A search for the presence of magnetic fields in the two Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients IGR J08408-4503 and IGR J11215-5952

A significant fraction of high-mass X-ray binaries are supergiant fast X-ray transients (SFXTs). The prime model for the physics governing their X-ray behaviour suggests that the winds of donor OB supergiants are magnetized. To investigate if magnetic fields are indeed present in the optical counterparts of such systems, we acquired low-resolution spectropolarimetric observations of the two optically brightest SFXTs, IGR J08408-4503 and IGR J11215-5952 with the ESO FORS2 instrument during two different observing runs. No field detection at a significance level of 3sigma was achieved for IGR J08408-4503. For IGR J11215-5952, we obtain 3.2sigma and 3.8sigma detections (_hydr = -978+-308G and _hydr = 416+-110G) on two different nights in 2016. These results indicate that the model involving the interaction of a magnetized stellar wind with the neutron star magnetosphere can indeed be considered to characterize the behaviour of SFXTs. We detected long-term spectral variability in IGR J11215-5952, while for IGR J08408-4503 we find an indication of the presence of short-term variability on a time scale of minutes.Comment: 5 pages, 1 table, 7 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Pathological Angiogenesis Requires Syndecan-4 for Efficient VEGFA-Induced VE-Cadherin Internalization

Objective: VEGFA (Vascular endothelial growth factor A) and its receptor VEGFR2 (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2) drive angiogenesis in several pathologies, including diabetic retinopathy, wet age-related macular degeneration, and cancer. Studies suggest roles for HSPGs (heparan sulfate proteoglycans) in this process, although the nature of this involvement remains elusive. Here, we set to establish the role of the HSPG SDC4 (syndecan-4) in pathological angiogenesis. Approach and Results: We report that angiogenesis is impaired in mice null for SDC4 in models of neovascular eye disease and tumor development. Our work demonstrates that SDC4 is the only SDC whose gene expression is upregulated during pathological angiogenesis and is selectively enriched on immature vessels in retinas from diabetic retinopathy patients. Combining in vivo and tissue culture models, we identified SDC4 as a downstream mediator of functional angiogenic responses to VEGFA. We found that SDC4 resides at endothelial cell junctions, interacts with vascular endothelial cadherin, and is required for its internalization in response to VEGFA. Finally, we show that pathological angiogenic responses are inhibited in a model of wet age-related macular degeneration by targeting SDC4. Conclusions: We show that SDC4 is a downstream mediator of VEGFA-induced vascular endothelial cadherin internalization during pathological angiogenesis and a potential target for antiangiogenic therapies

The Use of Digital Technologies at School and Cognitive Learning Outcomes : A Population-Based Study in Finland

Recently, the use of information and communications technology (ICT) at school has been extensively increased in Finland. This study investigated whether the use of ICT at school is linked to students 'learning outcomes in Finland. We used the Finnish PISA 2015 data (N=5037). Cognitive learning outcomes (i.e. science, mathematics, reading, collaborative problem-solving) were evaluated with computer-based tests. ICT use at school, ICT availability at school, and students' perceived ICT competence were assessed with self-rating questionnaires. Frequent ICT use at school predicted students' weaker performance in all the cognitive learning outcomes, when adjusted for age, gender, parental socioeconomic status, students' ICT competence, and ICT availability at school. Further, the effect of ICT use on learning outcomes was more negative in students with higher than lower ICT skills. Frequent use of ICT at school appears to be linked to weaker cognitive learning outcomes in Finland. This may be explained by working memory overload and task-switching during the use of digital technologies. This finding also suggests that even though students with ICT skills are good at mechanical use of digital device, they may not have abilities for a goal-oriented and self-directed use of digital technologies that could promote their learning.Peer reviewe

Extreme Technicolor & The Walking Critical Temperature

We map the phase diagram of gauge theories of fundamental interactions in the flavor-temperature plane using chiral perturbation theory to estimate the relation between the pion decaying constant and the critical temperature above which chiral symmetry is restored. We then investigate the impact of our results on models of dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking and therefore on the electroweak early universe phase transition.Comment: RevTeX, 18 pages, 3 figure

