Quasinormal modes from potentials surrounding the charged dilaton black hole

We clarify the purely imaginary quasinormal frequencies of a massless scalar perturbation on the 3D charged-dilaton black holes. This case is quite interesting because the potential-step appears outside the event horizon similar to the case of the electromagnetic perturbations on the large Schwarzschild-AdS black holes. It turns out that the potential-step type provides the purely imaginary quasinormal frequencies, while the potential-barrier type gives the complex quasinormal modes.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figure

The complete mitochondrial genome of the foodborne parasitic pathogen Cyclospora cayetanensis

Cyclospora cayetanensis is a human-specific coccidian parasite responsible for several food and water-related outbreaks around the world, including the most recent ones involving over 900 persons in 2013 and 2014 outbreaks in the USA. Multicopy organellar DNA such as mitochondrion genomes have been particularly informative for detection and genetic traceback analysis in other parasites. We sequenced the C. cayetanensis genomic DNA obtained from stool samples from patients infected with Cyclospora in Nepal using the Illumina MiSeq platform. By bioinformatically filtering out the metagenomic reads of non-coccidian origin sequences and concentrating the reads by targeted alignment, we were able to obtain contigs containing Eimeria-like mitochondrial, apicoplastic and some chromosomal genomic fragments. A mitochondrial genomic sequence was assembled and confirmed by cloning and sequencing targeted PCR products amplified from Cyclospora DNA using primers based on our draft assembly sequence. The results show that the C. cayetanensis mitochondrion genome is 6274 bp in length, with 33% GC content, and likely exists in concatemeric arrays as in Eimeria mitochondrial genomes. Phylogenetic analysis of the C. cayetanensis mitochondrial genome places this organism in a tight cluster with Eimeria species. The mitochondrial genome of C. cayetanensis contains three protein coding genes, cytochrome (cytb), cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (cox1), and cytochrome C oxidase subunit 3 (cox3), in addition to 14 large subunit (LSU) and nine small subunit (SSU) fragmented rRNA genes

Generic master equations for quasi-normal frequencies

Generic master equations governing the highly-damped quasi-normal frequencies [QNFs] of one-horizon, two-horizon, and even three-horizon spacetimes can be obtained through either semi-analytic or monodromy techniques. While many technical details differ, both between the semi-analytic and monodromy approaches, and quite often among various authors seeking to apply the monodromy technique, there is nevertheless widespread agreement regarding the the general form of the QNF master equations. Within this class of generic master equations we can establish some rather general results, relating the existence of "families" of QNFs of the form omega_{a,n} = (offset)_a + i n (gap) to the question of whether or not certain ratios of parameters are rational or irrational.Comment: 23 pages; V2: Minor additions, typos fixed. Matches published versio

Effect of storage time of multiple-nutrient blocks on intake and digestibility of prairie hay by sheeps

Twelve intact male African hair sheep (4 mo of age and 16 kg liveweight) were used to compare the digestibilities of three diets: T1 (control), Brachiaria humidicola hay ad libitum; (T2), hay plus a multinutrient block (MB) stored for 15 d; T3, hay plus aMB stored for 45 d. The sole formula (%) of the MB’s was: cane molasses, 40.0%; corn meal, 26.75%; ground limestone, 10.0%; salt, 10.0%; mineral supplement, 8.0%; urea, 5.0%; and sulfur, 0.25%. Following 12 d to accustom the animals to metabolism stalls, feces and urine were collected for 6 d. Daily dry matter (DM) intake from hay increased from 697 g in T1 to 700 g in T2 (P<.05) and 657 g in T3 (P>.05), while corresponding increases in totalDM(P<.05) were to 902 and 834 g in T2 and T3.DM digestibility of T1 was lowest (49.8%), that of T2 highest (69.9%) and that of T3 intermediate (63.4%), all three differing (P<.05); the same was true of crude protein digestibility (62.9, 75.6 and 72.0% for T1, T2, and T3). DM digestibility of the MB, determined by difference, was 141% and 110% for T2 and T3, indicating positive associative effects of MB on digestion of the hay. Daily nitrogen retention in the body was 39.9, 68.4 and 62.7 g in T1, T2, and T3, with three differences (P<.05). The fresher MB gave better results, but the MB stored for a longer period retained a large part of its effectiveness to improve the diet based on prairie hay

Triple therapy for COPD: A crude analysis from a systematic review of the evidence

We systematically reviewed the current knowledge on fixed-dose triple therapies for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with a specific focus on its efficacy versus single bronchodilation, double fixed dose combinations, and open triple therapies. Articles were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, and Scopus up to 3 August 2018. We selected articles with randomized controlled or crossover design conducted in patients with COPD and published as fulllength articles or scientific letters, evaluating triple therapy combinations in a single or different inhaler, and with efficacy data versus monocomponents, double combinations, or open triple therapies. Our systematic search reported 108 articles, of which 24 trials were finally selected for the analysis. A total of 7 studies with fixed dose triple therapy combinations, and 17 studies with open triple therapies combinations. Triple therapy showed improvements in lung function [trough forced expiratory volume (FEV1) ranging from not significant (NS) to 147 ml], health status using the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire [(SGRQ) from NS to 8.8 points], and exacerbations [risk ratio (RR) from NS to 0.59 for all exacerbations] versus single or double therapies with a variability in the response, depending the specific combination, and the comparison group. The proportion of adverse effects was similar between study groups, the exception being the increase in pneumonia for some inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) containing grou

