We present a semi-analytical kinetic calculation of the process of non-linear diffusive shock acceleration (NLDSA) which includes the magnetic field amplification due to cosmic ray induced streaming ...instability, the dynamical reaction of the amplified magnetic field and the possible effects of turbulent heating. The approach is specialized to parallel shock waves, and the parameters we chose are the ones appropriate to forward shocks in supernova remnants. Our calculation allows us to show that the net effect of the amplified magnetic field is to enhance the maximum momentum of accelerated particles while reducing the concavity of the spectra, with respect to the standard predictions of NLDSA. This is mainly due to the dynamical reaction of the amplified field on the shock, which notably reduces the modification of the shock precursor. The total compression factors which are obtained for parameters typical of supernova remnants are Rtot∼ 7–10, in good agreement with the values inferred from observations. The strength of the magnetic field produced through excitation of streaming instability is found in good agreement with the values inferred for several remnants if the thickness of the X-ray rims is interpreted as due to severe synchrotron losses of high-energy electrons. We also discuss the relative role of turbulent heating and magnetic dynamical reaction in driving the reduction of the precursor modification.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Aims. We review some aspects of the theory of magnetic threaded disks. Methods. We discuss in particular the equations that determine the position of the inner disk boundary by using different ...prescriptions for the neutron star-accretion disk interaction. We apply the results to several accretion powered X-ray pulsars that show both quasi-periodic oscillations in their X-ray flux and spin-up/spin-down torque reversals. Under the hypothesis that the beat-frequency model is applicable to the quasi-periodic oscillations, we show that these sources provide an excellent opportunity to test models of the disk-magnetosphere interaction. Results. A comparison is carried out between the magnetospheric radius obtained with all the prescriptions used in threaded disk models; this shows that none of those prescriptions is able to reproduce the combination of quasi-periodic oscillations and torque behaviour observed for different X-ray luminosity levels in the X-ray pulsars in the present sample. Conclusions. This suggests that the problem of accretion disk threading by stellar magnetic field still lacks a comprehensive solution. We briefly discuss an outline of possible future developments in this field.
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Summary
Reproductive dysfunction is a consequence of diabetes, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. This study investigated the histological and molecular alterations in the testes of ...rats injected with streptozotocin at prepuperal (SPI rats) and adult age (SAI rats) to understand whether diabetes affects testicular tissue with different severity depending on the age in which this pathological condition starts. The testes of diabetic animals showed frequent abnormal histology, and seminiferous epithelium cytoarchitecture appeared altered as well as the occludin distribution pattern. The early occurrence of diabetes increased the percentage of animals with high number of damaged tubules. The interstitial compartment of the testes was clearly hypertrophic in several portions of the organs both in SPI and SAI rats. Interestingly, fully developed Leydig cells were present in all the treated animals although abnormally distributed. Besides the above‐described damages, we found a similar decrease in plasma testosterone levels both in SPI and SAI rats. Oxidative stress (OS) is involved in the pathogenesis of various diabetic complications, and in our experimental models we found that manganese superoxide dismutase was reduced in diabetic animals. We conclude that in STZ‐induced diabetes, the altered spermatogenesis, more severe in SPI animals, is possibly due to the effect of OS on Leydig cell function which could cause the testosterone decrease responsible for the alterations found in the seminiferous epithelium of diabetic animals.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Purpose
The diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency is based on the determination of total plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) concentrations, but the regulation of vitamin D 25-hydroxylation is not a ...major consideration and very little information is available on this activity.
To check what factors could interfere with the activity of vitamin D-25-hydroxylase and thus alter the 25-OHD concentrations, we looked for potential correlations between 25-OHD and results of liver function tests in healthy adults.
Methods
This single-centre study was retrospective and consisted of evaluating the correlations between 25-OHD and the activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP) in 349 healthy subjects aged from 18 to 65 years. In particular, in Group 1 (
n
= 119), we looked for correlations between 25OHD and all liver function tests and in Group 2 (
n
= 230) the correlation between 25OHD and BALP.
Results
In Group 1, we found no correlation between 25OHD and AST (
r
= − 0.03;
p
= 0.8), ALT (
r
= − 0.02;
p
= 0.91), GGT (r = − 0.08; p = 0.68), direct bilirubin (
r
= − 0.02;
p
= 0.89), indirect bilirubin (
r
= − 0.24;
p
= 0.21), and total bilirubin (
r
= − 0.24;
p
= 0.21) but one between 25OHD and ALP (
r
= − 0.2;
p
= 0.007); in Group 2, we found a significant negative correlation between 25-OHD and BALP (
r
= − 0.2;
p
= 0.0008).
