The Non-Thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect in Clusters of Galaxies

In this paper we provide a general derivation of the non-thermal (as well as of the thermal) SZ effect in galaxy clusters which is exact in the Thomson limit to any approximation order in the optical depth. Such a general derivation is obtained using the full relativistic formalism and overcoming the limitations of the Kompaneets and of the single scattering approximations. To have a consistent description of the SZ effect in clusters containing non-thermal phenomena, we also evaluate in a consistent way - for the first time - the total SZ effect produced by a combination of thermal and non-thermal electron populations residing in the same environment, like is the case in radio-halo clusters. We discuss both the spectral and the spatial features of the total SZ effect and we provide specific predictions for a well studied radio-halo cluster like A2163. We also discuss the overall SZ effect produced by a combination of different thermal populations residing in the cluster atmosphere. In this context, we discuss how the combined observations of the thermal and non-thermal SZ effect provide constraints on the spectrum of the relativistic electron population and, in turn, on the presence and on the origin of non-thermal phenomena (radio-halo, hard X-ray, EUV excesses) occurring in galaxy clusters

HDAC1 inhibition by MS-275 in mesothelial cells limits cellular invasion and promotes MMT reversal

Peritoneal fibrosis is a pathological alteration of the peritoneal membrane occurring in a variety of conditions including peritoneal dialysis (PD), post-surgery adhesions and peritoneal metastases. The acquisition of invasive and pro-fibrotic abilities by mesothelial cells (MCs) through induction of MMT, a cell-specific form of EMT, plays a main role in this process. Aim of this study was to evaluate possible effects of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, key components of the epigenetic machinery, in counteracting MMT observed in MCs isolated from effluent of PD patients. HDAC inhibitors with different class/isoform selectivity have been used for pharmacological inhibition. While the effect of other inhibitors was limited to a partial E-cadherin re-expression, MS-275, a HDAC1-3 inhibitor, promoted: (i) downregulation of mesenchymal markers (MMP2, Col1A1, PAI-1, TGFβ1, TGFβRI) (ii) upregulation of epithelial markers (E-cadherin, Occludin), (iii) reacquisition of an epithelial-like morphology and (iv) marked reduction of cellular invasiveness. Results were confirmed by HDAC1 genetic silencing. Mechanistically, MS-275 causes: (i) increase of nuclear histone H3 acetylation (ii) rescue of the acetylation profile on E-cadherin promoter, (iii) Snail functional impairment. Overall, our study, pinpointing a role for HDAC1, revealed a new player in the regulation of peritoneal fibrosis, providing the rationale for future therapeutic opportunities

MITO measurements of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect in the Coma cluster of galaxies

We have measured the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect towards the Coma cluster (A1656) with the MITO experiment, a 2.6-m telescope equipped with a 4-channel 17 arcminute (FWHM) photometer. Measurements at frequency bands 143+/-15, 214+/-15, 272+/-16 and 353+/-13 GHz, were made during 120 drift scans of Coma. We describe the observations and data analysis that involved extraction of the S-Z signal by employing a spatial and spectral de-correlation scheme to remove a dominant atmospheric component. The deduced values of the thermal S-Z effect in the first three bands are DT_{0} = -179+/-38,-33+/-81,170+/-35 microKelvin in the cluster center. The corresponding optical depth, tau=(4.1+/-0.9) 10^{-3}, is consistent (within errors) with both the value from a previous low frequency S-Z measurement, and the value predicted from the X-ray deduced gas parameters.Comment: Ap.J.Letters accepted, 4 pages, 2 figure

Estudio de vida útil microbiológica y sensorial de leche fluida envasada y pasteurizada para producción en agricultura familiar

En Argentina se encuentra prohibida la venta de leche sin pasteurizar, aunque esta práctica se registra en forma habitual en la mayoría de las cuencas lácteas del país siendo sostenida, en parte, por la falta de tecnología adecuada y validada para pequeñas escalas, pero también por la existencia de un segmento que demanda el producto debido a su costo/calidad. Como alternativa novedosa, se diseñó y construyó un equipo para envasar y pasteurizar la leche dentro del envase.Fil: Soteras, Trinidad. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto Tecnología de Alimentos; Argentina.Fil: Palladino, Pablo Martin. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto Tecnología de Alimentos; Argentina.Fil: Justianovich, Sergio Hernan. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto De Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Agricultura Familiar (IPAF). Región Pampeana; Argentina.Fil: Ocampo, Fernando David. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto De Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Agricultura Familiar (IPAF). Región Pampeana; Argentina.Fil: Ormando, Paula. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto Tecnología de Alimentos; Argentina.Fil: Denoya, Gabriela Inés. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto Tecnología de Alimentos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

