Laboratory Characterization and Astrophysical Detection of Vibrationally Excited States of Vinyl Cyanide in Orion-KL

New laboratory data of CH$_2$CHCN (vinyl cyanide) in its ground and vibrationally excited states at the microwave to THz domain allow searching for these excited state transitions in the Orion-KL line survey. Frequency-modulated spectrometers combined into a single broadband 50-1900 GHz spectrum provided measurements of CH$_2$CHCN covering a spectral range of 18-1893 GHz, whose assignments was confirmed by Stark modulation spectra in the 18-40 GHz region and by ab-initio anharmonic force field calculations. For analyzing the emission lines of CH$_2$CHCN species detected in Orion-KL we used the excitation and radiative transfer code (MADEX) at LTE conditions. The rotational transitions of the ground state of this molecule emerge from four cloud components of hot core nature which trace the physical and chemical conditions of high mass star forming regions in the Orion-KL Nebula. The total column density of CH$_2$CHCN in the ground state is (3.0$\pm$0.9)x10$^{15}$ cm$^{-2}$. We report on the first interstellar detection of transitions in the v10=1/(v11=1,v15=1) dyad in space, and in the v11=2 and v11=3 states in Orion-KL. The lowest energy vibrationally excited states of vinyl cyanide such as v11=1 (at 328.5 K), v15=1 (at 478.6 K), v11=2 (at 657.8 K), the v10=1/(v11=1,v15=1) dyad (at 806.4/809.9 K), and v11=3 (at 987.9 K) are populated under warm and dense conditions, so they probe the hottest parts of the Orion-KL source. Column density and rotational and vibrational temperatures for CH$_2$CHCN in their ground and excited states, as well as for the isotopologues, have been constrained by means of a sample of more than 1000 lines in this survey. Moreover, we present the detection of methyl isocyanide (CH$_3$NC) for the first time in Orion-KL and a tentative detection of vinyl isocyanide (CH$_2$CHNC) and give column density ratios between the cyanide and isocyanide isomers.Comment: 46 pages, 22 figures, 14 tables, 9 online table

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate induces peripheral neuropathy and alters inflammation and mitochondrial biogenesis in the brains of mice.

Mounting evidence suggests that antiretroviral therapy (ART) drugs may contribute to the prevalence of HIV-associated neurological dysfunction. The HIV envelope glycoprotein (gp120) is neurotoxic and has been linked to alterations in mitochondrial function and increased inflammatory gene expression, which are common neuropathological findings in HIV+ cases on ART with neurological disorders. Tenofovir disproxil fumarate (TDF) has been shown to affect neurogenesis in brains of mice and mitochondria in neurons. In this study, we hypothesized that TDF contributes to neurotoxicity by modulating mitochondrial biogenesis and inflammatory pathways. TDF administered to wild-type (wt) and GFAP-gp120 transgenic (tg) mice caused peripheral neuropathy, as indicated by nerve conduction slowing and thermal hyperalgesia. Conversely TDF protected gp120-tg mice from cognitive dysfunction. In the brains of wt and gp120-tg mice, TDF decreased expression of mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM). However, double immunolabelling revealed that TFAM was reduced in neurons and increased in astroglia in the hippocampi of TDF-treated wt and gp120-tg mice. TDF also increased expression of GFAP and decreased expression of IBA1 in the wt and gp120-tg mice. TDF increased tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α in wt mice. However, TDF reduced interleukin (IL) 1β and TNFα mRNA in gp120-tg mouse brains. Primary human astroglia were exposed to increasing doses of TDF for 24 hours and then analyzed for mitochondrial alterations and inflammatory gene expression. In astroglia, TDF caused a dose-dependent increase in oxygen consumption rate, extracellular acidification rate and spare respiratory capacity, changes consistent with increased metabolism. TDF also reduced IL-1β-mediated increases in IL-1β and TNFα mRNA. These data demonstrate that TDF causes peripheral neuropathy in mice and alterations in inflammatory signaling and mitochondrial activity in the brain

The Exomars Climate Sounder (EMCS) Investigation

The ExoMars Climate Sounder (EMCS) investigation is developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Principal Investigator J. T. Schofield) in collaboration with an international scientific team from France, the United Kingdom and the USA. EMCS plans to map daily, global, pole-to-pole profiles of temperature, dust, water and CO2 ices, and water vapor from the proposed 2016 ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (EMTGO). These profiles are to be assimilated into Mars General Circulation Models (MGCMs) to generate global, interpolated fields of measured and derived parameters such as wind