Hypoglycaemia in Type 2 diabetes

The primary cause of hypoglycaemia in Type 2 diabetes is diabetes medication—in particular, those which raise insulin levels independently of blood glucose, such as sulphonylureas (SUs) and exogenous insulin. The risk of hypoglycaemia is increased in older patients, those with longer diabetes duration, lesser insulin reserve and perhaps in the drive for strict glycaemic control. Differing definitions, data collection methods, drug type/regimen and patient populations make comparing rates of hypoglycaemia difficult. It is clear that patients taking insulin have the highest rates of self-reported severe hypoglycaemia (25% in patients who have been taking insulin for > 5 years). SUs are associated with significantly lower rates of severe hypoglycaemia. However, large numbers of patients take SUs in the UK, and it is estimated that each year > 5000 patients will experience a severe event caused by their SU therapy which will require emergency intervention. Hypoglycaemia has substantial clinical impact, in terms of mortality, morbidity and quality of life. The cost implications of severe episodes—both direct hospital costs and indirect costs—are considerable: it is estimated that each hospital admission for severe hypoglycaemia costs around £1000. Hypoglycaemia and fear of hypoglycaemia limit the ability of current diabetes medications to achieve and maintain optimal levels of glycaemic control. Newer therapies, which focus on the incretin axis, may carry a lower risk of hypoglycaemia. Their use, and more prudent use of older therapies with low risk of hypoglycaemia, may help patients achieve improved glucose control for longer, and reduce the risk of diabetic complications

Serum relaxin levels are reduced in pregnant women with a history of recurrent miscarriage, and correlate with maternal uterine artery Doppler indices in first trimester

Objectives: Defective implantation is a mechanism for recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). We sought to determine whether the serum expression of human relaxin-2 (RLX) is impaired in women with a history of RPL. Study design: Employing a prospective case-controlled design we studied 20 pregnant women with a history of RPL and 20 age-matched women with no history of RPL (NRPL). We measured serum relaxin-2 levels by ELISA at 6-8. 10-12, 20, and 34 weeks gestation and in cord blood, and maternal uterine artery Doppler resistance index (RI) at >= 10 weeks gestation. Results: Relaxin rose to a peak at 12 weeks, and gradually declined towards term. At all gestations, women with a history of RPL had lower RLX levels than women without. At 10-12 weeks gestation, uterine artery RI correlated with serum RLX for both RPL and NRPL. In the NRPL group at 10-12 weeks the presence of a notched waveform was associated with higher RLX levels than the absence of a notch (mean 2.1 ng/ml vs. 1.3 ng/ml, P < 0.05) and also at 20 weeks (2.1 ng/ml vs. 0.95 ng/ml, P < 0.05) but no such difference was seen in the RPL group. Umbilical venous RLX was 4-fold higher in the RPL group than the NRPL group. Conclusion: Women with a history of RPL demonstrate attenuated levels of serum RLX across all pregnancy trimesters. How dysregulated RLX metabolism may contribute to adverse pregnancy outcome in RPL requires further investigation. Crown Copyright (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Cavitons and spontaneous hot flow anomalies in a hybrid-Vlasov global magnetospheric simulation

In this paper we present the first identification of foreshock cavitons and the formation of spontaneous hot flow anomalies (SHFAs) with the Vlasiator global magnetospheric hybrid-Vlasov simulation code. In agreement with previous studies we show that cavitons evolve into SHFAs. In the presented run, this occurs very near the bow shock. We report on SHFAs surviving the shock crossing into the down-stream region and show that the interaction of SHFAs with the bow shock can lead to the formation of a magnetosheath cavity, previously identified in observations and simulations. We report on the first identification of long-term local weakening and erosion of the bow shock, associated with a region of increased foreshock SHFA and caviton formation, and repeated shock crossings by them. We show that SHFAs are linked to an increase in suprathermal particle pitch-angle spreads. The realistic length scales in our simulation allow us to present a statistical study of global caviton and SHFA size distributions, and their comparable size distributions support the theory that SHFAs are formed from cavitons. Virtual spacecraft observations are shown to be in good agreement with observational studies.Peer reviewe