The Long Latin American Millimeter Array: a new submillimeter facility to observe the Sun

The Long Latin American Millimeter Array (LLAMA), is an Argentinian - Brazilian project to build and operate a 12-m radiotelescope that may observe from 45 to 900 GHz and that will have VLBI capabilities. LLAMA will be installed in the Argentinian "Puna de Atacama" region at 4800 m above see level in the Salta Province, at less than 200 km distance from ALMA. The site has excellent sky transmission characteristics for submillimeter astronomy. LLAMA may observein single dish mode, or as VLBI station associated to ALMA at submillimeter wavelengths or to other telescopes at microwaves. Since it is a multipurpose observatory,it has within its objectives,observing the Sun. In VLBI mode it will have a resolution better than 0.001 arcsec at 1 mm wavelength, bringing unprecedented images of the solar atmosphere with a spatial resolution of the order of 1 km. In single dish mode, it will complement spectral observations already carry out by other telescopes. Key aspects to be addressed by solar LLAMA observations are: i) low atmosphere structure, ii) filaments, iii) dynamics of the chromosphere and its magnetic field and iv) flares. The project received full financial support from the Brazilian Agency FAPESP and the Argentinian Ministry of Science for the installation and operation of the antenna near thetown of San Antonio de los Cobres, and should have its first light by beginning 2015, expecting to start early science on middle 2016. We detail in this work the technical features of LLAMA, its state of advance and the science that may be done with its observations.Fil: Giménez de Castro, Guillermo C.. Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie; BrasilFil: Abraham, Zulema. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas; BrasilFil: Arnal, Edmundo Marcelo. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía; ArgentinaFil: Gouveia Dal Pino, Elizabete de. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas; BrasilFil: Larrarte, Juan Jose. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía; ArgentinaFil: Lepine, Jacques. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas; BrasilFil: Morras, Ricardo. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía; ArgentinaFil: Viramonte, Jose Maria. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto Geonorte; Argentina2nd Solar ALMA WorkshopPragaRepública ChecaAcademy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. Astronomical Institut

Genome-Wide Association Study for Serum Omega-3 and Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: Exploratory Analysis of the Sex-Specific Effects and Dietary Modulation in Mediterranean Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome.

Many early studies presented beneficial effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on cardiovascular risk factors and disease. However, results from recent meta-analyses indicate that this effect would be very low or nil. One of the factors that may contribute to the inconsistency of the results is that, in most studies, genetic factors have not been taken into consideration. It is known that fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene cluster in chromosome 11 is a very important determinant of plasma PUFA, and that the prevalence of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) varies greatly between populations and may constitute a bias in meta-analyses. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been carried out in other populations and none of them have investigated sex and Mediterranean dietary pattern interactions at the genome-wide level. Our aims were to undertake a GWAS to discover the genes most associated with serum PUFA concentrations (omega-3, omega-6, and some fatty acids) in a scarcely studied Mediterranean population with metabolic syndrome, and to explore sex and adherence to Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) interactions at the genome-wide level. Serum PUFA were determined by NMR spectroscopy. We found strong robust associations between various SNPs in the FADS cluster and omega-3 concentrations (top-ranked in the adjusted model: FADS1-rs174547, p = 3.34 × 10-14; FADS1-rs174550, p = 5.35 × 10-14; FADS2-rs1535, p = 5.85 × 10-14; FADS1-rs174546, p = 6.72 × 10-14; FADS2-rs174546, p = 9.75 × 10-14; FADS2- rs174576, p = 1.17 × 10-13; FADS2-rs174577, p = 1.12 × 10-12, among others). We also detected a genome-wide significant association with other genes in chromosome 11: MYRF (myelin regulatory factor)-rs174535, p = 1.49 × 10-12; TMEM258 (transmembrane protein 258)-rs102275, p = 2.43 × 10-12; FEN1 (flap structure-specific endonuclease 1)-rs174538, p = 1.96 × 10-11). Similar genome-wide statistically significant results were found for docosahexaenoic fatty acid (DHA). However, no such associations were detected for omega-6 PUFAs or linoleic acid (LA). For total PUFA, we observed a consistent gene*sex interaction with the DNTTIP2 (deoxynucleotidyl transferase terminal interacting protein 2)-rs3747965 p = 1.36 × 10-8. For adherence to MedDiet, we obtained a relevant interaction with the ME1 (malic enzyme 1) gene (a gene strongly regulated by fat) in determining serum omega-3. The top-ranked SNP for this interaction was ME1-rs3798890 (p = 2.15 × 10-7). In the regional-wide association study, specifically focused on the FADS1/FASD2/FADS3 and ELOVL (fatty acid elongase) 2/ELOVL 5 regions, we detected several statistically significant associations at p < 0.05. In conclusion, our results confirm a robust role of the FADS cluster on serum PUFA in this population, but the associations vary depending on the PUFA. Moreover, the detection of some sex and diet interactions underlines the need for these associations/interactions to be studied in all specific populations so as to better understand the complex metabolism of PUFA.This study was partially funded, by the Spanish Ministry of Health (Instituto de Salud Carlos III) and the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad-Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) (grants CIBER 06/03, PI06/1326, PI13/00728, PI16/00366, SAF2016–80532-R and FPU 18/01703); the University Jaume I (grants P1–1B2013–54 and COGRUP/2016/06); the Rei Jaume I Award for Medical Research 2018; the Fundació La Marató de TV3 (grant 538/U/2016); and the Generalitat Valenciana (grants PROMETEO2017/017, AEST/2018/044 and APOSTD/2019/136) and the US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service (grant 8050–51000--098--00D).N

