Evaluation of 3 rapid diagnostic tests (CareStart) Malaria 3 line pl.DH (Pan, Pf), OptiMAL-IT pl.DH (Pan, Pf) and CareStart 0 2 line.pl.DH (Pan) for the diagnosis of malaria in Myanmar

Presented at the conference of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 200

The HARPS search for southern extra-solar planets XLV. Two Neptune mass planets orbiting HD 13808: a study of stellar activity modelling's impact on planet detection

We present a comprehensive analysis of 10 years of HARPS radial velocities of the K2V dwarf star HD 13808, which has previously been reported to host two unconfirmed planet candidates. We use the state-of-the-art nested sampling algorithm PolyChord to compare a wide variety of stellar activity models, including simple models exploiting linear correlations between RVs and stellar activity indicators, harmonic models for the activity signals, and a more sophisticated Gaussian process regression model. We show that the use of overly-simplistic stellar activity models that are not well-motivated physically can lead to spurious `detections' of planetary signals that are almost certainly not real. We also reveal some difficulties inherent in parameter and model inference in cases where multiple planetary signals may be present. Our study thus underlines the importance both of exploring a variety of competing models and of understanding the limitations and precision settings of one's sampling algorithm. We also show that at least in the case of HD 13808, we always arrive at consistent conclusions about two particular signals present in the RV, regardless of the stellar activity model we adopt; these two signals correspond to the previously-reported though unconfirmed planet candidate signals. Given the robustness and precision with which we can characterize these two signals, we deem them secure planet detections. In particular, we find two planets orbiting HD 13808 at distances of 0.11, 0.26 AU with periods of 14.2, 53.8 d, and minimum masses of 11, 10 Earth masses

Исследование элементного состава проб твердой фазы снега в окрестностях цементного завода (Кемеровская область)

The objectives and methodology of the EU-funded research project HYVOLUTION devoted to hydrogen production from biomass are reviewed. The main scientific objective of this project is the development of a novel two-stage bioprocess employing thermophilic and phototrophic bacteria, for the cost-effective production of pure hydrogen from multiple biomass feedstocks in small-scale, cost-effective industries. Results are summarised of the work on pretreatment technologies for optimal biodegradation of energy crops and bio-residues, conditions for maximum efficiency in conversion of fermentable biomass to hydrogen and CO2, concepts of dedicated installations for optimal gas cleaning and gas quality protocols, as well as innovative system integration aimed at minimizing energy demand and maximizing product output. The main technological objective is the construction of prototype modules of the plant which, when assembled, form the basis of a blueprint for the whole chain for converting biomass to pure hydrogen. A brief outline is presented of the progress made towards developing reactors for thermophilic hydrogen production, reactors for photoheterotrophic hydrogen production and equipment for optimal gas cleaning procedures

Quenching-driven equatorial depletion and limb asymmetries in hot Jupiter atmospheres: WASP-96b example

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available on open access from Oxford University Press via the DOI in this recordThe scripts to process and visualise the Met Office Unified Model data are available on GitHub at https://github.com/mzamyatina/quenching_driven_depletion_and_asymmetries; these scripts are dependent on the following Python libraries: aeolus (Sergeev & Zamyatina 2023), iris (Hattersley et al. 2023), ipython (Perez & Granger 2007), jupyter (Kluyver et al. 2016), matplotlib (Hunter 2007) and numpy (Harris et al. 2020)The research data supporting this publication are openly available from the Open Research Exeter (ORE) online repository at https://doi.org/10.24378/exe.5025.Transport-induced quenching in hot Jupiter atmospheres is a process that determines the boundary between the part of the atmosphere at chemical equilibrium and the part of the atmosphere at thermochemical (but not photothermochemical) disequilibrium. The location of this boundary, the quench level, depends on the interplay between the dynamical and chemical timescales in the atmosphere, with quenching occurring when these timescales are equal. We explore the sensitivity of the quench level position to an increase in the planet’s atmospheric metallicity using aerosol-free 3D GCM simulations of a hot Jupiter WASP-96b. We find that the temperature increase at pressures of ∼104–107 Pa that occurs when metallicity is increased could shift the position of the quench level to pressures dominated by the jet, and cause an equatorial depletion of CH4, NH3 and HCN. We discuss how such a depletion affects the planet’s transmission spectrum, and how the analysis of the evening-morning limb asymmetries, especially within ∼3–5 µm, could help distinguish atmospheres of different metallicities that are at chemical equilibrium from those with the upper layers at thermochemical disequilibrium.UKRILeverhulme TrustScience and Technology Facilities Council (STFC

