Inter-Individual variability in insulin response after grape pomace supplementation in subjects at high cardiometabolic risk: role of microbiota and miRNA

Scope Dietary polyphenols have shown promising effects in mechanistic and preclinical studies on the regulation of cardiometabolic alterations. Nevertheless, clinical trials have provided contradictory results, with high inter‐individual variability. This study explores the role of gut microbiota and microRNAs (miRNAs) as factors contributing to the inter‐individual variability in polyphenol response. Methods and Results 49 subjects with at least two factors of metabolic syndrome are divided between responders (n = 23) or non‐responders (n = 26), depending on the variation rate in fasting insulin after grape pomace supplementation (6 weeks). The populations of selected fecal bacteria are estimated from fecal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), while the microbial‐derived short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are measured in fecal samples by gas chromatography. MicroRNAs are analyzed on a representative sample, followed by targeted miRNA analysis. Responder subjects show significantly lower (p < 0.05) Prevotella and Firmicutes levels, and increased (p < 0.05) miR‐222 levels. Conclusion After evaluating the selected substrates for Prevotella and target genes of miR‐222, these variations suggest that responders are those subjects exhibiting impaired glycaemic control. This study shows that fecal microbiota and miRNA expression may be related to inter‐individual variability in clinical trials with polyphenols

Study of water Cherenkov detector designs for the SWGO experiment

The Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO) is a next-generation ground-based gamma-ray detector under development to reach a full sky coverage together with the current HAWC and LHAASO experiments in the northern hemisphere. It will complement the observation of transient and variable multi-wavelength and multi-messenger phenomena, offering moreover the possibility to access the Galactic Centre. One of the possible SWGO configurations consists of an array of water Cherenkov tanks, with a high fill-factor inner array and a low-density outer array, covering an overall area of one order of magnitude larger than HAWC. To reach a high detection efficiency and discrimination capability between gamma-ray and hadronic air showers, various tank designs were studied. Double-layer tanks with several sizes, shapes and number of photomultiplier tubes have been considered. Single-particle simulations have been performed to study the tank response, using muons, electrons, and gamma-rays with energies typical of extensive air showers particles, entering the tanks with zenith angles from 0 to 60 degrees. The tank response was evaluated considering the particle detection efficiency, the number of photoelectrons produced by the photomultiplier tubes, and the time resolution of the measurement of the first photon. The study allowed to compare the performance of tanks with circular and square base, to understand which design optimizes the performance of the array. The method used in the study and the results will be discussed in this paper

The Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory reach for Primordial Black Hole evaporation

The Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO) is a proposed ground-based gamma-ray detector that will be located in the Southern Hemisphere and is currently in its design phase. In this contribution, we will outline the prospects for Galactic science with this Observatory. Particular focus will be given to the detectability of extended sources, such as gamma-ray halos around pulsars; optimisation of the angular resolution to mitigate source confusion between known TeV sources; and studies of the energy resolution and sensitivity required to study the spectral features of PeVatrons at the highest energies. Such a facility will ideally complement contemporaneous observatories in studies of high energy astrophysical processes in our Galaxy

Benchmarking the Science for the Southern Wide-Field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO)

The Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO) is the project to build a new extensive air shower particle detector for the observation of very-high-energy gamma-rays in South America. SWGO is currently planned for installation in the Southern Hemisphere, which grants it a unique science potential among ground-based gamma-ray detectors. It will complement the capabilities of CTA, working as a wide-field instrument for the monitoring of transient and variable phenomena, and will expand the sky coverage of Northern Hemisphere facilities like HAWC and LHAASO, thus granting access to the entire Galactic Plane and the Galactic Center. SWGO aims to achieve excellent sensitivity over a very large target energy range from about 100 GeV to the PeV, and improve on the performance of current sampling array instruments in all observational parameters, including energy and angular resolution, background rejection, and single-muon detection capabilities. The directives for the final observatory design will be given by a number of key science goals which are being defined over the course of the Project’s R&amp;D phase. In this contribution we will present the core science topics and target performance goals that serve as benchmarks to guide SWGO’s design configuration

Voltage-Dependent Gating in a “Voltage Sensor-Less” Ion Channel

An unusual mechanism of ion channel regulation generates voltage-dependent gating in the absence of a canonical voltage-sensing domain

Double-layered Water Cherenkov Detector for SWGO

The Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO) will use the well-established and cost-effective technique of detecting Cherenkov light produced in water-filled detection units for TeV gamma-ray astronomy. Leveraging detector material reflectivity together with an optimised aspect ratio is an option to improve the performance of an array of such detector units. The double-layered Water Cherenkov Detector units comprise chambers with single photosensors in each. A reflective upper compartment enhances sensitivity to impinging secondary particles. A shallow lower compartment enables muon tagging and consequently improves the gamma hadron separation power of the observatory. Here we present detailed studies on the double-layered unit design

Lake Deployment of Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO) Detector Units

The Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO) will be a next-generation high altitude gamma-ray survey observatory in the southern hemisphere consisting of an array of water cherenkov detectors. With its energy range, wide field of view, large duty cycle and location it will complement the other existing and planned gamma-ray observatories. In this contribution we describe the lake concept for SWGO, an alternative to a HAWC-like design with individual water tanks and a LHAASO-style design with artificial ponds. In the lake concept, bladders filled with clean water are deployed near the surface of a natural lake, where each bladder is a light-tight stand-alone unit containing one or more photosensors. We will give an overview of the advantages and challenges for this design concept and describe the first results obtained from prototyping