Estrogen Receptor Alpha as a Key Target of Red Wine Polyphenols Action on the Endothelium

BACKGROUND: A greater reduction in cardiovascular risk and vascular protection associated with diet rich in polyphenols are generally accepted; however, the molecular targets for polyphenols effects remain unknown. Meanwhile evidences in the literature have enlightened, not only structural similarities between estrogens and polyphenols known as phytoestrogens, but also in their vascular effects. We hypothesized that alpha isoform of estrogen receptor (ERalpha) could be involved in the transduction of the vascular benefits of polyphenols. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, we used ERalpha deficient mice to show that endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation induced either by red wine polyphenol extract, Provinols, or delphinidin, an anthocyanin that possesses similar pharmacological profile, is mediated by ERalpha. Indeed, Provinols, delphinidin and ERalpha agonists, 17-beta-estradiol and PPT, are able to induce endothelial vasodilatation in aorta from ERalpha Wild-Type but not from Knock-Out mice, by activation of nitric oxide (NO) pathway in endothelial cells. Besides, silencing the effects of ERalpha completely prevented the effects of Provinols and delphinidin to activate NO pathway (Src, ERK 1/2, eNOS, caveolin-1) leading to NO production. Furthermore, direct interaction between delphinidin and ERalpha activator site is demonstrated using both binding assay and docking. Most interestingly, the ability of short term oral administration of Provinols to decrease response to serotonin and to enhance sensitivity of the endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine, associated with concomitant increased NO production and decreased superoxide anions, was completely blunted in ERalpha deficient mice. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This study provides evidence that red wine polyphenols, especially delphinidin, exert their endothelial benefits via ERalpha activation. It is a major breakthrough bringing new insights of the potential therapeutic of polyphenols against cardiovascular pathologies

Complementary roles of wild board and red deer to animal tuberculosis maintenance in multi-host communities

The datasets supporting this article are reported in the supplementary material Tables S1-S4.The contribution of wildlife species to pathogen maintenance in multi-host communities has seldom been quantified. To assess the relative contribution of the main wildlife hosts of animal tuberculosis (TB) to its maintenance, we estimated the basic reproduction number (R0) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in wild boar and red deer at 29 sites in the Iberian Peninsula. Host abundance and true TB prevalence were estimated for each species at each site by sampling from distributions incorporating the uncertainty in the proportion of the population harvested each year, sensitivity, and specificity of the diagnostic methods, while excretion of mycobacteria was estimated using site-occupancy models. The distributions of these parameters were then used to estimate, at each site, the R0,wild boar (range 0.1 – 55.9, average 8.7, standard deviation 11.8), and the R0,red deer (0.1 – 18.9, 2.2, 3.9). Animal TB is maintained in epidemiological scenarios ranging from any single species acting as a maintenance host (the wild boar in 18 sites and the red deer in 5), to facultative multi-host disease (6 sites). The prevalence of TB in the red deer is likely an important driver of the epidemiology in multi-host communities. The wild boar was the main maintenance host of TB in most of the study sites and could have an epidemiological role linking the wildlife multi-host community and livestock.This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia [project grant EXPL/CVT-CVT/1525/2021 and fellowship SFRH/BPD/116596/2016 to N.S.]. FCT/MCTES for the financial support to CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020 +UIDB/50017/2020), through national funds.Peer reviewe

Zoonotic "Enterocytozoon bieneusi" genotypes in free-ranging and farmed wild ungulates in Spain

