Seasonal variation of urban heat island and its impact on air-quality using SAFAR observations at Delhi, India

This paper discussed the urban heat island (UHI) intensity and local air quality by using observational data of project of the System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) over Delhi during the month of May and December 2013. It is found that UHI magnitudes ~2.2°C and ~1.5°C are formed at the evening traffic hours during May and December respectively. Also, intensity of UHI < 0°C over daytime is referred as Urban Cool Island (UCI) during May and December. The diurnal PM2.5 concentration shows a bimodal pattern with peaks at morning and evening traffic hours during May and December. The planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) values show higher in magnitude during the daytime and lower in magnitude during the night-time. Whereas, the Ground Heat Flux values are lower during the daytime and higher during the night-time. The wind speed shows lower values during the UHI and higher magnitudes during the UCI formation hours. Concentration of PM2.5 and wind speed shows a strong negative correlation during May (r = -0.56, p = 0.002) and December (r = -0.57, p = 0.001) at C V Raman (CVR) site, however, high values in the concentration of PM2.5 during the low wind speed favour the condition for the formation of UCI. The regression analysis indicated that PM2.5 plays a significant role in the daytime cooling and nighttime warming over the urban areas during the low wind speed condition

Diurnal Evolution of Urban Heat Island and Its Impact on Air Quality by Using Ground Observations (SAFAR) over New Delhi

The paper presents a study of urban heat island (UHI) intensity and its impact on air quality by using the System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) network observations over Delhi during the clear sky month of December of 2013 and 2015. It is found that in the month of December 2013 and 2015 the UHI shows a peak in late evening around 20:00 hrs. The concentration of PM2.5 shows a bimodal peak in the month of December of both the years 2013 and 2015 which is due to the enhanced anthropogenic activity during the traffic hours. The formation of UHI during the late evening traffic hours is due to the enhancement in the concentration of PM2.5 due to the enhanced anthropogenic activity with higher ground heat flux and lower PBLH and wind speed which leads to both the years 2013 and 2015 during the month of December. It is also found that UHI intensity shows a positive correlation (r = 0.57) with PM2.5 concentration and a negative correlation (r = -0.40) with wind speed and the PM2.5 concentration also shows a negative correlation (r = -0.57) with wind speed during December 2013. Whereas during December 2015 it has found that UHI intensity has a positive correlation (r = 0.65) with PM2.5 concentration and a negative correlation (r = -0.45) with wind speed and the PM2.5 concentration also shows a negative correlation (r = -0.57) with wind speed

Angiotensinogen Promoter Polymorphisms Predict Low Diffusing Capacity in U.S. and Spanish IPF Cohorts

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in angiotensinogen (AGT) at positions -20 and -6 are associated with increased severity and progression of various fibrotic diseases. Our earlier work demonstrated that the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) was associated with the A-6 allele. This study examined the hypothesis that the homozygous CC genotype at -20 and the AA genotype at -6 would confer worse measures of pulmonary function (measured by pulmonary function tests) in IPF. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to a NIH Lung Tissue Research Consortium cohort and a Spanish cohort, while also adjusting for covariates to determine the effects of these SNPs on measures of pulmonary function. Analysis demonstrated that the CC genotype at -20 was strongly associated with reduced diffusing capacity in males in both cohorts (p = 0.0028 for LTRC and p = 0.017 for the Spanish cohort). In females, the AA genotype was significantly associated with lower FVC (p = 0.0082) and V (alv) (p = 0.022). In males, the haplotype CA at -20 and -6 in AGT was also strongly associated with reduced diffusing capacity in both cohorts. This study is the first to demonstrate an association of AGT polymorphisms (-20A > C and -6G > A) with lower measures of pulmonary function in IPF. It is also the first to relate the effect of gender in lung fibrosis with polymorphisms in AGT

Deletion of parasite immune modulatory sequences combined with immune activating signals enhances vaccine mediated protection against filarial nematodes

