The ADHM Construction of Instantons on Noncommutative Spaces

We present an account of the ADHM construction of instantons on Euclidean space-time $\mathbb{R}^4$ from the point of view of noncommutative geometry. We recall the main ingredients of the classical construction in a coordinate algebra format, which we then deform using a cocycle twisting procedure to obtain a method for constructing families of instantons on noncommutative space-time, parameterised by solutions to an appropriate set of ADHM equations. We illustrate the noncommutative construction in two special cases: the Moyal-Groenewold plane $\mathbb{R}^4_\hbar$ and the Connes-Landi plane $\mathbb{R}^4_\theta$.Comment: Latex, 40 page

Comparative study of the Martian suprathermal electron depletions based on Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Express and Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN missions observations

Nightside suprathermal electron depletions have been observed at Mars by three spacecraft to date: Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Express, and the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission. This spatial and temporal diversity of measurements allows us to propose here a comprehensive view of the Martian electron depletions through the first multispacecraft study of the phenomenon. We have analyzed data recorded by the three spacecraft from 1999 to 2015 in order to better understand the distribution of the electron depletions and their creation mechanisms. Three simple criteria adapted to each mission have been implemented to identify more than 134,500 electron depletions observed between 125 and 900 km altitude. The geographical distribution maps of the electron depletions detected by the three spacecraft confirm the strong link existing between electron depletions and crustal magnetic field at altitudes greater than ~170 km. At these altitudes, the distribution of electron depletions is strongly different in the two hemispheres, with a far greater chance to observe an electron depletion in the Southern Hemisphere, where the strongest crustal magnetic sources are located. However, the unique MAVEN observations reveal that below a transition region near 160–170 km altitude the distribution of electron depletions is the same in both hemispheres, with no particular dependence on crustal magnetic fields. This result supports the suggestion made by previous studies that these low-altitudes events are produced through electron absorption by atmospheric CO2

Temporal variability of waves at the proton cyclotron frequency upstream from Mars: Implications for Mars distant hydrogen exosphere

We report on the temporal variability of the occurrence of waves at the local proton cyclotron frequency upstream from the Martian bow shock from Mars Global Surveyor observations during the first aerobraking and science phasing orbit periods. Observations at high southern latitudes during minimum-to-mean solar activity show that the wave occurrence rate is significantly higher around perihelion/ southern summer solstice than around the spring and autumn equinoxes. A similar trend is observed in the hydrogen (H) exospheric density profiles over the Martian dayside and South Pole obtained from a model including UV thermospheric heating effects. In spite of the complexity in the ion pickup and plasma wave generation and evolution processes, these results support the idea that variations in the occurrence of waves could be used to study the temporal evolution of the distant Martian H corona and its coupling with the thermosphere at altitudes currently inaccessible to direct measurements.Fil: Bertucci, Cesar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; ArgentinaFil: Romanelli, Norberto Julio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; ArgentinaFil: Chaufray, J. Y.. LATMOS; FranciaFil: Gomez, Daniel Osvaldo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; ArgentinaFil: Mazelle, C.. IRAP; FranciaFil: Delva, M.. IWF-ÖAW; AustriaFil: Modolo, R.. LATMOS; FranciaFil: González Galindo, F.. Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía; EspañaFil: Brain, D. A.. University of Colorado Boulder; Estados Unido

Maternal and fetal cardiometabolic recovery following ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound placental vascular occlusion.

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a non-invasive method of selective placental vascular occlusion, providing a potential therapy for conditions such as twin-twin transfusion syndrome. In order to translate this technique into human studies, evidence of prolonged fetal recovery and maintenance of a healthy fetal physiology following exposure to HIFU is essential. At 116 ± 2 days gestation, 12 pregnant ewes were assigned to control ( n = 6) or HIFU vascular occlusion ( n = 6) groups and anaesthetized. Placental blood vessels were identified using colour Doppler ultrasound; HIFU-mediated vascular occlusion was performed through intact maternal skin (1.66 MHz, 5 s duration, in situ ISPTA 1.8-3.9 kW cm-2). Unidentifiable colour Doppler signals in targeted vessels following HIFU exposure denoted successful occlusion. Ewes and fetuses were then surgically instrumented with vascular catheters and transonic flow probes and recovered from anaesthesia. A custom-made wireless data acquisition system, which records continuous maternal and fetal cardiovascular data, and daily blood sampling were used to assess wellbeing for 20 days, followed by post-mortem examination. Based on a comparison of pre- and post-treatment colour Doppler imaging, 100% (36/36) of placental vessels were occluded following HIFU, and occlusion persisted for 20 days. All fetuses survived. No differences in maternal or fetal blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability, metabolic status or oxygenation were observed between treatment groups. There was evidence of normal fetal maturation and no evidence of chronic fetal stress. There were no maternal injuries and no placental vascular haemorrhage. There was both a uterine and fetal burn, which did not result in any obstetric or fetal complications. This study demonstrates normal long-term recovery of fetal sheep from exposure to HIFU-mediated placental vascular occlusion and underlines the potential of HIFU as a potential non-invasive therapy in human pregnancy

