The heterogeneity of target recognition by lymphokine-activated killer precursor cells.

Lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells were generated from peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) that were depleted of mature cytotoxic natural killer (NK) cells. PBL NK activity was abolished by pretreatment of effector cells with the toxic lysosomotropic agent L-leucine methyl ester (LME) or by depletion of effector cells by K562 monolayer absorption (MA). Both treatments markedly reduced the proportion of cells expressing NK-associated markers such as CD 16 (Leu 11b, B73.1), Leu 7, and NKH-1 (Leu 19), whereas these treatments had minimal effects on cells expressing T cell markers (CD 3, CD 4, and CD 8). LME and MA also drastically decreased the proportion of K562 target-binding lymphocytes. LAK activity against NK-sensitive and NK-resistant targets can be generated from the NK cell-depleted PBL by incubation with interleukin-2. Peak LAK activity generated from MA-treated PBL was later than the peak of LAK activity generated from either untreated or LME-treated PBL. Although MA of PBL on NK-resistant S4 sarcoma targets had little effect on NK activity, LAK activity against both K562 and S4 targets was reduced. These results suggest that there are at least three LAK precursor subpopulations in PBL: mature NK cells that can bind and kill K562 targets (LME-sensitive and MA-sensitive); "pre-NK" cells that can bind but cannot kill (LME-resistant and MA-sensitive); and non-NK cells that cannot bind and cannot kill K562 targets (MA-resistant)

Structural analysis and magnetic properties of Fe/Bi system

Abstract We have investigated the structure and magnetic properties of Fe/Bi multilayers and trilayers by RHEED, XRD,XRR,XPS and SQUID. The samples were grown by molecular beam epitaxy method. It was found that the synthesis of the multiplayer is very difficult. However, we successfully grown Fe/Bi trilayers by adopting the appropriate growth conditions. Key words: magnetic multiplayer; MBE; Magnetization; X-ray reflectivity It has been known that Fe-based intermetallic compounds show a variety of magnetic properties. Many kinds of magnetism such as Ferromagnetism, Antiferromagnetism and itinerant metamagnetism have been observed, depending on the constituent elements and crystal structures. In case of Fe monopnictides, FeP and FeAs show spiral magnetic states, and FeSb antiferromagnetism. However, there has been no report on FeBi, because Fe and Bi are immiscible in the equilibrium states and neither alloy nor intermetallic compound exists in the binary system Only a few studies have been reported for Fe/Bi film systems. The crystal structure of both metals differ from each other so markedly, that polycrystalline and amorphous Fe/Bi multilayers have been grown onto cooled substrate. Thickness dependence of saturation magnetization has been studied Samples were prepared by alternate deposition of Fe and Bi on SrTiO3(100) STO substrates in an ultrahigh vacuum, which is order of 10 −9 Torr. The substrate temperature was varied in wide temperature range from room temperature up to 523K. Multilayered films were prepared with a fixed Fe layer thickness, i.e., STO/[Fe(50Å)/Bi(tBi)]*20 (tBi = 5, 10, 20, 36 and 60Å). The top Bi layer was deposited as cover layer to prevent oxidation. The first Fe layer was deposited as a buffer. On the other hand, trilayered samples were prepared; fixed Fe layer thickness, STO/Fe(500Å)/Bi(tBi)/Fe(500Å) (tBi = 50, 150, and 300Å). Total thickness of Fe was fixed to be 1000Å. The crystallographic structures of the prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction using CuKα radiation with the scattering vector perpendicular to the film plane. Magnetization measurements were performed by a SQUID magnetometer. At first, we prepared Fe/Bi multilayers. High-angle X-ray pattern shows clear Bragg reflections of the Bi(012) and Fe(200). However, the low-angle reflected pattern and satellite peaks from the multilayerd

Patterns and universals of mate poaching across 53 nations : the effects of sex, culture, and personality on romantically attracting another person’s partner

As part of the International Sexuality Description Project, 16,954 participants from 53 nations were administered an anonymous survey about experiences with romantic attraction. Mate poaching--romantically attracting someone who is already in a relationship--was most common in Southern Europe, South America, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe and was relatively infrequent in Africa, South/Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Evolutionary and social-role hypotheses received empirical support. Men were more likely than women to report having made and succumbed to short-term poaching across all regions, but differences between men and women were often smaller in more gender-egalitarian regions. People who try to steal another's mate possess similar personality traits across all regions, as do those who frequently receive and succumb to the poaching attempts by others. The authors conclude that human mate-poaching experiences are universally linked to sex, culture, and the robust influence of personal dispositions.peer-reviewe

Are men universally more dismissing than women? Gender differences in romantic attachment across 62 cultural regions

The authors thank Susan Sprecher (USA), Del Paulhus (Canada), Glenn D. Wilson (England), Qazi Rahman (England), Alois Angleitner (Germany), Angelika Hofhansl (Austria), Tamio Imagawa (Japan), Minoru Wada (Japan), Junichi Taniguchi (Japan), and Yuji Kanemasa (Japan) for helping with data collection and contributing significantly to the samples used in this study.Gender differences in the dismissing form of adult romantic attachment were investigated as part of the International Sexuality Description Project—a survey study of 17,804 people from 62 cultural regions. Contrary to research findings previously reported in Western cultures, we found that men were not significantly more dismissing than women across all cultural regions. Gender differences in dismissing romantic attachment were evident in most cultures, but were typically only small to moderate in magnitude. Looking across cultures, the degree of gender differentiation in dismissing romantic attachment was predictably associated with sociocultural indicators. Generally, these associations supported evolutionary theories of romantic attachment, with smaller gender differences evident in cultures with high–stress and high–fertility reproductive environments. Social role theories of human sexuality received less support in that more progressive sex–role ideologies and national gender equity indexes were not cross–culturally linked as expected to smaller gender differences in dismissing romantic attachment.peer-reviewe

Endoscopic Management of Gastric Polyp with Outlet Obstruction without Polypectomy

Although gastric polyp is usually an incidental endoscopic finding, large-sized polyps can cause symptoms ranging from epigastralgia to bleeding from ulcerated polyps and gastric outlet obstruction. Although the gold standard of treatment is removal of the polyp either through endoscopic polypectomy or surgical excision, complications associated with these procedures cannot be ignored. The risk becomes a major concern for patients at high risk for surgery when complications arise. We describe a debilitated 74-year-old woman who presented with early satiety, intermittent postprandial nausea and vomiting for three months. Upper endoscopy revealed a 2.5 cm pedunculated polyp over the gastric antrum causing intermittent obstruction. Considering her high risk for polypectomy, detachable snaring was performed without polypectomy in an outpatient setting. The patient was complication-free with complete relief of obstructive symptoms one week after the procedure. Subsequent follow-ups showed satisfactory healing without signs of mucosal disruption or recurrence. The results suggest that detachable snaring without polypectomy may be a therapeutic option for high-risk patients with benign symptomatic gastric polyps

FCC Physics Opportunities: Future Circular Collider Conceptual Design Report Volume 1

We review the physics opportunities of the Future Circular Collider, covering its e+e-, pp, ep and heavy ion programmes. We describe the measurement capabilities of each FCC component, addressing the study of electroweak, Higgs and strong interactions, the top quark and flavour, as well as phenomena beyond the Standard Model. We highlight the synergy and complementarity of the different colliders, which will contribute to a uniquely coherent and ambitious research programme, providing an unmatchable combination of precision and sensitivity to new physics