&lt;p&gt;Background: Filarial nematodes are tissue-dwelling parasites that can be killed by Th2-driven immune effectors, but that have evolved to withstand immune attack and establish chronic infections by suppressing host immunity. As a consequence, the efficacy of a vaccine against filariasis may depend on its capacity to counter parasite-driven immunomodulation.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Methodology and Principal Findings: We immunised mice with DNA plasmids expressing functionally-inactivated forms of two immunomodulatory molecules expressed by the filarial parasite Litomosoides sigmodontis: the abundant larval transcript-1 (LsALT) and cysteine protease inhibitor-2 (LsCPI). The mutant proteins enhanced antibody and cytokine responses to live parasite challenge, and led to more leukocyte recruitment to the site of infection than their native forms. The immune response was further enhanced when the antigens were targeted to dendritic cells using a single chain Fv-αDEC205 antibody and co-administered with plasmids that enhance T helper 2 immunity (IL-4) and antigen-presenting cell recruitment (Flt3L, MIP-1α). Mice immunised simultaneously against the mutated forms of LsALT and LsCPI eliminated adult parasites faster and consistently reduced peripheral microfilaraemia. A multifactorial analysis of the immune response revealed that protection was strongly correlated with the production of parasite-specific IgG1 and with the numbers of leukocytes present at the site of infection.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Conclusions: We have developed a successful strategy for DNA vaccination against a nematode infection that specifically targets parasite-driven immunosuppression while simultaneously enhancing Th2 immune responses and parasite antigen presentation by dendritic cells.&lt;/p&gt

Protection of pancreatic INS-1 β-cells from glucose- and fructose-induced cell death by inhibiting mitochondrial permeability transition with cyclosporin A or metformin

Hyperglycemia is detrimental to β-cell viability, playing a major role in the progression of β-cell loss in diabetes mellitus. The permeability transition pore (PTP) is a mitochondrial channel involved in cell death. Recent evidence suggests that PTP inhibitors prevent hyperglycemia-induced cell death in human endothelial cells. In this work, we have examined the involvement of PTP opening in INS-1 cell death induced by high levels of glucose or fructose. PTP regulation was studied by measuring the calcium retention capacity in permeabilized INS-1 cells and by confocal microscopy in intact INS-1 cells. Cell death was analyzed by flow cytometry. We first reported that metformin and cyclosporin A (CsA) prevented Ca2+-induced PTP opening in permeabilized and intact INS-1 cells. We then showed that incubation of INS-1 cells in the presence of 30 mM glucose or 2.5 mM fructose induced PTP opening and led to cell death. As both metformin and CsA prevented glucose- and fructose- induced PTP opening, and hampered glucose- and fructose- induced cell death, we conclude that PTP opening is involved in high glucose- and high fructose- induced INS-1 cell death. We therefore suggest that preventing PTP opening might be a new approach to preserve β-cell viability

Metabolic determinants of cancer cell sensitivity to glucose limitation and biguanides

As the concentrations of highly consumed nutrients, particularly glucose, are generally lower in tumours than in normal tissues1,2, cancer cells must adapt their metabolism to the tumour microenvironment. A better understanding of these adaptations might reveal cancer cell liabilities that can be exploited for therapeutic benefit. Here, we developed a continuous flow culture apparatus (Nutrostat) for maintaining proliferating cells in low nutrient media for long periods of time and used it to undertake competitive proliferation assays on a pooled collection of barcoded cancer cell lines cultured in low glucose conditions. Sensitivity to low glucose varies amongst cell lines, and an RNAi screen pinpointed mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) as the major pathway required for optimal proliferation in low glucose. We found that cell lines most sensitive to low glucose are defective in the upregulation of OXPHOS normally caused by glucose limitation as a result of either mtDNA mutations in Complex I genes or impaired glucose utilization. These defects predict sensitivity to biguanides, anti-diabetic drugs that inhibit OXPHOS3,4, when cancer cells are grown in low glucose or as tumour xenografts. Remarkably, the biguanide sensitivity of cancer cells with mtDNA mutations was reversed by ectopic expression of yeast NDI1, a ubiquinone oxidoreductase that allows bypass of Complex I function5. Thus, we conclude that mtDNA mutations and impaired glucose utilization are potential biomarkers for identifying tumours with increased sensitivity to OXPHOS inhibitors

