419 research outputs found
The relationship between sensory sensitivity and autistic traits in the general population.
Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) tend to have sensory processing difficulties (Baranek et al. in J Child Psychol Psychiatry 47:591â601, 2006). These difficulties include over- and under-responsiveness to sensory stimuli, and problems modulating sensory input (Ben-Sasson et al. in J Autism Dev Disorders 39:1â11, 2009). As those with ASD exist at the extreme end of a continuum of autistic traits that is also evident in the general population, we investigated the link between ASD and sensory sensitivity in the general population by administering two questionnaires online to 212 adult participants. Results showed a highly significant positive correlation (r = .775, p < .001) between number of autistic traits and the frequency of sensory processing problems. These data suggest a strong link between sensory processing and autistic traits in the general population, which in turn potentially implicates sensory processing problems in social interaction difficulties
Detection of the pairwise kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect with BOSS DR11 and the Atacama Cosmology Telescope
We present a new measurement of the kinematic Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect using
data from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) and the Baryon Oscillation
Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). Using 600 square degrees of overlapping sky area,
we evaluate the mean pairwise baryon momentum associated with the positions of
50,000 bright galaxies in the BOSS DR11 Large Scale Structure catalog. A
non-zero signal arises from the large-scale motions of halos containing the
sample galaxies. The data fits an analytical signal model well, with the
optical depth to microwave photon scattering as a free parameter determining
the overall signal amplitude. We estimate the covariance matrix of the mean
pairwise momentum as a function of galaxy separation, using microwave sky
simulations, jackknife evaluation, and bootstrap estimates. The most
conservative simulation-based errors give signal-to-noise estimates between 3.6
and 4.1 for varying galaxy luminosity cuts. We discuss how the other error
determinations can lead to higher signal-to-noise values, and consider the
impact of several possible systematic errors. Estimates of the optical depth
from the average thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich signal at the sample galaxy
positions are broadly consistent with those obtained from the mean pairwise
momentum signal.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, 2 table
A review of the systematic biology of fossil and living bony-tongue fishes, Osteoglossomorpha (Actinopterygii: Teleostei)
The bony-tongue fishes, Osteoglossomorpha, have been the focus of a great deal of morphological, systematic, and evolutionary study, due in part to their basal position among extant teleostean fishes. This group includes the mooneyes (Hiodontidae), knifefishes (Notopteridae), the abu (Gymnarchidae), elephantfishes (Mormyridae), arawanas and pirarucu (Osteoglossidae), and the African butterfly fish (Pantodontidae). This morphologically heterogeneous group also has a long and diverse fossil record, including taxa from all continents and both freshwater and marine deposits. The phylogenetic relationships among most extant osteoglossomorph families are widely agreed upon. However, there is still much to discover about the systematic biology of these fishes, particularly with regard to the phylogenetic affinities of several fossil taxa, within Mormyridae, and the position of Pantodon. In this paper we review the state of knowledge for osteoglossomorph fishes. We first provide an overview of the diversity of Osteoglossomorpha, and then discuss studies of the phylogeny of Osteoglossomorpha from both morphological and molecular perspectives, as well as biogeographic analyses of the group. Finally, we offer our perspectives on future needs for research on the systematic biology of Osteoglossomorpha
An Intermediate-mass Black Hole of Over 500 Solar Masses in the Galaxy ESO 243-49
Ultra-luminous X-ray sources are extragalactic objects located outside the
nucleus of the host galaxy with bolometric luminosities >10^39 erg s^-1. These
extreme luminosities - if the emission is isotropic and below the theoretical
(i.e. Eddington) limit, where the radiation pressure is balanced by the
gravitational pressure - imply the presence of an accreting black hole with a
mass of ~10^2-10^5 times that of the Sun. The existence of such intermediate
mass black holes is in dispute, and though many candidates have been proposed,
none are widely accepted as definitive. Here we report the detection of a
variable X-ray source with a maximum 0.2-10 keV luminosity of up to 1.2 x 10^42
erg s^-1 in the edge-on spiral galaxy ESO 243-49, with an implied conservative
lower limit of the mass of the black hole of ~500 Msun. This finding presents
the strongest observational evidence to date for the existence of intermediate
mass black holes, providing the long sought after missing link between the
stellar mass and super-massive black hole populations.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, 1 table, published in Natur
Riverbed sediments buffer phosphorus concentrations downstream of sewage treatment works across the River Wensum catchment, UK
