Mass loss from the exoplanet WASP-12b inferred from Spitzer phase curves

This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ©: 2019 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.The exoplanet WASP-12b is the prototype for the emerging class of ultrahot, Jupiter-mass exoplanets. Past models have predicted – and near-ultraviolet observations have shown – that this planet is losing mass. We present an analysis of two sets of 3.6 and 4.5 μmSpitzer phase curve observations of the system which show clear evidence of infrared radiation from gas stripped from the planet, and the gas appears to be flowing directly toward or away from the host star. This accretion signature is only seen at 4.5 μm⁠, not at 3.6 μm⁠, which is indicative either of CO emission at the longer wavelength or blackbody emission from cool, ≲600 K gas. It is unclear why WASP-12b is the only ultrahot Jupiter to exhibit this mass-loss signature, but perhaps WASP-12b’s orbit is decaying as some have claimed, while the orbits of other exoplanets may be more stable; alternatively, the high-energy irradiation from WASP-12A may be stronger than the other host stars. We also find evidence for phase offset variability at the level of 6.4σ (46.2°) at 3.6 μm⁠

Mass Loss from the Exoplanet WASP-12b Inferred from Spitzer Phase Curves

The exoplanet WASP-12b is the prototype for the emerging class of ultrahot, Jupiter-mass exoplanets. Past models have predicted – and near-ultraviolet observations have shown – that this planet is losing mass. We present an analysis of two sets of 3.6 and 4.5 μm Spitzer phase curve observations of the system which show clear evidence of infrared radiation from gas stripped from the planet, and the gas appears to be flowing directly toward or away from the host star. This accretion signature is only seen at 4.5 μm⁠, not at 3.6 μm⁠, which is indicative either of CO emission at the longer wavelength or blackbody emission from cool, ≲600 K gas. It is unclear why WASP-12b is the only ultrahot Jupiter to exhibit this mass-loss signature, but perhaps WASP-12b’s orbit is decaying as some have claimed, while the orbits of other exoplanets may be more stable; alternatively, the high-energy irradiation from WASP-12A may be stronger than the other host stars. We also find evidence for phase offset variability at the level of 6.4σ (46.2°) at 3.6 μm⁠

Enhancing Music Industry Curriculum with Digital Technologies: A Case Study

Recent years have seen an increase in interest with regard to offering music industry undergraduate programs at institutes of higher learning. Such programs typically cover a mix of courses in both music and business areas. An emerging trend in the music industry is the rising application of digital technologies in all business aspects. This makes it necessary to enhance the curriculum with opportunities that familiarize students with various digital technologies and the possibilities they offer, so graduates are well-prepared for their future careers. This paper presents a case study conducted at the State University of New York—Fredonia. It revealed a need to enhance the school’s Music Industry program, in terms of course content, with information and communication technologies. A proposal of novel courses to enhance music industry student acquisition of technology competencies resulted from the study. Additionally, opportunities for the possible enrichment of existing courses with material on digital technologies applications are provided. This work is aimed not only at music industry educators but also at instructors in other disciplines willing to make their students aware of the latest technological trends

Enhancing Music Industry Curriculum with Digital Technologies: A Case Study

Recent years have seen an increase in interest with regard to offering music industry undergraduate programs at institutes of higher learning. Such programs typically cover a mix of courses in both music and business areas. An emerging trend in the music industry is the rising application of digital technologies in all business aspects. This makes it necessary to enhance the curriculum with opportunities that familiarize students with various digital technologies and the possibilities they offer, so graduates are well-prepared for their future careers. This paper presents a case study conducted at the State University of New York—Fredonia. It revealed a need to enhance the school’s Music Industry program, in terms of course content, with information and communication technologies. A proposal of novel courses to enhance music industry student acquisition of technology competencies resulted from the study. Additionally, opportunities for the possible enrichment of existing courses with material on digital technologies applications are provided. This work is aimed not only at music industry educators but also at instructors in other disciplines willing to make their students aware of the latest technological trends

Dispersion of functional gradients across the adult lifespan.

