A very-high-energy component deep in the γ-ray burst afterglow.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are brief flashes of γ-rays and are considered to be the most energetic explosive phenomena in the Universe1. The emission from GRBs comprises a short (typically tens of seconds) and bright prompt emission, followed by a much longer afterglow phase. During the afterglow phase, the shocked outflow-produced by the interaction between the ejected matter and the circumburst medium-slows down, and a gradual decrease in brightness is observed2. GRBs typically emit most of their energy via γ-rays with energies in the kiloelectronvolt-to-megaelectronvolt range, but a few photons with energies of tens of gigaelectronvolts have been detected by space-based instruments3. However, the origins of such high-energy (above one gigaelectronvolt) photons and the presence of very-high-energy (more than 100 gigaelectronvolts) emission have remained elusive4. Here we report observations of very-high-energy emission in the bright GRB 180720B deep in the GRB afterglow-ten hours after the end of the prompt emission phase, when the X-ray flux had already decayed by four orders of magnitude. Two possible explanations exist for the observed radiation: inverse Compton emission and synchrotron emission of ultrarelativistic electrons. Our observations show that the energy fluxes in the X-ray and γ-ray range and their photon indices remain comparable to each other throughout the afterglow. This discovery places distinct constraints on the GRB environment for both emission mechanisms, with the inverse Compton explanation alleviating the particle energy requirements for the emission observed at late times. The late timing of this detection has consequences for the future observations of GRBs at the highest energies.

Search for γ-Ray Line Signals from Dark Matter Annihilations in the Inner Galactic Halo from 10 Years of Observations with H.E.S.S.

Spectral lines are among the most powerful signatures for dark matter (DM) annihilation searches in very-high-energy γ rays. The central region of the Milky Way halo is one of the most promising targets given its large amount of DM and proximity to Earth. We report on a search for a monoenergetic spectral line from self-annihilations of DM particles in the energy range from 300 GeV to 70 TeV using a two-dimensional maximum likelihood method taking advantage of both the spectral and spatial features of the signal versus background. The analysis makes use of Galactic center observations accumulated over ten years (2004-2014) with the H.E.S.S. array of ground-based Cherenkov telescopes. No significant γ-ray excess above the background is found. We derive upper limits on the annihilation cross section ⟨σv⟩ for monoenergetic DM lines at the level of 4×10^{-28} cm^{3} s^{-1} at 1 TeV, assuming an Einasto DM profile for the Milky Way halo. For a DM mass of 1 TeV, they improve over the previous ones by a factor of 6. The present constraints are the strongest obtained so far for DM particles in the mass range 300 GeV-70 TeV. Ground-based γ-ray observations have reached sufficient sensitivity to explore relevant velocity-averaged cross sections for DM annihilation into two γ-ray photons at the level expected from the thermal relic density for TeV DM particles.

Molecular self-assembly of substituted terephthalic acids at the liquid/solid interface: investigating the effect of solvent.

Self-assembly of three related molecules - terephthalic acid and its hydroxylated analogues - at liquid/solid interfaces (graphite/heptanoic acid and graphite/1-phenyloctane) has been studied using a combination of scanning tunnelling microscopy and molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics calculations. Brickwork-like patterns typical for terephthalic acid self-assembly have been observed for all three molecules. However, several differences became apparent: (i) formation or lack of adsorbed monolayers (self-assembled monolayers formed in all systems, with one notable exception of terephthalic acid at the graphite/1-phenyloctane interface where no adsorption was observed), (ii) the size of adsorbate islands (large islands at the interface with heptanoic acid and smaller ones at the interface with 1-phenyloctane), and (iii) polymorphism of the hydroxylated terephthalic acids' monolayers, dependent on the molecular structure and/or solvent. To rationalise this behaviour, molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics calculations have been performed, to analyse the three key aspects of the energetics of self-assembly: intermolecular, substrate-adsorbate and solvent-solute interactions. These energetic characteristics of self-assembly were brought together in a Born-Haber cycle, to obtain the overall energy effects of formation of self-assembled monolayers at these liquid/solid interfaces.

Improving Hospital at Home for frail older people: insights from a quality improvement project to achieve change across regional health and social care sectors.

