Development of a prototype plastic space erectable satellite

Prototype erectable communications satellite of spherical design using plastic memory effec

Development of a prototype plastic space erectable satellite Quarterly report, Jun. - Aug. 1966

Copper plated high-density polyethylene film evaluation for space erectable satellite desig

Early Science with the Large Millimetre Telescope: Molecules in the Extreme Outflow of a proto-Planetary Nebula

Extremely high velocity emission likely related to jets is known to occur in some proto-Planetary Nebulae. However, the molecular complexity of this kinematic component is largely unknown. We observed the known extreme outflow from the proto-Planetary Nebula IRAS 16342-3814, a prototype water fountain, in the full frequency range from 73 to 111 GHz with the RSR receiver on the Large Millimetre Telescope. We detected the molecules SiO, HCN, SO, and $^{13}$CO. All molecular transitions, with the exception of the latter are detected for the first time in this source, and all present emission with velocities up to a few hundred km s$^{-1}$. IRAS 16342-3814 is therefore the only source of this kind presenting extreme outflow activity simultaneously in all these molecules, with SO and SiO emission showing the highest velocities found of these species in proto-Planetary Nebulae. To be confirmed is a tentative weak SO component with a FWHM $\sim$ 700 km s$^{-1}$. The extreme outflow gas consists of dense gas (n$_{\rm H_2} >$ 10$^{4.8}$--10$^{5.7}$ cm$^{-3}$), with a mass larger than $\sim$ 0.02--0.15 M$_{\odot}$. The relatively high abundances of SiO and SO may be an indication of an oxygen-rich extreme high velocity gas.Comment: Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letter

Dynamics and Thermodynamics of Systems with Long Range Interactions: an Introduction

We review theoretical results obtained recently in the framework of statistical mechanics to study systems with long range forces. This fundamental and methodological study leads us to consider the different domains of applications in a trans-disciplinary perspective (astrophysics, nuclear physics, plasmas physics, metallic clusters, hydrodynamics,...) with a special emphasis on Bose-Einstein condensates.Comment: Chapter of the forthcoming "Lecture Notes in Physics" volume: ``Dynamics and Thermodynamics of Systems with Long Range Interactions'', T. Dauxois, S. Ruffo, E. Arimondo, M. Wilkens Eds., Lecture Notes in Physics Vol. 602, Springer (2002). (see http://link.springer.de/series/lnpp/

Palatal surgery in a transoral robotic setting (TORS): preliminary results of a retrospective comparison between uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty (ESP) and barbed repositioning pharyngoplasty (BRP)

Negli ultimi anni si è diffusa lopinione che la chirurgia multilivello nel trattamento della sindrome delle apnee ostruttive garantisca risultati pià soddisfacenti. Lobiettivo del nostro lavoro è quello di confrontare tre tecniche palatali associate alla TORS: luvulopalatofaringoplastica (UPPP), lexpansion sphincter pharyngoplasy (ESP) e la barbed repositioning pharingoplasty (BRP). Trenta pazienti, trattati con TORS, tonsillectomia e settoturbinoplastica e chirurgia palatale sono stati retrospettivamente studiati. I seguenti valori pre e post-operatori sono stati presi in considerazione: AHI, ESS, VAS per la valutazione del dolore, tempi operatori palatali, data di dimissione e complicanze (tipi ed incidenza). Sia la BRP che lESP hanno garantito dei valori postoperatorio di AHI inferiori rispetto allUPPP con un maggior tasso di successo chirurgico. Dallaltra parte non è stato possibile dimostrare una superiorità della BRP sullESP. I tempi operatori più lunghi sono stati registrati nel gruppo ESP mentre i più brevi sono stati riscontrati nel gruppo BRP. Riassumendo, ESP e BRP sono risultate più efficaci dellUPPP in un setting robotico multilivello. Inoltre, essendo una tecnica rapida, di facile apprendimento e dal basso tasso di complicanze, la BRP si presenta come una valida opzione chirurgica nel trattamento dellOSAS

LMT/AzTEC observations of Vega

Vega is the prototypical debris disc system. Its architecture has been extensively studied at optical to millimetre wavelengths, revealing a near face-on, broad, and smooth disc with multiple distinct components. Recent millimetre-wavelength observations from ALMA spatially resolved the inner edge of the outer, cold planetesimal belt from the star for the first time. Here we present early science imaging observations of the Vega system with the AzTEC instrument on the 32-m LMT, tracing extended emission from the disc out to 150 au from the star. We compare the observations to three models of the planetesimal belt architecture to better determine the profile of the outer belt. A comparison of these potential architectures for the disc does not significantly differentiate between them with the modelling results being similar in many respects to the previous ALMA analysis, but differing in the slope of the outer region of the disc. The measured flux densities are consistent between the LMT (single dish) and ALMA (interferometric) observations after accounting for the differences in wavelength of observation. The LMT observations suggest the outer slope of the planetesimal belt is steeper than was suggested in the ALMA analysis. This would be consistent with the interferometric observations being mostly blind to structure at the disc outer edges, but the overall low signal to noise of the LMT observations does not definitively resolve the structure of the outer planetesimal belt.FK and JPM acknowledge research support by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan under grant MOST107-2119-M-001-031-MY3, and Academia Sinica under grant AS-IA-106-M03. JPM acknowledges research support by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan under grant MOST109-2112-M-001-036-MY3. MC thanks Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT) for financial support through grant CB-2015-256961

