Spectroastrometry and Imaging Science with Photonic Lanterns on Extremely Large Telescopes

Photonic lanterns (PLs) are tapered waveguides that gradually transition from a multi-mode fiber geometry to a bundle of single-mode fibers. In astronomical applications, PLs can efficiently couple multi-mode telescope light into a multi-mode fiber entrance and convert it into multiple single-mode beams. The output beams are highly stable and suitable for feeding into high-resolution spectrographs or photonic chip beam combiners. For instance, by using relative intensities in the output cores as a function of wavelength, PLs can enable spectroastrometry. In addition, by interfering beams in the output cores with a beam combiner in the backend, PLs can be used for high-throughput interferometric imaging. When used on an Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), with its increased sensitivity and angular resolution, the imaging and spectroastrometric capabilities of PLs will be extended to higher contrast and smaller angular scales. We study the potential spectroastrometry and imaging science cases of PLs on ELTs, including study of exomoons, broad-line regions of quasars, and inner circumstellar disks.Comment: AO4ELT7 conference proceedings 202

Freuden ondorioak: psikoanalisia eta egungo zientziaren diskurtsoa

Hydrogen permeation membranes are a key element in improving the energy conversion efficiency and decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions from energy generation. The scientific community faces the challenge of identifying and optimizing stable and effective ceramic materials for H2 separation membranes at elevated temperature (400–800 °C) for industrial separations and intensified catalytic reactors. As such, composite materials with nominal composition BaCe0.8Eu0.2O3-δ:Ce0.8Y0.2O2-δ revealed unprecedented H2 permeation levels of 0.4 to 0.61 mL·min−1·cm−2 at 700 °C measured on 500 μm-thick-specimen. A detailed structural and phase study revealed single phase perovskite and fluorite starting materials synthesized via the conventional ceramic route. Strong tendency of Eu to migrate from the perovskite to the fluorite phase was observed at sintering temperature, leading to significant Eu depletion of the proton conducing BaCe0.8Eu0.2O3-δ phase. Composite microstructure was examined prior and after a variety of functional tests, including electrical conductivity, H2-permeation and stability in CO2 containing atmospheres at elevated temperatures, revealing stable material without morphological and structural changes, with segregation-free interfaces and no further diffusive effects between the constituting phases. In this context, dual phase material based on BaCe0.8Eu0.2O3-δ:Ce0.8Y0.2O2-δ represents a very promising candidate for H2 separating membrane in energy- and environmentally-related applications

The mosaic genome of indigenous African cattle as a unique genetic resource for African pastoralism

© 2020, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc. Cattle pastoralism plays a central role in human livelihood in Africa. However, the genetic history of its success remains unknown. Here, through whole-genome sequence analysis of 172 indigenous African cattle from 16 breeds representative of the main cattle groups, we identify a major taurine × indicine cattle admixture event dated to circa 750–1,050 yr ago, which has shaped the genome of today’s cattle in the Horn of Africa. We identify 16 loci linked to African environmental adaptations across crossbred animals showing an excess of taurine or indicine ancestry. These include immune-, heat-tolerance- and reproduction-related genes. Moreover, we identify one highly divergent locus in African taurine cattle, which is putatively linked to trypanotolerance and present in crossbred cattle living in trypanosomosis-infested areas. Our findings indicate that a combination of past taurine and recent indicine admixture-derived genetic resources is at the root of the present success of African pastoralism

The path to detecting extraterrestrial life with astrophotonics

Astrophysical research into exoplanets has delivered thousands of confirmed planets orbiting distant stars. These planets span a wide ranges of size and composition, with diversity also being the hallmark of system configurations, the great majority of which do not resemble our own solar system. Unfortunately, only a handful of the known planets have been characterized spectroscopically thus far, leaving a gaping void in our understanding of planetary formation processes and planetary types. To make progress, astronomers studying exoplanets will need new and innovative technical solutions. Astrophotonics -- an emerging field focused on the application of photonic technologies to observational astronomy -- provides one promising avenue forward. In this paper we discuss various astrophotonic technologies that could aid in the detection and subsequent characterization of planets and in particular themes leading towards the detection of extraterrestrial life.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, SPIE Optics and Photonics conferenc

Perinatal preterm brain injury. Risk assessment, antenatal surveillance and managing

This work reports the results of two different lines of research: 1. On the employment of ultrasound in the management of fetuses with intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR); 2. On management of preterm birth for prevention of neurological impairment in high-risk pregnancies and low risk pregnancies. Pre-natal flow data and post-natal neurological outcome in IUGR fetuses have been evaluated. Doppler ultrasound in obstetrics has allowed the detection of the early signs of fetal demise, involving the management of pregnancies at risk of fetal hypoxia. The second line of research focuses on the need to identify strategies to predict preterm birth in asymptomatic low-risk women as well as in those presenting with threatened preterm labor (symptomatic high risk women) and underlines the importance to prevent brain injury and long-term neurological sequelae related to preterm deliveries. Neurological insults result in significant immediate and longterm physical, emotional, and financial costs. Advances in obstetrical and neonatal care have led to survival at earlier gestational ages and consequently increasing numbers of periviable infants who are at significant risk for long-term neurological deficits. Therefore, efforts to decrease and prevent cerebral insults attempt not only to improve neurological outcomes in infants delivered preterm but also primarily to decrease preterm delivery