BACKGROUND: Against a background of rising numbers of frail older people, there is a need to improve quality and safety of services whilst containing costs. Improving patient outcomes requires change across hospital and community systems. Our objective was to change practice in order to deliver a Hospital at Home programme (admission avoidance and early supported discharge) for frail older people across a regional commissioning area. The programme, undertaken within the Northern, Eastern & Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) sub-localities of Exeter (population 120,000) and Woodbury, Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton (towns with populations of around 10,000), involved reconfiguration of existing services rather than being a stand-alone intervention. METHODS: Quality Improvement methodology, with hospital and community staff using Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles to implement and test service changes. OUTCOME MEASURES: 1) Discharge destination; 2) Length of stay; 3) Acute Community Team referrals. RESULTS: Against a backdrop of intense financial pressures, significant community bed closures, and difficult relations between hospital and community services, outcomes remained stable (discharge destination, length of hospital stay, and number of referrals to the community team). CONCLUSION: PDSA cycles enabled stakeholders across acute and community services to be involved, promoted a process of collaborative inquiry and ownership of findings, and improved motivation to act on results and produce change. Practitioners and managers seeking to improve the delivery of complex, cross-cutting services in other areas can learn from the experience of applying Quality Improvement methods reported here.

H.E.S.S. Limits on Linelike Dark Matter Signatures in the 100 GeV to 2 TeV Energy Range Close to the Galactic Center.

A search for dark matter linelike signals iss performed in the vicinity of the Galactic Center by the H.E.S.S. experiment on observational data taken in 2014. An unbinned likelihood analysis iss developed to improve the sensitivity to linelike signals. The upgraded analysis along with newer data extend the energy coverage of the previous measurement down to 100 GeV. The 18 h of data collected with the H.E.S.S. array allow one to rule out at 95% C.L. the presence of a 130 GeV line (at l=-1.5°, b=0° and for a dark matter profile centered at this location) previously reported in Fermi-LAT data. This new analysis overlaps significantly in energy with previous Fermi-LAT and H.E.S.S. RESULTS: No significant excess associated with dark matter annihilations was found in the energy range of 100 GeV to 2 TeV and upper limits on the gamma-ray flux and the velocity weighted annihilation cross section are derived adopting an Einasto dark matter halo profile. Expected limits for present and future large statistics H.E.S.S. observations are also given.

Search for Dark Matter Annihilations towards the Inner Galactic Halo from 10 Years of Observations with H.E.S.S.

The inner region of the Milky Way halo harbors a large amount of dark matter (DM). Given its proximity, it is one of the most promising targets to look for DM. We report on a search for the annihilations of DM particles using γ-ray observations towards the inner 300 pc of the Milky Way, with the H.E.S.S. array of ground-based Cherenkov telescopes. The analysis is based on a 2D maximum likelihood method using Galactic Center (GC) data accumulated by H.E.S.S. over the last 10 years (2004-2014), and does not show any significant γ-ray signal above background. Assuming Einasto and Navarro-Frenk-White DM density profiles at the GC, we derive upper limits on the annihilation cross section ⟨σv⟩. These constraints are the strongest obtained so far in the TeV DM mass range and improve upon previous limits by a factor 5. For the Einasto profile, the constraints reach ⟨σv⟩ values of 6×10^{-26} cm^{3} s^{-1} in the W^{+}W^{-} channel for a DM particle mass of 1.5 TeV, and 2×10^{-26} cm^{3} s^{-1} in the τ^{+}τ^{-} channel for a 1 TeV mass. For the first time, ground-based γ-ray observations have reached sufficient sensitivity to probe ⟨σv⟩ values expected from the thermal relic density for TeV DM particles.

Gluteal lymphoedema associated with lower extremity lymphoedema: A preliminary study with indocyanine green lymphography and magnetic resonance imaging.

INTRODUCTION: Indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography studies have identified that one in three to five patients with cancer-related lower extremity lymphoedema (LEL) demonstrated dermal backflow extending to the gluteal region. This study aimed to further characterize gluteal lymphoedema using contemporaneous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with unilateral advanced LEL who underwent both ICG lymphography and MRI prior to any surgical procedure were included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups with/without gluteal lymphoedema by the presence of dermal backflow on ICG lymphography. MRI was used to evaluate tissue changes. RESULTS: Ten patients demonstrated gluteal lymphoedema on ICG lymphography and had a higher incidence of skin hypertrophy in the gluteal region. However, no difference in excess leg volume was found between the two groups. A trend of increasing gluteal subcutaneous tissue in the affected side was identified in patients with gluteal lymphoedema with a median increase of 20% compared with an 11% increase in the non-gluteal lymphoedema group. The excess gluteal subcutaneous tissue was positively correlated to ipsilateral excess leg volume. CONCLUSION: The gluteal lymphoedema group on ICG lymphography had skin thickening in the gluteal region and was likely identified in the secondary cancer-related group. Surgical and conservative management options for gluteal lymphoedema need to be considered in advanced LEL.