Purpose: Wastewater effluent discharged into rivers from sewage treatment works (STWs) represents one of the most important point sources of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) pollution and is a major driver of freshwater eutrophication. In this study, we assess the ability of riverbed sediments to act as a self-regulating buffering system to reduce SRP dissolved in the water column downstream of STW outflows. Materials and methods: River water and riverbed sediment samples were collected from 10 tributary outlets across the River Wensum catchment, Norfolk, UK, at monthly intervals between July and October 2016, such that 40 sediment and 40 water samples were collected in total. Of these locations, five were located downstream of STWs and five were on tributaries without STWs. Dissolved SRP concentrations were analysed and the Equilibrium Phosphorus Concentration (EPC0) of each sediment sample was measured to determine whether riverbed sediments were acting as net sources or sinks of SRP. Results and discussion: The mean SRP concentration downstream of STWs (382 ”g P L-1) was double that of sites without a STW (185 ”g P L-1), whilst the mean EPC0 for effluent impacted sites (105 ”g P L-1) was 70% higher than that recorded at unaffected sites (62 ”g P L-1). Regardless of STW influence, riverbed sediments across all 10 sites almost always acted as net sinks for SRP from the overlying water column. This was particularly true at sites downstream of STWs which displayed enhanced potential to buffer the river against increases in SRP released in sewage effluent. Conclusions: Despite EPC0 values revealing riverbed sediments were consistently acting as sinks for SRP, elevated SRP concentrations downstream of STWs clearly demonstrate the sediments have insufficient SRP sorption capacity to completely buffer the river against effluent discharge. Consequently, SRP concentrations across the catchment continue to exceed recommended standards for good chemical status, thus emphasising the need for enhanced mitigation efforts at STWs to minimise riverine phosphorus loading
A seven-planet resonant chain in TRAPPIST-1
The TRAPPIST-1 system is the first transiting planet system found orbiting an ultra-cool dwarf star1. At least seven planets similar to Earth in radius were previously found to transit this host star2. Subsequently, TRAPPIST-1 was observed as part of the K2 mission and, with these new data, we report the measurement of an 18.77 d orbital period for the outermost transiting planet, TRAPPIST-1h, which was unconstrained until now. This value matches our theoretical expectations based on Laplace relations3 and places TRAPPIST-1h as the seventh member of a complex chain, with three-body resonances linking every member. We find that TRAPPIST-1h has a radius of 0.727 Râ and an equilibrium temperature of 169 K. We have also measured the rotational period of the star at 3.3 d and detected a number of flares consistent with a low-activity, middle-aged, late M dwarf
Parentâs experiences of counselling and their need for support following a prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease - a qualitative study in a Swedish context
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Two-season Atacama Cosmology Telescope polarimeter lensing power spectrum
© 2017 American Physical Society. We report a measurement of the power spectrum of cosmic microwave background (CMB) lensing from two seasons of Atacama Cosmology Telescope polarimeter (ACTPol) CMB data. The CMB lensing power spectrum is extracted from both temperature and polarization data using quadratic estimators. We obtain results that are consistent with the expectation from the best-fit Planck ÎCDM model over a range of multipoles L=80-2100, with an amplitude of lensing Alens=1.06±0.15(stat)±0.06(sys) relative to Planck. Our measurement of the CMB lensing power spectrum gives Ï8Ωm0.25=0.643±0.054; including baryon acoustic oscillation scale data, we constrain the amplitude of density fluctuations to be Ï8=0.831±0.053. We also update constraints on the neutrino mass sum. We verify our lensing measurement with a number of null tests and systematic checks, finding no evidence of significant systematic errors. This measurement relies on a small fraction of the ACTPol data already taken; more precise lensing results can therefore be expected from the full ACTPol data set.This
work was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation
(NSF) through Grants. No. AST-1440226, No. AST-0965625
and No. AST-0408698 for the ACT project, as well as Grants
No. PHY-1214379 and No. PHY-0855887. Funding was also
provided by Princeton University, the University of
Pennsylvania, and a Canada Foundation for Innovation
(CFI) grant to U. B. C. A. C. T. operates in the Parque
AstronĂłmico Atacama in northern Chile under the auspices
of the ComisiĂłn Nacional de InvestigaciĂłn CientĂfica y
TecnolĂłgica de Chile (CONICYT). Computations were
performed on the GPC supercomputer at the SciNet HPC
Consortium. SciNetis funded bytheCFI under the auspices of
Compute Canada, the Government of Ontario, the Ontario
Research Fund Research Excellence, and the University of
Toronto. The development of multichroic detectors and lenses
was supported by NASA Grants No. NNX13AE56G and
No. NNX14AB58G. N. S. acknowledges support from NSF
Grant No. 1513618. A. K. has been supported by NSF Grant
No. AST-1312380. R. D. and L. M. thank CONICYT for
Grants No. ALMA-CONICYT 31140004, No. FONDECYT 1141113, No. Anillo ACT-1417 and BASAL CATA. We also
thank the Mishrahi Fund and the Wilkinson Fund for their
generous support of the project
Delayed Treatment with Systemic (S)-Roscovitine Provides Neuroprotection and Inhibits In Vivo CDK5 Activity Increase in Animal Stroke Models
Although quite challenging, neuroprotective therapies in ischemic stroke remain an interesting strategy to counter mechanisms of ischemic injury and reduce brain tissue damage. Among potential neuroprotective drug, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) inhibitors represent interesting therapeutic candidates. Increasing evidence indisputably links cell cycle CDKs and CDK5 to the pathogenesis of stroke. Although recent studies have demonstrated promising neuroprotective efficacies of pharmacological CDK inhibitors in related animal models, none of them were however clinically relevant to human treatment.In the present study, we report that systemic delivery of (S)-roscovitine, a well known inhibitor of mitotic CDKs and CDK5, was neuroprotective in a dose-dependent manner in two models of focal ischemia, as recommended by STAIR guidelines. We show that (S)-roscovitine was able to cross the blood brain barrier. (S)-roscovitine significant in vivo positive effect remained when the compound was systemically administered 2 hrs after the insult. Moreover, we validate one of (S)-roscovitine in vivo target after ischemia. Cerebral increase of CDK5/p25 activity was observed 3 hrs after the insult and prevented by systemic (S)-roscovitine administration. Our results show therefore that roscovitine protects in vivo neurons possibly through CDK5 dependent mechanisms.Altogether, our data bring new evidences for the further development of pharmacological CDK inhibitors in stroke therapy
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