Follow-up of X-ray transients detected by SWIFT with COLORES using the BOOTES network

The Burst Observer and Optical Transient Exploring System (BOOTES) is a network of telescopes that allows the continuous monitoring of transient astrophysical sources. It was originally devoted to the study of the optical emission from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) that occur in the Universe. In this paper we show the initial results obtained using the spectrograph COLORES (mounted on BOOTES-2), when observing compact objects of diverse nature.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figues, to appear in "Swift: 10 years of discovery", Proceedings of Scienc

Testing stochastic software using Pseudo-oracles

Stochastic models can be difficult to test due to their complexity and randomness, yet their predictions are often used to make important decisions, so they need to be correct. We introduce a new search-based technique for testing implementations of stochastic models by maximising the differences between the implementation and a pseudo-oracle. Our technique reduces testing effort and enables discrepancies to be found that might otherwise be overlooked. We show the technique can identify differences challenging for humans to observe, and use it to help a new user understand implementation differences in a real model of a citrus disease (Huanglongbing) used to inform policy and research.Wellcome TrustThis is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the Association for Computing Machinery via http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2931037.293106

Epidemiological and ecological consequences of virus manipulation of host and vector in plant virus transmission.

Many plant viruses are transmitted by insect vectors. Transmission can be described as persistent or non-persistent depending on rates of acquisition, retention, and inoculation of virus. Much experimental evidence has accumulated indicating vectors can prefer to settle and/or feed on infected versus noninfected host plants. For persistent transmission, vector preference can also be conditional, depending on the vector's own infection status. Since viruses can alter host plant quality as a resource for feeding, infection potentially also affects vector population dynamics. Here we use mathematical modelling to develop a theoretical framework addressing the effects of vector preferences for landing, settling and feeding-as well as potential effects of infection on vector population density-on plant virus epidemics. We explore the consequences of preferences that depend on the host (infected or healthy) and vector (viruliferous or nonviruliferous) phenotypes, and how this is affected by the form of transmission, persistent or non-persistent. We show how different components of vector preference have characteristic effects on both the basic reproduction number and the final incidence of disease. We also show how vector preference can induce bistability, in which the virus is able to persist even when it cannot invade from very low densities. Feedbacks between plant infection status, vector population dynamics and virus transmission potentially lead to very complex dynamics, including sustained oscillations. Our work is supported by an interactive interface https://plantdiseasevectorpreference.herokuapp.com/. Our model reiterates the importance of coupling virus infection to vector behaviour, life history and population dynamics to fully understand plant virus epidemics

From Protecting the Heart to Improving Athletic Performance - the Benefits of Local and Remote Ischaemic Preconditioning

Remote Ischemic Preconditioning (RIPC) is a non-invasive cardioprotective intervention that involves brief cycles of limb ischemia and reperfusion. This is typically delivered by inflating and deflating a blood pressure cuff on one or more limb(s) for several cycles, each inflation-deflation being 3-5 min in duration. RIPC has shown potential for protecting the heart and other organs from injury due to lethal ischemia and reperfusion injury, in a variety of clinical settings. The mechanisms underlying RIPC are under intense investigation but are just beginning to be deciphered. Emerging evidence suggests that RIPC has the potential to improve exercise performance, via both local and remote mechanisms. This review discusses the clinical studies that have investigated the role of RIPC in cardioprotection as well as those studying its applicability in improving athletic performance, while examining the potential mechanisms involved

Can rainfall be a useful predictor of epidemic risk across temporal and spatial scales?

Plant disease epidemics are largely driven by within-season weather variables when inoculum is not limiting. Commonly, predictors in risk assessment models are based on the interaction of temperature and wetness-related variables, relationships which are determined experimentally. There is an increasing interest in providing within-season or inter-seasonal risk information at the region or continent scale, which commonly use models developed for a smaller scale. Hence, the scale matching dilemma that challenges epidemiologists and meteorologists: upscale models or downscale weather data? Successful applications may be found in both cases, which should be supported by validation datasets whenever possible, to prove the usefulness of the approach. For some diseases, rainfall is key for inoculum dispersal and, in warmer regions (e.g., tropics) where temperature is less limiting for epidemics, rainfall extends wetness periods. The drawbacks of using rainfall at small scales relate to its discrete nature and high spatial variability. However, for pre- or early-season predictions at large spatial scales sources of reasonably accurate rainfall summaries are available and may prove useful. The availability of disease datasets at various scales allows the development and evaluation of new models to be applied at the correct scale. We will showcase examples and discuss the usefulness of rainfall as key variable to predict soybean rust and wheat scab from field to region

Development and characterisation of a collagen nano-hydroxyapatite composite scaffold for bone tissue engineering.