Hemoglobin variants in Koreans: hemoglobin G Taegu.

Hemoglobin G Taegu, an electrophoretically slow hemoglobin with a structural anomaly believed to be in the beta-T-3 section of the beta chain, was the only variant found among 6700 normal Koreans. Four subjects, 0.06 percent, had the G-hemoglobin variant in addition to normal hemoglobin A. Hemoglobin E, known in numerous groups from Southeast Asia and the variant most frequently seen in Chinese subjects, was not found among the Koreans we tested.

Synthetic polypeptide antagonists of the hypothalamic luteinizing hormone releasing factor.

Two analogs of the hypothalamic luteinizing hormone releasing factor modified at the histidine-2 position were tested for biological activity (secretion of luteinizing hormone) in cultures of dispersed rat anterior pituitary cells. The analog in which glycine was substituted for histidine at position 2, [Gly(2)]LRF, behaves as a partial agonist releasing less than 50 percent of the luteinizing hormone secreted at maximum concentrations of the releasing factor, while the analog in which histidine at position 2 is deleted has no significant agonist activity at any of the doses tested. When added to the cultured cells at molar ratios 10(3) to 10(4) times that of the luteinizing hormone releasing factor, both analogs decrease the amount of luteinizing hormone secreted in response to the releasing factor.

Hemoglobin variant common to Chinese and North American Indians: alpha-2-beta-22 Glu-Ala.

An electrophoretically slow hemoglobin variant, in which the structural change involves the replacement of a glutamyl residue by alanyl at position beta-22, was reported in two groups of North American Indians: hemoglobin-G Coushatta, in Alabama-Coushatta Indians in Texas; and hemoglobin-G Saskatoon, in descendants of Santee Indians living in Canada. Hemoglobin-G Hsin-Chu, found in Taiwan in a Chinese from the northern Chinese province of Liaoning, is now shown to have the same structural anomaly.

Potentially preventable tuberculosis among HIV-infected persons in the era of highly active antiretroviral treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the proportion of tuberculosis (TB) cases that could have been prevented among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected persons receiving care in the era of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART). DESIGN: We conducted an observational cohort study among HIV-infected patients with >or=2 out-patient visits at the Comprehensive Care Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, between 1 January 1998 and 31 December 2005. METHODS: A potentially preventable TB case was defined as a case in which the patient received no screening tuberculin skin test (TST) prior to TB diagnosis or a case in which a patient with a positive screening TST did not complete treatment for latent infection. RESULTS: Of 3601 HIV-infected persons in care (13 905 person-years [p-y] of follow-up), 29 developed TB (230/100,000 p-y). Of the 29, 20 (69%) had not had TST performed as part of routine screening. Of the nine patients screened, four had a positive test, three of whom completed treatment for latent TB infection. Of 29 TB cases, 21 (72%) were therefore potentially preventable. CONCLUSIONS: Most TB cases in this cohort were potentially preventable had the patients undergone a screening TST followed by treatment of latent infection if they had a positive TST.

The Impact of Rate Formulations on Stochastic Molecular Motor Dynamics.

Cells are complex structures which require considerable amounts of organization via transport of large intracellular cargo. While passive diffusion is often sufficiently fast for the transport of smaller cargo, active transport is necessary to organize large structures on the short timescales necessary for biological function. The main mechanism of this transport is by cargo attachment to motors which walk in a directed fashion along intracellular filaments. There are a number of models which seek to describe the motion of motors with attached cargo, from detailed microscopic to coarse phenomenological descriptions. We focus on the intermediate-detailed discrete stochastic hopping models, and explore how cargo transport changes depending on the number of motors, motor interaction, system constraints and rate formulations, which are derived from common thermodynamic assumptions. We find that, despite obeying the same detailed balance constraint, the choice of rate formulation considerably affects the characteristics of the overall motion of the system, with one rate formulation exhibiting novel behavior of loaded motor groups moving faster than a single unloaded motor.

