5 research outputs found
The long-term variability of cosmic ray protons in the heliosphere: A modeling approach
Galactic cosmic rays are charged particles created in our galaxy and beyond. They propagate through interstellar space to eventually reach the heliosphere and Earth. Their transport in the heliosphere is subjected to four modulation processes: diffusion, convection, adiabatic energy changes and particle drifts. Time-dependent changes, caused by solar activity which varies from minimum to maximum every ∼11 years, are reflected in cosmic ray observations at and near Earth and along spacecraft trajectories. Using a time-dependent compound numerical model, the time variation of cosmic ray protons in the heliosphere is studied. It is shown that the modeling approach is successful and can be used to study long-term modulation cycles
Transcutaneous fluorescence spectroscopy: development and characterization of a compact, portable, and fiber-optic sensor
Significance: The integrity of the intestinal barrier is gaining recognition as a significant contributor to various pathophysiological conditions, including inflammatory
bowel disease, celiac disease, environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), and malnutrition. EED, for example, manifests as complex structural and functional changes
in the small intestine leading to increased intestinal permeability, inflammation, and
reduced absorption of nutrients. Despite the importance of gut function, current
techniques to assess intestinal permeability (such as endoscopic biopsies or dual
sugar assays) are either highly invasive, unreliable, and/or difficult to perform in
certain patient populations (e.g., infants).
Aim: We present a portable, optical sensor based on transcutaneous fluorescence
spectroscopy to assess gut function (in particular, intestinal permeability) in a fast
and noninvasive manner.
Approach: Participants receive an oral dose of a fluorescent contrast agent, and a
wearable fiber-optic probe detects the permeation of the contrast agent from the gut
into the blood stream by measuring the fluorescence intensity noninvasively at the
fingertip. We characterized the performance of our compact optical sensor by comparing it against an existing benchtop spectroscopic system. In addition, we report
results from a human study in healthy volunteers investigating the impact of skin
tone and contrast agent dose on transcutaneous fluorescence signals.
Results: The first study with eight healthy participants showed good correlation
between our compact sensor and the existing benchtop spectroscopic system
[correlation coefficient ðrÞ > 0.919, p < 0.001]. Further experiments in 14 healthy
participants revealed an approximately linear relationship between the ingested
contrast agent dose and the collected signal intensity. Finally, a parallel study on
the impact of different skin tones showed no significant differences in signal levels
between participants with different skin tones (p > 0.05).
Conclusions: In this paper, we demonstrate the potential of our compact transcutaneous fluorescence sensor for noninvasive monitoring of intestinal health
Market institutions and urban food supply in West and Southern Africa: a review
As the urban share of Africa's population increases, the importance of understanding how food supply is shaped by market institutions has grown. However, this topic has received little attention from policy makers and researchers despite the implications of market institutions and regulatory systems for livelihoods and poverty. This paper reviews the existing literature on market intermediaries, access to selling spaces, finance for traders and sources of information on prices and supplies. The gaps in research are identified and a set of key research issues in this crucial, yet under-researched, area are articulated