Trimetric Imaging of the Martian Ionosphere Using a CubeSat Constellation

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/143020/1/6.2017-5252.pd

Defining the road map to a UK national lung cancer screening programme

Lung cancer screening with low-dose CT was recommended by the UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) in September, 2022, on the basis of data from trials showing a reduction in lung cancer mortality. These trials provide sufficient evidence to show clinical efficacy, but further work is needed to prove deliverability in preparation for a national roll-out of the first major targeted screening programme. The UK has been world leading in addressing logistical issues with lung cancer screening through clinical trials, implementation pilots, and the National Health Service (NHS) England Targeted Lung Health Check Programme. In this Policy Review, we describe the consensus reached by a multiprofessional group of experts in lung cancer screening on the key requirements and priorities for effective implementation of a programme. We summarise the output from a round-table meeting of clinicians, behavioural scientists, stakeholder organisations, and representatives from NHS England, the UKNSC, and the four UK nations. This Policy Review will be an important tool in the ongoing expansion and evolution of an already successful programme, and provides a summary of UK expert opinion for consideration by those organising and delivering lung cancer screenings in other countries

Hypermethylation in the ZBTB20 gene is associated with major depressive disorder.

This is the final version of the article. Available from BioMed Central via the DOI in this record.BACKGROUND: Although genetic variation is believed to contribute to an individual's susceptibility to major depressive disorder, genome-wide association studies have not yet identified associations that could explain the full etiology of the disease. Epigenetics is increasingly believed to play a major role in the development of common clinical phenotypes, including major depressive disorder. RESULTS: Genome-wide MeDIP-Sequencing was carried out on a total of 50 monozygotic twin pairs from the UK and Australia that are discordant for depression. We show that major depressive disorder is associated with significant hypermethylation within the coding region of ZBTB20, and is replicated in an independent cohort of 356 unrelated case-control individuals. The twins with major depressive disorder also show increased global variation in methylation in comparison with their unaffected co-twins. ZBTB20 plays an essential role in the specification of the Cornu Ammonis-1 field identity in the developing hippocampus, a region previously implicated in the development of major depressive disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that aberrant methylation profiles affecting the hippocampus are associated with major depressive disorder and show the potential of the epigenetic twin model in neuro-psychiatric disease.The study was funded by the Wellcome Trust; European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013). The study also receives support from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Facility at Guy’s & St Thomas’ Davies et al. Genome Biology 2014, 15:R56 Page 9 of 12 http://genomebiology.com/2014/15/4/R56 NHS Foundation Trust and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre based at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London. Matthew Davies is supported by the EU FP7 grant EuroBATS (No. 259749). Tim Spector is an NIHR senior Investigator and is holder of an ERC Advanced Principal Investigator award. Further funding support for this project was obtained from the European Research Council (project number 250157). The members of the UK Brain Expression Consortium (UKBEC) are: (1) Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK: John A Hardy, Mina Ryten, and Daniah Trabzuni; (2) Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, UK: Michael E Weale, Adaikalavan Ramasamy and Paola Forabosco; (3) Department of Pathology, The University of Edinburgh, Wilkie Building, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, UK: Colin Smith and Robert Walker. Australia: funding for phenotype and blood collection was from NHMRC grants to Nick Martin and NIH grants to Andrew Heath and Pamela Madden. We thank David Smyth for database management, Lisa Bowdler for sample preparation, and the twins for their cooperation

Recruitment and retention of participants from socioeconomically deprived communities : lessons from the Awareness and Beliefs About Cancer (ABACus3) randomised controlled trial

Background Recruitment of research participants poses challenges in socioeconomically deprived areas. The Awareness and Beliefs About Cancer (ABACus) phase 3 Randomised Control Trial recruited adult participants from socioeconomically deprived areas using a combined healthcare/community engagement model. We report the strategies used to successfully recruit and retain our trial participant sample. Methods Community and healthcare settings in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation were identified by lay advisors who recruited participants opportunistically or by appointment. Follow-up was done by telephone or post at 2-weeks and 6-months after recruitment, and all participants were offered financial incentives. Qualitative interviews were conducted with lay advisors regarding their experience and reflections. Results The lay advisors identified and contacted 107 potential recruitment venues across South and West Yorkshire and South East Wales of which 41.1% (n = 42) were opened for recruitment. A total of 234 participants were recruited, with 91% (n = 212) retention at 2-weeks and 85% (n = 199) at 6-months. Community settings yielded 75% (n = 176) of participants. Participants had a mean age of 61.3 years and 63.3% (n = 148) were female, with 66% (n = 154) resident in the most deprived geographical areas. Lay advisors described recruitment as intensive, although engaging participants was easier in community settings. Conclusions The ABACus3 trial achieved recruitment and high retention with a population that is often “hard to reach” or entirely missed in health research. Strategies were specifically tailored to engage the venues and adult residents of highly deprived areas. Future studies recruiting adults living in the most deprived areas might benefit from community recruitment and from collaborating with local gatekeepers who are key to engagement. This study adheres to CONSORT guidelines. Trial registration Retrospectively registered with ISRCTN (http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN16872545) on 12.01.2018