Awesome SOSS: atmospheric characterization of WASP-96 b using the JWST early release observations

This is the final version. Available on open access from Oxford University Press via the DOI in this recordData availability: All data used in this study are publicly available from the Barbara A. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes; https://mast.stsci.edu/portal/Mashup/Clients/Mast/Portal.html. The models generated in this paper can be made available on request.The newly operational JWST offers the potential to study the atmospheres of distant worlds with precision that has not been achieved before. One of the first exoplanets observed by JWST in the summer of 2022 was WASP-96 b, a hot Saturn orbiting a G8 star. As a part of the Early Release Observations programme, one transit of WASP-96 b was observed with NIRISS/SOSS to capture its transmission spectrum from 0.6 to 2.85 μm. In this work, we utilize four retrieval frameworks to report precise and robust measurements of WASP-96 b's atmospheric composition. We constrain the logarithmic volume mixing ratios of multiple chemical species in its atmosphere, including: H2O =, CO2 =, and K =, thus generally consistent with 1× solar (with the exception of CO2). Notably, our results offer a first abundance constraint on potassium in WASP-96 b's atmosphere and important inferences on carbon-bearing species such as CO2 and CO. Our short wavelength NIRISS/SOSS data are best explained by the presence of an enhanced Rayleigh scattering slope, despite previous inferences of a clear atmosphere - although we find no evidence for a grey cloud deck. Finally, we explore the data resolution required to appropriately interpret observations using NIRISS/SOSS. We find that our inferences are robust against different binning schemes. That is, from low R = 125 to the native resolution of the instrument, the bulk atmospheric properties of the planet are consistent. Our systematic analysis of these exquisite observations demonstrates the power of NIRISS/SOSS to detect and constrain multiple molecular and atomic species in the atmospheres of hot giant planets

Detection of carbon monoxide's 4.6 micron fundamental band structure in WASP-39b's atmosphere with JWST NIRSpec G395H

Carbon monoxide (CO) is predicted to be the dominant carbon-bearing molecule in giant planet atmospheres and, along with water, is important for discerning the oxygen and therefore carbon-to-oxygen ratio of these planets. The fundamental absorption mode of CO has a broad, double-branched structure composed of many individual absorption lines from 4.3 to 5.1 μm, which can now be spectroscopically measured with JWST. Here we present a technique for detecting the rotational sub-band structure of CO at medium resolution with the NIRSpec G395H instrument. We use a single transit observation of the hot Jupiter WASP-39b from the JWST Transiting Exoplanet Community Early Release Science (JTEC ERS) program at the native resolution of the instrument (R ~ 2700) to resolve the CO absorption structure. We robustly detect absorption by CO, with an increase in transit depth of 264 ± 68 ppm, in agreement with the predicted CO contribution from the best-fit model at low resolution. This detection confirms our theoretical expectations that CO is the dominant carbon-bearing molecule in WASP-39b's atmosphere and further supports the conclusions of low C/O and supersolar metallicities presented in the JTEC ERS papers for WASP-39b

Differential Scanning Fluorimetry provides high throughput data on silk protein transitions

Here we present a set of measurements using Differential Scanning Fluorimetry (DSF) as an inexpensive, high throughput screening method to investigate the folding of silk protein molecules as they abandon their first native melt conformation, dehydrate and denature into their final solid filament conformation. Our first data and analyses comparing silks from spiders, mulberry and wild silkworms as well as reconstituted ‘silk’ fibroin show that DSF can provide valuable insights into details of silk denaturation processes that might be active during spinning. We conclude that this technique and technology offers a powerful and novel tool to analyse silk protein transitions in detail by allowing many changes to the silk solutions to be tested rapidly with microliter scale sample sizes. Such transition mechanisms will lead to important generic insights into the folding patterns not only of silks but also of other fibrous protein (bio)polymers

Evaluation of three parasite lactate dehydrogenase-based rapid diagnostic tests for the diagnosis of falciparum and vivax malaria

