How frequent are close supermassive binary black holes in powerful jet sources?

24 pages, 36 figures. © 2018 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society This article is published and distributed under the terms of the Oxford University Press, Standard Journals Publication Model (https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model)Supermassive black hole binariesmay be detectable by an upcoming suite of gravitationalwave experiments. Their binary nature can also be revealed by radio jets via a short-period precession driven by the orbital motion as well as the geodetic precession at typically longer periods. We have investigated Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array and Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) radio maps of powerful jet sources for morphological evidence of geodetic precession. For perhaps the best-studied source, Cygnus A, we find strong evidence for geodetic precession. Projection effects can enhance precession features, for which we find indications in strongly projected sources. For a complete sample of 33 3CR radio sources, we find strong evidence for jet precession in 24 cases (73 per cent). The morphology of the radio maps suggests that the precession periods are of the order of 10 6- 10 7 yr. We consider different explanations for the morphological features and conclude that geodetic precession is the best explanation. The frequently observed gradual jet angle changes in samples of powerful blazars can be explained by orbital motion. Both observations can be explained simultaneously by postulating that a high fraction of powerful radio sources have subparsec supermassive black hole binaries.We consider complementary evidence and discuss if any jetted supermassive black hole with some indication of precession could be detected as individual gravitational wave source in the near future. This appears unlikely, with the possible exception of M87.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Design and Development of a Photodegradable Bottle Cap

The first photodegradable plastic cap for a glass beer bottle was developed and tested. The cap\u27s design is the same as the current plastic, screw-on cap for soda bottles. A photodegradable resin was added to the soda cap plastic to make it photodegradable. Caps with 0%, 10%, and 25% photodegradable additive were made. Tests show that the photodegradable cap meets most of the physical properties required for a beer or a soda cap. A photodegradable cap with 10% degradable additive will cost about three times more than current metal crowns, but only about 10% more than current plastic soda caps. The photodegradable caps can be made on a large scale using the same process as for regular soda caps. 10,000 caps were made for testing

Expression of Insoluble Influenza Neuraminidase Type 1 (NA1) Protein in Tobacco

The avian influenza virus, particularly H5N1 strain, is highly virulent to poultry and mankind. Several expression systems, like yeast, baculovirus and mammalian cells, have been adopted to produce vaccine candidate for this lethal disease. The present research aimed at developing a recombinant vaccine candidate, neuraminidase type 1 (NA1), for the Malaysia isolate of H5N1 in Nicotiana benthamiana. The NA1 gene was fused directly in-frame in cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV)-based pEAQ-HT vector with C-terminal polyhistidine-tag incorporated to ease the subsequent purification step. The expression of the NA1 gene in tobacco was confirmed at RNA and protein levels at 6 days post-infiltration (Dpi). From the insoluble fraction of the protein, a recombinant glycosylated NA1 protein with a molecular weight of ~56 kDa was immunogenically detected by a specific anti-NA polyclonal antibody. We report for the first time the insolubility of the plant-made NA1 protein where a native sequence was used for its expression. This study signifies the necessity of the use of optimised sequences for expression work and provides great opportunity for the exploration of plant-manufactured NA1 protein as vaccine candidate

Acceptability of a Novel Smartphone Application for Rhythm Evaluation in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Background: Investigators at UMass Medical School and WPI co-developed a novel smartphone application (app), PULSESMART, that detects atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is the world’s most common, serious heart rhythm problem. In its early stages, most cases of AF are paroxysmal (pAF), making them difficult to identify early in the course of disease. Long-term cardiac monitoring is frequently needed to diagnose and prevent complications from AF, such as stroke. Home monitoring for AF can be clinically impactful but existing technologies have cost or methodological limitations. Data are needed on the potential acceptability and usability of heart rhythm monitoring applications. Aim: Our aim was to examine patient acceptability of using a pAF detection app. Methods: 52 patients with pAF underwent rhythm assessment using the app and completed a standardized questionnaire. We looked specifically at responses to 3 questions: 1) how easy was it to use? 2) How important could it be for you? And 3) to what extent does it fit into your daily life? Results: The mean age was 68.5 years and 69% female. The majority of patients reported the app was easy to use (73%), could be important to them and their health (84%), and would fit into their daily lives (78%). Conclusions: After use of the pAF detection app, most patients reported positively. The results suggest that older persons with, or at risk for, pAF may benefit from smartphone-based arrhythmia detection platforms. Further work is needed to assess the feasibility of at-home or in-clinic app use

VR-Fit: Walking-in-Place Locomotion with Real Time Step Detection for VR-Enabled Exercise

