9,908 research outputs found
Reduced sensitivity to visual looming inflates the risk posed by speeding vehicles when children try to cross the road
Almost all locomotor animals respond to visual looming or to discrete changes in optical size. The need to detect and process looming remains critically important for humans in everyday life. Road traffic statistics confirm that children up to 15 years old are overrepresented in pedestrian casualties. We demonstrate that, for a given pedestrian crossing time, vehicles traveling faster loom less than slower vehicles, which creates a dangerous illusion in which faster vehicles may be perceived as not approaching. Our results from perceptual tests of looming thresholds show strong developmental trends in sensitivity, such that children may not be able to detect vehicles approaching at speeds in excess of 20 mph. This creates a risk of injudicious road crossing in urban settings when traffic speeds are higher than 20 mph. The risk is exacerbated because vehicles moving faster than this speed are more likely to result in pedestrian fatalities
DC field induced enhancement and inhibition of spontaneous emission in a cavity
We demonstrate how spontaneous emission in a cavity can be controlled by the
application of a dc field. The method is specially suitable for Rydberg atoms.
We present a simple argument for the control of emission.Comment: 3-pages, 2figure. accepted in Phys. Rev.
Endothelial HO-1 induction by model TG-rich lipoproteins is regulated through a NOX4-Nrf2 pathway
Circulating levels of chylomicron remnants (CMRs) increase postprandially and their composition directly reflects dietary lipid intake. These TG-rich lipoproteins likely contribute to the development of endothelial dysfunction, albeit via unknown mechanisms. Here, we investigated how the FA composition of CMRs influences their actions on human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) by comparing the effects of model CMRs—artificial TG-rich CMR-like particles (A-CRLPs)—containing TGs extracted from fish, DHA-rich algal, corn, or palm oils. HAECs responded with distinct transcriptional programs according to A-CRLP TG content and oxidation status, with genes involved in antioxidant defense and cytoprotection most prominently affected by n-3 PUFA-containing A-CRLPs. These particles were significantly more efficacious inducers of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) than n-6 PUFA corn or saturated FA-rich palm CRLPs. Mechanistically, HO-1 induction by all CRLPs requires NADPH oxidase 4, with PUFA-containing particles additionally dependent upon mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Activation of both p38 MAPK and PPARβ/δ culminates in increased nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression/nuclear translocation and HO-1 induction. These studies define new molecular pathways coupling endothelial cell activation by model CMRs with adaptive regulation of Nrf2-dependent HO-1 expression and may represent key mechanisms through which dietary FAs differentially impact progression of endothelial dysfunction
Simple modeling of self-oscillation in Nano-electro-mechanical systems
We present here a simple analytical model for self-oscillations in
nano-electro-mechanical systems. We show that a field emission self-oscillator
can be described by a lumped electrical circuit and that this approach is
generalizable to other electromechanical oscillator devices. The analytical
model is supported by dynamical simulations where the electrostatic parameters
are obtained by finite element computations.Comment: accepted in AP
High-fat meals rich in EPA plus DHA compared with DHA only have differential effects on postprandial lipemia and plasma 8-isoprostane F-2 alpha concentrations relative to a control high-oleic acid meal: a randomized controlled trial
Background: Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) plus docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation has beneficial cardiovascular effects, but postprandial influences of these individual fatty acids are unclear. Objectives: The primary objective was to determine the vascular effects of EPA + DHA compared with DHA only during postprandial lipemia relative to control high–oleic acid meals; the secondary objective was to characterize the effects of linoleic acid–enriched high-fat meals relative to the control meal. Design: We conducted a randomized, controlled, double-blind crossover trial of 4 high-fat (75-g) meals containing 1) high–oleic acid sunflower oil (HOS; control), 2) HOS + fish oil (FO; 5 g EPA and DHA), 3) HOS + algal oil (AO; 5 g DHA), and 4) high–linoleic acid sunflower oil (HLS) in 16 healthy men (aged 35–70 y) with higher than optimal fasting triacylglycerol concentrations (mean ± SD triacylglycerol, 1.9 ± 0.5 mmol/L). Results: Elevations in triacylglycerol concentration relative to baseline were slightly reduced after FO and HLS compared with the HOS control (P < 0.05). The characteristic decrease from baseline in plasma nonesterified fatty acids after a mixed meal was inhibited after AO (Δ 0–3 h, P < 0.05). HLS increased the augmentation index compared with the other test meals (P < 0.05), although the digital volume pulse–reflection index was not significantly different. Plasma 8-isoprostane F(2α) analysis revealed opposing effects of FO (increased) and AO (reduced) compared with the control (P < 0.05). No differences in nitric oxide metabolites were observed. Conclusions: These data show differential postprandial 8-isoprostane F(2α) responses to high-fat meals containing EPA + DHA–rich fish oil compared with DHA-rich AO, but these differences were not associated with consistent effects on postprandial vascular function or lipemia. More detailed analyses of polyunsaturated fatty acid–derived lipid mediators are required to determine possible divergent functional effects of single meals rich in either DHA or EPA. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01618071
