Abstract
Black hole X-ray binaries undergo occasional outbursts caused by changing inner accretion flows. Here we report high angular resolution radio observations of the 2013 outburst of the black ...hole candidate X-ray binary system XTE J1908+094, using data from the Very Long Baseline Array and European VLBI Network. We show that following a hard-to-soft state transition, we detect moving jet knots that appear asymmetric in morphology and brightness, and expand to become laterally resolved as they move away from the core, along an axis aligned approximately −11° east of north. We initially see only the southern component, whose evolution gives rise to a 15-mJy radio flare and generates the observed radio polarization. This fades and becomes resolved out after 4 days, after which a second component appears to the north, moving in the opposite direction. From the timing of the appearance of the knots relative to the X-ray state transition, a 90° swing of the inferred magnetic field orientation, the asymmetric appearance of the knots, their complex and evolving morphology, and their low speeds, we interpret the knots as working surfaces where the jets impact the surrounding medium. This would imply a substantially denser environment surrounding XTE J1908+094 than has been inferred to exist around the microquasar sources GRS 1915+105 and GRO J1655−40.
This study sought to determine the earliest response of the bovine uterine endometrium to the presence of the conceptus at key developmental stages of early pregnancy. There were no detectable ...differences in gene expression in endometria from pregnant and cyclic heifers on Days 5, 7, and 13 postestrus, but the expression of 764 genes was altered due to the presence of the conceptus at maternal recognition of pregnancy (Day 16). Of these 514 genes, MX2, BST2, RSAD2, ISG15, OAS1, USP18, IFI44, ISG20, SAMD9, EIF4E, and IFIT2 increased to the greatest extent in pregnant endometria (>8-fold log2 fold change increase). The expression of OXTR, Bt.643 (unofficial symbol), and KCNMA1 was reduced the most, but short-term treatment with recombinant ovine interferon tau (IFNT) in vitro or in vivo did not alter their expression. In vivo intrauterine infusion of IFNT induced the expression of EIF4E, IFIT2, IFI44, ISG20, MX2, RSAD2, SAMD9, and USP18. These results revealed for the first time that changes that occur in the endometrial transcriptome are independent of the presence of a conceptus until pregnancy recognition. The differentially expressed genes (including MX2, BST2, RSAD2, ISG15, OAS1, USP18, IFI44, ISG20, SAMD, and EIF4E) are a consequence of IFNT production by the conceptus. The identified genes represent known and novel early markers of conceptus development and/or return to cyclicity and may be useful to identify the earliest stage at which the endometrial response to the conceptus is detectable.
Preclinical mouse models suggest that the gut microbiome modulates tumor response to checkpoint blockade immunotherapy; however, this has not been well-characterized in human cancer patients. Here we ...examined the oral and gut microbiome of melanoma patients undergoing anti-programmed cell death 1 protein (PD-1) immunotherapy (
= 112). Significant differences were observed in the diversity and composition of the patient gut microbiome of responders versus nonresponders. Analysis of patient fecal microbiome samples (
= 43, 30 responders, 13 nonresponders) showed significantly higher alpha diversity (
< 0.01) and relative abundance of bacteria of the Ruminococcaceae family (
< 0.01) in responding patients. Metagenomic studies revealed functional differences in gut bacteria in responders, including enrichment of anabolic pathways. Immune profiling suggested enhanced systemic and antitumor immunity in responding patients with a favorable gut microbiome as well as in germ-free mice receiving fecal transplants from responding patients. Together, these data have important implications for the treatment of melanoma patients with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Background. During the 2012-2013 influenza season, there was cocirculation of influenza A(H3N2) and 2 influenza lineage viruses in the United States. Methods. Patients with acute cough illness for ≤7 ...days were prospectively enrolled and had swab samples obtained at outpatient clinics in 5 states. Influenza vaccination dates were confirmed by medical records. The vaccine effectiveness (VE) was estimated as 100% × (1 - adjusted odds ratio) for vaccination in cases versus test-negative controls. Results. Influenza was detected in 2307 of 6452 patients (36%); 1292 (56%) had influenza A(H3N2), 582 (25%) had influenza B/Yamagata, and 303 (13%) had influenza B/Victoria. VE was 49% (95% confidence interval CI, 43%-55%) overall, 39% (95% CI, 29%-47%) against influenza A(H3N2), 66% (95% CI, 58%-73%) against influenza B/Yamagata (vaccine lineage), and 51% (95% CI, 36%-63%) against influenza B/Victoria. VE against influenza A(H3N2) was highest among persons aged 50-64 years (52%; 95% CI, 33%-65%) and persons aged 6 months-8 years (51%; 95% CI, 32%-64%) and lowest among persons aged ≥65 years (11%; 95% CI, -41% to 43%). In younger age groups, there was evidence of residual protection from receipt of the 2011-2012 vaccine 1 year earlier. Conclusions. The 2012-2013 vaccines were moderately effective in most age groups. Cross-lineage protection and residual effects from prior vaccination were observed and warrant further investigation.
