12,713 research outputs found
Inhibition of monocyte complement receptor enhancement by low molecular weight material from human lung cancers
We have studied the effect of dialysates from lung cancer homogenates to alter both the expression of complement (C3b) receptors per se and also to inhibit leucoattractant-induced enhancement of complement rosettes on monocytes from healthy individuals. Enhancement and enhancement-inhibition by tumour extracts were compared with material derived from normal lung excised from distance from the tumour. There was no significant difference between tumour homogenate (TH) and normal lung homogenate (NLH) in terms of enhancement of complement rosettes per se. In contrast, TH produced a dose- and time-dependent inhibition of leucoattractant-induced enhancement of C3b rosettes which was significantly different from that obtained with NLH. This enhancement-inhibition was observed with four undifferentiated, four squamous and three adenocarcinomas of lung. The degree of enhancement-inhibition was not related to the type of tumour or varying accompanying histological features such as necrosis and the degree of infiltration with inflammatory cells. Following gel filtration on Sephadex G-50 each type of cancer gave a major peak of inhibitory activity which eluted with molecules having an apparent molecular size of approximately 3,000 daltons. A second larger peak (8,000-10,000 daltons) was also detected with extracts from the undifferentiated and adenocarcinomas. These results support previous findings, mainly from experimental animals, indicating that 'anti-macrophage/monocyte principles' are elaborated from certain tumour types
Mid-IR period-magnitude relations for AGB stars
Asymptotic Giant Branch variables are found to obey period-luminosity
relations in the mid-IR similar to those seen at K_S (2.14 microns), even at 24
microns where emission from circumstellar dust is expected to be dominant.
Their loci in the M, logP diagrams are essentially the same for the LMC and for
NGC6522 in spite of different ages and metallicities. There is no systematic
trend of slope with wavelength. The offsets of the apparent magnitude vs. logP
relations imply a difference between the two fields of 3.8 in distance modulus.
The colours of the variables confirm that a principal period with log P > 1.75
is a necessary condition for detectable mass-loss. At the longest observed
wavelength, 24 microns, many semi-regular variables have dust shells comparable
in luminosity to those around Miras. There is a clear bifurcation in LMC
colour-magnitude diagrams involving 24 micron magnitudes.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Moving to Extremal Graph Parameters
Which graphs, in the class of all graphs with given numbers n and m of edges
and vertices respectively, minimizes or maximizes the value of some graph
parameter? In this paper we develop a technique which provides answers for
several different parameters: the numbers of edges in the line graph, acyclic
orientations, cliques, and forests. (We minimize the first two and maximize the
third and fourth.)
Our technique involves two moves on the class of graphs. A compression move
converts any graph to a form we call fully compressed: the fully compressed
graphs are split graphs in which the neighbourhoods of points in the
independent set are nested. A second consolidation move takes each fully
compressed graph to one particular graph which we call H(n,m). We show
monotonicity of the parameters listed for these moves in many cases, which
enables us to obtain our results fairly simply.
The paper concludes with some open problems and future directions
Photometric Variability Among the Brightest Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars Near the Center of M32
Deep K' images with 0.1 arcsec angular resolution, obtained with ALTAIR+NIRI
on Gemini North, are used to investigate photometric variablity among the
brightest asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the central regions of M32.
Based on a comparison with brightnesses obtained from the K-band data discussed
by Davidge et al. (2000, ApJ, 545, L89), it is concluded that (1) at least 60%
of bright AGB stars near the center of M32 are photometrically variable, and
(2) the amplitudes of the light variations are similar to those of long period
variables in the Galactic bulge. We do not find evidence for a population of
large amplitude variables, like those detected by IRAS in the Galactic bulge.
The technique discussed here may prove useful for conducting an initial
reconnaisance of photometric variability among AGB stars in spheroids in the
Virgo cluster and beyond, where the required long exposure times may restrict
observations to only a few epochs.Comment: 8 pages of text, 3 postscript figures. ApJ (letters) in pres
The optical-ultraviolet continuum of Seyfert 2 galaxies
This paper aims to understand the continuum of Seyfert 2 galaxies. By fitting
the single galaxies in the sample of Heckman et al. (1995) with composite
models (shock+ photoionization from the active center), we show that five main
components characterize the SED of the continuum. Shocks play an important role
since they produce a high temperature zone where soft X-rays are emitted.
