| 1. |
- Barausse, Enrico, et al.
(författare)
-
Prospects for fundamental physics with LISA
- 2020
-
Ingår i: General Relativity and Gravitation. - : SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS. - 0001-7701 .- 1572-9532. ; 52:8
-
Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In this paper, which is of programmatic rather than quantitative nature, we aim to further delineate and sharpen the future potential of the LISA mission in the area of fundamental physics. Given the very broad range of topics that might be relevant to LISA,we present here a sample of what we view as particularly promising fundamental physics directions. We organize these directions through a "science-first" approach that allows us to classify how LISA data can inform theoretical physics in a variety of areas. For each of these theoretical physics classes, we identify the sources that are currently expected to provide the principal contribution to our knowledge, and the areas that need further development. The classification presented here should not be thought of as cast in stone, but rather as a fluid framework that is amenable to change with the flow of new insights in theoretical physics.
|
|
| 2. |
- Franchini, Mariagrazia, et al.
(författare)
-
The Gaia-ESO Survey : Carbon Abundance in the Galactic Thin and Thick Disks
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : IOP PUBLISHING LTD. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 888:2
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper focuses on carbon, which is one of the most abundant elements in the universe and is of high importance in the field of nucleosynthesis and galactic and stellar evolution. The origin of carbon and the relative importance of massive and low- to intermediate-mass stars in producing it is still a matter of debate. We aim at better understanding the origin of carbon by studying the trends of [C/H], [C/Fe], and [C/Mg] versus [Fe/H] and [Mg/H] for 2133 FGK dwarf stars from the fifth Gaia-ESO Survey internal data release (GES iDR5). The availability of accurate parallaxes and proper motions from Gaia DR2 and radial velocities from GES iDR5 allows us to compute Galactic velocities, orbits, absolute magnitudes, and, for 1751 stars, Bayesian-derived ages. Three different selection methodologies have been adopted to discriminate between thin- and thick-disk stars. In all the cases, the two stellar groups show different [C/H], [C/Fe], and [C/Mg] and span different age intervals, with the thick-disk stars being, on average, older than the thin-disk ones. The behaviors of [C/H], [C/Fe], and [C/Mg] versus [Fe/H], [Mg/H], and age all suggest that C is primarily produced in massive stars. The increase of [C/Mg] for young thin-disk stars indicates a contribution from low-mass stars or the increased C production from massive stars at high metallicities due to the enhanced mass loss. The analysis of the orbital parameters R-med and supports an "inside-out" and "upside-down" formation scenario for the disks of the Milky Way.
|
|
| 3. |
- Franchini, Mariagrazia, et al.
(författare)
-
The Gaia-ESO Survey : Oxygen Abundance in the Galactic Thin and Thick Disks*
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Astronomical Journal. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0004-6256 .- 1538-3881. ; 161:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We analyze the oxygen abundances of a stellar sample representative of the two major Galactic populations: the thin and thick disks. The aim is to investigate the differences between members of the Galactic disks and contribute to the understanding of the origin of oxygen chemical enrichment in the Galaxy. The analysis is based on the [O i] = 6300.30 A oxygen line in high-resolution spectra (R similar to 52,500) obtained from the Gaia-ESO public spectroscopic Survey (GES). By comparing the observed spectra with a theoretical data set computed in LTE with the SPECTRUM synthesis and ATLAS12 codes, we derive the oxygen abundances of 516 FGK dwarfs for which we have previously measured carbon abundances. Based on kinematic, chemical, and dynamical considerations, we identify 20 thin and 365 thick disk members. We study the potential trends of both subsamples in terms of their chemistry ([O/H], [O/Fe], [O/Mg], and [C/O] versus [Fe/H] and [Mg/H]), age, and position in the Galaxy. The main results are that (a) [O/H] and [O/Fe] ratios versus [Fe/H] show systematic differences between thin and thick disk stars with an enhanced O abundance of thick disk stars with respect to thin disk members and a monotonic decrement of [O/Fe] with increasing metallicity, even at metal-rich regime; (b) there is a smooth correlation of [O/Mg] with age in both populations, suggesting that this abundance ratio can be a good proxy of stellar ages within the Milky Way; and (c) thin disk members with [Fe/H] 0 display a [C/O] ratio smaller than the solar value, suggesting a possibly outward migration of the Sun from lower Galactocentric radii.
|
|
| 4. |
- Gorini, Giacomo, et al.
