Planck 2013 results. XI. All-sky model of thermal dust emission

This paper presents an all-sky model of dust emission from the Planck 353, 545, and 857 GHz, and IRAS 100 \u3bcm data. Using a modified blackbody fit to the data we present all-sky maps of the dust optical depth, temperature, and spectral index over the 353-3000 GHz range. This model is a good representation of the IRAS and Planck data at 5\u2032 between 353 and 3000 GHz (850 and 100 \u3bcm). It shows variations of the order of 30% compared with the widely-used model of Finkbeiner, Davis, and Schlegel. The Planck data allow us to estimate the dust temperature uniformly over the whole sky, down to an angular resolution of 5\u2032, providing an improved estimate of the dust optical depth compared to previous all-sky dust model, especially in high-contrast molecular regions where the dust temperature varies strongly at small scales in response to dust evolution, extinction, and/or local production of heating photons. An increase of the dust opacity at 353 GHz, \u3c4353/NH, from the diffuse to the denser interstellar medium (ISM) is reported. It is associated with a decrease in the observed dust temperature, Tobs, that could be due at least in part to the increased dust opacity. We also report an excess of dust emission at H i column densities lower than 1020 cm-2 that could be the signature of dust in the warm ionized medium. In the diffuse ISM at high Galactic latitude, we report an anticorrelation between \u3c4353/NH and Tobs while the dust specific luminosity, i.e., the total dust emission integrated over frequency (the radiance) per hydrogen atom, stays about constant, confirming one of the Planck Early Results obtained on selected fields. This effect is compatible with the view that, in the diffuse ISM, Tobs responds to spatial variations of the dust opacity, due to variations of dust properties, in addition to (small) variations of the radiation field strength. The implication is that in the diffuse high-latitude ISM \u3c4353 is not as reliable a tracer of dust column density as we conclude it is in molecular clouds where the correlation of \u3c4353 with dust extinction estimated using colour excess measurements on stars is strong. To estimate Galactic E(B-V) in extragalactic fields at high latitude we develop a new method based on the thermal dust radiance, instead of the dust optical depth, calibrated to E(B-V) using reddening measurements of quasars deduced from Sloan Digital Sky Survey data. \ua9 2014 ESO

Experimental investigation on the effect of the duct geometrical parameters on the performance of a ducted wind turbine

This paper reports an experimental investigation on the effect of the duct geometry on the aerodynamic performance of an aerofoil shaped ducted wind turbine (DWT). The tested two-dimensional model is composed of an aerofoil equipped with pressure taps and a uniform porous screen. The experimental setup is based on the assumption that the duct flow is axisymmetric and the rotor can be simulated as an actuator disc. Firstly, different tip clearances between the screen and the aerofoil are tested to point out the influence of this parameter on the DWT performance in terms of aerofoil pressure distribution, aerofoil lift and flow field features at the duct exit area. Then, the combined effect of tip clearance, of the angle of attack and of the screen position along the aerofoil chord is evaluated through a Design of Experiments (DoE) based approach. The analysis shows that, among the analysed range of design factor variation, increasing angle of attack and the tip clearance leads to a beneficial effect on the lift and back-pressure coefficients, while they show a poor dependence upon the screen axial position. Finally, the configuration characterized by the maximum value of all three main factors (15 degree of angle of attack, 5% of tip clearance and 30% backward to the nozzle plane), has the best values of lift coefficient and back-pressure coefficient.Wind Energ

Gut microbiota contributes to the development of hypertension in a genetic mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33931880/https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.15512https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/bph.15512Hypertension is an important cardiovascular risk factor that is prevalent in the systemic lupus erythematosus patient population. Here, we have investigated whether intestinal microbiota is involved in hypertension in a genetic mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus. Twenty-six-week-old female NZW/LacJ (control) and NZBWF1 (F1 hybrid of New Zealand Black and New Zealand White strains; systemic lupus erythematosus) mice were treated for 6 weeks with a broad-spectrum antibiotic mixture or with vancomycin. Faecal microbiota transplantation was performed from donor systemic lupus erythematosus group to recipient to germ-depleted or germ-free mice. Antibiotic treatment inhibited the development of hypertension and renal injury, improved endothelial dysfunction and vascular oxidative stress, and decreased aortic Th17 infiltration in NZBWF1 mice. High BP and vascular complications found in systemic lupus erythematosus mice, but not autoimmunity, kidney inflammation and endotoxemia, were reproduced by the transfer of gut microbiota from systemic lupus erythematosus donors to germ-free or germ-depleted mice. Increased proportions of Bacteroides were linked with high BP in these mice. The reduced endothelium-dependent vasodilator responses to acetylcholine and the high BP induced by microbiota from hypertensive systemic lupus erythematosus mice were inhibited after IL-17 neutralization. Changes in T-cell populations, endothelial function, vascular inflammation and hypertension driven by a genetic systemic lupus erythematosus background can be modified by antibiotic-induced changes in gut microbiota. The vascular changes induced by hypertensive systemic lupus erythematosus microbiota were mediated by Th17 infiltration in the vasculature.European Regional Development Fund; Instituto de Salud Carlos III; Junta deAndalucía, Grant/Award Number: CTS 164; Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, Grant/Award Number: SAF2017-84894-R; Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnologí