HOLISMOKES Cañameras, R.; Schuldt, S.; Shu, Y. ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
09/2021, Letnik:
653
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
We have carried out a systematic search for galaxy-scale strong lenses in multiband imaging from the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) survey. Our automated pipeline, based on realistic strong-lens ...simulations, deep neural network classification, and visual inspection, is aimed at efficiently selecting systems with wide image separations (Einstein radii
θ
E
∼ 1.0–3.0″), intermediate redshift lenses (
z
∼ 0.4–0.7), and bright arcs for galaxy evolution and cosmology. We classified
gri
images of all 62.5 million galaxies in HSC Wide with
i
-band Kron radius ≥0.8″ to avoid strict preselections and to prepare for the upcoming era of deep, wide-scale imaging surveys with Euclid and Rubin Observatory. We obtained 206 newly-discovered candidates classified as definite or probable lenses with either spatially-resolved multiple images or extended, distorted arcs. In addition, we found 88 high-quality candidates that were assigned lower confidence in previous HSC searches, and we recovered 173 known systems in the literature. These results demonstrate that, aided by limited human input, deep learning pipelines with false positive rates as low as ≃0.01% can be very powerful tools for identifying the rare strong lenses from large catalogs, and can also largely extend the samples found by traditional algorithms. We provide a ranked list of candidates for future spectroscopic confirmation.
COSMOGRAIL Bonvin, V.; Chan, J. H. H.; Millon, M. ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
09/2018, Letnik:
616
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
We present time-delay estimates for the quadruply imaged quasar PG 1115+080. Our results are based on almost daily observations for seven months at the ESO MPIA 2.2 m telescope at La Silla ...Observatory, reaching a signal-to-noise ratio of about 1000 per quasar image. In addition, we re-analyze existing light curves from the literature that we complete with an additional three seasons of monitoring with the
Mercator
telescope at La Palma Observatory. When exploring the possible source of bias we considered the so-called microlensing time delay, a potential source of systematic error so far never directly accounted for in previous time-delay publications. In 15 yr of data on PG 1115+080, we find no strong evidence of microlensing time delay. Therefore not accounting for this effect, our time-delay estimates on the individual data sets are in good agreement with each other and with the literature. Combining the data sets, we obtain the most precise time-delay estimates to date on PG 1115+080, with Δ
t
(
AB
) = 8.3
+1.5
−1.6
days (18.7% precision), Δ
t
(
AC
) = 9.9
+1.1
−1.1
days (11.1%) and Δ
t
(
BC
) = 18.8
+1.6
−1.6
days (8.5%). Turning these time delays into cosmological constraints is done in a companion paper that makes use of ground-based Adaptive Optics (AO) with the Keck telescope.
Purpose Reconstruction of peripheral nerve discontinuities with processed nerve allograft has become increasingly relevant. The RANGER Study registry was initiated in 2007 to study the use of ...processed nerve allografts in contemporary clinical practice. We undertook this study to analyze outcomes for upper extremity nerve repairs contained in the registry database. Methods We identified an upper extremity–specific population within the RANGER Study registry database consisting of 71 nerves repaired with processed nerve allograft. This group was composed of 56 subjects with a mean age of 40 ± 17 years (range, 18–86 y). We analyzed data to determine the safety and efficacy of processed nerve allograft. Quantitative data were available on 51 subjects with 35 sensory, 13 mixed, and 3 motor nerves. The mean gap length was 23 ± 12 mm (range, 5–50 mm). We performed an analysis to evaluate response-to-treatment and to examine sensory and motor recovery according to the international standards for motor and sensory nerve recovery. Results There were no reported implant complications, tissue rejections, or adverse experiences related to the use of the processed nerve allografts. Overall recovery, S3 or M4 and above, was achieved in 86% of the procedures. Subgroup analysis demonstrated meaningful levels of recovery in sensory, mixed, and motor nerve repairs with graft lengths between 5 and 50 mm. The study also found meaningful levels of recovery in 89% of digital nerve repairs, 75% of median nerve repairs, and 67% of ulnar nerve repairs. Conclusions Our data suggest that processed nerve allografts offer a safe and effective method of reconstructing peripheral nerve gaps from 5 to 50 mm in length. These outcomes compare favorably with those reported in the literature for nerve autograft, and exceed those reported for tube conduits. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic III.
