresolved component of the cluster stellar population. We also
compare our results with the often-cited single-channel JHK photometry of
Persson and collaborators, and find significant differences, especially for
their 30"-diameter apertures up to ~2.5 mag in the K-band, more than 1 mag in
J-K, and up to 0.5 mag in H-K. Using simulations to center apertures based on
maximum light throughput (as performed by Persson et al, we show that these
differences can be attributed to near-IR-bright cluster stars (e.g., Carbon
stars) located away from the true center of the star clusters. The wide age and
metallicity coverage of our integrated JHKs photometry sample constitutes a
fundamental dataset for testing population synthesis model predictions, and for
direct comparison with near-IR observations of distant stellar populations.Comment: AJ August 2006 issue, 67 pages, 8 tables, 17 figure
Oxidation of HMGB1 Causes Attenuation of Its Pro-Inflammatory Activity and Occurs during Liver Ischemia and Reperfusion
High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a nuclear transcription factor. Once HMGB1 is released by damaged cells or activated immune cells, it acts as danger molecule and triggers the inflammatory signaling cascade. Currently, evidence is accumulating that posttranslational modifications such as oxidation may modulate the pro-inflammatory potential of danger signals. We hypothesized that oxidation of HMGB1 may reduce its pro-inflammatory potential and could take place during prolonged ischemia and upon reperfusion
Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Implantatversorgung bei einem Palliativpatienten : Ein ethischer Fallkommentar
Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Implantatversorgung bei einem Palliativpatienten : Ein ethischer Fallkommentar
Ajoene, a sulfur rich molecule from garlic, inhibits genes controlled by quorum sensing
In relation to emerging multiresistant bacteria, development of antimicrobials and new treatment strategies of infections should be expected to become a high priority research area. Quorum Sensing (QS), a communication system used by pathogenic bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa to synchronise the expression of specific genes involved in pathogenicity, is a possible drug target. Previous in vitro and in vivo studies revealed a significant inhibition of P. aeruginosa QS by crude garlic extract. By bioassay-guided fractionation of garlic extracts we determined the primary QS inhibitor present in garlic as ajoene, a sulfur-containing compound with potential as an antipathogenic drug. By comprehensive in vitro and in vivo studies of the effect of synthetic ajoene towards P. aeruginosa was elucidated. DNA microarray studies of ajoene treated P. aeruginosa cultures revealed a concentration dependent attenuation of a few, but central QS controlled virulence factors including rhamnolipid. Furthermore, ajoene treatment of in vitro biofilms demonstrated a clear synergistic, antimicrobial effect with tobramycin on biofilm killing and a cease in lytic necrosis of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Furthermore, in a pulmonary infectious mouse model a significant clearing of infecting P. aeruginosa was detected in ajoene-treated mice compared to a non-treated control group. This study adds to the list of examples demonstrating the potential of QS interfering compounds in the treatment of bacterial infections