We show that in the optical-UV range, the slope of the NLR emission
reproduces the observed values, and may be the main component of the
featureless continuum. The presence of star forming regions cannot be excluded
in the circumnuclear region of various Seyfert galaxies. An attempt is made to
find their fingerprints in the observed AGN spectra. Finally, it is
demonstrated that multi-cloud models are necessary to interpret the spectra of
single objects, even in the global investigation of a sample of galaxies.Comment: 26 pages, LaTeX (including 5 Tables) + 17 PostScript figures. To
appear in "The Astrophysical Journal
Program for refan JT8D engine design, fabrication and test, phase 2
The objective of the JT8D refan program was to design, fabricate, and test certifiable modifications of the JT8D engine which would reduce noise generated by JT8D powered aircraft. This was to be accomplished without affecting reliability and maintainability, at minimum retrofit cost, and with no performance penalty. The mechanical design, engine performance and stability characteristics at sea-level and altitude, and the engine noise characteristics of the test engines are documented. Results confirmed the structural integrity of the JT8D-109. Engine operation was stable throughout the airplane flight envelope. Fuel consumption of the test engines was higher than that required to meet the goal of no airplane performance penalty, but the causes were identified and corrected during a normal pre-certification engine development program. Compared to the baseline JT8D-109 engine, the acoustically treated JT8D-109 engine showed noise reductions of 6 PNdB at takeoff and 11 PNdB at a typical approach power setting
Features of pulsed synchronization of a systems with a tree-dimensional phase space
Features of synchronization picture in the system with the limit cycle
embedded in a three-dimensional phase space are considered. By the example of
Ressler system and Dmitriev - Kislov generator under the action of a periodic
sequence of delta - function it is shown, that synchronization picture
significantly depends on the direction of pulse action. Features of
synchronization tons appeared in these models are observed.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figure
Diverse routes to oscillation death in a coupled-oscillator system.
We study oscillation death (OD) in a well-known coupled-oscillator system that has been used to model cardiovascular phenomena. We derive exact analytic conditions that allow the prediction of OD through the two known bifurcation routes, in the same model, and for different numbers of coupled oscillators. Our exact analytic results enable us to generalize OD as a multiparameter-sensitive phenomenon. It can be induced, not only by changes in couplings, but also by changes in the oscillator frequencies or amplitudes. We observe synchronization transitions as a function of coupling and confirm the robustness of the phenomena in the presence of noise. Numerical and analogue simulations are in good agreement with the theory
Schwarzschild Atmospheric Processes: A Classical Path to the Quantum
We develop some classical descriptions for processes in the Schwarzschild
string atmosphere. These processes suggest relationships between macroscopic
and microscopic scales. The classical descriptions developed in this essay
highlight the fundamental quantum nature of the Schwarzschild atmospheric
processes.Comment: to appear in Gen. Rel. Gra
ISOGAL Survey of Baade's Windows in the Mid-infrared
The ISOGAL mid-infrared survey of areas close to the Galactic Plane aims to
determine their stellar content and its possible bearing on the history of the
Galaxy. The NGC6522 and Sgr I Baade's Windows of low obscuration towards the
inner parts of the Bulge represent ideal places in which to calibrate and
understand the ISOGAL colour-magnitude diagrams.
The survey observations were made with the ISOCAM instrument of the ISO
satellite. The filter bands chosen were LW2(~7 microns) and LW3(~15 microns).
The results presented here show that most of the detected objects are late
M-type giants on the AGB, with a cut-off for those earlier than M3-M4. The most
luminous members of these two Bulge fields at 7 microns are the Mira variables.
However, it is evident that they represent the end of a sequence of increasing
15 micron dust emission which commences with M giants of earlier sub-type.
In observations of late-type giants the ISOCAM 15 micron band is mainly
sensitive to the cool silicate or aluminate dust shells which overwhelm the
photospheric emission. However, in ordinary M-giant stars, the 7 micron band is
not strongly affected by dust emission and may be influenced instead by
absorption. The nu2 band of water at 6.25 microns and the SiO fundamental at
7.9 microns are likely contribitors to this effect.
A group of late M stars has been found which vary little or not at all but
have infrared colours typical of well-developed dust shells. Their luminosities
are similar to those of 200-300 day Miras but they have slightly redder
[7]-[15] colours which form an extension of the ordinary M giant sequence.
The Mira dust shells show a mid-infrared [7]-[15] colour-period relation. ca
700 days.Comment: 13 pages 15 figure
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