An assessment of theICE6G_C(VM5a)glacial isostatic adjustment model
The recent release of the next-generation global ice history model, ICE6G_C(VM5a), is likely to be of interest to a wide range of disciplines including oceanography (sea level studies), space gravity (mass balance studies), glaciology, and, of course, geodynamics (Earth rheology studies). In this paper we make an assessment of some aspects of the ICE6G_C(VM5a) model and show that the published present-day radial uplift rates are too high along the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula (by ∼8.6 mm/yr) and beneath the Ross Ice Shelf (by ∼5 mm/yr). Furthermore, the published spherical harmonic coefficients—which are meant to represent the dimensionless present-day changes due to glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA)—contain excessive power for degree ≥90, do not agree with physical expectations and do not represent accurately the ICE6G_C(VM5a) model. We show that the excessive power in the high-degree terms produces erroneous uplift rates when the empirical relationship of Purcell et al. (2011) is applied, but when correct Stokes coefficients are used, the empirical relationship produces excellent agreement with the fully rigorous computation of the radial velocity field, subject to the caveats first noted by Purcell et al. (2011). Using the Australian National University (ANU) groups CALSEA software package, we recompute the present-day GIA signal for the ice thickness history and Earth rheology used by Peltier et al. (2015) and provide dimensionless Stokes coefficients that can be used to correct satellite altimetry observations for GIA over oceans and by the space gravity community to separate GIA and present-day mass balance change signals. We denote the new data sets as ICE6G_ANU
The molecular environment of massive star forming cores associated with Class II methanol maser emission
Methanol maser emission has proven to be an excellent signpost of regions
undergoing massive star formation (MSF). To investigate their role as an
evolutionary tracer, we have recently completed a large observing program with
the ATCA to derive the dynamical and physical properties of molecular/ionised
gas towards a sample of MSF regions traced by 6.7 GHz methanol maser emission.
We find that the molecular gas in many of these regions breaks up into multiple
sub-clumps which we separate into groups based on their association
with/without methanol maser and cm continuum emission. The temperature and
dynamic state of the molecular gas is markedly different between the groups.
Based on these differences, we attempt to assess the evolutionary state of the
cores in the groups and thus investigate the role of class II methanol masers
as a tracer of MSF.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, IAU Symposium 242 Conference Proceeding
Broadband, radio spectro-polarimetric study of 100 radiative-mode and jet-mode AGN
We present the results from a broadband (1 to 3 GHz), spectro-polarimetry
study of the integrated emission from 100 extragalactic radio sources with the
ATCA, selected to be highly linearly polarized at 1.4 GHz. We use a general
purpose, polarization model-fitting procedure that describes the Faraday
rotation measure (RM) and intrinsic polarization structure of up to three
distinct polarized emission regions or 'RM components' of a source. Overall,
37%/52%/11% of sources are best fit by one/two/three RM components. However,
these fractions are dependent on the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) in
polarization (more RM components more likely at higher S/N). In general, our
analysis shows that sources with high integrated degrees of polarization at 1.4
GHz have low Faraday depolarization, are typically dominated by a single RM
component, have a steep spectral index, and a high intrinsic degree of
polarization. After classifying our sample into radiative-mode and jet-mode
AGN, we find no significant difference between the Faraday rotation or Faraday
depolarization properties of jet-mode and radiative-mode AGN. However, there is
a statistically significant difference in the intrinsic degree of polarization
between the two types, with the jet-mode sources having more intrinsically
ordered magnetic field structures than the radiative-mode sources. We also find
a preferred perpendicular orientation of the intrinsic magnetic field structure
of jet-mode AGN with respect to the jet direction, while no clear preference is
found for the radiative-mode sources.Comment: 29 pages (including Appendix), 28 figures, 7 tables. Accepted for
publication in MNRA
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