Conclusions
The correlations that we found suggest that ALP and BALP might be involved in the regulation of vitamin D-25-hydroxylase activity, but further studies are mandatory to confirm our assumptions.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
We report on the discovery of two emission features observed in the x-ray spectrum of the afterglow of the gamma-ray burst (GRB) of 16 December 1999 by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. These features ...are identified with the Lyαline and the narrow recombination continuum by hydrogenic ions of iron at a redshift z = 1.00 ± 0.02, providing an unambiguous measurement of the distance of a GRB. Line width and intensity imply that the progenitor of the GRB was a massive star system that ejected, before the GRB event, a quantity of iron ∼0.01 of the mass of the sun at a velocity ∼0.1 of the speed of light, probably by a supernova explosion.
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In the present study, we tested the effect of a Mediterranean-style diet on sexual function in women with the metabolic syndrome. Women were identified in our database of subjects participating in ...controlled trials evaluating the effect of lifestyle changes and were included if they had a diagnosis of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) associated with a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome, a complete follow-up in the study trial and an intervention focused mainly on dietary changes. Fifty-nine women met the inclusion/exclusion criteria; 31 out of them were assigned to the Mediterranean-style diet and 28 to the control diet. After 2 years, women on the Mediterranean diet consumed more fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grain and olive oil as compared with the women on the control diet. Female sexual function index (FSFI) improved in the intervention group, from a mean basal value of 19.7+/-3.1 to a mean post-treatment value of 26.1+/-4.1 (P=0.01), and remained stable in the control group. C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were significantly reduced in the intervention group (P<0.02). No single sexual domain (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, pain) was significantly ameliorated by the dietary treatment, suggesting that the whole female sexuality may find benefit from lifestyle changes. A Mediterranean-style diet might be effective in ameliorating sexual function in women with metabolic syndrome.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
We report the discovery of a transient equivalent hydrogen column density with an absorption edge at ∼3.8 kiloelectron volts in the spectrum of the prompt x-ray emission of gamma-ray burst (GRB) ...990705. This feature can be satisfactorily modeled with a photoelectric absorption by a medium located at a redshift of ∼0.86 and with an iron abundance of ∼75 times the solar one. The transient behavior is attributed to the strong ionization produced in the circumburst medium by the GRB photons. The high iron abundance points to the existence of a burst environment enriched by a supernova along the line of sight. The supernova explosion is estimated to have occurred about 10 years before the burst. Our results agree with models in which GRBs originate from the collapse of very massive stars and are preceded by a supernova event.
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We present optical observations of the short/hard gamma-ray burst GRB 050709, the first such event with an identified optical counterpart. The object is coincident with a weak X-ray source and is ...located inside a galaxy at redshift $z = 0.1606 \pm 0.0002$. Multiband photometry allowed us to study the broad-band spectral energy distribution. Late-time monitoring places strong limits on any supernova simultaneous with the GRB. The host galaxy is not of early type. Spectra show that the dominant stellar population is relatively young (∼1 Gyr), and that ongoing star formation is present at a level of $2\mbox{--}3\,L/L_*~M_\odot$ yr-1. This is at least 2 orders of magnitude larger than that observed in the elliptical hosts of the short GRB 050509B and GRB 050724. This shows that at least some short GRBs originate in a young population. Short/hard GRB models based on the merger of a binary degenerate system are compatible with the host galaxy characteristics, although there is still the possibility of a connection between young stars and at least a fraction of such events.
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A mathematical approach to investigate particle acceleration at shock waves moving at arbitrary speed in a medium with arbitrary scattering properties was first discussed in work by Vietri and Blasi. ...We use this method and somewhat extend it in order to include the effect of a large-scale magnetic field in the upstream plasma, with arbitrary orientation with respect to the direction of motion of the shock. We also use this approach to investigate the effects of anisotropic scattering on spectra and anisotropies of the distribution function of the accelerated particles.
Abstract Background and aims Obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis. Interleukin-20 (IL-20) is a pleiotropic cytokine thought to be involved in the onset and ...progression of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether circulating levels of IL-20 are elevated in obese women and whether they could be affected by a substantial decrease in body weight. Methods and results Fifty obese and 50 age-matched, normal weight, premenopausal women participated in the study. Obese women entered into a medically supervised weight loss program aimed at reducing body weight to 90% of baseline. We measured anthropometric, glucose and lipid parameters, and IL-20, C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) circulating levels. Circulating IL-20 and CRP levels were significantly higher in obese than control women ( P = 0.01), while IL-10 levels were significantly lower; IL-20 levels were positively associated with body weight ( r = 0.35; P = 0.02) and visceral fat (waist–hip ratio; r = 0.32; P = 0.025). Caloric restriction-induced weight loss (>10% of original weight) over 6 months reduced IL-20 levels from 152 (112/184) to 134 (125/153) pg/ml (median and 25%/75%; P = 0.03), and it was positively associated with changes in body mass index and waist–hip ratio. Conclusion In premenopausal obese women, IL-20 levels are higher than matched normal weight control women, are associated with body weight and waist–hip ratio, and are reduced by weight loss.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
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