IMBeR into the future Science Plan and Implementation Strategy 2016-2025

The Integrated Marine Biosphere Research (IMBeR) project, formerly the Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research (IMBER1) project, is a global environmental change research initiative. Since its start in 2005, IMBeR has advanced understanding about potential marine environmental effects of global change, and the impacts and linkages to human systems at multiple scales. It is apparent that complex environmental issues and associated societal/sustainability choices operate at and across the interfaces of natural and social sciences and the humanities, and require both basic, curiosity-driven research and problem-driven, policy-relevant research. Collaborative, disciplinary, interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and integrated research that addresses key ocean science issues generated by and/or impacting society is required to provide evidence-based knowledge and guidance, along with options for policy-makers, managers and marine-related communities, to help achieve sustainability of the marine realm under global change. This recognition underlies a new vision, “Ocean sustainability under global change for the benefit of society”, to guide IMBeR research for the next decade (2016-2025). This vision recognises that the evolution of marine ecosystems (including biogeochemical cycles and human systems) is linked to natural and anthropogenic drivers and stressors, as articulated in the new IMBeR research goal to, “Understand, quantify and compare historic and present structure and functioning of linked ocean and human systems to predict and project changes including developing scenarios and options for securing or transitioning towards ocean sustainability”. To implement its new vision and goal in the next decade, IMBeR’s mission is to, “Promote integrated marine research and enable capabilities for developing and implementing ocean sustainability options within and across the natural and social sciences, and communicate relevant information and knowledge needed by society to secure sustainable, productive and healthy oceans”. This Science Plan and Implementation Strategy provides a 10-year (2016-2025) marine research agenda for IMBeR. It is developed around three Grand Challenges (GC, see Graphical Executive Summary) focusing on climate variability, global change and drivers and stressors. The qualitative and quantitative understanding of historic and present ocean variability and change (Grand Challenge I) are the basis for scenarios, projections and predictions of the future (Grand Challenge II). These are linked in Grand Challenge III to understand how humans are causing the variability and changes, and how they, in turn, are impacted by these changes, including feedbacks between the human and ocean systems. Priority research areas with overarching and specific research questions are identified for each Grand Challenge. The Grand Challenges are supplemented with Innovation Challenges (IC, see graphical executive summary) that focus on new topics for IMBeR where research is needed and where it is believed that major achievements can be made within three to five years. The Innovation Challenges also provide a means for IMBeR to adjust its focus as major science discoveries are made and new priorities arise, especially regarding scientific innovations

Human Embryonic and Fetal Mesenchymal Stem Cells Differentiate toward Three Different Cardiac Lineages in Contrast to Their Adult Counterparts

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) show unexplained differences in differentiation potential. In this study, differentiation of human (h) MSCs derived from embryonic, fetal and adult sources toward cardiomyocytes, endothelial and smooth muscle cells was investigated. Labeled hMSCs derived from embryonic stem cells (hESC-MSCs), fetal umbilical cord, bone marrow, amniotic membrane and adult bone marrow and adipose tissue were co-cultured with neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (nrCMCs) or cardiac fibroblasts (nrCFBs) for 10 days, and also cultured under angiogenic conditions. Cardiomyogenesis was assessed by human-specific immunocytological analysis, whole-cell current-clamp recordings, human-specific qRT-PCR and optical mapping. After co-culture with nrCMCs, significantly more hESC-MSCs than fetal hMSCs stained positive for α-actinin, whereas adult hMSCs stained negative. Furthermore, functional cardiomyogenic differentiation, based on action potential recordings, was shown to occur, but not in adult hMSCs. Of all sources, hESC-MSCs expressed most cardiac-specific genes. hESC-MSCs and fetal hMSCs contained significantly higher basal levels of connexin43 than adult hMSCs and co-culture with nrCMCs increased expression. After co-culture with nrCFBs, hESC-MSCs and fetal hMSCs did not express α-actinin and connexin43 expression was decreased. Conduction velocity (CV) in co-cultures of nrCMCs and hESC-MSCs was significantly higher than in co-cultures with fetal or adult hMSCs. In angiogenesis bioassays, only hESC-MSCs and fetal hMSCs were able to form capillary-like structures, which stained for smooth muscle and endothelial cell markers.Human embryonic and fetal MSCs differentiate toward three different cardiac lineages, in contrast to adult MSCs. Cardiomyogenesis is determined by stimuli from the cellular microenvironment, where connexin43 may play an important role