Northern rivers connect a land area of approximately 20.5 million km2 to the Arctic Ocean and surrounding seas. These rivers account for ~10% of global river discharge and transport massive ...quantities of dissolved and particulate materials that reflect watershed sources and impact biogeochemical cycling in the ocean. In this paper, multiyear data sets from a coordinated sampling program are used to characterize particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate nitrogen (PN) export from the six largest rivers within the pan‐Arctic watershed (Yenisey, Lena, Ob', Mackenzie, Yukon, Kolyma). Together, these rivers export an average of 3055 × 109 g of POC and 368 × 109 g of PN each year. Scaled up to the pan‐Arctic watershed as a whole, fluvial export estimates increase to 5767 × 109 g and 695 × 109 g of POC and PN per year, respectively. POC export is substantially lower than dissolved organic carbon export by these rivers, whereas PN export is roughly equal to dissolved nitrogen export. Seasonal patterns in concentrations and source/composition indicators (C:N, δ13C, Δ14C, δ15N) are broadly similar among rivers, but distinct regional differences are also evident. For example, average radiocarbon ages of POC range from ~2000 (Ob') to ~5500 (Mackenzie) years before present. Rapid changes within the Arctic system as a consequence of global warming make it challenging to establish a contemporary baseline of fluvial export, but the results presented in this paper capture variability and quantify average conditions for nearly a decade at the beginning of the 21st century.
Key Points
River export of POC and PN from pan‐Arctic watershed is constrained using multiyear data set
Together, the six largest Arctic rivers export ~3.1 Tg/yr of POC and ~0.4 Tg/yr of PN
Export estimates for pan‐Arctic watershed as a whole are ~5.8 Tg/yr of POC and 0.7 Tg/yr of PN
Abstract Recent findings suggest that the expression of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis stress response adaptation in rats depends on top–down neural control. We therefore examined whether ...the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) modulates expression of stress response habituation. We transiently suppressed (muscimol microinfusion) or stimulated (picrotoxin microinfusion) mPFC neural activity in rats and studied the consequence on the first time response to psychological stress (restraint) or separately on the development and expression of habituation to repeated restraint. We monitored both the hormonal (corticosterone) and neural (forebrain c-fos mRNA) response to stress. Inactivation of the mPFC had no effect on the HPA-axis response to first time restraint, however increased mPFC activity attenuated stress-induced HPA-axis activity. In a three day repeated restraint stress regimen, inactivation of the mPFC on days 1 and 2, but not day 3, prevented the expression of HPA-axis hormone response habituation. In these same rats, the mPFC activity on day 3 interfered with the expression of c-fos mRNA habituation selectively within the mPFC, lateral septum and hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. In contrast, inactivation of the mPFC only on day 3, or on all 3 days did not interfere with the expression of habituation. We conclude that the mPFC can permit or disrupt expression of HPA-axis stress response habituation, and this control depends on alteration of neural activity within select brain regions. A possible implication of these findings is that the dysregulation of PFC activity associated with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder may contribute to impaired expression of stress-response adaptation and consequently exacerbation of those disorders.
Proteins play a major role in the formation of all biominerals. In mollusk shell nacre, complex mixtures and assemblies of proteins and polysaccharides were shown to induce aragonite formation, ...rather than the thermodynamically favored calcite (both aragonite and calcite are CaCO3 polymorphs). Here we used N16N, a single 30 amino acid−protein fragment originally inspired by the mineral binding site of N16, a protein in the nacre layer of the Japanese pearl oysters (Pinctada fucata). In a calcite growth solution this short peptide induces in vitro biomineralization. This model biomineral was analyzed using X-ray PhotoElectron Emission spectroMicroscopy (X-PEEM) and found to be strikingly similar to natural nacre: lamellar aragonite with interspersed N16N layers. This and other findings combined suggest a hypothetical scenario in which in vivo three proteins (N16, Pif80, and Pif97) and a polysaccharide (chitin) work in concert to form lamellar nacre.
Simple propargylic silyl ethers can be converted to complex cyclopropylboronic acid pinacol esters in an efficient one-pot procedure. Terminal acetylenes undergo a Schwartz’s reagent catalyzed ...hydroboration; subsequent addition of further Schwartz’s reagent and Lewis acid-mediated activation of neighboring silyl ether allows cyclization to access a range of cyclopropylboronic acid pinacol esters. The scope includes aromatic, aliphatic, quaternary, and spiro substituted cyclopropyl rings, which can be transformed via Suzuki coupling into a range of lead-like substituted cyclopropyl aryl products.
► We assess the value of adaptive reservoir management under climate change. ► We use an integrated climate-hydrology-water resources model for Northern California. ► The assessment is carried out ...for a historical and a future, GCM-generated inflow scenario. ► Current reservoir management approaches do not cope well with climate change. ► Adaptive management can be an effective mitigation measure.
This article aims to assess the value of adaptive reservoir management versus traditional operation practices in the context of climatic change for Northern California. The assessment uses
adaptive decision model being developed for planning and operational management of the Northern California (central valley) water resources system (
HRC-GWRI, 2007), coupled with a dynamic downscaling and hydrologic modeling system described in
Georgakakos et al. (this issue). The assessment process compares the water system response in four simulated scenarios, pertaining to two management policies (traditional and adaptive) and two hydrologic data sets (one for the historical and a second for a future scenario). The assessments show that the current policy, which is tuned to the historical hydrologic regime, is unable to cope effectively with the more variable future climate. As a result, the water supply, energy, and environmental water uses cannot be effectively satisfied during future droughts, exposing the system to higher vulnerabilities and risks. By contrast, the adaptive policy maintains similar performance under both hydrologic scenarios, suggesting that adaptive management constitutes an effective mitigation measure to climate change.
PDF
