We present the large-scale correlation function measured from a spectroscopic sample of 46,748 luminous red galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The survey region covers 0.72 h super(-3) Gpc ...super(3) over 3816 deg super(2) and 0.16 < z < 0.47, making it the best sample yet for the study of large-scale structure. We find a well-detected peak in the correlation function at 100 h super(-1) Mpc separation that is an excellent match to the predicted shape and location of the imprint of the recombination-epoch acoustic oscillations on the low-redshift clustering of matter. This detection demonstrates the linear growth of structure by gravitational instability between z 1000 and the present and confirms a firm prediction of the standard cosmological theory. The acoustic peak provides a standard ruler by which we can measure the ratio of the distances to z = 0.35 and z = 1089 to 4% fractional accuracy and the absolute distance to z = 0.35 to 5% accuracy. From the overall shape of the correlation function, we measure the matter density sub(m)h super(2) to 8% and find agreement with the value from cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies. Independent of the constraints provided by the CMB acoustic scale, we find sub(m) = 0.273 c 0.025 + 0.123 (1 + W sub(0)) + 0.137 sub(K). Including the CMB acoustic scale, we find that the spatial curvature is sub(K) = -0.010 c 0.009 if the dark energy is a cosmological constant. More generally, our results provide a measurement of cosmological distance, and hence an argument for dark energy, based on a geometric method with the same simple physics as the microwave background anisotropies. The standard cosmological model convincingly passes these new and robust tests of its fundamental properties.
Nitrite reacts with deoxyhemoglobin to form nitric oxide (NO) and methemoglobin. Though this reaction is experimentally associated with NO generation and vasodilation, kinetic analysis suggests that ...NO should not be able to escape inactivation in the erythrocyte. We have discovered that products of the nitrite-hemoglobin reaction generate dinitrogen trioxide (N2O3) via a novel reaction of NO and nitrite-bound methemoglobin. The oxygen-bound form of nitrite-methemoglobin shows a degree of ferrous nitrogen dioxide (Fe(II)-NO2*) character, so it may rapidly react with NO to form N2O3. N2O3 partitions in lipid, homolyzes to NO and readily nitrosates thiols, all of which are common pathways for NO escape from the erythrocyte. These results reveal a fundamental heme globin- and nitrite-catalyzed chemical reaction pathway to N2O3, NO and S-nitrosothiol that could form the basis of in vivo nitrite-dependent signaling. Because the reaction redox-cycles (that is, regenerates ferrous heme) and the nitrite-methemoglobin intermediate is not observable by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, this reaction has been 'invisible' to experimentalists over the last 100 years.
We report a detection of the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) feature in the three-dimensional correlation function of the transmitted flux fraction in the Lyα forest of high-redshift quasars. The ...study uses 48 640 quasars in the redshift range 2.1 ≤ z ≤ 3.5 from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) of the third generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-III). At a mean redshift z = 2.3, we measure the monopole and quadrupole components of the correlation function for separations in the range 20 h-1 Mpc < r < 200 h-1 Mpc. A peak in the correlation function is seen at a separation equal to (1.01 ± 0.03) times the distance expected for the BAO peak within a concordance ΛCDM cosmology. This first detection of the BAO peak at high redshift, when the universe was strongly matter dominated, results in constraints on the angular diameter distance DA and the expansion rate H at z = 2.3 that, combined with priors on H0 and the baryon density, require the existence of dark energy. Combined with constraints derived from cosmic microwave background observations, this result implies H(z = 2.3) = (224 ± 8) km s-1 Mpc-1, indicating that the time derivative of the cosmological scale parameter ȧ = H(z = 2.3)/(1 + z) is significantly greater than that measured with BAO at z ~ 0.5. This demonstrates that the expansion was decelerating in the range 0.7 < z < 2.3, as expected from the matter domination during this epoch. Combined with measurements of H0, one sees the pattern of deceleration followed by acceleration characteristic of a dark-energy dominated universe.
We delivered controlled radio frequency energy to the airways of anesthetized, ventilated dogs to examine the effect of this treatment on reducing airway narrowing caused by a known airway ...constrictor. The airways of 11 dogs were treated with a specially designed bronchial catheter in three of four lung regions. Treatments in each of the three treated lung regions were controlled to a different temperature (55, 65, and 75 degrees C); the untreated lung region served as a control. We measured airway responsiveness to local methacholine chloride (MCh) challenge before and after treatment and examined posttreatment histology to 3 yr. Treatments controlled to 65 degrees C as well as 75 degrees C persistently and significantly reduced airway responsiveness to local MCh challenge (P < or = 0.022). Airway responsiveness (mean percent decrease in airway diameter after MCh challenge) averaged from 6 mo to 3 yr posttreatment was 79 +/- 2.2% in control airways vs. 39 +/- 2.6% (P < or = 0.001) for airways treated at 65 degrees C, and 26 +/- 2.7% (P < or = 0.001) for airways treated at 75 degrees C. Treatment effects were confined to the airway wall and the immediate peribronchial region on histological examination. Airway responsiveness to local MCh challenge was inversely correlated to the extent of altered airway smooth muscle observed in histology (r = -0.54, P < 0.001). We conclude that the temperature-controlled application of radio frequency energy to the airways can reduce airway responsiveness to MCh for at least 3 yr in dogs by reducing airway smooth muscle contractility.
