Strong-gravitational lens systems with quadruply imaged quasars (quads) are unique probes to address several fundamental problems in cosmology and astrophysics. Although they are intrinsically very ...rare, ongoing and planned wide-field deep-sky surveys are set to discover thousands of such systems in the next decade. It is thus paramount to devise a general framework to model strong-lens systems to cope with this large influx without being limited by expert investigator time. We propose such a general modelling framework (implemented with the publicly available software lenstronomy) and apply it to uniformly model three-band Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 images of 13 quads. This is the largest uniformly modelled sample of quads to date and paves the way for a variety of studies. To illustrate the scientific content of the sample, we investigate the alignment between the mass and light distribution in the deflectors. The position angles of these distributions are well-aligned, except when there is strong external shear. However, we find no correlation between the ellipticity of the light and mass distributions. We also show that the observed flux-ratios between the images depart significantly from the predictions of simple smooth models. The departures are strongest in the bluest band, consistent with microlensing being the dominant cause in addition to millilensing. Future papers will exploit this rich data set in combination with ground-based spectroscopy and time delays to determine quantities such as the Hubble constant, the free streaming length of dark matter, and the normalization of the initial stellar mass function.
Use of phytotherapy in dentistry Groppo, Francisco Carlos; Bergamaschi, Cristiane de Cássia; Cogo, Karina ...
Phytotherapy research,
August 2008, Letnik:
22, Številka:
8
Journal Article
COSMOGRAIL Bonvin, V.; Millon, M.; Chan, J. H.-H. ...
Astronomy & astrophysics,
09/2019, Letnik:
629
Journal Article
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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 ΔtAB = 36.2+0.7−0.8 Δ t AB = 36 . 2 − 0.8 + 0.7 $ \Delta t_{\mathrm{AB}} = 36.2_{-0.8}^{+0.7} $ days (2.1% precision), ΔtAC = −23.3+1.2−1.4 Δ t AC = − 23 . 3 − 1.4 + 1.2 $ \Delta t_{\mathrm{AC}} = -23.3_{-1.4}^{+1.2} $ days (5.6%) and ΔtBC = −59.4+1.3−1.3 Δ t BC = − 59 . 4 − 1.3 + 1.3 $ \Delta t_{\mathrm{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.
This study aimed to evaluate the progesterone (P4) release profile provided by four commercially available intravaginal P4 devices, as well as the effect of circulating P4 concentrations exclusively ...from these devices on the development of the dominant follicle (DF) in Nelore (Bos indicus) cows. Therefore, non-lactating multiparous Nelore cows were enrolled in an experimental design, over three replicates, starting on Day −9 with the insertion of a reused P4 device (2 g – original P4 load) for 7 d, followed by two treatments of cloprostenol sodium (PGF; 0.482 mg), 24 h apart, on Days −3 and −2. Just before device removal, on Day −2, a norgestomet ear implant was inserted and, 2 d later (Day 0), at the time of norgestomet withdrawal, cows were randomly assigned to receive one of the intravaginal devices: Primer (0.5 g); Prociclar (0.75 g); Sincrogest (1 g); or CIDR (1.9 g), and 2 mg of estradiol benzoate (EB) im. Blood samples were collected immediately before P4 device insertion, 12 h later and daily over 15 d (1 d after P4 device removal). Ultrasound examinations were performed on Days 0, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, and 14 to evaluate ovarian dynamics. Results are presented as mean ± SEM and differences were considered when P ≤ 0.05. Overall, the devices resulted in distinct circulating P4 concentrations over 10 d, varying according to their initial P4 load and P4 impregnated surface area. Primer provided the lowest circulating P4 concentrations over time, whereas, CIDR had the greatest concentration. Sincrogest and Prociclar were similar, producing intermediary circulating P4. There was no effect of treatment on the DF diameter on any specific day, nor on follicular growth rate from Day 7–10. However, the Primer device resulted in a greater mean DF diameter over time. Additionally, greater circulating P4 concentrations, mainly during the first 3 d of device insertion, were associated with smaller DF diameters regardless of the treatment. In conclusion, results from this study provided a better understanding of the P4 profile of intravaginal P4 devices, as well as, their effect on DF development in Bos indicus cows. These data contribute to optimize the use of P4 devices in the reproductive management of beef cattle.