The clumpy structure of ϵ\epsilon Eridani's debris disc revisited by ALMA

$\epsilon$ Eridani is the closest star to our Sun known to host a debris disc. Prior observations in the (sub-)millimetre regime have potentially detected clumpy structure in the disc and attributed this to interactions with an (as yet) undetected planet. However, the prior observations were unable to distinguish between structure in the disc and background confusion. Here we present the first ALMA image of the entire disc, which has a resolution of 1.6"$\times$1.2". We clearly detect the star, the main belt and two point sources. The resolution and sensitivity of this data allow us to clearly distinguish background galaxies (that show up as point sources) from the disc emission. We show that the two point sources are consistent with background galaxies. After taking account of these, we find that resolved residuals are still present in the main belt, including two clumps with a $>3\sigma$ significance -- one to the east of the star and the other to the northwest. We perform $n$-body simulations to demonstrate that a migrating planet can form structures similar to those observed by trapping planetesimals in resonances. We find that the observed features can be reproduced by a migrating planet trapping planetesimals in the 2:1 mean motion resonance and the symmetry of the most prominent clumps means that the planet should have a position angle of either ${\sim10^\circ}$ or ${\sim190^\circ}$. Observations over multiple epochs are necessary to test whether the observed features rotate around the star.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

The NIKA2 large-field-of-view millimetre continuum camera for the 30 m IRAM telescope

Context. Millimetre-wave continuum astronomy is today an indispensable tool for both general astrophysics studies (e.g. star formation, nearby galaxies) and cosmology (e.g. cosmic microwave background and high-redshift galaxies). General purpose, large-field-of-view instruments are needed to map the sky at intermediate angular scales not accessible by the high-resolution interferometers (e.g. ALMA in Chile, NOEMA in the French Alps) and by the coarse angular resolution space-borne or ground-based surveys (e.g. Planck, ACT, SPT). These instruments have to be installed at the focal plane of the largest single-dish telescopes, which are placed at high altitude on selected dry observing sites. In this context, we have constructed and deployed a three-thousand-pixel dual-band (150 GHz and 260 GHz, respectively 2 mm and 1.15 mm wavelengths) camera to image an instantaneous circular field-of-view of 6.5 arcmin in diameter, and configurable to map the linear polarisation at 260 GHz. Aims. First, we are providing a detailed description of this instrument, named NIKA2 (New IRAM KID Arrays 2), in particular focussing on the cryogenics, optics, focal plane arrays based on Kinetic Inductance Detectors, and the readout electronics. The focal planes and part of the optics are cooled down to the nominal 150 mK operating temperature by means of an adhoc dilution refrigerator. Secondly, we are presenting the performance measured on the sky during the commissioning runs that took place between October 2015 and April 2017 at the 30-m IRAM telescope at Pico Veleta, near Granada (Spain). Methods. We have targeted a number of astronomical sources. Starting from beam-maps on primary and secondary calibrators we have then gone to extended sources and faint objects. Both internal (electronic) and on-the-sky calibrations are applied. The general methods are described in the present paper. Results. NIKA2 has been successfully deployed and commissioned, performing in-line with expectations. In particular, NIKA2 exhibits full width at half maximum angular resolutions of around 11 and 17.5 arcsec at respectively 260 and 150 GHz. The noise equivalent flux densities are, at these two respective frequencies, 33±2 and 8±1 mJy s1/2. A first successful science verification run was achieved in April 2017. The instrument is currently offered to the astronomy community and will remain available for at least the following ten years

Replication of fifteen loci involved in human plasma protein N-glycosylation in 4,802 samples from four cohorts

Human protein glycosylation is a complex process, and its in vivo regulation is poorly understood. Changes in glycosylation patterns are associated with many human diseases and conditions. Understanding the biological determinants of protein glycome provides a basis for future diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) allow to study biology via a hypothesis-free search of loci and genetic variants associated with a trait of interest. Sixteen loci were identified by three previous GWAS of human plasma proteome N-glycosylation. However, the possibility that some of these loci are false positives needs to be eliminated by replication studies, which have been limited so far. Here, we use the largest set of samples so far (4,802 individuals) to replicate the previously identified loci. For all but one locus, the expected replication power exceeded 95%. Of the sixteen loci reported previously, fifteen were replicated in our study. For the remaining locus (near the KREMEN1 gene) the replication power was low, and hence replication results were inconclusive. The very high replication rate highlights the general robustness of the GWAS findings as well as the high standards adopted by the community that studies genetic regulation of protein glycosylation. The fifteen replicated loci present a good target for further functional studies. Among these, eight genes encode glycosyltransferases: MGAT5, B3GAT1, FUT8, FUT6, ST6GAL1, B4GALT1, ST3GAL4, and MGAT3. The remaining seven loci offer starting points for further functional follow-up investigation into molecules and mechanisms that regulate human protein N-glycosylation in vivo