In British Columbia, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons eligible for antiretroviral therapy may receive it free but the extent to which HIV-infected injection drug users access it is ...unknown.
To identify patient and physician characteristics associated with antiretroviral therapy utilization in HIV-infected injection drug users.
Prospective cohort study with record linkage between survey data and data from a provincial HIV/AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) drug treatment program.
British Columbia, where antiretroviral therapies are offered free to all persons with HIV infection with CD4 cell counts less than 0.50 x 10(9)/L (500/microL) and/or HIV-1 RNA levels higher than 5000 copies/mL.
A total of 177 HIV-infected injection drug users eligible for antiretroviral therapy, recruited through the prospective cohort study since May 1996.
Patient use of antiretroviral drugs through the provincial drug treatment program and physician experience treating HIV infection.
After a median of 11 months after first eligibility, only 71 (40%) of 177 patients had received any antiretroviral drugs, primarily double combinations (47/71 66%). Both patient and physician characteristics were associated with use of antiretroviral drugs. After adjusting for CD4 cell count and HIV-1 RNA level at eligibility, odds of not receiving antiretrovirals were increased more than 2-fold for females (odds ratio OR, 2.53; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.08-5.93) and 3-fold for those not currently enrolled in drug or alcohol treatment programs (OR, 3.49; 95% CI, 1.45-8.40). Younger drug users were less likely to receive therapy (OR, 0.47/10-y increase; 95% CI, 0.28-0.80). Those with physicians having the least experience treating persons with HIV infection were more than 5 times less likely to receive therapy (OR, 5.55; 95% CI, 2.49-12.37).
Despite free antiretroviral therapy, many HIV-infected injection drug users are not receiving it. Public health efforts should target younger and female drug users, and physicians with less experience treating HIV infection.
The supplemental ERAS application that includes three components: past experiences, geographic preferences, and program signals was introduced in 2022 to complement the standard ERAS CV material. The ...goal was to help programs identify optimal candidates to interview and to improve the chances of applicants being invited for interviews at programs that align with their goals and interests. Based on limited data, Program signal is the most emphasized component by the programs. Applicants should realize that programs have used signals to determine who to interview (aligned with AAMC guidance), and to determine the program's candidate rank list (contrary to AAMC guidance). We have herein suggested options for leveraging benefits from the ERAS supplemental application which has now been incorporated into the full ERAS application.
Studies of the global sea-level budget (SLB) and the global ocean-mass
budget (OMB) are essential to assess the reliability of our knowledge of
sea-level change and its contributors. Here we present ...datasets for times
series of the SLB and OMB elements developed in the framework of ESA's
Climate Change Initiative. We use these datasets to assess the SLB and the
OMB simultaneously, utilising a consistent framework of uncertainty
characterisation. The time series, given at monthly sampling and available
at https://doi.org/10.5285/17c2ce31784048de93996275ee976fff (Horwath et
al., 2021), include global mean sea-level (GMSL) anomalies from satellite
altimetry, the global mean steric component from Argo drifter data with
incorporation of sea surface temperature data, the ocean-mass component from
Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite gravimetry, the
contribution from global glacier mass changes assessed by a global glacier
model, the contribution from Greenland Ice Sheet and Antarctic Ice Sheet
mass changes assessed by satellite radar altimetry and by GRACE, and
the contribution from land water storage anomalies assessed by the global
hydrological model WaterGAP (Water Global Assessment and Prognosis). Over the period January 1993–December 2016 (P1, covered by the satellite altimetry records), the mean rate (linear trend) of GMSL is 3.05 ± 0.24 mm yr−1. The steric component is 1.15 ± 0.12 mm yr−1 (38 % of the GMSL trend), and the mass component is 1.75 ± 0.12 mm yr−1 (57 %). The mass component includes 0.64 ± 0.03 mm yr−1 (21 % of the GMSL trend) from glaciers outside
Greenland and Antarctica, 0.60 ± 0.04 mm yr−1 (20 %) from
Greenland, 0.19 ± 0.04 mm yr−1 (6 %) from Antarctica, and
0.32 ± 0.10 mm yr−1 (10 %) from changes of land water storage. In the period January 2003–August 2016 (P2, covered by GRACE and the Argo drifter system), GMSL rise is higher than in P1 at 3.64 ± 0.26 mm yr−1. This is due to an increase of the mass contributions, now about 2.40 ± 0.13 mm yr−1 (66 % of the GMSL trend), with the
largest increase contributed from Greenland, while the steric contribution
remained similar at 1.19 ± 0.17 mm yr−1 (now 33 %). The SLB of
linear trends is closed for P1 and P2; that is, the GMSL trend agrees with
the sum of the steric and mass components within their combined
uncertainties. The OMB, which can be evaluated only for P2, shows that our
preferred GRACE-based estimate of the ocean-mass trend agrees with the sum of mass contributions within 1.5 times or 0.8 times the combined 1σ
uncertainties, depending on the way of assessing the mass contributions.
Combined uncertainties (1σ) of the elements involved in the budgets are between 0.29 and 0.42 mm yr−1, on the order of 10 % of GMSL rise.
Interannual variations that overlie the long-term trends are coherently
represented by the elements of the SLB and the OMB. Even at the level of
monthly anomalies the budgets are closed within uncertainties, while also
indicating possible origins of remaining misclosures.
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