Non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary infections

Submitted by Sandra Infurna ([email protected]) on 2019-05-14T13:52:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ACC_Caravalho_IOC_2018.pdf: 454431 bytes, checksum: 86468a62313ad15880a6ccff685e3090 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Sandra Infurna ([email protected]) on 2019-05-14T14:00:46Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 ACC_Caravalho_IOC_2018.pdf: 454431 bytes, checksum: 86468a62313ad15880a6ccff685e3090 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2019-05-14T14:00:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ACC_Caravalho_IOC_2018.pdf: 454431 bytes, checksum: 86468a62313ad15880a6ccff685e3090 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018University of Dundee. Hospital and Medical School. Scottish Centre for Respiratory Research. Dundee, United Kingdom.Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Rochester, MN, USA.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Inovações em Terapias, Ensino e Bioprodutos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Hospital Universitario de Monterrey. Centro de Investigación, Prevención y Tratamiento de Infecciones Respiratorias. Monterrey, Nuevo León UANL, Mexico.Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia. Respiratory Department. Espinho, Portugal.Non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections are increasingly rapidly worldwide. The reason for this phenomenon is unclear, but may include the ageing population, the increasing use of immunosuppressive drugs, the increasing prevalence of diseases that confer susceptibility to NTM, such as COPD and bronchiectasis, and growing testing for NTM. Awareness of the NTM related diseases is rising but is still suboptimal. Guidelines from the American Thoracic Society and Infectious Diseases Society of America have provided a framework for evaluating disease and evaluating care. Compliance with these guidelines is, however, very poor globally. NTM infections are amongst the most challenging cases that respiratory and infectious diseases physicians face. The challenges include intrinsic antibiotic resistance, complex drug regimens, poor tolerability and significant side effects associated with therapy and poor response rates. The decision to initiate treatment is therefore often difficult and requires careful evaluation of benefits and risks. Optimal management of NTM infections requires multidisciplinary care with close collaboration between physicians, microbiologists, physiotherapist/allied health professionals, primary care physicians and the patient. There remains a need for greater research into the epidemiology, clinical evaluation and treatment of NTM pulmonary disease. Randomised clinical trials are now being conducted which may provide useful data on the effectiveness of some new and existing therapies. In this review, we discuss the growing importance of NTM pulmonary disease and the opportunities for progress in clinical research for these conditions

NF-κB: a new player in angiostatic therapy

Angiogenesis is considered a promising target in the treatment of cancer. Most of the angiogenesis inhibitors in late-stage clinical testing or approved for the treatment of cancer act indirectly on endothelial cells. They either neutralize angiogenic growth factors from the circulation or block the signaling pathways activated by these growth factors. Another group of angiogenesis inhibitors are the direct angiostatic compounds. These agents have a direct effect on the endothelium, affecting cellular regulatory pathways, independently of the tumor cells. The reason that this category of agents is lagging behind regarding their translation to the clinic may be the lack of sufficient knowledge on the mechanism of action of these compounds. The transcription factor NF-κB has been recently connected with multiple aspects of angiogenesis. In addition, several recent studies report that angiogenesis inhibition is associated to NF-κB activation. This is of special interest since in tumor cells NF-κB activation has been associated to inhibition of apoptosis and currently novel treatment strategies are being developed based on inhibition of NF-κB. The paradigm that systemic NF-κB inhibition can serve as an anti-cancer strategy, therefore, might need to be re-evaluated. Based on recent data, it might be speculated that NF-κB activation, when performed specifically in endothelial cells, could be an efficient strategy for the treatment of cancer

Environmental Enrichment Induces Behavioral Recovery and Enhanced Hippocampal Cell Proliferation in an Antidepressant-Resistant Animal Model for PTSD

Background: Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be considered the result of a failure to recover after a traumatic experience. Here we studied possible protective and therapeutic aspects of environmental enrichment (with and without a running wheel) in Sprague Dawley rats exposed to an inescapable foot shock procedure (IFS). Methodology/Principal Findings: IFS induced long-lasting contextual and non-contextual anxiety, modeling some aspects of PTSD. Even 10 weeks after IFS the rats showed reduced locomotion in an open field. The antidepressants imipramine and escitalopram did not improve anxiogenic behavior following IFS. Also the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor sodium butyrate did not alleviate the IFS induced immobility. While environmental enrichment (EE) starting two weeks before IFS did not protect the animals from the behavioral effects of the shocks, exposure to EE either immediately after the shock or one week later induced complete recovery three weeks after IFS. In the next set of experiments a running wheel was added to the EE to enable voluntary exercise (EE/VE). This also led to reduced anxiety. Importantly, this behavioral recovery was not due to a loss of memory for the traumatic experience. The behavioral recovery correlated with an increase in cell proliferation in hippocampus, a decrease in the tissue levels of noradrenalin and increased turnover of 5-HT in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Conclusions/Significance: This animal study shows the importance of (physical) exercise in the treatment of psychiatri