The Andromeda Galaxy Stellar Robotic Microlensing Project (The Angstrom Project) aims to use stellar microlensing events to trace the structure and composition of the inner regions of the Andromeda ...Galaxy (M31). We present microlensing rate and time-scale predictions and spatial distributions for stellar and sub-stellar lens populations in combined disc and barred bulge models of M31. We show that at least half of the stellar microlenses in and around the bulge are expected to have characteristic durations between 1 and 10 d, rising to as much as 80 per cent for brown-dwarf dominated mass functions. These short-duration events are mostly missed by current microlensing surveys that are looking for Macho candidates in the M31 dark matter halo. Our models predict that an intensive monitoring survey programme, such as Angstrom, which will be able to detect events of durations upwards of a day, could detect around 30 events per season within ∼5 arcmin of the M31 centre due to ordinary low-mass stars and remnants. This yield increases to more than 60 events for brown-dwarf dominated mass functions. The overall number of events and their average duration are sensitive diagnostics of the bulge mass, in particular the contribution of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs. The combination of an inclined disc, an offset bar-like bulge, and differences in the bulge and disc luminosity functions results in a four-way asymmetry in the number of events expected in each quadrant defined by the M31 disc axes. The asymmetry is sensitive to the bar prolongation, orientation and mass.
Summary
Reasons for performing study: Identification of the species and strain of dermatophyte can play an effective role in control of disease outbreaks by establishing the source of infection. ...Current methods of identification are based on cultural and microscopic methods, often involving weeks before a positive identification are made. A rapid molecular diagnostic method would therefore be an important laboratory technique, but requires confirmation in equine clinical practice.
Objectives: To test the sensitivity and specificity of molecular diagnostic methods applied to a racehorse herd from the Korean Racehorse Authority (KRA).
Methods: A total of 57 DNA samples were collected from hairs and crusts of skin lesions in KRA racehorses with histories and clinical signs suggestive of dermatophytosis, which was confirmed by dermatophyte‐specific PCR amplification analysis using the primer pair for the chitin synthase 1 (CHS1) gene.
Results: Thirty‐eight racehorses were definitively diagnosed with dermatophytosis using molecular and traditional diagnostic methods. PCR fingerprinting profiles using simple repetitive (GACA)4 primers showed that all diagnosed horses had the same pattern profile. Oligonucleotide sequencing of CHS1 gene PCR products confirmed Trichophyton mentagrophytes as the infectious agent.
Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the PCR‐based molecular diagnostic method is sensitive and specific and offers fast precise diagnosis of dermatophytosis in horses.
Bacillus horikoshii which produces an extracellular alkaline protease, was isolated from the body fluid of an unique Korean polychaeta (
Periserrula leucophryna) living in the tidal mud flats of ...Kwangwha island in the Korean West Sea (Yellow Sea). Maximum enzyme activity was achieved when the bacterium was grown in soybean meal (1.5%, w/v) and casein (1%, w/v) at pH 9.0 and 34
°C over 16–18 h incubation period. The enzyme has an optimum pH of around 9 and maintained its stability over a broad pH range between 5.5 and 12. Its optimum temperature is around 45
°C, and exhibited a stability of up to 50
°C. The enzyme activity was strongly inhibited by PMSF, suggesting that it belongs to the family of serine proteases.
Background & AimNatural killer (NK) cells are specialized components of the innate immune system that contribute to the first line of defense against viral infections and cancer. Ex vivo expanded NK ...cells are a promising tool for the use in adoptive immunotherapy. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive tumor types and severely limits the therapeutic efficacy of both immunotherapeutics and conventional chemotherapeutics because ECM act as a major physical barrier against drug penetration.Methods, Results & ConclusionTo address these challenges, we expanded and cryopreserved allogeneic NK cells. And cryopreserved NK cells were evaluated for their therapeutic efficacy against desmoplastic pancreatic tumors, ultimately aiming to develop easily accessible and mass-producible off-the-shelf cell-based immunotherapeutics. Ex vivoexpanded and cryopreserved cells retained highly pure and activated population of NK cells. In addition, ex vivo expanded and cryopreserved NK cells exhibited not only potent killing activity and cytokine production against various pancreatic cancer cell lines in vitro but also excellent tumor growth suppression in vivo orthotopic pancreatic cancer model. In conclusion, ex vivo expanded and cryopreserved NK cells are a strong candidate for future cell-mediated systemic immunotherapy against pancreatic cancer.
To report a case of intravitreal methotrexate treatment and fluocinolone acetonide (Retisert®) implantation in a patient with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome (VKH).