Microsporidia comprises a diverse group of obligate, intracellular, and spore-forming parasites that infect a wide range of animals. Among them, Enterocytozoon bieneusi is the most frequently reported species in humans and other mammals and birds. Data on the epidemiology of E. bieneusi in wildlife are limited. Hence, E. bieneusi was investigated in eight wild ungulate species present in Spain (genera Ammotragus, Capra, Capreolus, Cervus, Dama, Ovis, Rupicapra, and Sus) by molecular methods. Faecal samples were collected from free-ranging (n = 1058) and farmed (n = 324) wild ungulates from five Spanish bioregions. The parasite was detected only in red deer (10.4%, 68/653) and wild boar (0.8%, 3/359). Enterocytozoon bieneusi infections were more common in farmed (19.4%, 63/324) than in wild (1.5%, 5/329) red deer. A total of 11 genotypes were identified in red deer, eight known (BEB6, BEB17, EbCar2, HLJD-V, MWC_d1, S5, Type IV, and Wildboar3) and three novel (DeerSpEb1, DeerSpEb2, and DeerSpEb3) genotypes. Mixed genotype infections were detected in 15.9% of farmed red deer. Two genotypes were identified in wild boar, a known (Wildboar3) and a novel (WildboarSpEb1) genotypes. All genotypes identified belonged to E. bieneusi zoonotic Groups 1 and 2. This study provides the most comprehensive epidemiological study of E. bieneusi in Spanish ungulates to date, representing the first evidence of the parasite in wild red deer populations worldwide. Spanish wild boars and red deer are reservoir of zoonotic genotypes of E. bieneusi and might play an underestimated role in the transmission of this microsporidian species to humans and other animal

The Psychological Science Accelerator: Advancing Psychology Through a Distributed Collaborative Network

Source at https://doi.org/10.1177/2515245918797607.Concerns about the veracity of psychological research have been growing. Many findings in psychological science are based on studies with insufficient statistical power and nonrepresentative samples, or may otherwise be limited to specific, ungeneralizable settings or populations. Crowdsourced research, a type of large-scale collaboration in which one or more research projects are conducted across multiple lab sites, offers a pragmatic solution to these and other current methodological challenges. The Psychological Science Accelerator (PSA) is a distributed network of laboratories designed to enable and support crowdsourced research projects. These projects can focus on novel research questions or replicate prior research in large, diverse samples. The PSA’s mission is to accelerate the accumulation of reliable and generalizable evidence in psychological science. Here, we describe the background, structure, principles, procedures, benefits, and challenges of the PSA. In contrast to other crowdsourced research networks, the PSA is ongoing (as opposed to time limited), efficient (in that structures and principles are reused for different projects), decentralized, diverse (in both subjects and researchers), and inclusive (of proposals, contributions, and other relevant input from anyone inside or outside the network). The PSA and other approaches to crowdsourced psychological science will advance understanding of mental processes and behaviors by enabling rigorous research and systematic examination of its generalizability

Muon reconstruction performance of the ATLAS detector in proton–proton collision data at √s = 13 TeV

This article documents the performance of the ATLAS muon identification and reconstruction using the LHC dataset recorded at √s = 13 TeV in 2015. Using a large sample of J/ψ→μμ and Z→μμ decays from 3.2 fb−1 of pp collision data, measurements of the reconstruction efficiency, as well as of the momentum scale and resolution, are presented and compared to Monte Carlo simulations. The reconstruction efficiency is measured to be close to 99% over most of the covered phase space (|η| 2.2, the pT resolution for muons from Z→μμ decays is 2.9 % while the precision of the momentum scale for low-pT muons from J/ψ→μμ decays is about 0.2%

Constraints on new phenomena via Higgs boson couplings and invisible decays with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: The ATLAS experiment at the LHC has measured the Higgs boson couplings and mass, and searched for invisible Higgs boson decays, using multiple production and decay channels with up to 4.7 fb−1 of pp collision data at−1at TeV. In the current study, the measured production and decay rates of the observed Higgs boson in the γγ, ZZ, W W , Zγ, bb, τ τ , and μμ decay channels, along with results from the associated production of a Higgs boson with a top-quark pair, are used to probe the scaling of the couplings with mass. Limits are set on parameters in extensions of the Standard Model including a composite Higgs boson, an additional electroweak singlet, and two-Higgs-doublet models. Together with the measured mass of the scalar Higgs boson in the γγ and ZZ decay modes, a lower limit is set on the pseudoscalar Higgs boson mass of mA&gt; 370 GeV in the “hMSSM” simplified Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. Results from direct searches for heavy Higgs bosons are also interpreted in the hMSSM. Direct searches for invisible Higgs boson decays in the vector-boson fusion and associated production of a Higgs boson with W/Z (Z → ℓℓ, W/Z → jj) modes are statistically combined to set an upper limit on the Higgs boson invisible branching ratio of 0.25. The use of the measured visible decay rates in a more general coupling fit improves the upper limit to 0.23, constraining a Higgs portal model of dark matter.[Figure not available: see fulltext.