Assessing the challenges of global long-term mitigation scenarios

The implications of global mitigation to achieve different long-term temperature goals (LTTGs) can be investigated in integrated assessment models (IAMs), which provide a large number of outputs including technology deployment levels, economic costs, carbon prices, annual rates of decarbonisation, degree of global net negative emissions required, as well as utilisation levels for fossil fuel plants. All of these factors can be considered in detail when judging the real-world feasibility of the mitigation scenarios produced by these models. This study presents a model inter-comparison of three widely used IAMs (TIAM, MESSAGE and WITCH) to analyse multiple mitigation scenarios exploring a range of LTTGs and a range of constraints, including delayed mitigation action, limited end-use electrification and delayed deployment of carbon capture technologies. The scenario outputs across the three models are examined and discussed and a matrix of the different factors concerning scenario feasibility is presented

Milk and milk-derived peptides combat against hypertension and vascular dysfunction : a review

Epidemiological studies have revealed that consumption of milk and fermented dairy products is inversely associated with elevated blood pressure and with many of the risk factors of the metabolic syndrome. Previously, calcium was thought to be behind this phenomenon, but during the last 20 years, convincing evidence emerging from experimental, epidemiological and intervention studies has highlighted the important role of the small peptides formed during fermentation processes. This review provides an overview of the potential blood pressure lowering components present in dairy products with a special focus on casein-derived tripeptides.Peer reviewe

Plasma Magnetohydrodynamics and Energy Conversion

Contains reports on eight research projects.National Science Foundation (Grant G-24073)United States Air Force, Aeronautical Systems Division, Aeronautical Accessories Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Contract AF33(616)-7624)United States Air Force, Office of Scientific Research of the Office of Aerospace Research (Research Grant No. 62-308

The operational environment and rotational acceleration of asteroid (101955) Bennu from OSIRIS-REx observations

During its approach to asteroid (101955) Bennu, NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft surveyed Bennu's immediate environment, photometric properties, and rotation state. Discovery of a dusty environment, a natural satellite, or unexpected asteroid characteristics would have had consequences for the mission's safety and observation strategy. Here we show that spacecraft observations during this period were highly sensitive to satellites (sub-meter scale) but reveal none, although later navigational images indicate that further investigation is needed. We constrain average dust production in September 2018 from Bennu's surface to an upper limit of 150 g s(-1) averaged over 34 min. Bennu's disk-integrated photometric phase function validates measurements from the pre-encounter astronomical campaign. We demonstrate that Bennu's rotation rate is accelerating continuously at 3.63 +/- 0.52 x 10(-6) degrees day(-2), likely due to the Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack (YORP) effect, with evolutionary implications.This material is based upon work supported by NASA under Contract NNM10AA11C issued through the New Frontiers Program. This work made use of sbpy (http://sbpy. org), a community-driven Python package for small-body planetary astronomy supported by NASA PDART Grant No. 80NSSC18K0987. A portion of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. M.A.B. and S.F. acknowledge financial support from CNES

Overcoming the Challenges Associated with Image-based Mapping of Small Bodies in Preparation for the OSIRIS-REx Mission to (101955) Bennu

The OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission is the third mission in NASA's New Frontiers Program and is the first U.S. mission to return samples from an asteroid to Earth. The most important decision ahead of the OSIRIS-REx team is the selection of a prime sample-site on the surface of asteroid (101955) Bennu. Mission success hinges on identifying a site that is safe and has regolith that can readily be ingested by the spacecraft's sampling mechanism. To inform this mission-critical decision, the surface of Bennu is mapped using the OSIRIS-REx Camera Suite and the images are used to develop several foundational data products. Acquiring the necessary inputs to these data products requires observational strategies that are defined specifically to overcome the challenges associated with mapping a small irregular body. We present these strategies in the context of assessing candidate sample-sites at Bennu according to a framework of decisions regarding the relative safety, sampleability, and scientific value across the asteroid's surface. To create data products that aid these assessments, we describe the best practices developed by the OSIRIS-REx team for image-based mapping of irregular small bodies. We emphasize the importance of using 3D shape models and the ability to work in body-fixed rectangular coordinates when dealing with planetary surfaces that cannot be uniquely addressed by body-fixed latitude and longitude.Comment: 31 pages, 10 figures, 2 table

Intermittent C1-Inhibitor Deficiency Associated with Recessive Inheritance: Functional and Structural Insight

