2,572 research outputs found
Low Earth Orbit Environmental Effects on Space Tether Materials
Atomic oxygen (AO) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation erode and embrittle most polymeric materials. This research was designed to test several different materials and coatings under consideration for their application to space tethers, for resistance to these effects. The samples were vacuum dehydrated, weighed and then exposed to various levels of AO or UV radiation at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. They were then re-weighed to determine mass loss due to atomic oxygen erosion, inspected for damage and tensile tested to determine strength loss. The experiments determined that the Photosil coating process, while affording some protection, damaged the tether materials worse than the AO exposure. TOR-LM also failed to fully protect the materials, especially from UV radiation. The POSS and nickel coatings did provide some protection to the tethers, which survived the entire test regime. M5 was tested, uncoated, and survived AO exposure, though its brittleness prevented any tensile testing
Common Host Responses in Murine Aerosol Models of Infection Caused by Highly Virulent Gram-Negative Bacteria from the Genera Burkholderia, Francisella and Yersinia
This is the final version. Available on open access from MDPI via the DOI in this recordContent includes material subject to Š Crown copyright (2019), Dstl. This material is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected] virulent bacterial pathogens cause acute infections which are exceptionally difficult to treat with conventional antibiotic therapies alone. Understanding the chain of events that are triggered during an infection of a host has the potential to lead to new therapeutic strategies. For the first time, the transcriptomic responses within the lungs of Balb/C mice have been compared during an acute infection with the intracellular pathogens Burkholderia pseudomallei, Francisella tularensis and Yersinia pestis. Temporal changes were determined using RNAseq and a bioinformatics pipeline; expression of protein was also studied from the same sample. Collectively it was found that early transcriptomic responses within the infected host were associated with the (a) slowing down of critical cellular functions, (b) production of circulatory system components, (c) lung tissue integrity, and (d) intracellular regulatory processes. One common molecule was identified, Errfi1 (ErbB receptor feedback inhibitor 1); upregulated in response to all three pathogens and a potential novel marker of acute infection. Based upon the pro-inflammatory responses observed, we sought to synchronise each infection and report that 24 h p.i. of B. pseudomallei infection closely aligned with 48 h p.i. of infection with F. tularensis and Y. pestis. Post-transcriptional modulation of RANTES expression occurred across all pathogens, suggesting that these infections directly or indirectly modulate cell trafficking through chemokine expression/detection. Collectively, this unbiased NGS approach has provided an in-depth characterisation of the host transcriptome following infection with these highly virulent pathogens ultimately aiding in the development of host-directed therapies as adjuncts or alternatives to antibiotic treatment
Recommended from our members
Increased wind risk from sting-jet windstorms with climate change
Extra-tropical cyclones dominate autumn and winter weather over western Europe. The strongest cyclones, often termed windstorms, have a large socio-economic impact on landfall due to strong surface winds and coastal storm surges. Climate model integrations have predicted a future increase in the frequency of, and potential damage from, European windstorms and yet these integrations cannot properly represent localised jets, such as sting jets, that may significantly enhance damage. Here we present the first prediction of how the climatology of sting-jet-containing cyclones will change in a future warmer climate, considering the North Atlantic and Europe. A proven sting-jet precursor diagnostic is applied to 13-year present-day and future (2100) climate integrations from the Met Office Unified Model in its Global Atmosphere 3.0 configuration. The present-day climate results are consistent with previously-published results from a reanalysis dataset (with around 32\% of cyclones exhibiting the sing-jet precursor), lending credibility to the analysis of the future-climate integration. The proportion of cyclones exhibiting the sting-jet precursor in the future-climate integration increases to 45\%. Furthermore, while the proportion of explosively-deepening storms increases only slightly in the future climate, the proportion of those storms with the sting-jet precursor increases by 60\%. The European resolved-wind risk associated with explosively-deepening storms containing a sting-jet precursor increases substantially in the future climate; in reality this wind risk is likely to be further enhanced by the release of localised moist instability, unresolved by typical climate models
The Emerging Aversion to Inequality: Evidence from Poland 1992-2005
