2,352 research outputs found
Hands-On TAROT: Intercontinental use of the TAROT for Education and Public Outreach
The TAROT telescope has for primary goal the search for the prompt optical
counterpart of Cosmic Gamma-Ray Bursts. It is a completely autonomous 25cm
telescope installed near Nice (France), able to point any location of the sky
within 1-2 seconds. The control, scheduling, and data processing activities are
completely automated, so the instrument is completely autonomous. In addition
to its un-manned modes, we added recently the possibility to remotely control
the telescope, as a request of the "Hands-On Universe" (HOU) program for
exchange of time within automatic telescopes for the education and public
outreach. To this purpose we developed a simple control interface. A webcam was
installed to visualize the telescope. Access to the data is possible through a
web interface. The images can be processed by the HOU software, a program
specially suited for use within the classroom. We experienced these feature
during the open days of the University of California Berkeley and the Astronomy
Festival of Fleurance (France). We plan a regular use for an astronomy course
of the Museum of Tokyo, as well as for French schools. Not only does Hands-On
TAROT gives the general public an access to professional astronomy, but it is
also a more general tool to demonstrate the use of a complex automated system,
the techniques of data processing and automation. Last but not least, through
the use of telescopes located in many countries over the globe, a form of
powerful and genuine cooperation between teachers and children from various
countries is promoted, with a clear educational goal.Comment: 4 pages, Based on a demonstration presented at the ADASS X
Conference, Boston, MA, USA, October 2000, to appear in ASP Conf. Serie
High-density magnetomyography is superior to high-density surface electromyography for motor unit decomposition: a simulation study
Objective. Studying motor units is essential for understanding motor control, the detection of neuromuscular disorders and the control of human-machine interfaces. Individual motor unit firings are currently identified in vivo by decomposing electromyographic (EMG) signals. Due to our body’s properties and anatomy, individual motor units can only be separated to a limited extent with surface EMG. Unlike electrical signals, magnetic fields do not interact with human tissues. This physical property and the emerging technology of quantum sensors make magnetomyography (MMG) a highly promising methodology. However, the full potential of MMG to study neuromuscular physiology has not yet been explored. Approach. In this work, we perform in silico trials that combine a biophysical model of EMG and MMG with state-of-the-art algorithms for the decomposition of motor units. This allows the prediction of an upper-bound for the motor unit decomposition accuracy. Main results. It is shown that non-invasive high-density MMG data is superior over comparable high-density surface EMG data for the robust identification of the discharge patterns of individual motor units. Decomposing MMG instead of EMG increased the number of identifiable motor units by 76%. Notably, MMG exhibits a less pronounced bias to detect superficial motor units. Significance. The presented simulations provide insights into methods to study the neuromuscular system non-invasively and in vivo that would not be easily feasible by other means. Hence, this study provides guidance for the development of novel biomedical technologies
New Records and Notes on the Ecology of the Northern Long-Eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis) in Arkansas
SWI/SNF regulates a transcriptional programme that induces senescence to prevent liver cancer
Oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) is a potent tumour suppressor mechanism. To identify senescence regulators relevant to cancer, we screened an shRNA library targeting genes deleted in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we describe how knockdown of the SWI/SNF component ARID1B prevents OIS and cooperates with RAS to induce liver tumours. ARID1B controls p16INK4a and p21CIP1a transcription but also regulates DNA damage, oxidative stress and p53 induction, suggesting that SWI/SNF uses additional mechanisms to regulate senescence. To systematically identify SWI/SNF targets regulating senescence, we carried out a focused shRNA screen. We discovered several new senescence regulators including ENTPD7, an enzyme that hydrolyses nucleotides. ENTPD7 affects oxidative stress, DNA damage and senescence. Importantly, expression of ENTPD7 or inhibition of nucleotide synthesis in ARID1B-depleted cells results in re-establishment of senescence. Our results identify novel mechanisms by which epigenetic regulators can affect tumor progression and suggest that pro-senescence therapies could be employed against SWI/SNF-mutated cancers
The historical vanishing of the Blazhko effect of RR Lyr from GEOS and Kepler surveys
RR Lyr is one of the most studied variable stars. Its light curve has been
regularly monitored since the discovery of the periodic variability in 1899.
Analysis of all observed maxima allows us to identify two primary pulsation
states defined as pulsation over a long (P0 longer than 0.56684 d) and a short
(P0 shorter than 0.56682 d) primary pulsation period. These states alternate
with intervals of 13-16 yr, and are well defined after 1943. The 40.8 d
periodical modulations of the amplitude and the period (i.e. Blazhko effect)
were noticed in 1916. We provide homogeneous determinations of the Blazhko
period in the different primary pulsation states. The Blazhko period does not
follow the variations of P0 and suddenly diminished from 40.8 d to around 39.0
d in 1975. The monitoring of these periodicities deserved and deserves a
continuous and intensive observational effort. For this purpose we have built
dedicated, transportable and autonomous small instruments, Very Tiny Telescopes
(VTTs), to observe the times of maximum brightness of RR Lyr. As immediate
results the VTTs recorded the last change of P0 state in mid-2009 and extended
the time coverage of the Kepler observations, thus recording a maximum O-C
amplitude of the Blazhko effect at the end of 2008, followed by the
historically smallest O-C amplitude in late 2013. This decrease is still
ongoing and VTT instruments are ready to monitor the expected increase in the
next few years.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. Contents of
appendix B may be requested to first autho
Large-scale environments of binary AGB stars probed by Herschel. II: Two companions interacting with the wind of pi1 Gruis
Context. The Mass loss of Evolved StarS (MESS) sample observed with PACS on
board the Herschel Space Observatory revealed that several asymptotic giant
branch (AGB) stars are surrounded by an asymmetric circumstellar envelope (CSE)
whose morphology is most likely caused by the interaction with a stellar
companion. The evolution of AGB stars in binary systems plays a crucial role in
understanding the formation of asymmetries in planetary nebul{\ae} (PNe), but
at present, only a handful of cases are known where the interaction of a
companion with the stellar AGB wind is observed.
Aims. We probe the environment of the very evolved AGB star Gruis on
large and small scales to identify the triggers of the observed asymmetries.
Methods. Observations made with Herschel/PACS at 70 m and 160 m
picture the large-scale environment of Gru. The close surroundings of
the star are probed by interferometric observations from the VLTI/AMBER
archive. An analysis of the proper motion data of Hipparcos and Tycho-2
together with the Hipparcos Intermediate Astrometric Data help identify the
possible cause for the observed asymmetry.
Results. The Herschel/PACS images of Gru show an elliptical CSE whose
properties agree with those derived from a CO map published in the literature.
In addition, an arc east of the star is visible at a distance of
from the primary. This arc is most likely part of an
Archimedean spiral caused by an already known G0V companion that is orbiting
the primary at a projected distance of 460 au with a period of more than 6200
yr. However, the presence of the elliptical CSE, proper motion variations, and
geometric modelling of the VLTI/AMBER observations point towards a third
component in the system, with an orbital period shorter than 10 yr, orbiting
much closer to the primary than the G0V star.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
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