SHINe: Simulator for satellite on-board high-speed networks featuring SpaceFibre and SpaceWire protocols

The continuous innovation of satellite payloads is leading to an increasing demand of data-rate for on-board satellite networks. In particular, modern optical detectors generate and need to transfer data at more than 1 Gbps, a speed that cannot be satisfied with standardized technologies such as SpaceWire. To fill this gap, the European Space Agency (ESA) is supporting the development of a new high-speed link standard, SpaceFibre. SpaceFibre provides a data-rate higher than 6.25 Gbps, together with the possibility to use multiple Virtual Channels running over the same physical link, each one configurable with flexible Quality of Service parameters. These features make a SpaceFibre network very appealing but also complex to set up in order to achieve the desired end-to-end requirements. To help this process, a Simulator for HIgh-speed Network (SHINe) based on the open-source toolkit OMNeT++ has been developed and is presented in this paper. It supports the simulation of SpaceFibre and SpaceWire protocols in order to help both the final steps of the standardization process and the system engineers in the setup and test of new networks. SHINe allows to precisely simulate common network metrics, such as latency and bandwidth usage, and it can be connected to real hardware in a Hardware-in-the-Loop configuration

Mode of onset of type 2 diabetes from normal or impaired glucose tolerance

Wartości stężenia glukozy na czczo (FPG, fasting plasma glucose) wskazują, jakie jest ryzyko wystąpienia cukrzycy typu 2. Nie wiadomo, czy hiperglikemia rozwija się stopniowo, czy też narasta skokowo. W grupie mężczyzn i nieciężarnych kobiet w wieku 35&#8211;64 lat, biorących udział w badaniu populacyjnym Mexico City Diabetes Study, podczas doustnego testu tolerancji glukozy (OGTT, oral glucose tolerace test) sprawdzano stężenie glukozy i insuliny w surowicy. Testy te przeprowadzono w czasie badania wstępnego (n = 2279) oraz po 3,25 (n = 1740) i 7 latach (n = 1711) obserwacji. Wśród osób z prawidłową tolerancją glukozy (NGT, normal glucose tolerance) w czasie wszystkich trzech badań (osoby niechorujące, n = 911) wartość FPG wzrosła nieznacznie (0,23 &plusmn; 0,79 mmol/l, średnia &plusmn; SD; p < 0,0001) w okresie 7 lat. Natomiast wystąpienie cukrzycy wśród osób z NGT (n = 98) poprzedzał znaczny wzrost FPG, niezależnie od czasu zachorowania (3,06 &plusmn; 2,57 i 2,94 &plusmn; 3,11 mmol/l, odpowiednio w 3,25. i 7. roku obserwacji; p < 0,0001 vs. osoby niechorujące). Podobnie u osób z upośledzoną tolerancją glukozy, które zachorowały na cukrzycę (n = 75), wartość FPG wzrosła o 3,14 &plusmn; 3,83 i 3,12 &plusmn; 3,61 mmol/l (p < 0,0001 vs. osoby niechorujące). U 3/4 osób, które zachorowały na cukrzycę, obserwowano wzrost FPG powyżej 90. percentyla rozkładu wzrostu glikemii u osób niechorujących na cukrzycę. U osób, które zachorowały na cukrzycę, stwierdzono wyższe wyjściowe wartości wskaźnika masy ciała (BMI, body mass index) (30,4 &plusmn; 4,9 vs. 27,3 &plusmn; 4,0 kg/m2; p < 0,001) i insulinemii na czczo (120 &plusmn; 78 vs. 84 &plusmn; 84 pmol/l; p < 0,02) niż u osób niechorujących, mimo że nie zaobserwowano zmian żadnego z tych parametrów przed zachorowaniem. Przeciwnie, zmiany stężenia insuliny, w stosunku do wcześniejszych oznaczeń, w 2. godzinie testu tolerancji glukozy wykazywały istotną statystycznie odwrotną zależność (p < 0,0001) z odpowiadającymi zmianami w FPG. W czasie 3-letniej obserwacji stwierdzono, iż początek cukrzycy charakteryzuje się częściej skokowym niż stopniowym wzrostem glikemii, co można w pewnym stopniu wyjaśnić zmniejszeniem uwalniania insuliny w odpowiedzi na stymulację glukozą.Fasting plasma glucose concentrations (FPG) predict development of type 2 diabetes. Whether hyperglycemia evolves from normoglycemia gradually over time or as a step increase is not known. We measured plasma glucose and insulin levels during oral glucose testing in 35-to 64-year-old men and nonpregnant women from a population-based survey (Mexico City Diabetes Study) at baseline (n = 2,279) and after 3.25 (n = 1,740) and 7 years (n = 1,711) of follow-up. In subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) on all three occasions (nonconverters; n = 911), FPG increased only slightly (0.23 &#177; 0.79 mmol/l, mean &#177; &#177; SD; P < 0.0001) over 7 years. In contrast, conversion to diabetes among NGT subjects (n = 98) was marked by a large step-up in FPG regardless of time of conversion (3.06 &#177; 2.57 and 2.94 &#177; 3.11 mmol/l, respectively, at 3.25 and 7 years; P < 0.0001 vs. nonconverters). Likewise, in subjects who converted to diabetes from impaired glucose tolerance (n = 75), FPG rose by 3.14 &#177; 3.83 and 3.12 &#177; 3.61 mmol/l (P < 0.0001 vs. nonconverters). Three-quarters of converters had increments in FPG above the 90th percentile of the corresponding increments in nonconverters. Converters had higher baseline BMI (30.4 &#177; &#177; 4.9 vs. 27.3 &#177; 4.0 kg/m2; P < 0.001) and fasting plasma insulin values (120 &#177; 78 vs. 84 &#177; 84 pmol/l; P < 0.02) than nonconverters; however, no consistent change in either parameter had occurred before conversion. In contrast, changes in 2-h postglucose insulin levels between time of conversion and preceding measurement were significantly (P < < 0.0001) related to the corresponding changes in FPG in an inverse manner. We conclude that, within a 3-year time frame, the onset of diabetes is very often rapid rather than gradual and is in part explained by a fall in glucose-stimulated insulin response