C1-inhibitor is a serine protease inhibitor (serpin) controlling complement and contact system activation. Gene mutations result in reduced C1-inhibitor functional plasma level causing hereditary angioedema, a life-threatening disorder. Despite a stable defect, the clinical expression of hereditary angioedema is unpredictable, and the molecular mechanism underlying this variability remains undisclosed. Here we report functional and structural studies on the Arg378Cys C1-inhibitor mutant found in a patient presenting reduced C1-inhibitor levels, episodically undergoing normalization. Expression studies resulted in a drop in mutant C1-innhibitor secretion compared to wild-type. Notwithstanding, the purified proteins had similar features. Thermal denaturation experiments showed a comparable denaturation profile, but the mutant thermal stability decays when tested in conditions reproducing intracellular crowding.Our findings suggest that once correctly folded, the Arg378Cys C1-inhibitor is secreted as an active, although quite unstable, monomer. However, it could bear a folding defect, occasionally promoting protein oligomerization and interfering with the secretion process, thus accounting for its plasma level variability. This defect is exacerbated by the nature of the mutation since the acquired cysteine leads to the formation of non-functional homodimers through inter-molecular disulphide bonding. All the proposed phenomena could be modulated by specific environmental conditions, rendering this mutant exceptionally vulnerable to mild stress

Study of Intermediate-spin States of Y-98

The nuclear structure of the odd–odd nucleus 98Y has been re-investigated by observing prompt γ rays emitted following the proton-induced fission of a 238U target, using the JUROGAM-II multidetector array. New highspin decays have been observed and placed in the level schemes using triple coincidences. The experimental level energies and γ-decay patterns are compared to GICM and QPRM calculations, assuming that this neutronrich N = 59 isotone is spherical at low energies and prolate deformed at intermediate spins.Web of Science47391691

Future air pollution in the Shared Socio-economic Pathways

Emissions of air pollutants such as sulfur and nitrogen oxides and particulates have significant health impacts as well as effects on natural and anthropogenic ecosystems. These same emissions also can change atmospheric chemistry and the planetary energy balance, thereby impacting global and regional climate. Long-term scenarios for air pollutant emissions are needed as inputs to global climate and chemistry models, and for analysis linking air pollutant impacts across sectors. In this paper we present methodology and results for air pollutant emissions in Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) scenarios. We first present a set of three air pollution narratives that describe high, central, and low pollution control ambitions over the 21st century. These narratives are then translated into quantitative guidance for use in integrated assessment models. The resulting pollutant emission trajectories under the SSP scenarios cover a wider range than the scenarios used in previous international climate model comparisons. In the SSP3 and SSP4 scenarios, where economic, institutional and technological limitations slow air quality improvements, global pollutant emissions over the 21st century can be comparable to current levels. Pollutant emissions in the SSP1 scenarios fall to low levels due to the assumption of technological advances and successful global action to control emissions

Comparison of fludarabine/melphalan (FluMel) with fludarabine/melphalan/BCNU or thiotepa (FBM/FTM) in patients with AML in first complete remission undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation – a registry study on behalf of the EBMT Acute Leukemia Working Party

\ua9 2023, The Author(s).Conditioning protocols for patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) are being developed continuously to improve their anti-leukemic efficacy and reduce their toxicity. In this study, we compared the conditioning protocol of fludarabine with melphalan 140 mg/m2 (FluMel) with conditioning protocols based on this same backbone but with an additional alkylating agent i.e., either fludarabine/BCNU (also known as carmustine)/melphalan (FBM), or fludarabine/thiotepa/melphalan (FTM) 110 mg/m2. We included 1272 adult patients (FluMel, n = 1002; FBM/FTM, n = 270) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with intermediate/poor cytogenetic risk in first complete remission (CR) from the registry of the EBMT Acute Leukemia Working Party. Despite patients in the FBM/FTM group were older (64.1 years vs. 59.8 years, p < 0.001) and had a worse Karnofsky performance score (KPS < 90, 33% vs. 24%, p = 0.003), they showed a better overall survival (OS) (2 y OS: 68.3% vs. 58.1%, p = 0.02) and less non-relapse mortality (NRM) (2 y NRM: 15.8% vs. 22.2%, p = 0.009) compared to patients treated with FluMel. No significant differences were observed in relapse incidence (RI) (2 y RI: 24.9% vs. 23.7%, p = 0.62). In conclusion, the addition of a second alkylating agent (BCNU/carmustine or thiotepa) to FluMel as FBM/FTM conditioning, improves OS in AML patients in first CR with intermediate/poor risk cytogenetics after allo-HCT