The Application of Nitric Oxide for Ocular Hypertension Treatment

Despite of various therapeutic methods for treating ocular hypertension and glaucoma, it still remains the leading cause of irreversible blindness. Intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering is the most effective way to slow disease progression and prevent blindness. Among the ocular hypotensive drugs currently in use, only a couple act on the conventional outflow system, which is the main pathway for aqueous humor outflow and the major lesion site resulting in ocular hypertension. Nitric oxide (NO) is a commendable new class of glaucoma drugs that acts on the conventional outflow pathway. An increasing number of nitric oxide donors have been developed for glaucoma and ocular hypertension treatment. Here, we will review how NO lowers IOP and the types of nitric oxide donors that have been developed. And a brief analysis of the advantages and challenges associated with the application will be made. The literature used in this review is based on Pubmed database search using ‘nitric oxide’ and ‘glaucoma’ as key words.

Proper motion of the spectrally selected structures in Herbig-Haro flows

We present some results of the investigations of proper motions of spectrally separated structures in the Herbig-Haro (HH) outflows with the aid of Fabry-Perot scanning interferometry. This project was started more than twenty years ago on the 2.6m telescope of Byurakan Observatory and afterwards was continued on 6m telescope (Russia). We describe the progress of research in the frames of this project and focus in more detail on the results of the latest observations of HH 83 outflow system. The method of Fabry-Perot scanning interferometry allowed to reveal the morphology of high and low velocity structures not only inside the terminal working surfaces of the jets but also in their internal knots. As the great advance we consider the development of a methodology for measuring proper motions of already separated kinematical structures using observations in two epochs, which made it possible to reveal the physical nature of these structures. Concerning the HH 83 collimated outflow it should be noted that our first observations of HH 83 revealed two structures in its working surface with strongly different radial velocities, and the second epoch data allowed to measure their proper motions. The proper motions of these structures are nearly equal, which points that they are physically connected and represents forward and reverse shock regions in the terminal working surface of HH 83.

A triple star in disarray

Aims. T Tauri remains an enigmatic triple star for which neither the evolutionary state of the stars themselves, nor the geometry of the complex outflow system is completely understood. Eight-meter class telescopes equipped with state-of-the-art adaptive optics provide the spatial resolution necessary to trace tangential motion of features over a timescale of a few years, and they help to associate them with the different outflows. Methods. We used J-, H-, and K-band high-contrast coronagraphic imaging with VLT-SPHERE recorded between 2016 and 2018 to map reflection nebulosities and obtain high precision near-infrared (NIR) photometry of the triple star. We also present H2 emission maps of the ν = 1-0 S(1) line at 2.122 μm obtained with LBT-LUCI during its commissioning period at the end of 2016. Results. The data reveal a number of new features in the system, some of which are seen in reflected light and some are seen in H2 emission; furthermore, they can all be associated with the main outflows. The tangential motion of the features provides compelling evidence that T Tauri Sb drives the southeast–northwest outflow. T Tauri Sb has recently faded probably because of increased extinction as it passes through the southern circumbinary disk. While Sb is approaching periastron, T Tauri Sa instead has brightened and is detected in all our J-band imagery for the first time.

Astrometry of H2O masers in the W 48 A (G35.20−01.74) H ii region with VERA: A compact disk outflow inside core H-2a

W 48 A core H-2a is one of the young massive protostellar objects in the W 48 region. We conducted multi-epoch astrometric observations of the water (H2O) masers associated with the W 48 A core H-2a with VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA). The trigonometric annual parallax of W 48 A core H-2a was measured to be 0.433 ± 0.026 mas, corresponding to a distance of $2.31^{+0.15}_{-0.13}$ kpc. This agrees with the revised parallax of 0.412 ± 0.014 mas by Wu et al. (2019, ApJ, 874, 94). We obtained the systemic proper motion and local standard of rest velocity to be (μαcos δ, μδ) = (0.26 ± 0.73, −3.87 ± 0.33) mas yr−1 and vLSR = 41.9 ± 0.9 km s−1, respectively. The distribution of the H2O masers covers an area of 70 mas × 80 mas, corresponding to 160 au × 180 au at the distance of 2.31 kpc. The internal proper motions of the H2O masers trace an east–west bipolar outflow. With the recent absolute position measurement of the 6.7 GHz methanol (CH3OH) masers and their elliptical distribution, whose major axis is perpendicular to the axis of the bipolar outflow, we suggest the presence of a disk outflow system in core H-2a. The spectral energy distribution (SED) of the driving source of core H-2a was previously reported to yield a luminosity and envelope mass of 8000 ± 1000 $W_{\odot}$ and 170 ± 30 $M_{\odot}$, respectively. Refitting the SED with the new distance, we obtained the luminosity to be 3100 ± 388 $L_{\odot}$ and derived the zero age main sequence (ZAMS) stellar mass to be 9 ± 1 $M_{\odot}$. Using our distance measurement, we derived the peculiar motion of W 48 A to be (Us, Vs, Ws) = (1 ± 4, 5 ± 6, −15 ± 5) km s−1.

