Thermal Properties of a Simulated Lunar Material in Air and in Vacuum

Thermal properties of simulated lunar material in air and in vacuu

Weapon-wound matching of sharp force trauma to bone – a micro-CT analysis

Nearly 40% of murders in the UK result from sharp force trauma caused by knives. Weapon-wound matching in Forensic anthropology attempts to estimate weapon class from the wound characteristics but few studies have investigated quantitative methods for performing this analysis on the microscopic scale. In this study five cadaveric pig torsos, prepared to mimic human anatomy, were stabbed in the upright position with 12 different knives. Knife dynamics were recorded using a Casio high-speed camera (420fps). Samples were chemically defleshed exposing the regions on the ribs where the knives have made contact, thus marking the bone, so micro-CT can be performed. All samples underwent a pre and post-stab CT scan so that rib marks could be matched to the knife used. Preliminary results show that there is a significant difference between serrated and none serrated cut geometry regardless of knife force or penetration angle. If these results hold true for the larger sample of knives tested within this study (analysis currently in progress) and the significant differences between knives are above noise then, a new technique for statistically estimating knife class from cut marks can be developed. Applications of this in forensic anthropology will aid criminal investigators in their inquiries

The Bearing Capacity of Simulated Lunar Surfaces in Vacuum

The static bearing capacity of a granular material consisting of dry, crushed olivine basalt was determined in air and in a 10^(-6) mm Hg vacuum by means of cylindrical probes with a range of diameters. Samples with various particle size distributions (all below 35 mesh) were used for these tests. It was found that the packing density of these granular materials was the factor which had the greatest effect on the bearing capacity. The minimum bearing capacity of a loosely packed sample with a density of 1.25 g/cm^3 was about 0.1 kg/cm^2. The maximum bearing capacity of a densely packed sample with density of 2.1 g/cm^3 was about 7 kg/cm^2. The effects of vacuum were insignificant compared with the effect of packing density. Direct shear tests indicated the cohesion in a few densely packed samples to be 1-2 X 10^4 dynes/cm^2. For the small probes used, the cohesion was estimated to contribute 85 to 95% of the observed bearing capacity for the densely packed samples, but much less for the loosely packed samples

Relic Neutralino Densities and Detection Rates with Nonuniversal Gaugino Masses

We extend previous analyses on the interplay between nonuniversalities in the gaugino mass sector and the thermal relic densities of LSP neutralinos, in particular to the case of moderate to large tan beta. We introduce a set of parameters that generalizes the standard unified scenario to cover the complete allowed parameter space in the gaugino mass sector. We discuss the physical significance of the cosmologically preferred degree of degeneracy between charginos and the LSP and study the effect this degree of degeneracy has on the prospects for direct detection of relic neutralinos in the next round of dark matter detection experiments. Lastly, we compare the fine tuning required to achieve a satisfactory relic density with the case of universal gaugino masses, as in minimal supergravity, and find it to be of a similar magnitude. The sensitivity of quantifiable measures of fine-tuning on such factors as the gluino mass and top and bottom masses is also examined.Comment: Uses RevTeX; 14 pages, 16 figure

Genome-wide association analyses identify 143 risk variants and putative regulatory mechanisms for type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a very common disease in humans. Here we conduct a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with ~16 million genetic variants in 62,892 T2D cases and 596,424 controls of European ancestry. We identify 139 common and 4 rare variants associated with T2D, 42 of which (39 common and 3 rare variants) are independent of the known variants. Integration of the gene expression data from blood (n = 14,115 and 2765) with the GWAS results identifies 33 putative functional genes for T2D, 3 of which were targeted by approved drugs. A further integration of DNA methylation (n = 1980) and epigenomic annotation data highlight 3 genes (CAMK1D, TP53INP1, and ATP5G1) with plausible regulatory mechanisms, whereby a genetic variant exerts an effect on T2D through epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Our study uncovers additional loci, proposes putative genetic regulatory mechanisms for T2D, and provides evidence of purifying selection for T2D-associated variants

Cell Specific eQTL Analysis without Sorting Cells

The functional consequences of trait associated SNPs are often investigated using expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) mapping. While trait-associated variants may operate in a cell-type specific manner, eQTL datasets for such cell-types may not always be available. We performed a genome-environment interaction (GxE) meta-analysis on data from 5,683 samples to infer the cell type specificity of whole blood cis-eQTLs. We demonstrate that this method is able to predict neutrophil and lymphocyte specific cis-eQTLs and replicate these predictions in independent cell-type specific datasets. Finally, we show that SNPs associated with Crohn’s disease preferentially affect gene expression within neutrophils, including the archetypal NOD2 locus

Methylene blue treatment of fatal cerebral malaria and identification of potential blood biomarkers

Cerebral malaria (CM) is a severe complication caused by Plasmodium falciparum infection, leading to persistent neurological impairments in survivors. To understand the complex mechanisms and investigate advanced diagnostic and treatment strategies targeting human CM, we utilize Plasmodium coatneyi-infected male rhesus macaques, a non-human primate model closely resembling P. falciparum infection in humans. Through differential gene expression analysis, our study demonstrates methylene blue’s efficacy in reversing the detrimental effects of infection on the brainstem. Furthermore, by comparing our brainstem dataset from P. coatneyi-infected Macaca mulatta with two additional transcriptomic datasets (P. coatneyi-infected M. mulatta blood and P. falciparum-infected human blood), we identify nine genes associated with CM severity. Most of these genes are expressed in neutrophils, indicating their potential as blood biomarkers for diagnosing P. falciparum-induced fatal CM. This research highlights the necessity for new CM treatments and reveals promising biomarkers that could improve diagnosis and prognosis in affected individuals