COSMOGRAIL Bonvin, V.; Millon, M.; Chan, J. H.-H. ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
09/2019, Letnik:
629
Journal Article, Web Resource
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
We present new measurements of the time delays of WFI2033−4723. The data sets used in this work include 14 years of data taken at the 1.2 m
Leonhard Euler
Swiss telescope, 13 years of data from the ...SMARTS 1.3 m telescope at Las Campanas Observatory and a single year of high-cadence and high-precision monitoring at the MPIA 2.2 m telescope. The time delays measured from these different data sets, all taken in the
R
-band, are in good agreement with each other and with previous measurements from the literature. Combining all the time-delay estimates from our data sets results in Δ
t
AB
= 36.2
+0.7
−0.8
days (2.1% precision), Δ
t
AC
= −23.3
+1.2
−1.4
days (5.6%) and Δ
t
BC
= −59.4
+1.3
−1.3
days (2.2%). In addition, the close image pair A1-A2 of the lensed quasars can be resolved in the MPIA 2.2 m data. We measure a time delay consistent with zero in this pair of images. We also explore the prior distributions of microlensing time-delay potentially affecting the cosmological time-delay measurements of WFI2033−4723. Our time-delay measurements are not precise enough to conclude that microlensing time delay is present or absent from the data. This work is part of a H0LiCOW series focusing on measuring the Hubble constant from WFI2033−4723.
Accurate determination of intermolecular non-covalent-bonded or non-bonded interactions is the key to potentially useful molecular dynamics simulations of polymer systems. However, it is challenging ...to balance both the accuracy and computational cost in force field modelling. One of the main difficulties is properly representing the calculated energy data as a continuous force function. In this paper, we employ well-developed machine learning techniques to construct a general purpose intermolecular non-bonded interaction force field for organic polymers. The original ab initio dataset SOFG-31 was calculated by us and has been well documented, and here we use it as our training set. The CLIFF kernel type machine learning scheme is used for predicting the interaction energies of heterodimers selected from the SOFG-31 dataset. Our test results show that the overall errors are well below the chemical accuracy of about 1 kcal/mol, thus demonstrating the promising feasibility of machine learning techniques in force field modelling.
The pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) evades the innate immune system by interfering with autophagy and phagosomal maturation in macrophages, and, as a result, small molecule stimulation of ...autophagy represents a host-directed therapeutics (HDTs) approach for treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Here we show the marine natural product clionamines activate autophagy and inhibit Mtb survival in macrophages. A yeast chemical-genetics approach identified Pik1 as target protein of the clionamines. Biotinylated clionamine B pulled down Pik1 from yeast cell lysates and a clionamine analog inhibited phosphatidyl 4-phosphate (PI4P) production in yeast Golgi membranes. Chemical-genetic profiles of clionamines and cationic amphiphilic drugs (CADs) are closely related, linking the clionamine mode of action to co-localization with PI4P in a vesicular compartment. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown of PI4KB, a human homolog of Pik1, inhibited the survival of Mtb in macrophages, identifying PI4KB as an unexploited molecular target for efforts to develop HDT drugs for treatment of TB.
Display omitted
•Clionamines activate autophagy and inhibit Mtb survival in macrophages•Yeast chemical genetics identified Pik1 as a clionamine target protein•SiRNA knockdown of PI4KB inhibited the survival of Mtb in macrophages•PI4KB has been identified as an unexploited target for drugs to treat tuberculosis
Persaud et al. have shown that the sponge natural product clionamines activate autophagy, inhibit Mtb in macrophages, and target the PI4 kinase Pik1 in yeast. siRNA knockdown of PI4KB, a human homolog of Pik1, inhibited Mtb survival in macrophages, identifying PI4KB as an unexploited target for HDT drugs to treat tuberculosis.
The quick spread of an Ebola outbreak in West Africa has led a number of countries and airline companies to issue travel bans to the affected areas. Considering data up to 31 Aug 2014, we assess the ...impact of the resulting traffic reductions with detailed numerical simulations of the international spread of the epidemic. Traffic reductions are shown to delay by only a few weeks the risk that the outbreak extends to new countries.
