The CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET)on the International Space Station consists of a high-energy cosmic-ray CALorimeter (CAL)and a lower-energy CALET Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (CGBM). CAL is ...sensitive to electrons up to 20 TeV, cosmic-ray nuclei from Z=1 throughZ∼40, and gamma rays over the range1 GeV–10 TeV. CGBM observes gamma rays from 7 keV to 20 MeV. The combined CAL-CGBM instrument has conducted a search for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs)since 2015 October. We report here on the results of a search for X-ray/gamma-ray counterparts to gravitational-wave events reported during the LIGO/Virgo observing run O3. No events have been detected that pass all acceptance criteria. We describe the components, performance, and triggering algorithms of the CGBM—the two Hard X-ray Monitors consisting of LaBr3(Ce)scintillators sensitive to 7 keV–1 MeV gamma rays and a Soft Gamma-ray Monitor BGO scintillator sensitive to 40 keV–20 MeV—and the high-energy CAL consisting of a charge detection module, imaging calorimeter, and the fully active total absorption calorimeter. The analysis procedure is described and upper limits to the time-averaged fluxes are presented.
Having a deep genetic structure evolved during its domestication and adaptation, the Asian cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) displays considerable physiological and morphological variations. Here, we ...describe deep whole-genome sequencing of the aus rice cultivar Kasalath by using the advanced next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies to gain a better understanding of the sequence and structural changes among highly differentiated cultivars. The de novo assembled Kasalath sequences represented 91.1% (330.55 Mb) of the genome and contained 35 139 expressed loci annotated by RNA-Seq analysis. We detected 2 787 250 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 7393 large insertion/deletion (indel) sites (>100 bp) between Kasalath and Nipponbare, and 2 216 251 SNPs and 3780 large indels between Kasalath and 93-11. Extensive comparison of the gene contents among these cultivars revealed similar rates of gene gain and loss. We detected at least 7.39 Mb of inserted sequences and 40.75 Mb of unmapped sequences in the Kasalath genome in comparison with the Nipponbare reference genome. Mapping of the publicly available NGS short reads from 50 rice accessions proved the necessity and the value of using the Kasalath whole-genome sequence as an additional reference to capture the sequence polymorphisms that cannot be discovered by using the Nipponbare sequence alone.
Abstract Cosmic rays do not arrive at the Earth uniformly. Recent experiments have consistently observed small anisotropies with amplitudes of ∼0.2% in the arrival directions of cosmic rays at TeV ...energies. We perform the modeling of the cosmic-ray anisotropy at TeV energies using the intensity-mapping method based on Liouville’s theorem. This work indicates unrealistically small-scale ansiotropies with <∼10° angular scales in the distribution of the cosmic-ray relative intensity at the outer boundary of the heliosphere. We would possibly need to resolve an issue that the experimental data covers ten years while the Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model heliosphere used in this work is only a single snapshot at a certain moment. Performing the intensity-mapping for multiple snapshots of the MHD model heliosphere and taking the average of the results would improve the results of this work.
We examine the possible influence of Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (ECMEs) on the Sun's shadow in the 3 TeV cosmic-ray intensity observed by the Tibet-III air shower (AS) array. We confirm a ...clear solar-cycle variation of the intensity deficit in the Sun's shadow during ten years between 2000 and 2009. This solar-cycle variation is overall reproduced by our Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of the Sun's shadow based on the potential field model of the solar magnetic field averaged over each solar rotation period. We find, however, that the magnitude of the observed intensity deficit in the Sun's shadow is significantly less than that predicted by MC simulations, particularly during the period around solar maximum when a significant number of ECMEs is recorded. The χ2 tests of the agreement between the observations and the MC simulations show that the difference is larger during the periods when the ECMEs occur, and the difference is reduced if the periods of ECMEs are excluded from the analysis. This suggests the first experimental evidence of the ECMEs affecting the Sun's shadow observed in the 3 TeV cosmic-ray intensity.
Recent basic and clinical studies have assessed the use of highly sensitive imaging modalities for visualizing transplanted islets. We investigated the utility of enhanced ultrasonography, combined ...with fluorescent acoustic liposome nano/microbubbles (FALs), for evaluating angiogenesis and the endocrine function of transplanted islets. BALB/c mice were classified into three groups: Diabetic mice that underwent syngeneic islet transplantation into the subrenal capsule and achieved normoglycemia (Tx group); those that failed to achieve normoglycemia (Tx‐DM group); and those not receiving any treatment (DM group). Mice were examined by FAL‐enhanced high frequency ultrasonography. The echogenicity of the islets increased rapidly within the first minute after injection of FALs and remained at a higher level in the Tx group, while small increases were observed in the other two groups. In histological assessments, fluorescently stained erythrocytes could be seen in and around the transplanted islets, indicating that the transplanted islets were enhanced by infusion of FALs via vessel networks between the engrafted islets and tissue. Furthermore, the echogenicity correlated significantly with endocrine parameters, including blood glucose (BG), serum insulin, and the BG change in the glucose tolerance test. In conclusion, the echogenicity of the islets under FAS‐enhanced ultrasonosonography correlated with the endocrine status of transplanted islets.