Ageing is commonly associated with changes to segregation and integration of functional brain networks, but, in isolation, current network-based approaches struggle to elucidate changes across the many axes of functional organisation. However, the advent of gradient mapping techniques in neuroimaging provides a new means of studying functional organisation in a multi-dimensional connectivity space. Here, we studied ageing and behaviourally-relevant differences in a three-dimensional connectivity space using the Cambridge Centre for Ageing Neuroscience cohort (n = 643). Building on gradient mapping techniques, we developed a set of measures to quantify the dispersion within and between functional communities. We detected a strong shift of the visual network across the adult lifespan from an extreme to a more central position in the 3D gradient space. In contrast, the dispersion distance between transmodal communities (dorsal attention, ventral attention, frontoparietal and default mode) did not change. However, these communities themselves were increasingly dispersed with increasing age, reflecting more dissimilar functional connectivity profiles within each community. Increasing dispersion of frontoparietal, attention and default mode networks, in particular, were associated negatively with cognition, measured by fluid intelligence. By using a technique that explicitly captures the ordering of functional systems in a multi-dimensional hierarchical framework, we identified behaviorally-relevant age-related differences of within and between network organisation. We propose that the study of functional gradients across the adult lifespan could provide insights that may facilitate the development of new strategies to maintain cognitive ability across the lifespan in health and disease

Motor Unit Firing Characteristics in Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Abstract- In this study, we investigated the behavior of active motor units identified via analysis of electro myographic (EMG) signals recorded from the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle using a quadrifilar needle electrode. Data was collected from control subjects and patients with both upper (UMN) and lower (LMN) motor neuron dominant forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). EMG recordings were gathered during isometric contractions reaching 20 or 50 % of the force output produced during a maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). Recordings were processed using freely available EMG decomposition software (EMGLAB). Results showed differences in mean motor unit firing rates and variability between ALS patients and control subjects. Differences in mean motor unit firing rates and variability were also observed between ALS patients with LMNand UMN-dominant forms of ALS. Keywords- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; motor units; decomposition; firing rate I

Characterization of Motor Unit Behavior in Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Abstract — In this study, we investigated the behavior of active motor units identified via analysis of electromyographic (EMG) signals recorded from the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle using a quadrifilar needle electrode. Data was collected from control subjects and patients with both lower (LMN) and upper (UMN) motor neuron dominant forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). EMG recordings were gathered during isometric contractions reaching 20 or 50 % of the force output produced during a maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). Recordings were analyzed using available EMG decomposition software (EMGLAB). Results showed differences in mean motor unit firing rates between patients with ALS and control subjects. Differences were also observed between patients with LMN- and UMN-dominant forms of ALS. Motor unit substitution was observed in patients despite the contractions lasting just a few seconds. Finally, we observed that motor unit action potential (MUAP) waveforms recorded from patients were more complex than those recorded from control subjects as often observed in motor neuron diseases

Randomized, Double‐Blind, Placebo‐Controlled Trial of the Effect of Vitamin D3 on the Interferon Signature in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

ObjectiveVitamin D modulates the immune response and blocks induction of an interferon (IFN) signature by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) sera. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of vitamin D supplementation on the IFN signature in patients with SLE.MethodsSLE patients (n = 57) with stable, inactive disease, a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) level ≤20 ng/ml, an elevated anti-double-stranded DNA antibody level, and an IFN signature (as determined by measuring the expression levels of 3 IFN response genes) were randomized into a 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of vitamin D3 at doses of 2,000 IU or 4,000 IU. An IFN signature response was defined as a 50% reduction in the expression of 1 of the 3 genes or a 25% reduction in the expression of 2 of the 3 genes. Disease activity, adverse events, and endocrine effects were assessed.ResultsBaseline characteristics of the patients in the 3 treatment groups (placebo, low-dose vitamin D3 , or high-dose vitamin D3 ) were similar. Repletion of 25(OH)D (i.e., levels ≥30 ng/ml) was not observed in any of the patients who were receiving placebo, while repletion was observed in 16 of 33 patients receiving vitamin D3 . The percentage of patients with an IFN signature response did not differ among the treatment groups. Moreover, there was no difference in the percentage of patients with an IFN signature response between those who remained vitamin D deficient and those who demonstrated repletion of vitamin D. Modular microarray analysis of a subset of patients (n = 40) did not reveal changes from baseline in any modules (including the IFN-inducible module) in any of the treatment groups, and no differences in expression were found between patients who demonstrated vitamin D repletion and patients who were persistently vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D3 was well tolerated, and there were no safety concerns.ConclusionVitamin D3 supplementation up to 4,000 IU daily was safe and well-tolerated but failed to diminish the IFN signature in vitamin D-deficient SLE patients. Higher 25(OH)D levels sustained for a longer duration may be required to affect immunologic outcomes