With recent advances in mobile and wearable technologies, virtual reality (VR) found many applications in daily use. Today, a mobile device can be converted into a low-cost immersive VR kit thanks to the availability of do-it-yourself viewers in the shape of simple cardboards and compatible software for 3D rendering. These applications involve interacting with stationary scenes or moving in between spaces within a VR environment. VR locomotion can be enabled through a variety of methods, such as head movement tracking, joystick-triggered motion and through mapping natural movements to translate to virtual locomotion. In this study, we implemented a walk-in-place (WIP) locomotion method for a VR-enabled exercise application. We investigate the utility of WIP for exercise purposes, and compare it with joystick-based locomotion in terms of step performance and subjective qualities of the activity, such as enjoyment, encouragement for exercise and ease of use. Our technique uses vertical accelerometer data to estimate steps taken during walking or running, and locomotes the user’s avatar accordingly in virtual space. We evaluated our technique in a controlled experimental study with 12 people. Results indicate that the way users control the simulated locomotion affects how they interact with the VR simulation, and influence the subjective sense of immersion and the perceived quality of the interaction. In particular, WIP encourages users to move further, and creates a more enjoyable and interesting experience in comparison to joystick-based navigation

Religiousness as a Predictor of Suicide: An Analysis of 162 European Regions

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149318/1/sltb12435.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149318/2/sltb12435_am.pd

Stress Evolution in Composite Silicon Electrodes during Lithiation/Delithiation

We report real-time average stress measurements on composite silicon electrodes made with two different binders [Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)] during electrochemical lithiation and delithiation. During galvanostatic lithiation at very slow rates, the stress in a CMC-based electrode becomes compressive and increases to 70 MPa, where it reaches a plateau and increases slowly thereafter with capacity. The PVDF-based electrode exhibits similar behavior, although with lower peak compressive stress of about 12 MPa. These initial experiments indicate that the stress evolution in a Si composite electrode depends strongly on the mechanical properties of the binder. Stress data obtained from a series of lithiation/delithiation cycles suggests plasticity induced irreversible shape changes in contacting Si particles, and as a result, the stress response of the system during any given lithiation/delithiation cycle depends on the cycling history of the electrode. While these results constitute the first in-situ stress measurements on composite Si electrodes during electrochemical cycling, the diagnostic technique described herein can be used to assess the mechanical response of a composite electrode made with other active material/binder combinations.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figure

Rhythmic dynamics and synchronization via dimensionality reduction : application to human gait

Reliable characterization of locomotor dynamics of human walking is vital to understanding the neuromuscular control of human locomotion and disease diagnosis. However, the inherent oscillation and ubiquity of noise in such non-strictly periodic signals pose great challenges to current methodologies. To this end, we exploit the state-of-the-art technology in pattern recognition and, specifically, dimensionality reduction techniques, and propose to reconstruct and characterize the dynamics accurately on the cycle scale of the signal. This is achieved by deriving a low-dimensional representation of the cycles through global optimization, which effectively preserves the topology of the cycles that are embedded in a high-dimensional Euclidian space. Our approach demonstrates a clear advantage in capturing the intrinsic dynamics and probing the subtle synchronization patterns from uni/bivariate oscillatory signals over traditional methods. Application to human gait data for healthy subjects and diabetics reveals a significant difference in the dynamics of ankle movements and ankle-knee coordination, but not in knee movements. These results indicate that the impaired sensory feedback from the feet due to diabetes does not influence the knee movement in general, and that normal human walking is not critically dependent on the feedback from the peripheral nervous system

The OPERA experiment Target Tracker

The main task of the Target Tracker detector of the long baseline neutrino oscillation OPERA experiment is to locate in which of the target elementary constituents, the lead/emulsion bricks, the neutrino interactions have occurred and also to give calorimetric information about each event. The technology used consists in walls of two planes of plastic scintillator strips, one per transverse direction. Wavelength shifting fibres collect the light signal emitted by the scintillator strips and guide it to both ends where it is read by multi-anode photomultiplier tubes. All the elements used in the construction of this detector and its main characteristics are described.Comment: 25 pages, submitted to Nuclear Instrument and Method

Coupling of alpha(1)-Adrenoceptors to ERK1/2 in the Human Prostate

Introduction: alpha(1)-Adrenoceptors are considered critical for the regulation of prostatic smooth muscle tone. However, previous studies suggested further alpha(1)-adrenoceptor functions besides contraction. Here, we investigated whether alpha(1)-adrenoceptors in the human prostate may activate extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2). Methods: Prostate tissues from patients undergoing radical prostatectomy were stimulated in vitro. Activation of ERK1/2 was assessed by Western blot analysis. Expression of ERK1/2 was studied by immunohistochemistry. The effect of ERK1/2 inhibition by U0126 on phenylephrine-induced contraction was studied in organ-bath experiments. Results: Stimulation of human prostate tissue with noradrenaline (30 mu M) or phenylephrine (10 mu M) resulted in ERK activation. This was reflected by increased levels of phosphorylated ERK1/2. Expression of ERK1/2 in the prostate was observed in smooth muscle cells. Incubation of prostate tissue with U0126 (30 mu M) resulted in ERK1/2 inhibition. Dose-dependent phenylephrine-induced contraction of prostate tissue was not modulated by U0126. Conclusions: alpha(1)-Adrenoceptors in the human prostate are coupled to ERK1/2. This may partially explain previous observations suggesting a role of alpha(1)-adrenoceptors in the regulation of prostate growth. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Base