Soil biochemistry and microbial activity in vineyards under conventional and organic management at Northeast Brazil.

The São Francisco Submedium Valley is located at the Brazilian semiarid region and is an important center for irrigated fruit growing. This region is responsible for 97% of the national exportation of table grapes, including seedless grapes. Based on the fact that orgThe São Francisco Submedium Valley is located at the Brazilian semiarid region and is an important center for irrigated fruit growing. This region is responsible for 97% of the national exportation of table grapes, including seedless grapes. Based on the fact that organic fertilization can improve soil quality, we compared the effects of conventional and organic soil management on microbial activity and mycorrhization of seedless grape crops. We measured glomerospores number, most probable number (MPN) of propagules, richness of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) species, AMF root colonization, EE-BRSP production, carbon microbial biomass (C-MB), microbial respiration, fluorescein diacetate hydrolytic activity (FDA) and metabolic coefficient (qCO2). The organic management led to an increase in all variables with the exception of EE-BRSP and qCO2. Mycorrhizal colonization increased from 4.7% in conventional crops to 15.9% in organic crops. Spore number ranged from 4.1 to 12.4 per 50 g-1 soil in both management systems. The most probable number of AMF propagules increased from 79 cm-3 soil in the conventional system to 110 cm-3 soil in the organic system. Microbial carbon, CO2 emission, and FDA activity were increased by 100 to 200% in the organic crop. Thirteen species of AMF were identified, the majority in the organic cultivation system. Acaulospora excavata, Entrophospora infrequens, Glomus sp.3 and Scutellospora sp. were found only in the organically managed crop. S. gregaria was found only in the conventional crop. Organically managed vineyards increased mycorrhization and general soil microbial activity