Observations of the martian atmosphere with the mars climate sounder

The Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) has obtained measurements of the Martian atmosphere for one Mars year. Onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), MCS continues to acquire high vertical resolution profiles of temperature, dust, condensates of CO2 and H2O, and water vapor by observing the limb of the atmosphere from the surface to 80 km in the spectral intervals 0.3 – 3 ?m and 11.5 – 45 ?m [1]. This paper describes the investigation and introduces some of the observations being studied by the MCS science team. Other presentations by the team at this workshop will describe in greater detail results of ongoing research using MCS data

Hand Preference for Coordinated Bimanual Actions in 777 Great Apes: Implications for the Evolution of Handedness in Hominins

Whether or not nonhuman primates exhibit population-level handedness remains a topic of considerable scientific debate. Here, we examined handedness for coordinated bimanual actions in a sample of 777 great apes including chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans. We found population-level right-handedness in chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas, but left-handedness in orangutans. Directional biases in handedness were consistent across independent samples of apes within each genus. We suggest that, contrary to previous claims, population-level handedness is evident in great apes but differs among species as a result of ecological adaptations associated with posture and locomotion. We further suggest that historical views of nonhuman primate handedness have been too anthropocentric, and we advocate for a larger evolutionary framework for the consideration of handedness and other aspects of hemispheric specialization among primates

Summary of the NuSTEC Workshop on Neutrino-Nucleus Pion Production in the Resonance Region

The NuSTEC workshop held at the University of Pittsburgh in October 2019 brought theorists and experimentalists together to discuss the state of modeling and measurements related to pion production in neutrino-nucleus scattering in the kinematic region where pions are produced through both resonant and non-resonant mechanisms. Modeling of this region is of critical importance to the current and future accelerator- and atmospheric-based neutrino oscillation experiments. For the benefit of the community, links to the presentations are accompanied by annotations from the speakers highlighting significant points made during the presentations and resulting discussions

Predictors of worsening neuropathy and neuropathic pain after 12 years in people with HIV

OBJECTIVE: Distal sensory polyneuropathy (DSP) and neuropathic pain are important clinical concerns in virally suppressed people with HIV. We determined how these conditions evolved, what factors influenced their evolution, and their clinical impact. METHODS: Ambulatory, community-dwelling HIV seropositive individuals were recruited at six research centers. Clinical evaluations at baseline and 12 years later determined neuropathy signs and distal neuropathic pain (DNP). Additional assessments measured activities of daily living and quality of life (QOL). Factors potentially associated with DSP and DNP progression included disease severity, treatment, demographics, and co-morbidities. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated for follow-up neuropathy outcomes. RESULTS: Of 254 participants, 21.3% were women, 57.5% were non-white. Mean baseline age was 43.5 years. Polyneuropathy prevalence increased from 25.7% to 43.7%. Of 173 participants initially pain-free, 42 (24.3%) had incident neuropathic pain. Baseline risk factors for incident pain included unemployment (OR [95% CI], 5.86 [1.97, 17.4]) and higher baseline body mass index (BMI) (1.78 [1.03, 3.19] per 10-units). Participants with neuropathic pain at follow-up had significantly worse QOL and greater dependence in activities of daily living than those who remained pain-free. INTERPRETATION: HIV DSP and neuropathic pain increased in prevalence and severity over 12 years despite high rates of viral suppression. The high burden of neuropathy included disability and poor life quality. However, substantial numbers remained pain-free despite clear evidence of neuropathy on exam. Protective factors included being employed and having a lower BMI. Implications for clinical practice include promotion of lifestyle changes affecting reversible risk factors

NF-M is an essential target for the myelin-directed “outside-in” signaling cascade that mediates radial axonal growth

Neurofilaments are essential for acquisition of normal axonal calibers. Several lines of evidence have suggested that neurofilament-dependent structuring of axoplasm arises through an “outside-in” signaling cascade originating from myelinating cells. Implicated as targets in this cascade are the highly phosphorylated KSP domains of neurofilament subunits NF-H and NF-M. These are nearly stoichiometrically phosphorylated in myelinated internodes where radial axonal growth takes place, but not in the smaller, unmyelinated nodes. Gene replacement has now been used to produce mice expressing normal levels of the three neurofilament subunits, but which are deleted in the known phosphorylation sites within either NF-M or within both NF-M and NF-H. This has revealed that the tail domain of NF-M, with seven KSP motifs, is an essential target for the myelination-dependent outside-in signaling cascade that determines axonal caliber and conduction velocity of motor axons