Jet energy measurement with the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at root s=7 TeV

The jet energy scale and its systematic uncertainty are determined for jets measured with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 7TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 38 pb-1. Jets are reconstructed with the anti-kt algorithm with distance parameters R=0. 4 or R=0. 6. Jet energy and angle corrections are determined from Monte Carlo simulations to calibrate jets with transverse momenta pT≥20 GeV and pseudorapidities {pipe}η{pipe}<4. 5. The jet energy systematic uncertainty is estimated using the single isolated hadron response measured in situ and in test-beams, exploiting the transverse momentum balance between central and forward jets in events with dijet topologies and studying systematic variations in Monte Carlo simulations. The jet energy uncertainty is less than 2. 5 % in the central calorimeter region ({pipe}η{pipe}<0. 8) for jets with 60≤pT<800 GeV, and is maximally 14 % for pT<30 GeV in the most forward region 3. 2≤{pipe}η{pipe}<4. 5. The jet energy is validated for jet transverse momenta up to 1 TeV to the level of a few percent using several in situ techniques by comparing a well-known reference such as the recoiling photon pT, the sum of the transverse momenta of tracks associated to the jet, or a system of low-pT jets recoiling against a high-pT jet. More sophisticated jet calibration schemes are presented based on calorimeter cell energy density weighting or hadronic properties of jets, aiming for an improved jet energy resolution and a reduced flavour dependence of the jet response. The systematic uncertainty of the jet energy determined from a combination of in situ techniques is consistent with the one derived from single hadron response measurements over a wide kinematic range. The nominal corrections and uncertainties are derived for isolated jets in an inclusive sample of high-pT jets. Special cases such as event topologies with close-by jets, or selections of samples with an enhanced content of jets originating from light quarks, heavy quarks or gluons are also discussed and the corresponding uncertainties are determined. © 2013 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration

Measurement of the inclusive and dijet cross-sections of b-jets in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The inclusive and dijet production cross-sections have been measured for jets containing b-hadrons (b-jets) in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements use data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb^-1. The b-jets are identified using either a lifetime-based method, where secondary decay vertices of b-hadrons in jets are reconstructed using information from the tracking detectors, or a muon-based method where the presence of a muon is used to identify semileptonic decays of b-hadrons inside jets. The inclusive b-jet cross-section is measured as a function of transverse momentum in the range 20 < pT < 400 GeV and rapidity in the range |y| < 2.1. The bbbar-dijet cross-section is measured as a function of the dijet invariant mass in the range 110 < m_jj < 760 GeV, the azimuthal angle difference between the two jets and the angular variable chi in two dijet mass regions. The results are compared with next-to-leading-order QCD predictions. Good agreement is observed between the measured cross-sections and the predictions obtained using POWHEG + Pythia. MC@NLO + Herwig shows good agreement with the measured bbbar-dijet cross-section. However, it does not reproduce the measured inclusive cross-section well, particularly for central b-jets with large transverse momenta.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (21 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version published in European Physical Journal

Observation of associated near-side and away-side long-range correlations in √sNN=5.02 TeV proton-lead collisions with the ATLAS detector

Two-particle correlations in relative azimuthal angle (Δϕ) and pseudorapidity (Δη) are measured in √sNN=5.02  TeV p+Pb collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed using approximately 1  μb-1 of data as a function of transverse momentum (pT) and the transverse energy (ΣETPb) summed over 3.1<η<4.9 in the direction of the Pb beam. The correlation function, constructed from charged particles, exhibits a long-range (2<|Δη|<5) “near-side” (Δϕ∼0) correlation that grows rapidly with increasing ΣETPb. A long-range “away-side” (Δϕ∼π) correlation, obtained by subtracting the expected contributions from recoiling dijets and other sources estimated using events with small ΣETPb, is found to match the near-side correlation in magnitude, shape (in Δη and Δϕ) and ΣETPb dependence. The resultant Δϕ correlation is approximately symmetric about π/2, and is consistent with a dominant cos⁡2Δϕ modulation for all ΣETPb ranges and particle pT