Upgraded Pulsating Heat Pipe Only For Space (U-Phos): Results of the 22nd Rexus Sounding Rocket Campaign

A large tube may still behave, to a certain extent, as a capillary in a micro-gravity environment. This very basic concept is here applied to a two-phase passive heat transfer devices in order to obtain a new family of hybrid wickless heat pipes. Indeed, a Loop Thermosyphon, which usually consists of a large tube, closed end to end in a loop, evacuated and partially filled with a working fluid and intrinsically gravity assisted, may become a capillary tube in space condition and turn its thermo-fluidic behavior into a so called Pulsating Heat Pipe (PHP), or better, a Space Pulsating Heat Pipe (SPHP). Since the objective of the present work is to experimentally demonstrate the feasibility of such a hybrid device, a SPHP has been designed, built, instrumented and tested both on ground and microgravity conditions on the 22nd ESA REXUS Sounding Rocket Campaign. Ground tests demonstrate that the device effectively work as a gravity assisted loop thermosyphon, whether the sounding rocket data clearly reveal a change in the thermal hydraulic behavior very similar to the PHP. Since a microgravity period of approximately 120s is not sufficient to reach a pseudo steady state regime, further investigation on a longer term weightless condition is mandatory

Reduction in Basal Nitric Oxide Activity Causes Albuminuria

OBJECTIVE-The barrier function of the glomerular filter has been studied for decades. Albuminuria reflects a malfunction of this barrier, and in animals dysfunctional endothelial nitric-oxide (NO) synthase results in albuminuria. We aimed to analyze the importance of NO for the glomerular barrier function in humans. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-To assess the effect of endothelial dysfunction on albuminuria, we measured the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) both before and after the blockade of NO synthases (NOSs) with systemic infusion of N-G-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) in two distinct study populations. In population A, 62 hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes and, in population B, 22 patients with hypercholesterolemia but without hypertension or type 2 diabetes were examined. All subjects had normal renal function. RESULTS-There was a significant increase in the UACR in response to NOS inhibition with L-NMMA in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes (study population A) and in patients with hypercholesterolemia (study population B). Linear regression analyses revealed that the change in mean arterial presssure in response to L-NMMA was not related to the increase in the UACR in response to L-NMMA in either population, even after adjusting for filtration fraction. CONCLUSIONS-NOS inhibition provokes albuminuria that is unrelated to changes in blood pressure. It is noteworthy that this finding was evident in patient groups prone to endothelial dysfunction and albuminuria. Thus, acute deterioration of endothelial function by reducing NO activity causes an increase in albuminuria. Diabetes 60:572-576, 201

U-PHOS Project: Development of a Large Diameter Pulsating Heat Pipe Experiment on board REXUS 22

U-PHOS Project aims to analyse and characterise the behaviour of a large diameter Pulsating Heat Pipe (PHP) on board REXUS 22 sounding rocket. A PHP is a passive thermal control device consisting of a serpentine capillary tube, evacuated, partially filled with a working fluid and finally sealed. In this configuration, the liquid and vapour phases are randomly distributed in the form of liquid slugs and vapour plugs. The heat is efficiently transported by means of the self-sustained oscillatory fluid motion driven by the phase change phenomena. On ground conditions, a small diameter is required in order to obtain a confined slug flow regime. In milli-gravity conditions, buoyancy forces become less intense and the PHP diameter may be increased still maintaining the slug/plug flow configuration typical of the PHP operation. Consequently, the PHP heat power capability may be increased too. U-PHOS aims at proving that a Large Diameter PHP effectively works in milli-g conditions by characterizing its thermal response during a sounding rocket flight. The actual PHP tube is made of aluminum (3 mm inner diameter, filled with FC-72), heated at the evaporator by a compact electrical resistance, cooled at the condenser by a Phase Change Material (PCM) embedded in a metallic foam. The tube wall temperatures are recorded by means of Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors; the local fluid pressure is acquired by means of a pressure transducer. The present work intends to report the actual status of the project, focusing in particular on the experiment improvements with respect to the previous campaign