•Commercial P4 intravaginal devices provided different P4 profiles in Nelore cows.•P4 release capacity is influenced by the device's surface area and initial P4 load.•Lower circulating P4 concentrations resulted in a larger DF.•Lower circulating P4 during DF growth is desirable for Bos indicus.
Pain modulation can be achieved using neuromodulatory tools that influence various levels of the nervous system. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), for instance, has been shown to reduce ...chronic pain when applied to the primary motor cortex. In contrast to this central neuromodulatory technique, diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC) refers to endogenous analgesic mechanisms that decrease pain following the introduction of heterotopic noxious stimuli. We examined whether combining top-down motor cortex modulation using anodal tDCS with a bottom-up DNIC induction paradigm synergistically increases the threshold at which pain is perceived. The pain thresholds of 15 healthy subjects were assessed before and after administration of active tDCS, sham tDCS, cold-water-induced DNIC, and combined tDCS and DNIC. We found that both tDCS and the DNIC paradigm significantly increased pain thresholds and that these approaches appeared to have additive effects. Increase in pain threshold following active tDCS was positively correlated with baseline N-acetylaspartate in the cingulate cortex and negatively correlated with baseline glutamine levels in the thalamus as measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These results suggest that motor cortex modulation may have a greater analgesic effect when combined with bottom-up neuromodulatory mechanisms, presenting new avenues for modulation of pain using noninvasive neuromodulatory approaches.
This article demonstrates that both noninvasive motor cortex modulation and a descending noxious inhibitory controls paradigm significantly increase pain thresholds in healthy subjects and appear to have an additive effect when combined. These results suggest that existing pain therapies involving DNIC may be enhanced through combination with noninvasive brain stimulation.
High variability in species diversity among samples from the same site is a consistent pattern described for several benthic marine assemblages. In general, small-scale spatial variability has been ...shown to be as significant as regional-scale variability in species diversity, indicating that the processes which generate such patterns are equally important in both cases. However, the focus of most ecological studies is to understand species diversity at a regional scale. Using epibenthic assemblages associated with mangrove roots, we experimentally evaluated the effects of colonization timing, succession and species–area relationships as factors that might explain the high occurrence of small-scale variability observed in nature. Assemblages were evaluated on artificial mangrove roots deployed at different sites and times, and under different environmental conditions, along 500 km of the Southern Caribbean coast. Residual variation obtained in this experiment was compared with variation among natural neighboring roots in order to test the hypothesis that the former would be lower. The identities and abundances of both colonizing and late-successional species varied considerably among sites and colonization timing; nevertheless, changes in assemblage structure always occurred in the same direction. No relationship among richness and structure of assemblages was associated with root area. Residual variation was considerably lower (40%) than variation measured in natural neighboring roots, indicating that colonization and succession explained a significant component of the variation in assemblages among neighboring roots. Understanding the mechanics of these processes could be the key to understanding small-scale spatial variability of benthic assemblages.
A retrospective survey of patients with pathologically reviewed extragastric mucosa-associated lymphoma tissue (MALT) lymphomas from 20 institutions was performed. A total of 180 patients with ...histologically confirmed diagnosis of extragastric MALT lymphomas were studied. Their median age was 59 years (range, 21-92 years). Ann Arbor stage I disease was present in 115 patients (64%) and stage II disease in 16 (9%). Most cases were in the low or low-intermediate risk groups according to the International Prognostic Index (IPI). Forty-one (23%) patients had involvement of more than one extranodal site at diagnosis and in 24 cases (13%) the lymphoma presented at multiple mucosal sites (9 of them with only mucosal involvement, without bone marrow or nodal disease). Lymph node involvement was present in 21%. Patients were treated with a variety of therapeutic strategies, including chemotherapy in 78 cases. The median overall survival (OS) was not reached; the 5-year OS rate was 90% (95% CI, 82%-94%), the 5-year cause-specific survival (CSS) was 94% (95% CI, 87%-97%), and the 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 60% (95% CI, 50%-70%). Multivariate analysis showed that Ann Arbor stage was significantly associated with longer OS, nodal involvement with longer CSS, and favorable IPI score with better PFS. At a median follow-up of 3.4 years, 48 patients (27%; 95% CI, 20%-34%) had a relapse, 6 (3%; 95% CI, 1%-7%) showed histologic transformation, and 18 (10%; 95% CI, 6%-15%) experienced the development of a second tumor. Our data confirm the indolent nature of nongastric MALT lymphomas and the high rate of patients presenting with disseminated disease, which, when limited to mucosal sites, was not associated with a poorer outcome.