A 34-year-old male was referred for ...worsening vision and bilateral panuveitis consistent with VKH. He was treated with prednisone, mycophenolate mofetil, prednisolone acetate eye drops, and injections of triamcinolone and adalimumab. He failed to improve with these therapies and developed multiple adverse effects, including hepatotoxicity, severe eye pain, cataracts, and cystoid macular edema. We treated him with intravitreal methotrexate injections in both eyes, which rapidly improved his eye pain, inflammation, and vision. He subsequently underwent fluocinolone acetonide (Retisert®) implantation, cataract extraction with intraocular lens insertion, and Ahmed tube placement for long-term intraocular pressure control. His vision improved from hand motions to 20/30, intraocular pressure remained stable at 17, there was complete resolution of his panuveitis and uveitic macular edema, and his systemic medications were able to be discontinued.
/Importance: This case demonstrates intravitreal methotrexate may successfully treat intraocular inflammation, pain, and macular edema in VKH. Excellent long-term vision and reduction of adverse effects of systemic medications were also achieved with subsequent fluocinolone acetonide implantation. Combining these two targeted therapies may be an effective strategy in treating VKH in patients who have severe pain and cannot tolerate systemic therapy.
Insomnia is one of the most commonly reported symptoms among people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Prior research evaluated the psychometric properties of the Insomnia Severity ...Index (ISI) with various populations, but no studies have examined the measurement properties of the instrument in the COPD population. This study aimed to determine the reliability and validity of the ISI for the COPD population.
This study included 96 people with COPD and insomnia. As psychometric properties, the ISI's internal consistency, factor structure, and criterion validity were examined with this sample. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to evaluate construct validity. Correlations between scores for the ISI and for measures of depression, anxiety, fatigue, and dyspnea were examined to determine criterion validity.
The Cronbach's alpha value for the ISI was 0.79, indicating good internal consistency. In the EFA, a single ISI factor with an eigenvalue of 3.19 accounted for 45.6% of the variance. CFA indicated adequate construct validity, and interference of sleep problems with daytime functioning and level of distress caused by sleep difficulties showed the highest factor loadings (both 0.78). Criterion validity was supported by significant, weak to moderate correlations between scores for the ISI and for measures of depression, anxiety, fatigue, and dyspnea.
The results provide evidence that the ISI has good reliability and validity for measuring insomnia severity in the COPD population.
•The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) has good internal consistency reliability.•A single factor in the ISI accounted for 45.6% of the variance.•The factor structure showed that the ISI has good construct validity.•The ISI total score was associated with fatigue, anxiety, depression, and dyspnea.
This study was performed to resolve the problem of cracks caused by the rapid hydration heat produced during the early setting stages of rapid-hardening cement. To address the hydration heat of ...rapid-hardening cement, we prepared a modified rapid-hardening cement using calcium sulfoaluminate clinker combined with a styrene butadiene (SB) polymer. The performance of SB polymeric emulsion-modified concrete made from modified rapid-hardening cement was assessed by determining shrinkage (change in length, and plastic and autogenous shrinkage). The modified rapid-hardening cement in combination with SB polymeric emulsion effectively reduced cracking.
Abstract
Although the capability of the computer has been developed and numerical algorithms have been advanced, automobile crash optimization is still quite difficult owing to high non-linearity and ...numerical cost. Therefore, metamodel-based optimization methods have been frequently utilized in crashworthiness optimization. However, the methods have various limits on the number of design variables and precision. The equivalent-static-loads (ESLs) method has been proposed to overcome the limitations. ESLs are static loads which generate the same displacement field in static analysis as the displacement field at each time step in non-linear dynamic analysis; they are used as the external loads for linear static response optimization. The results of linear static response optimization are utilized to update the design, and non-linear dynamic analysis is performed again with the updated design. The process proceeds in an iterative manner until the convergence criteria are satisfied. From various research studies on the ESLs method, it has been demonstrated that the ESLs method is fairly useful. An automobile frontal structure is optimized for the pendulum test. The optimization problem is formulated with many design variables including displacement, velocity, and acceleration constraints. A method is proposed for handling the velocity and acceleration constraints by using the finite difference method. In a numerical analysis of the pendulum test, the velocity and acceleration are extremely non-linear and noisy. Thus, a filtering technique is utilized for the displacement, velocity, and acceleration curves. LS-DYNA is used for non-linear dynamic analysis, and NASTRAN is used for linear static response optimization and generation of ESLs. The SAE 60 filter in LS-PRE/POST is used to filter the displacement response. A program is developed for interfacing the two systems.
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