(författare)
-
Engagement of monocytes, NK cells, and CD4(+) Th1 cells by ALVAC-SIV vaccination results in a decreased risk of SIVmac251 vaginal acquisition
- 2020
-
Ingår i: PLoS Pathogens. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7366 .- 1553-7374. ; 16:3
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ALVAC-HIV/gp120/alum regimen tested in 8,197 human volunteers (61.4% males, 38.6% females) in the RV144 trial decreased the risk of HIV infection similarly in both sexes. The ALVAC-SIV/gp120/alum vaccine also reduced the risk of intrarectal SIVmac251 acquisition in both female and male vaccinated macaques at an average of 44% per exposure. In the current work, we tested whether this vaccine modality could also reduce the risk of intravaginal SIVmac251 exposure. In order to detect correlates of risk, we administered the virus by the intravaginal route and tested another vaccine regimen based on the vaccinia derivative poxvirus NYVAC in parallel. We demonstrate here that the ALVAC-SIV/gp120/alum regimen decreases the risk of vaginal SIVmac251 acquisition (50% vaccine efficacy) and, importantly, we confirmed that subsets of monocytes and CD4(+) T cells are correlates of risk of acquisition. In addition, we uncovered cytotoxic vaginal NKG2A(+) cells and gut-homing alpha(4)beta(7) positive plasmablasts as novel correlates of risk of intravaginal virus acquisition. In contrast, NYVAC-SIV vaccination induced high levels of activated T cells and did not protect against SIVmac251 acquisition. We examined the contrasting immune responses to better understand the correlate of protection and found that the unique ability of ALVAC-SIV to activate early interferon responses and the inflammasome during priming differentiates the two poxvirus vectors. This work demonstrates the reproducibility of the efficacy observed in the ALVAC-based regimen and defines novel correlates of risk in the rigorous SIVmac251 macaque model, establishing a benchmark for future improvement of this vaccine approach. The recombinant Canarypox ALVAC-HIV/gp120/alum vaccine regimen was the first to significantly decrease the risk of HIV acquisition in humans, with equal effectiveness in both males and females. Similarly, an equivalent SIV-based ALVAC vaccine regimen decreased the risk of virus acquisition in Indian rhesus macaques of both sexes following intrarectal exposure to low doses of SIVmac251. Here, we demonstrate that the ALVAC-SIV/gp120/alum vaccine is also efficacious in female Chinese rhesus macaques following intravaginal exposure to low doses of SIVmac251 and we confirm that CD14(+) classical monocytes are a strong correlate of decreased risk of virus acquisition. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the frequency of CD14(+) cells and/or their gene expression correlates with blood Type 1 CD4(+) T helper cells, alpha(4)beta(+)(7) plasmablasts, and vaginal cytocidal NKG2A(+) cells. To better understand the correlate of protection, we contrasted the ALVAC-SIV vaccine with a NYVAC-based SIV/gp120 regimen that used the identical immunogen. We found that NYVAC-SIV induced higher immune activation via CD4(+)Ki67(+)CD38(+) and CD4(+)Ki67(+)alpha(4)beta(+)(7) T cells, higher SIV envelope-specific IFN-gamma producing cells, equivalent ADCC, and did not decrease the risk of SIVmac251 acquisition. Using the systems biology approach, we demonstrate that specific expression profiles of plasmablasts, NKG2A(+) cells, and monocytes elicited by the ALVAC-based regimen correlated with decreased risk of virus acquisition.
|
|
| 5. |
- Latorre-Leal, María, et al.
(författare)
-
CYP46A1-mediated cholesterol turnover induces sex-specific changes in cognition and counteracts memory loss in ovariectomized mice
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Science advances. - 2375-2548. ; 10:4
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The brain-specific enzyme CYP46A1 controls cholesterol turnover by converting cholesterol into 24S-hydroxycholesterol (24OH). Dysregulation of brain cholesterol turnover and reduced CYP46A1 levels are observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we report that CYP46A1 overexpression in aged female mice leads to enhanced estrogen signaling in the hippocampus and improved cognitive functions. In contrast, age-matched CYP46A1 overexpressing males show anxiety-like behavior, worsened memory, and elevated levels of 5α-dihydrotestosterone in the hippocampus. We report that, in neurons, 24OH contributes to these divergent effects by activating sex hormone signaling, including estrogen receptors. CYP46A1 overexpression in female mice protects from memory impairments induced by ovariectomy while having no effects in gonadectomized males. Last, we measured cerebrospinal fluid levels of 24OH in a clinical cohort of patients with AD and found that 24OH negatively correlates with neurodegeneration markers only in women. We suggest that CYP46A1 activation is a valuable pharmacological target for enhancing estrogen signaling in women at risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases.
|
|