European Strategy for Accelerator-Based Neutrino Physics

Massive neutrinos reveal physics beyond the Standard Model, which could have deep consequences for our understanding of the Universe. Their study should therefore receive the highest level of priority in the European Strategy. The discovery and study of leptonic CP violation and precision studies of the transitions between neutrino flavours require high intensity, high precision, long baseline accelerator neutrino experiments. The community of European neutrino physicists involved in oscillation experiments is strong enough to support a major neutrino long baseline project in Europe, and has an ambitious, competitive and coherent vision to propose. Following the 2006 European Strategy for Particle Physics (ESPP) recommendations, two complementary design studies have been carried out: LAGUNA/LBNO, focused on deep underground detector sites, and EUROnu, focused on high intensity neutrino facilities. LAGUNA LBNO recommends, as first step, a conventional neutrino beam CN2PY from a CERN SPS North Area Neutrino Facility (NANF) aimed at the Pyhasalmi mine in Finland. A sterile neutrino search experiment which could also be situated in the CERN north area has been proposed (ICARUS-NESSIE) using a two detector set-up, allowing a definitive answer to the 20 year old question open by the LSND experiment. EUROnu concluded that a 10 GeV Neutrino Factory, aimed at a magnetized neutrino detector situated, also, at a baseline of around 2200 km (+-30%), would constitute the ultimate neutrino facility; it recommends that the next 5 years be devoted to the R&D, preparatory experiments and implementation study, in view of a proposal before the next ESPP update. The coherence and quality of this program calls for the continuation of neutrino beams at CERN after the CNGS, and for a high priority support from CERN and the member states to the experiments and R&D program.Comment: Prepared by the program committee of the Neutrino `town meeting', CERN, 14-16 May 2012 and submitted to the European Strategy For European Particle Physic

A machine-learning based bio-psycho-social model for the prediction of non-obstructive and obstructive coronary artery disease

Background: Mechanisms of myocardial ischemia in obstructive and non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), and the interplay between clinical, functional, biological and psycho-social features, are still far to be fully elucidated. Objectives: To develop a machine-learning (ML) model for the supervised prediction of obstructive versus non-obstructive CAD. Methods: From the EVA study, we analysed adults hospitalized for IHD undergoing conventional coronary angiography (CCA). Non-obstructive CAD was defined by a stenosis < 50% in one or more vessels. Baseline clinical and psycho-socio-cultural characteristics were used for computing a Rockwood and Mitnitski frailty index, and a gender score according to GENESIS-PRAXY methodology. Serum concentration of inflammatory cytokines was measured with a multiplex flow cytometry assay. Through an XGBoost classifier combined with an explainable artificial intelligence tool (SHAP), we identified the most influential features in discriminating obstructive versus non-obstructive CAD. Results: Among the overall EVA cohort (n = 509), 311 individuals (mean age 67 ± 11 years, 38% females; 67% obstructive CAD) with complete data were analysed. The ML-based model (83% accuracy and 87% precision) showed that while obstructive CAD was associated with higher frailty index, older age and a cytokine signature characterized by IL-1β, IL-12p70 and IL-33, non-obstructive CAD was associated with a higher gender score (i.e., social characteristics traditionally ascribed to women) and with a cytokine signature characterized by IL-18, IL-8, IL-23. Conclusions: Integrating clinical, biological, and psycho-social features, we have optimized a sex- and gender-unbiased model that discriminates obstructive and non-obstructive CAD. Further mechanistic studies will shed light on the biological plausibility of these associations. Clinical trial registration: NCT02737982

Enabling planetary science across light-years. Ariel Definition Study Report

Ariel, the Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey, was adopted as the fourth medium-class mission in ESA's Cosmic Vision programme to be launched in 2029. During its 4-year mission, Ariel will study what exoplanets are made of, how they formed and how they evolve, by surveying a diverse sample of about 1000 extrasolar planets, simultaneously in visible and infrared wavelengths. It is the first mission dedicated to measuring the chemical composition and thermal structures of hundreds of transiting exoplanets, enabling planetary science far beyond the boundaries of the Solar System. The payload consists of an off-axis Cassegrain telescope (primary mirror 1100 mm x 730 mm ellipse) and two separate instruments (FGS and AIRS) covering simultaneously 0.5-7.8 micron spectral range. The satellite is best placed into an L2 orbit to maximise the thermal stability and the field of regard. The payload module is passively cooled via a series of V-Groove radiators; the detectors for the AIRS are the only items that require active cooling via an active Ne JT cooler. The Ariel payload is developed by a consortium of more than 50 institutes from 16 ESA countries, which include the UK, France, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Spain, Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, and a NASA contribution

Measurement of the top quark forward-backward production asymmetry and the anomalous chromoelectric and chromomagnetic moments in pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV

Abstract The parton-level top quark (t) forward-backward asymmetry and the anomalous chromoelectric (d̂ t) and chromomagnetic (μ̂ t) moments have been measured using LHC pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected in the CMS detector in a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb−1. The linearized variable AFB(1) is used to approximate the asymmetry. Candidate t t ¯ events decaying to a muon or electron and jets in final states with low and high Lorentz boosts are selected and reconstructed using a fit of the kinematic distributions of the decay products to those expected for t t ¯ final states. The values found for the parameters are AFB(1)=0.048−0.087+0.095(stat)−0.029+0.020(syst),μ̂t=−0.024−0.009+0.013(stat)−0.011+0.016(syst), and a limit is placed on the magnitude of | d̂ t| < 0.03 at 95% confidence level. [Figure not available: see fulltext.