Urothelial cells undergo epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition after exposure to muscle invasive bladder cancer exosomes.

Bladder cancer, the fourth most common noncutaneous malignancy in the United States, is characterized by high recurrence rate, with a subset of these cancers progressing to a deadly muscle invasive form of disease. Exosomes are small secreted vesicles that contain proteins, mRNA and miRNA, thus potentially modulating signaling pathways in recipient cells. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process by which epithelial cells lose their cell polarity and cell-cell adhesion and gain migratory and invasive properties to become mesenchymal stem cells. EMT has been implicated in the initiation of metastasis for cancer progression. We investigated the ability of bladder cancer-shed exosomes to induce EMT in urothelial cells. Exosomes were isolated by ultracentrifugation from T24 or UMUC3 invasive bladder cancer cell conditioned media or from patient urine or bladder barbotage samples. Exosomes were then added to the urothelial cells and EMT was assessed. Urothelial cells treated with bladder cancer exosomes showed an increased expression in several mesenchymal markers, including α-smooth muscle actin, S100A4 and snail, as compared with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-treated cells. Moreover, treatment of urothelial cells with bladder cancer exosomes resulted in decreased expression of epithelial markers E-cadherin and ß-catenin, as compared with the control, PBS-treated cells. Bladder cancer exosomes also increased the migration and invasion of urothelial cells, and this was blocked by heparin pretreatment. We further showed that exosomes isolated from patient urine and bladder barbotage samples were able to induce the expression of several mesenchymal markers in recipient urothelial cells. In conclusion, the research presented here represents both a new insight into the role of exosomes in transition of bladder cancer into invasive disease, as well as an introduction to a new platform for exosome research in urothelial cells.

Bromocriptine as primary therapy for prolactin-secreting macroadenomas: results of a prospective multicenter study.

To assess the effectiveness of bromocriptine in reducing the size of PRL-secreting macroadenomas with extrasellar extension, we conducted a prospective multicenter trial in patients without prior radiotherapy, applying a standard protocol of treatment and tumor size evaluation. Basal serum PRL levels [1441 +/- 417 (+/- SEM) ng/ml for women; 3451 +/- 1111 ng/ml for men] fell in all patients and to 11% or less of basal values in all patients but 1. Normal PRL levels were reached in 18 of the 27 patients. In 13 patients (46%), tumor size was reduced by greater than 50%, in 5 patients (18%) by about 50%, and in 9 patients (36%) by approximately 10-25%. The extent of tumor size reduction did not correlate with basal PRL, nadir PRL, percent fall in PRL, or whether PRL levels reached normal. However, a reduction in PRL levels always preceded any detectable change in tumor size. In 19 patients, reduction in tumor size was evident by 6 weeks, but in the other 8, such reduction was not noted until the 6 month evaluation. In the 4 patients in whom bromocriptine was discontinued at the end of 1 yr, tumor reexpansion occurred in 3. Visual fields improved in 9 of the 10 patients in whom they were abnormal. Because of the excellent results found in most of the patients in this series, we suggest that therapy with bromocriptine should be considered as initial management for patients with PRL-secreting macroadenomas.

CV 205-502 treatment of hyperprolactinemia.

