We report a study of extended γ-ray emission with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, which is likely to be the second case of a γ-ray detection from a ...star-forming region (SFR) in our Galaxy. The LAT source is located in the G25 region, 1 7 × 2 1 around (l, b) = (25 0, 0 0). The γ-ray emission is found to be composed of two extended sources and one pointlike source. The extended sources have similar sizes of about 1 4 × 0 6. An ∼0 4 diameter subregion of one has a photon index of Γ = 1.53 0.15, and is spatially coincident with HESS J1837−069, likely a pulsar wind nebula. The other parts of the extended sources have a photon index of Γ = 2.1 0.2 without significant spectral curvature. Given their spatial and spectral properties, they have no clear associations with sources at other wavelengths. Their γ-ray properties are similar to those of the Cygnus cocoon SFR, the only firmly established γ-ray detection of an SFR in the Galaxy. Indeed, we find bubble-like structures of atomic and molecular gas in G25, which may be created by a putative OB association/cluster. The γ-ray emitting regions appear confined in the bubble-like structure; similar properties are also found in the Cygnus cocoon. In addition, using observations with the XMM-Newton, we find a candidate young massive OB association/cluster G25.18+0.26 in the G25 region. We propose that the extended γ-ray emission in G25 is associated with an SFR driven by G25.18+0.26. Based on this scenario, we discuss possible acceleration processes in the SFR and compare them with the Cygnus cocoon.
Perinatal asphyxia induces neuronal cell death and brain injury, and is often associated with irreversible neurological deficits in children. There is an urgent need to elucidate the neuronal death ...mechanisms occurring after neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI). We here investigated the selective neuronal deletion of the Atg7 (autophagy related 7) gene on neuronal cell death and brain injury in a mouse model of severe neonatal hypoxia-ischemia. Neuronal deletion of Atg7 prevented HI-induced autophagy, resulted in 42% decrease of tissue loss compared to wild-type mice after the insult, and reduced cell death in multiple brain regions, including apoptosis, as shown by decreased caspase-dependent and -independent cell death. Moreover, we investigated the lentiform nucleus of human newborns who died after severe perinatal asphyxia and found increased neuronal autophagy after severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy compared to control uninjured brains, as indicated by the numbers of MAP1LC3B/LC3B (microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3)-, LAMP1 (lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1)-, and CTSD (cathepsin D)-positive cells. These findings reveal that selective neuronal deletion of Atg7 is strongly protective against neuronal death and overall brain injury occurring after HI and suggest that inhibition of HI-enhanced autophagy should be considered as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of human newborns developing severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
This study aims to clarify the development and utilization of highly accurate and open 3D city models (3DCMs), which began in Japan in 2020. The background of the project is explained based on a ...review of past efforts in Japan for making geospatial information accessible, the flow of data standardization around CityGML, and the introduction of Free and Open Source Software for Geo-spatial (FOSS4G) tools for data management and visualization. Two aspects of the analysis are reported: quantitative geospatial analysis of LOD1 building data and qualitative evaluation of 40 use cases using these data. The results indicate that approximately 18 million building data points covering 150 cities in Japan have been converted to open data in formats such as CityGML with high accuracy, complementing OpenStreetMap (OSM) data in urban areas. In addition, a total of 40 use cases for these data are demonstrated in new fields, such as urban planning, citizen participation, and even entertainment, with a few of these tools becoming open-source software. Through this project, data related to 3DCMs, which have not necessarily been produced in a unified format or specification in Japan, can now be easily handled as CityGML through a one-stop viewer, and the data are expected to be enhanced, and new geo-services using 3DCMs will be provided under the concept of openness, regardless of the city scale.
The chemisorption of single carbon and oxygen atoms on an iron surface with a Σ3(111) grain boundary has been studied by means of first principles modeling. It is shown that adsorption sites close to ...the grain boundary have higher adsorbability than any site at clean Fe (100), (110), and (111) surfaces. To reveal the mechanism of chemisorption enhancement, several properties are discussed, such as the rearrangement of iron surface atoms, changes in the electronic densities of states, and the spacial charge density differences caused by adsorbates. Due to the higher movability of atoms on the surface near the grain boundary, the chemical bonding of adsorbate to iron atoms in the vicinity of the grain boundary leads to large displacements of surface atoms. The change of the partial density of states of Fe in the vicinity of adsorption sites induced by such rearrangement suggests that the adsorption properties enhancement of the surface is related to the increase of density of states at Fermi level.
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•Chemisorption properties of single atoms on iron with grain boundary are revealed.•Rearrangements of atoms due to adsorption lead to changes in electron PDOS.•Compare to clean surfaces, surface with grain boundary is more attractive.•Enhanced adsorption properties are connected to the Fermi level of iron PDOS.