Sweet perception promotes food intake, whereas that of bitterness is inhibitory. Surprisingly, the expression of sweet G protein-coupled taste receptor (GPCTR) subunits (T1R2 and T1R3) and bitter ...GPCTRs (T2R116, T2R118, T2R138 and T2R104), as well as the α-subunits of the associated signalling complex (αGustducin, Gα14 and αTransducin), in oral and extra-oral tissues from lean and obese mice, remains poorly characterized. We focused on the impact of obesity on taste receptor expression in brain areas involved in energy homeostasis, namely the hypothalamus and brainstem. We demonstrate that many of the GPCTRs and α-subunits are co-expressed in these tissues and that obesity decreases expression of T1R3, T2R116, Gα14, αTrans and TRPM5. In vitro high levels of glucose caused a prominent down-regulation of T1R2 and Gα14 expression in cultured hypothalamic neuronal cells, leptin caused a transient down-regulation of T1R2 and T1R3 expression. Intriguingly, expression differences were also observed in other extra-oral tissues of lean and obese mice, most strikingly in the duodenum where obesity reduced the expression of most bitter and sweet receptors. In conclusion, obesity influences components of sweet and bitter taste sensing in the duodenum as well as regions of the mouse brain involved in energy homeostasis, including hypothalamus and brainstem.
Summary
Background
Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) may lead to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and premature death. Elevated alanine transaminase (ALT) levels ≥ the upper limit of normal (ULN) are a ...major determinant for initiating anti‐viral therapy; however, ALT levels alone may not be predictive of hepatic fibrosis.
Aim
To determine the proportion of CHB patients with ALT ≤40 IU/L and liver fibrosis stage ≥2. Secondary goals include subgroup analysis by hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) status, high hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels, Asian ethnicity, lower ULN of ≤30 IU/L (males) and 19 IU/L (females), and advanced age.
Methods
Studies identified in EMBASE and MEDLINE (1/1990–6/2012) using the search criteria: “Hepatitis B”Mesh OR “Hepatitis B virus”Mesh OR “Hepatitis B, Chronic”Mesh)) AND “Alanine Transaminase”Mesh) and s containing the term ‘hepatitis’ from recent major U.S. gastroenterology and liver society meetings were considered.
Results
Among nine studies (N = 830 patients), a significant proportion (20.7%; 95% CI: 16.2–26.0%) of CHB patients with ALT levels ≤40 IU/L had significant fibrosis irrespective of HBeAg status, high HBV DNA levels, ethnicity or age, although this proportion may be higher in patients older than 30–40 years old. The corresponding proportion was 27.8% even when the newer ULN of 30 IU/L (males) and 19 IU/L (females) was applied.
Conclusions
Approximately one fifth of CHB patients with ALT ≤40 IU/L may have significant hepatic fibrosis. The approach to such patients should be individualised, as further evaluation and treatment may be appropriate.
A reliable and precise in situ CO2 and CO analysis system has been developed and deployed at eight sites in the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory's (ESRL) Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network. ...The network uses very tall (> 300 m) television and radio transmitter towers that provide a convenient platform for mid-boundary-layer trace-gas sampling. Each analyzer has three sample inlets for profile sampling, and a complete vertical profile is obtained every 15 min. The instrument suite at one site has been augmented with a cavity ring-down spectrometer for measuring CO2 and CH4 . The long-term stability of the systems in the field is typically better than 0.1 ppm for CO2 , 6 ppb for CO, and 0.5 ppb for CH4 , as determined from repeated standard gas measurements. The instrumentation is fully automated and includes sensors for measuring a variety of status parameters, such as temperatures, pressures, and flow rates, that are inputs for automated alerts and quality control algorithms. Detailed and time-dependent uncertainty estimates have been constructed for all of the gases, and the uncertainty framework could be readily adapted to other species or analysis systems. The design emphasizes use of off-the-shelf parts and modularity to facilitate network operations and ease of maintenance. The systems report high-quality data with > 93% uptime. Recurrent problems and limitations of the current system are discussed along with general recommendations for high-accuracy trace-gas monitoring. The network is a key component of the North American Carbon Program and a useful model for future research-grade operational greenhouse gas monitoring efforts.
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