Substantiation of parameters of the energy-efficient water outflow scheme of underground mine using energy of hydro-flows

The purpose of the study is development of a structural scheme of mining-engineering system designed to ensure energy performance of the mine water outflow system. The article reveals the need for research aimed at improving the energy efficiency of the water outflow system by comparing the dynamics of electrical energy consumption and commercial output volume at the mining industry enterprises. A brief overview of the global experience in compensation for growth of electric energy consumption under more difficult mining conditions and mining depth due to the use of innovative technological solutions in the mine water outflow system is given. Scientific novelty of the research is the use of energy, which is bypassed to the underlying horizons of the underground mine, of technological and natural waters to improve efficiency of pumping units by using boost pressure and automated processes of cleaning hydraulic flows from sludge deposits, as well as to reduce the overall operational costs in the water outflow system. The energy-efficient scheme of mine water outflow system that increases energy efficiency of a mining enterprise is substantiated.

Illuminating the Tadpole’s metamorphosis – I. MUSE observations of a small globule in a sea of ionizing photons

ABSTRACT We present new MUSE/VLT observations of a small globule in the Carina H ii region that hosts the HH 900 jet+outflow system. Data were obtained with the GALACSI ground-layer adaptive optics system in wide-field mode, providing spatially resolved maps of diagnostic emission lines. These allow us to measure the variation of the physical properties in the globule and jet+outflow system. We find high temperatures (Te ≈ 104 K), modest extinction (AV ≈ 2.5 mag), and modest electron densities (ne ≈ 200 cm−3) in the ionized gas. Higher excitation lines trace the ionized outflow; both the excitation and ionization in the outflow increase with distance from the opaque globule. In contrast, lower excitation lines that are collisionally de-excited at densities ≳104 cm−3 trace the highly collimated protostellar jet. Assuming the globule is an isothermal sphere confined by the pressure of the ionization front, we compute a Bonnor–Ebert mass of ∼3.7 M⊙. This is two orders of magnitude higher than previous mass estimates, calling into question whether small globules like the Tadpole contribute to the bottom of the initial mass function. The derived globule properties are consistent with a cloud that has been and/or will be compressed by the ionization front on its surface. At the estimated globule photoevaporation rate of ∼5 × 10−7 M⊙ yr−1, the globule will be completely ablated in ∼7 Myr. Stars that form in globules like the Tadpole will emerge into the H ii later and may help resolve some of the temporal tension between disc survival and enrichment.

Two epoch spectro-imagery of FS Tau B outflow system

Context. Herbig–Haro (HH) flows exhibit a large variety of morphological and kinematical structures such as bow shocks, Mach disks, and deflection shocks. Both proper motion (PM) and radial velocity investigations are essential to understand the physical nature of such structures. Aims. We investigate the kinematics and PM of spectrally separated structures in the FS Tau B HH flow. Collating these data makes it possible to understand the origin of these structures and to explain the unusual behavior of the jet. Besides, the study of emission profiles in the associated reflection nebulae allows us to consider the source of the outflow both from edge-on and pole-on points of view. Methods. We present the data obtained with the 6 m telescope at the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences using the SCORPIO multimode focal reducer with a scanning Fabry–Perot interferometer. Two epochs of the observations of the FS Tau B region in Hα emission (2001 and 2012) allowed us to measure the PM of the spectrally separated inner structures of the jet. Results. In addition to already known emission structures in the FS Tau B system, we discover new features in the extended part of the jet and in the counter-jet. Moreover, we reveal a new HH knot in the HH 276 independent outflow system and point out its presumable source. In the terminal working surface of the jet, structures with different radial velocities have PMs of the same value. This result can be interpreted as the direct observation of bow-shock and Mach disk regions. A bar-like structure, located southwest from the source demonstrates zero PM and can be considered as one more example of deflection shock. An analysis of Hα profiles in the reflection nebulae R1 and R3 indicates the uniqueness of this object, which can be studied in pole-on and edge-on directions simultaneously.