CV 205-502 is a nonergot oral dopamine agonist with specific D2 activity, which has a prolonged suppressive effect on serum PRL and may have fewer side-effects than other dopamine agonists. We treated 26 hyperprolactinemic women with this compound given as a single bedtime (hs) dose for up to 12 weeks. All had gonadal dysfunction, either amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea, and 15 had galactorrhea. The initial and subsequent doses were administered in a randomized fashion; the initial dose ranged from 0.01-0.05 mg, and the dose at 12 weeks ranged from 0.03-0.09 mg. The women were evaluated every 2 weeks, and the dose was increased by 0.02 mg every 4 weeks if the serum PRL level was greater than 20 micrograms/L. Of the 26 women initially enrolled, 24 completed 12 weeks of therapy, and 2 discontinued therapy because of side-effects. Thirteen women (54%) had return of menses, and 12 (80%) had either a decrease in or disappearance of galactorrhea. Serum PRL concentrations decreased to a variable degree in all patients; 13 (54%) achieved a normal serum PRL level (less than or equal to 20 micrograms/L). The mean (+/- SE) pretreatment serum PRL concentration was 129 +/- 34, and it was 29.9 +/- 5.9 micrograms/L after 12 weeks of treatment (P = 0.005). The mean (+/- SE) percent reduction in serum PRL was 66.5 +/- 5.0% (median, 78.0%). A dose response was not demonstrated (r = -0.08; P = 0.70) among the 6 dose groups during the last 4 weeks of therapy. In 5 women, serum PRL levels, measured frequently for 24 h after treatment remained low. Side-effects after the initiation of therapy included nausea, headache, and morning fatigue in 10 women. These symptoms caused 2 women to discontinue therapy; they subsided in the other women. An optimal dose was not determined and will probably need to be determined by titration in each patient. CV 205-502, given once daily, appears to be a safe and effective alternative to other dopamine agonists in the treatment of hyperprolactinemia.

Hyperprolactinemia. Evaluation and management.

Hyperprolactinemic syndromes are a diverse group of disorders that present in widely different age groups. They are common disorders in both men and women and require management over a lifetime. The past 20 years have greatly increased our knowledge about these disorders and simplified their management. Yet, we have made little progress in understanding the origin and dynamics of pituitary tumors and their natural histories, and as yet we have been unable to develop effective tumoricidal therapy or medication that corrects, at the central axis level, neurotransmitter disorders that may produce hyperprolactinemia. Perhaps these issues will be the subject of such reviews in the future.

Secretory immune system of the female reproductive tract: I. Immunoglobulin and secretory component-containing cells.

We have investigated tissues from the female reproductive tract to determine whether the distribution of cells involved in the formation of secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) molecules is analogous to that described for intestines, bronchus, and mammary and salivary glands. Fresh tissues from fallopian tube, ovary, uterus, and vagina were obtained, and sections were stained with fluorochrome-labeled polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies specific for IgG, IgA, IgA1, and IgA2 subclasses; IgM; secretory component; and J chain. Subepithelial plasma cells were identified in each specimen of fallopian tube, endocervix, ectocervix, and vagina. Approximately two-thirds of the immunoglobulin-positive cells contained IgA and J chain, indicating that they produced polymeric IgA. In comparison to tissues such as spleen and bone marrow, where IgA1-positive cells are produced, we found a high proportion of IgA2-positive cells in fallopian tube, cervix, and vagina. Epithelial cells in fallopian tube and endocervix contained secretory component. These data indicate that secretory IgA, which provides the first line of defense against invading pathogens, is produced locally in tissues of the female reproductive tract.

Detection of antigalactosyltransferase antibodies in plasma from patients with antisperm antibodies.

Sperm-associated galactosyltransferase has been implicated as a macromolecule involved in sperm to egg binding interactions during fertilization. An analysis of human plasma from 18 patients with antibodies to sperm antigens detected antigalactosyltransferase antibodies when compared with 10 control patients. These plasma antibodies were all able to immunoprecipitate enzyme activity from a preparation of human milk galactosyltransferase but varied in their ability to detect the protein by Western blot analyses. These results confirm the antigenic presence of galactosyltransferase in human sperm.

Long-term monolayer culture of human anterior pituitary cells: functional validation of a method.

This study demonstrates the response of human pituitary cell monolayers to a wide variety of hormonal stimuli. Appropriate release of luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin (PRL) was used as a verification of cell function. Cells that had been in culture for 20 days, with no hormonal additions, were exposed to LH-releasing hormone (LH-RH) continuously for 14 days. This resulted in an immediate fivefold increase in secretion of LH followed by a depression in LH production over the remaining 10-day period. After an 8-day period without hormonal additions, the same cultures again demonstrated a threefold increase in response to retreatment with LH-RH. In two similar studies, cells that had been in culture for 28 and 31 days were treated with bromocriptine, pergolide, dopamine, or thyrotropin-releasing factor (TRF). TRF elicited an increase of PRL in the medium by nearly double the control values. The addition of dopamine, pergolide, or bromocriptine resulted in a depression of PRL during the treatment period. This study has shown that human pituitary cells maintained in long-term monolayer culture respond predictably to a wide range of hormonal stimuli.