Enhanced ultrasonography using a nano/microbubble contrast agent is useful for evaluating engraftment and condition of transplanted islets by measuring echogenicity.
Abstract
The Tibet ASγ group has been continuously observing cosmic rays and cosmic gamma rays above several TeV using the muon detector array (MD) and high-density Tibet air-shower array (Tibet-III) ...installed on the Tibet plateau at an altitude of 4300 m. The MD is a water Cherenkov pool array with a large effective area of 3400 m2 and has an excellent capability of primary selection using the number of muons in the shower. We report the sensitivity of the proton spectrum measurements for energies 40–630 TeV obtained via Monte Carlo simulations for an air-shower experiment. It was found that protons could be separated with a purity of 90%, and the survival ratio of protons including model dependence was 14.2%–19.1% and 3.7%–7.4% at about 35 TeV and about 450 TeV, respectively. The maximum total systematic error of the proton flux depending on interaction models in air-shower development and composition models was ±37%. With a large effective area and high proton separation capability, the Tibet ASγ experiment can measure the proton spectrum in the energy range from tens to hundreds of TeV with high statistical accuracy.
Andes Large-area PArticle detector for Cosmic-ray physics and Astronomy (ALPACA) is an international experiment that applies southern very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray astronomy to determine the ...origin of cosmic rays around the knee energy region (10
15
eV − 10
16
eV). The experiment consists of an air shower (AS) array with a surface of 83,000m
2
and an underground water Cherenkov muon detector (MD) array covering 5,400m
2
. The experimental site is at the Mt. Chacaltaya plateau in La Paz, Bolivia, with an altitude of 4,740m corresponding to 572g/cm
2
atmospheric thickness. As the prototype experiment of ALPACA, the ALPAQUITA experiment aims to begin data acquisition in late 2021. The ALPAQUITA array consists of a smaller AS array (18,450m
2
) and underground MD (900m
2
), which are now under construction. ALPAQUITA’s sensitivity to gamma-ray sources is evaluated with Monte Carlo simulations. The simulation finds that five gamma-ray sources observed by H.E.S.S. and HAWC experiments will be detected by ALPAQUITA beyond 10TeV and ne out of these five - HESS J1702-420A - above 300 TeV in one calendar year observation. The latter finding means that scientific discussions can be made on the emission mechanism of gamma rays beyond 100TeV from southern sources on the basis of the observational results of this prototype experiment.
Circadian rhythms are the daily oscillations of multiple biological processes regulated by an endogenous clock. The Period2 gene is essential in controlling the circadian rhythm and plays an ...important role in tumor suppression. We examined whether the overexpression of the mouse Period2 gene (mPer2) in cultured tumor cells from human tissues inhibits cell growth, using the recombinant adenovirus vector AdmPer2. The overexpression of mPer2 in human pancreatic cancer cells (Panc1, Aspc1) reduced cellular proliferation and induced apoptotic cell death. Infection with AdmPer2 also inhibited cell-cycle progression, inducing arrest at the G(2)-M phase. Western blotting analyses confirmed that infection with AdmPer2 reduced Bcl-X(L), Cdc2 and cyclin B1 protein, whereas it increased Bax protein in Aspc1 cells. The overexpression of mPer2 suppressed Cdc2 kinase activity. Moreover, infection with AdmPer2 resulted in dose-dependent synergic cell killing effects with the anticancer agent cisplatin (CDDP) in human pancreatic cancer cells. This synergic effect might be related to the reduction of Bcl-X(L) induced by infection with AdmPer2. Our results suggest that the circadian gene Period2 may play an important role in suppression of cell proliferation in human cancer, and additionally Period2 gene expression level may influence the sensitivity to cisplatin depending on Bcl-X(L) expression level.
Islet autotransplantation following total pancreatectomy differs from allograft transplantation with respect to the requirement of biliary reconstruction. Although it is known that careful ...consideration should be given to postoperative cholestatic liver injury after biliary reconstruction, its direct effects on transplanted islets have not been completely elucidated. In this study, we developed a murine model of postoperative cholestatic liver injury after biliary reconstruction with islet autotransplantation that involved syngeneic intraportal islet transplantation into chemically induced diabetic mice and common bile duct ligation. We assessed the viability and function of the transplanted islets. The impaired viability of transplanted islets and increased blood glucose levels indicated restoration of the diabetic state after common bile duct ligation in this murine model. Furthermore, impaired islet viability and function occurred earlier in the transplanted islets than in the surrounding liver tissues, which was consistent with the faster and higher expression of oxidative stress markers in the transplanted islets. Transplanted islets may be more vulnerable to oxidative stress caused by cholestatic liver injury than the surrounding liver tissue. Therefore, patients should be intensively managed after total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation to preserve viability and function of the transplanted islets.
In an animal model, the authors evaluate the influence of cholestasis on transplanted islets in the early postoperative period and find that management of the oxidative stress induced by cholestasis is critical to preserve the viability and function of the transplanted islets.
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