Bone regeneration requires scaffolds that possess suitable mechanical and biological properties. This study sought to develop a novel collagen-nHA biocomposite scaffold via two new methods. Firstly a stable nHA suspension was produced and added to a collagen slurry (suspension method), and secondly, porous collagen scaffolds were immersed in nHA suspension after freeze-drying (immersion method). Significantly stronger constructs were produced using both methods compared to collagen only scaffolds, with a high porosity maintained (\u3e98.9%). It was found that Coll-nHA composite scaffolds produced by the suspension method were up to 18 times stiffer than the collagen control (5.50 +/- 1.70 kPa vs. 0.30 +/- 0.09 kPa). The suspension method was also more reproducible, and the quantity of nHA incorporated could be varied with greater ease than with the immersion technique. In addition, Coll-nHA composites display excellent biological activity, demonstrating their potential as bone graft substitutes in orthopaedic regenerative medicine

Coupling Freshly Isolated CD44(+) Infrapatellar Fat Pad-Derived Stromal Cells with a TGF-β3 Eluting Cartilage ECM-Derived Scaffold as a Single-Stage Strategy for Promoting Chondrogenesis.

An alternative strategy to the use of in vitro expanded cells in regenerative medicine is the use of freshly isolated stromal cells, where a bioactive scaffold is used to provide an environment conducive to proliferation and tissue-specific differentiation in vivo. The objective of this study is to develop a cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM)-derived scaffold that could facilitate the rapid proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation of freshly isolated stromal cells. By freeze-drying cryomilled cartilage ECM of differing concentrations, it is possible to produce scaffolds with a range of pore sizes. The migration, proliferation, and chondrogenic differentiation of infrapatellar fat pad-derived stem cells (FPSCs) depend on the concentration/porosity of these scaffolds, with greater sulphated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) accumulation observed in scaffolds with larger-sized pores. It is then sought to determine if freshly isolated fat pad-derived stromal cells, seeded onto a transforming growth factor (TGF)-β3 eluting ECM-derived scaffold, could promote chondrogenesis in vivo. While a more cartilage-like tissue could be generated using culture expanded FPSCs compared to nonenriched freshly isolated cells, fresh CD44(+) stromal cells are capable of producing a tissue in vivo that stained strongly for sGAGs and type II collagen. These findings open up new possibilities for in-theatre cell-based therapies for joint regeneration

Modelling Vector Transmission and Epidemiology of Co-Infecting Plant Viruses.

Co-infection of plant hosts by two or more viruses is common in agricultural crops and natural plant communities. A variety of models have been used to investigate the dynamics of co-infection which track only the disease status of infected and co-infected plants, and which do not explicitly track the density of inoculative vectors. Much less attention has been paid to the role of vector transmission in co-infection, that is, acquisition and inoculation and their synergistic and antagonistic interactions. In this investigation, a general epidemiological model is formulated for one vector species and one plant species with potential co-infection in the host plant by two viruses. The basic reproduction number provides conditions for successful invasion of a single virus. We derive a new invasion threshold which provides conditions for successful invasion of a second virus. These two thresholds highlight some key epidemiological parameters important in vector transmission. To illustrate the flexibility of our model, we examine numerically two special cases of viral invasion. In the first case, one virus species depends on an autonomous virus for its successful transmission and in the second case, both viruses are unable to invade alone but can co-infect the host plant when prevalence is high

INITIAL FOLLOW-UP OF OPTICAL TRANSIENTS WITH COLORES USING THE BOOTES NETWORK

The Burst Observer and Optical Transient Exploring System (BOOTES) is a network of telescopes that allows the continuous monitoring of transient astrophysical sources. It was originally devoted to the study of the optical emissions from gamma-raybursts (GRBs) that occur in the Universe. In this paper we show the initial results obtained using the spectrograph COLORES (mounted on BOOTES-2), when observing optical transients (OTs) of a diverse nature