This paper provides an illustration of the changing tolerance for inequality in a context of radical political and economic transformation and rapid economic growth. We focus on the Polish experience of transition and explore self-declared attitudes of the citizens. Using monthly representative surveys of the population, realized by the Polish poll institute (CBOS) from 1992 to 2005, we identify a structural break in the relation between income inequality and subjective evaluation of well-being. The downturn in the tolerance for inequality (1997) coincides with the increasing distrust of political elites.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64387/1/wp919.pd
Fractional power-law susceptibility and specific heat in low temperature insulating state of o-TaS_{3}
Measurements of the magnetic susceptibility and its anisotropy in the
quasi-one-dimensional system o-TaS_{3} in its low-T charge density wave (CDW)
ground state are reported. Both sets of data reveal below 40 K an extra
paramagnetic contribution obeying a power-law temperature dependence
\chi(T)=AT^{-0.7}. The fact that the extra term measured previously in specific
heat in zero field, ascribed to low-energy CDW excitations, also follows a
power law C_{LEE}(0,T)=CT^{0.3}, strongly revives the case of random exchange
spin chains. Introduced impurities (0.5% Nb) only increase the amplitude C, but
do not change essentially the exponent. Within the two-level system (TLS)
model, we estimate from the amplitudes A and C that there is one TLS with a
spin s=1/2 localized on the chain at the lattice site per cca 900 Ta atoms. We
discuss the possibility that it is the charge frozen within a soliton-network
below the glass transition T_{g}~40 K determined recently in this system.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Europhysics Letter
Sexuality and Affection among Elderly German Men and Women in Long-Term Relationships: Results of a Prospective Population-Based Study
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.The study was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Families, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (AZ 314-1722-102/16; AZ 301-1720-295/2), the Ministry for Science, Research and Art Baden-WĂźrttemberg, and the University of Rostock (FORUN 989020; 889048)
Inference on inspiral signals using LISA MLDC data
In this paper we describe a Bayesian inference framework for analysis of data
obtained by LISA. We set up a model for binary inspiral signals as defined for
the Mock LISA Data Challenge 1.2 (MLDC), and implemented a Markov chain Monte
Carlo (MCMC) algorithm to facilitate exploration and integration of the
posterior distribution over the 9-dimensional parameter space. Here we present
intermediate results showing how, using this method, information about the 9
parameters can be extracted from the data.Comment: Accepted for publication in Classical and Quantum Gravity, GWDAW-11
special issu
Explore the concept of âlightâ and its interaction with matter: an inquiry-based science education project in primary school
The exploration process leading to the understanding of physical phenomena, such
as light and its interaction with matter, raises great interest and curiosity in children. However,
in most primary schools, children rarely have the opportunity to conduct science activities in
which they can engage in an enquiry process even if by the action of the teacher. In this
context, we have organised several in-service teacher training courses and carried out several
pedagogic interventions in Portuguese primary schools, with the aim of promoting inquirybased
science education. This article describes one of those projects, developed with a class of
the third grade, which explored the curricular topic âLight Experimentsâ. Various activities
were planned and implemented, during a total of ten hours spread over five lessons. The
specific objectives of this paper are: to illustrate and analyse the teaching and learning process
promoted in the classroom during the exploration of one of these lessons, and to assess
childrenâs learning three weeks after the lessons. The results suggest that children made
significant learning which persisted. We conclude discussing some processes that stimulated
childrenâ learning, including the importance of teacher questioning in scaffolding children's
learning and some didactic implications for teacher training.CIEC â Research Centre on Child Studies, IE, UMinho (FCT R&D unit 317), Portuga
Ultra-High Energy Neutrino Fluxes: New Constraints and Implications
We apply new upper limits on neutrino fluxes and the diffuse extragalactic
component of the GeV gamma-ray flux to various scenarios for ultra high energy
cosmic rays and neutrinos. As a result we find that extra-galactic top-down
sources can not contribute significantly to the observed flux of highest energy
cosmic rays. The Z-burst mechanism where ultra-high energy neutrinos produce
cosmic rays via interactions with relic neutrinos is practically ruled out if
cosmological limits on neutrino mass and clustering apply.Comment: 10 revtex pages, 9 postscript figure
The impact of networks on clinical trials in the United Kingdom
The conduct of clinical trials in the UK has been affected by the recent introduction of managed clinical networks, clinical research networks and rigorous governance regulations. This commentary considers the challenges that these changes have posed for clinical triallists in the UK, based on experiences derived in the conduct of a multicentre neonatal clinical trial under the conditions that now prevail. We conclude that the considerable skills and knowledge that are now required to be an effective Principal Investigator should be recognised and that application processes, including issuing honorary contracts, should be simplified and centralised
- âŚ