Associations of Sedentary Behaviour, Physical Activity, Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Body Composition with Risk of Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders in Children with Overweight/Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study

The aim of this study was to examine the associations of sedentary behaviour, physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and body composition parameters with risk of sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD) in children with overweight/obesity. One-hundred and nine children (10.0 +/- 1.1 years old, 45 girls) with overweight (n = 27) and obesity (n = 82) were included. Television viewing time was self-reported by using the Spanish adaptation of the "Youth Activity Profile" (YAP) questionnaire. Sedentary time and physical activity were measured with accelerometry. CRF was assessed with the 20-m shuttle-run test and body composition parameters with Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. SRBD were evaluated by using the Spanish version of the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire. Television viewing time was positively associated with risk of SRBD (r = 0.222, p = 0.021). CRF was negatively correlated with risk of SRBD (r = -0.210, p = 0.030). Body composition parameters were positively associated with risk of SRBD (all p < 0.05), except fat mass index. Stepwise regression analyses showed that body mass index (BMI) explained the largest proportion of the variance in SRBD (r(2) = 0.063, p = 0.01) and television viewing time was the only one added after BMI (r(2) change = 0.048, p = 0.022). This study supports the notion that higher body weight status negatively influences risk of SRBD and adds that unhealthy behaviours could contribute to worsen SRBD, related to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. All the significant association observed in this manuscript were of small magnitude, indicating than other factors in addition to the one hereby studied contribute to explain the variance in SRBD

Associations of objectively-assessed physical activity and sedentary time with hippocampal gray matter volume in children with overweight/obesity

This study investigated physical activity (PA) and sedentary time (SED) in relation to hippocampal gray matter volume (GMV) in pediatric overweight/obesity. Ninety-three children (10 ± 1 year) were classified as overweight, obesity type I, or type II–III. PA was assessed with non-dominant wrist accelerometers. GMV was acquired by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Neither PA nor SED associated with GMV in the hippocampus in the whole sample (p > 0.05). However, we found some evidence of moderation by weight status (p < 0.150). Moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) positively associated with GMV in the right hippocampus in obesity type I (B = 5.62, p = 0.017), which remained when considering SED, light PA, and sleep using compositional data (γ = 375.3, p = 0.04). Compositional models also depicted a negative association of SED relative to the remaining behaviors with GMV in the right hippocampus in overweight (γ = −1838.4, p = 0.038). Reallocating 20 min/day of SED to MVPA was associated with 100 mm3 GMV in the right hippocampus in obesity type I. Multivariate pattern analysis showed a negative-to-positive association pattern between PA of increasing intensity and GMV in the right hippocampus in obesity type II–III. Our findings support that reducing SED and increasing MVPA are associated with greater GMV in the right hippocampus in pediatric overweight/obesity. Further studies should corroborate our findings.MINECO/FEDER DEP2013-47540 DEP2016-79512-R RYC-2011-09011Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport FPU15/02645 FPU17/04802Government of Andalusian, Integrated Territorial Initiative 2014-2020 for the province of Cadiz PI-0002-2017Spanish Government FJC2018-037925-IAlicia Koplowitz FoundationSpanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness RTI2018-095284-J-100University of Granada, Plan Propio de Investigacion 2016, Excellence actions: Units of ExcellenceScientific Excellence Unit on Exercise and Health (UCEES)Junta de AndaluciaConsejeria de Conocimiento, Investigacion y UniversidadesEuropean Union (EU)SAMID III network, RETICS - PN I + D+I 2017-2021 (Spain)ISCIII-Sub-Directorate General for Research Assessment and PromotionEuropean Union (EU) RD16/0022EXERNET Research Network on Exercise and Health in Special Populations DEP2005-00046/ACT

Extended Life Qualification of the Magnetically Shielded Miniature (MaSMi) Hall Thruster

We present an update on the life qualification of the Magnetically Shielded Miniature (MaSMi) Hall thruster (also known as the ASTRAEUS Thruster Element), which was developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and was recently licensed to ExoTerra Resource for flight production (renamed Halo12). In 2020-2021, the thruster successfully completed a 7205-hour wear test at operating powers from 200-1350 W, processing over 100 kg of xenon propellant and producing 1.55 MN-s total impulse with no measurable degradation in performance. The wear test is being extended to further demonstrate the service life capability of the thruster. In separate tests, prot-flight MaSMi hollow cathodes demonstrated \u3e 25000 ignition cycles and \u3e 13000 hours of operation at 4 A discharge current, and a set of three MaSMi electromagnets underwent \u3e 3000 deep thermal cycles (-123 °C to 495 °C). Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) measurements of ion velocities and plasma modeling with Hall2De, a widely published numerical plasma code, have been carried out to elucidate the physical mechanisms driving pole erosion trends observed in thruster wear testing. Survival probabilities for micrometeoroid impacts and other random failure modes in flight were also analyzed