RX J1713.7−3946 is a unique core-collapse supernova remnant (SNR) that emits bright TeV gamma-rays and synchrotron X-rays caused by cosmic rays, in addition to interactions with interstellar gas ...clouds. We report here on results of Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array 12CO(J = 1-0) observations toward the northwestern shell of the SNR. We newly found three molecular complexes consisting of dozens of shocked molecular cloudlets and filaments with typical radii of ∼0.03-0.05 pc and densities of ∼104 cm−3. These cloudlets and filaments are located not only along synchrotron X-ray filaments, but also in the vicinity of X-ray hotspots with month- or year-scale time variations. We argue that X-ray hotspots and filaments were generated by shock-cloudlet interactions through magnetic-field amplification up to mG. The interstellar medium density contrast of ∼105, coexistence of molecular cloudlets and low-density diffuse medium of ∼0.1 cm−3, is consistent with such a magnetic field amplification as well as a wind-bubble scenario. The small-scale cloud structures also affect hadronic gamma-ray spectra considering the magnetic field amplification on surface and inside clouds.
The analysis of a combined data set, totaling 3.6 × 10(14) stopped muons on target, in the search for the lepton flavor violating decay μ(+) → e(+)γ is presented. The data collected by the MEG ...experiment at the Paul Scherrer Institut show no excess of events compared to background expectations and yield a new upper limit on the branching ratio of this decay of 5.7 × 10(-13) (90% confidence level). This represents a four times more stringent limit than the previous world best limit set by MEG.
In this chapter, we introduce the usage of pHluorin-mKate2-human LC3 for monitoring autophagy. Using EGFP and RFP, tandem fluorescent protein-tagged LC3 has been generated for monitoring autophagic ...structures. A critical point for this purpose is the sensitivity of the green fluorescent protein to acidic pH. A super-ecliptic pHluorin is most sensitive to acidic pH among EGFP, mWasabi, and pHluorin, indicating pHluorin is most suitable for monitoring autophagic structures. During autophagy, green-positive and red-positive fluorescent puncta of pHluorin-mKate2-human LC3 indicate signals of preautophagosomes and autophagosomes. After fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes to form autolysosomes, green fluorescence of this intraautophagosomal protein is abolished according to acidification of autolysosomes. Therefore, these green-negative and red-positive fluorescent puncta reflect autolysosomes, in which intraluminal proteins are finally degraded by lysosomal proteases. To monitor autophagic flux, the accumulation of its green-negative and red-positive fluorescent puncta is monitored by inhibiting major lysosomal proteases, cathepsins. In addition, a mutant pHluorin-mKate2-human LC3△G is also introduced as a negative control probe.
We report on broad multiwavelength observations of the 2010-2011 periastron passage of the γ-ray loud binary system PSR B1259−63. High-resolution interferometric radio observations establish extended ...radio emission trailing the position of the pulsar. Observations with the Fermi
Gamma-ray Space Telescope reveal GeV γ-ray flaring activity of the system, reaching the spin-down luminosity of the pulsar, around 30 d after periastron. There are no clear signatures of variability at radio, X-ray and TeV energies at the time of the GeV flare. Variability around periastron in the Hα emission line, can be interpreted as the gravitational interaction between the pulsar and the circumstellar disc. The equivalent width of the Hα grows from a few days before periastron until a few days later, and decreases again between 18 and 46 d after periastron. In near-infrared we observe the similar decrease of the equivalent width of Brγ line between the 40th and 117th day after the periastron. For the idealized disc, the variability of the Hα line represents the variability of the mass and size of the disc. We discuss possible physical relations between the state of the disc and GeV emission under assumption that GeV flare is directly related to the decrease of the disc size.
Unilateral hypoxia-ischemia (HI) was induced in C57/BL6 male mice on postnatal day (P) 5, 9, 21 and 60, corresponding developmentally to premature, term, juvenile and adult human brains, ...respectively. HI duration was adjusted to obtain a similar extent of brain injury at all ages. Apoptotic mechanisms (nuclear translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor, cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation) were several-fold more pronounced in immature than in juvenile and adult brains. Necrosis-related calpain activation was similar at all ages. The CA1 subfield shifted from apoptosis-related neuronal death at P5 and P9 to necrosis-related calpain activation at P21 and P60. Oxidative stress (nitrotyrosine formation) was also similar at all ages. Autophagy, as judged by the autophagosome-related marker LC-3 II, was more pronounced in adult brains. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating developmental regulation of AIF-mediated cell death as well as involvement of autophagy in a model of brain injury.
The cylindrical drift chamber is the most innovative part of the MEG II detector, the upgraded version of the MEG experiment. The MEG II chamber differs from the MEG one because it is a single volume ...cylindrical structure, instead of a segmented one, chosen to improve its resolutions and efficiency in detecting low energy positrons from muon decays at rest. In this paper, we show the characteristics and performances of this fundamental part of the MEG II apparatus and we discuss the impact of its higher resolution and efficiency on the sensitivity of the MEG II experiment. Because of its innovative structure and high quality resolution and efficiency the MEG II cylindrical drift chamber will be a cornerstone in the development of an ideal tracking detector for future positron-electron collider machines.