CaMoO4 crystals were prepared by a controlled co-precipitation method and processed in a domestic microwave-assisted hydrothermal system with two different surfactants (ethyl 4-dimethylaminobenzoate ...and 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic dianhydride). The corresponding structures were characterized by X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement techniques, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy, and photoluminescence measurements. Field emission scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the morphology of the as-synthesized aggregates. The structure, the surface stability of the (001), (112), (100), (110), (101), and (111) surfaces of CaMoO4, and their morphological transformations were investigated through systematic first-principles calculations within the density functional theory method at the B3LYP level. Analysis of the surface structures showed that the electronic properties were associated with the presence of undercoordinated CaOx (x = 5 and 6) and MoOy (y = 4 and 3) clusters. The relative surfaces energies were tuned to predict a complete map of the morphologies available through a Wulff construction approach. The results reveal that the experimental and theoretical morphologies obtained coincide when the surface energies of the (001) and (101) surfaces increase, while the surface energy of the (100) facet decreases simultaneously. The results provide a comprehensive catalog of the morphologies most likely to be present under realistic conditions, and will serve as a starting point for future studies on the surface chemistry of CaMoO4 crystals.
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•CaMoO4 crystals were prepared with different surfactants.•The surface stability of CaMoO4 was investigated.•A complete map of the morphologies available for CaMoO4 was obtained.•The experimental and theoretical morphologies obtained coincide.
Approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide are overweight or affected by obesity, and are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and related metabolic and inflammatory ...disturbances. Although the mechanisms linking adiposity to associated clinical conditions are poorly understood, recent studies suggest that adiposity may influence DNA methylation, a key regulator of gene expression and molecular phenotype. Here we use epigenome-wide association to show that body mass index (BMI; a key measure of adiposity) is associated with widespread changes in DNA methylation (187 genetic loci with P < 1 × 10
, range P = 9.2 × 10
to 6.0 × 10
; n = 10,261 samples). Genetic association analyses demonstrate that the alterations in DNA methylation are predominantly the consequence of adiposity, rather than the cause. We find that methylation loci are enriched for functional genomic features in multiple tissues (P < 0.05), and show that sentinel methylation markers identify gene expression signatures at 38 loci (P < 9.0 × 10
, range P = 5.5 × 10
to 6.1 × 10
, n = 1,785 samples). The methylation loci identify genes involved in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, substrate transport and inflammatory pathways. Finally, we show that the disturbances in DNA methylation predict future development of type 2 diabetes (relative risk per 1 standard deviation increase in methylation risk score: 2.3 (2.07-2.56); P = 1.1 × 10
). Our results provide new insights into the biologic pathways influenced by adiposity, and may enable development of new strategies for prediction and prevention of type 2 diabetes and other adverse clinical consequences of obesity.
Abstract Organic selenium, tellurium and sulfur compounds have been studied due to their pharmacological properties. For instance, the β-aryl-chalcogenium azide compounds have demonstrated ...antitumoral action in vitro. However, yet no pharmacological actions of this class of compounds were determined in vivo. Caenorhabditis elegans is a nematode that presents innumerable advantages in relation to mammalian models, such as having a small and transparent body, which allows the visualization of its internal anatomy, besides short life and low cost. Based on that, the aim of this work was to investigate the pharmacological and toxicological properties of β-aryl-chalcogenium azide compounds in C. elegans. As well, to evaluate the capacity of organochalcogenium compounds to repair oxidative damage induced by hydrogen peroxide and the possible mechanism of action of these compounds using CF1553 transgenic strain with superoxide dismutase (SOD-3) tagged with GFP. Our results showed that β-aryl-chalcogenium azide have low toxicity in wild-type worms and the pre-treatment protected against the damage induced by hydrogen peroxide at higher tested concentration. Associated with this, we observed that this protection is due in part to the increased expression of the antioxidant enzyme SOD-3. In conclusion, β-aryl-chalcogenium azide compounds caused low toxicity and induced stress-resistance by modulating SOD-3 expression in C. elegans.
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