BACKGROUND: In areas where non-falciparum malaria is common rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) capable of distinguishing malaria species reliably are needed. Such tests are often based on the detection of parasite lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH). METHODS: In Dawei, southern Myanmar, three pLDH based RDTs (CareStart Malaria pLDH (Pan), CareStart Malaria pLDH (Pan, Pf) and OptiMAL-IT)were evaluated in patients presenting with clinically suspected malaria. Each RDT was read independently by two readers. A subset of patients with microscopically confirmed malaria had their RDTs repeated on days 2, 7 and then weekly until negative. At the end of the study, samples of study batches were sent for heat stability testing. RESULTS: Between August and November 2007, 1004 patients aged between 1 and 93 years were enrolled in the study. Slide microscopy (the reference standard) diagnosed 213 Plasmodium vivax (Pv) monoinfections, 98 Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) mono-infections and no malaria in 650 cases. The sensitivities (sens) and specificities (spec), of the RDTs for the detection of malaria were- CareStart Malaria pLDH (Pan) test: sens 89.1% [CI95 84.2-92.6], spec 97.6% [CI95 96.5-98.4]. OptiMal-IT: Pf+/- other species detection: sens 95.2% [CI95 87.5-98.2], spec 94.7% [CI95 93.3-95.8]; non-Pf detection alone: sens 89.6% [CI95 83.6-93.6], spec 96.5% [CI95 94.8-97.7]. CareStart Malaria pLDH (Pan, Pf): Pf+/- other species: sens 93.5% [CI95 85.4-97.3], spec 97.4% [95.9-98.3]; non-Pf: sens 78.5% [CI95 71.1-84.4], spec 97.8% [CI95 96.3-98.7]. Inter-observer agreement was excellent for all tests (kappa > 0.9). The median time for the RDTs to become negative was two days for the CareStart Malaria tests and seven days for OptiMAL-IT. Tests were heat stable up to 90 days except for OptiMAL-IT (Pf specific pLDH stable to day 20 at 35 degrees C). CONCLUSION: None of the pLDH-based RDTs evaluated was able to detect non-falciparum malaria with high sensitivity, particularly at low parasitaemias. OptiMAL-IT performed best overall and would perform best in an area of high malaria prevalence among screened fever cases. However, heat stability was unacceptable and the number of steps to perform this test is a significant drawback in the field. A reliable, heat-stable, highly sensitive RDT, capable of diagnosing all Plasmodium species has yet to be identified

Photochemically produced SO2 in the atmosphere of WASP-39b

S.-M.T. is supported by the European Research Council advanced grant EXOCONDENSE (no. 740963; principal investigator: R. T. Pierrehumbert). E.K.H.L. is supported by the SNSF Ambizione Fellowship grant (no. 193448). X.Z. is supported by NASA Exoplanet Research grant 80NSSC22K0236. O.V. acknowledges funding from the ANR project ‘EXACT’ (ANR-21-CE49-0008-01), from the Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES) and from the CNRS/INSU Programme National de Planétologie (PNP). L.D. acknowledges support from the European Union H2020-MSCA-ITN-2109 under grant no. 860470 (CHAMELEON) and the KU Leuven IDN/19/028 grant Escher. This work benefited from the 2022 Exoplanet Summer Program at the Other Worlds Laboratory (OWL) at the University of California, Santa Cruz, a programme financed by the Heising-Simons Foundation. T.D. is an LSSTC Catalyst Fellow. J.K. is an Imperial College Research Fellow. B.V.R. is a 51 Pegasi b Fellow. L.W. is an NHFP Sagan Fellow. A.D.F. is an NSF Graduate Research Fellow.Photochemistry is a fundamental process of planetary atmospheres that regulates the atmospheric composition and stability1. However, no unambiguous photochemical products have been detected in exoplanet atmospheres so far. Recent observations from the JWST Transiting Exoplanet Community Early Release Science Program2,3 found a spectral absorption feature at 4.05 μm arising from sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the atmosphere of WASP-39b. WASP-39b is a 1.27-Jupiter-radii, Saturn-mass (0.28 MJ) gas giant exoplanet orbiting a Sun-like star with an equilibrium temperature of around 1,100 K (ref. 4). The most plausible way of generating SO2 in such an atmosphere is through photochemical processes5,6. Here we show that the SO2 distribution computed by a suite of photochemical models robustly explains the 4.05-μm spectral feature identified by JWST transmission observations7 with NIRSpec PRISM (2.7σ)8 and G395H (4.5σ)9. SO2 is produced by successive oxidation of sulfur radicals freed when hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is destroyed. The sensitivity of the SO2 feature to the enrichment of the atmosphere by heavy elements (metallicity) suggests that it can be used as a tracer of atmospheric properties, with WASP-39b exhibiting an inferred metallicity of about 10× solar. We further point out that SO2 also shows observable features at ultraviolet and thermal infrared wavelengths not available from the existing observations.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe