90 research outputs found

    Magnetic Structure of Rapidly Rotating FK Comae-Type Coronae

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    We present a three-dimensional simulation of the corona of an FK Com-type rapidly rotating G giant using a magnetohydrodynamic model that was originally developed for the solar corona in order to capture the more realistic, non-potential coronal structure. We drive the simulation with surface maps for the radial magnetic field obtained from a stellar dynamo model of the FK Com system. This enables us to obtain the coronal structure for different field topologies representing different periods of time. We find that the corona of such an FK Com-like star, including the large scale coronal loops, is dominated by a strong toroidal component of the magnetic field. This is a result of part of the field being dragged by the radial outflow, while the other part remains attached to the rapidly rotating stellar surface. This tangling of the magnetic field,in addition to a reduction in the radial flow component, leads to a flattening of the gas density profile with distance in the inner part of the corona. The three-dimensional simulation provides a global view of the coronal structure. Some aspects of the results, such as the toroidal wrapping of the magnetic field, should also be applicable to coronae on fast rotators in general, which our study shows can be considerably different from the well-studied and well-observed solar corona. Studying the global structure of such coronae should also lead to a better understanding of their related stellar processes, such as flares and coronal mass ejections, and in particular, should lead to an improved understanding of mass and angular momentum loss from such systems.Comment: Accepted to ApJ, 10 pages, 6 figure

    Analysis of the wall shear stress in a generic aneurysm under pulsating and transitional flow conditions

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    In this study, the flow through a generic abdominal aneurysm under realistic pulsating flow conditions is examined with magnetic resonance velocimetry (MRV), laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The influence of flow phenomena on the wall shear stress (WSS) is examined. It is seen that a strong vortex ring develops during systole at the proximal end of the aneurysm and subsequently travels downstream and decays. The vortex formation plays a major role in the temporal and spatial distribution of the WSS, which is analyzed in detail. A peak of the WSS is observed for a very limited time and in a very localized region where the vortex ring initially develops. The intrinsic temporal averaging during the acquisition of the MRV data is found to significantly decrease this peak. CFD and LDV results, which are averaged in the same manner, show a similar behavior. This indicates that besides the spatial resolution, the temporal resolution is a crucial factor, which needs to be considered especially in flows where vortex rings are observed. Results from LDV and CFD show excellent agreement for the velocity field obtained by MRV. While the flow is found to be laminar in the undilated diameter, results show laminar–turbulent transitional behavior for specific phases of the cycle within the aneurysm bulk. Although MRV is not capable of measuring instantaneous velocity fluctuations, we show that the periodic increase in turbulence intensity can be observed from image artifacts in the MRV data. These artifacts increase the velocity uncertainty, which correlates well with the velocity fluctuations measured with LDV. Although the flow encounters laminar and transitional conditions as well as multiple vortices and stagnation and reattachment points, the improved instability-sensitive Reynolds stress model, which is used for the numerical simulations of this work, shows very good agreement with the measurements. Significant effort has been expended by numerous research groups in recent years in improving the estimation of WSS from MRV data. However, an assessment of these various post-processing methods is only possible if the true values of the WSS are known. The present study is therefore aimed at providing such ground truth WSS values as well as the corresponding MRV data, allowing also other research groups to validate their WSS estimation methods using the experimental data set presented in this work

    The SpikerBox: A Low Cost, Open-Source BioAmplifier for Increasing Public Participation in Neuroscience Inquiry

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    Although people are generally interested in how the brain functions, neuroscience education for the public is hampered by a lack of low cost and engaging teaching materials. To address this, we developed an open-source tool, the SpikerBox, which is appropriate for use in middle/high school educational programs and by amateurs. This device can be used in easy experiments in which students insert sewing pins into the leg of a cockroach, or other invertebrate, to amplify and listen to the electrical activity of neurons. With the cockroach leg preparation, students can hear and see (using a smartphone oscilloscope app we have developed) the dramatic changes in activity caused by touching the mechanosensitive barbs. Students can also experiment with other manipulations such as temperature, drugs, and microstimulation that affect the neural activity. We include teaching guides and other resources in the supplemental materials. These hands-on lessons with the SpikerBox have proven to be effective in teaching basic neuroscience

    High concentrations and turnover rates of DMS, DMSP and DMSO in Antarctic sea ice

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    Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2011. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geophysical Research Letters 38 (2011): L23609, doi:10.1029/2011GL049712.The vast Antarctic sea-ice zone (SIZ) is a potentially significant source of the climate-active gas dimethylsulfide (DMS), yet few data are available on the concentrations and turnover rates of DMS and the related compounds dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) in sea ice environments. Here we present new measurements characterizing the spatial variability of DMS, DMSP, and DMSO concentrations across the Antarctic SIZ, and results from tracer experiments quantifying the production rates of DMS from various sources. We observed extremely high concentrations (>200 nM) and turnover rates (>100 nM d−1) of DMS in sea-ice brines, indicating intense cycling of DMS/P/O. Our results demonstrate a previously unrecognized role for DMSO reduction as a major pathway of DMS production in Antarctic sea ice.This work was supported in part by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Ocean Life Institute and by NSF grant ANT-0838872 to KRA.2012-06-1

    Change in bias in self-reported body mass index in Australia between 1995 and 2008 and the evaluation of correction equations

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Many studies have documented the bias in body mass index (BMI) determined from self-reported data on height and weight, but few have examined the change in bias over time.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using data from large, nationally-representative population health surveys, we examined change in bias in height and weight reporting among Australian adults between 1995 and 2008. Our study dataset included 9,635 men and women in 1995 and 9,141 in 2007-2008. We investigated the determinants of the bias and derived correction equations using 2007-2008 data, which can be applied when only self-reported anthropometric data are available.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In 1995, self-reported BMI (derived from height and weight) was 1.2 units (men) and 1.4 units (women) lower than measured BMI. In 2007-2008, there was still underreporting, but the amount had declined to 0.6 units (men) and 0.7 units (women) below measured BMI. The major determinants of reporting error in 2007-2008 were age, sex, measured BMI, and education of the respondent. Correction equations for height and weight derived from 2007-2008 data and applied to self-reported data were able to adjust for the bias and were accurate across all age and sex strata.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The diminishing reporting bias in BMI in Australia means that correction equations derived from 2007-2008 data may not be transferable to earlier self-reported data. Second, predictions of future overweight and obesity in Australia based on trends in self-reported information are likely to be inaccurate, as the change in reporting bias will affect the apparent increase in self-reported obesity prevalence.</p

    Opposing Roles of Membrane and Soluble Forms of the Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products in Primary Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection

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    Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common respiratory pathogen in infants and the older population, causes pulmonary inflammation and airway occlusion that leads to impairment of lung function. Here, we have established a role for receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) in RSV infection. RAGE-deficient (ager−/−) mice were protected from RSV-induced weight loss and inflammation. This protection correlated with an early increase in type I interferons, later decreases in proinflammatory cytokines, and a reduction in viral load. To assess the contribution of soluble RAGE (sRAGE) to RSV-induced disease, wild-type and ager−/− mice were given doses of sRAGE following RSV infection. Of interest, sRAGE treatment prevented RSV-induced weight loss and neutrophilic inflammation to a degree similar to that observed in ager−/− mice. Our work further elucidates the roles of RAGE in the pathogenesis of respiratory infections and highlights the opposing roles of membrane and sRAGE in modulating the host response to RSV infection

    Number preferences in lotteries

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    We explore people's preferences for numbers in large proprietary data sets from two different lottery games. We find that choice is far from uniform, and exhibits some familiar and some new tendencies and biases. Players favor personally meaningful and situationally available numbers, and are attracted towards numbers in the center of the choice form. Frequent players avoid winning numbers from recent draws, whereas infrequent players chase these. Combinations of numbers are formed with an eye for aesthetics, and players tend to spread their numbers relatively evenly across the possible range
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