Resolved young binary systems and their disks

We have conducted a survey of young single and multiple systems in the Taurus-Auriga star-forming region with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), substantially improving both the spatial resolution and sensitivity with which individual protoplanetary disks in these systems have been observed. These ALMA observations can resolve binary separations as small as 25--30 AU and have an average 3$\sigma$ detection level of 0.35 mJy, equivalent to a disk mass of $4 \times 10^{-5}$ M$_{\odot}$ for an M3 star. Our sample was constructed from stars that have an infrared excess and/or signs of accretion and have been classified as Class II. For the binary and higher order multiple systems observed, we detect $\lambda = 1.3$ mm continuum emission from one or more stars in all of our target systems. Combined with previous surveys of Taurus, our 21 new detections increase the fraction of millimeter-detected disks to over 75% in all categories of stars (singles, primaries, and companions) earlier than spectral type M6 in the Class II sample. Given the wealth of other information available for these stars, this has allowed us to study the impact of multiplicity with a much larger sample. While millimeter flux and disk mass are related to stellar mass as seen in previous studies, we find that both primary and secondary stars in binary systems with separations of 30 to 4200 AU have lower values of millimeter flux as a function of stellar mass than single stars. We also find that for these systems, the circumstellar disk around the primary star does not dominate the total disk mass in the system and contains on average 62% of the total mass.Comment: 30 pages, 12 figures, to be published in the Astrophysical Journa

Epifil: a dynamic model of infection and disease in lymphatic filariasis

The lack of a quantitative framework that describes the dynamic relationships between infection and morbidity has constrained efforts aimed at the community-level control of lymphatic filariasis. In this paper, we describe the development and validation of EPIFIL, a dynamic model of filariasis infection intensity and chronic disease. Infection dynamics are modeled using the well established immigration-death formulation, incorporating the acquisition of immunity to infective larvae over time. The dynamics of disease (lymphodema and hydrocele) are modeled as a catalytic function of a variety of factors, including worm load and the impact of immunopathological responses. The model was parameterized using age-stratified data collected from a Bancroftian filariasis endemic area in Pondicherry in southern India. The fitted parameters suggest that a relatively simple model including only acquired immunity to infection and irreversible progression to disease can satisfactorily explain the observed infection and disease patterns. Disease progression is assumed to be a consequence of worm induced damage and to occur at a high rate for hydrocele and a low rate for lymphodema. This suggests that immunopathology involvement may not be a necessary component of observed age-disease profiles. These findings support a central role for worm burden in the initiation and progression of chronic filarial disease

Multidecadal High Mortality Disease Events in Australian Domestic Geese Associated with a Novel Alphaherpesvirus, Designated Anatid Alphaherpevirus 2

Herpesviruses are ubiquitous viruses which infect a wide range of hosts. Novel herpesviruses are being increasingly detected in free-ranging bird populations and there are growing concerns for cross-species infection and spillover events. Herein, multiple sporadic outbreaks of mortality caused by a herpesvirus are described in domestic geese in Queensland, Australia. Goose herpesvirus was initially detected in 1989 in south-east Queensland, and this article details four further recent outbreaks and reports novel genome sequencing and phylogeny of the preliminarily designated anatid alphaherpesvirus 2 (AnHV-2). Affected flocks were housed outdoors and comingled with other domesticated and wild anseriforms and other birds which were unaffected by disease. Affected geese displayed anorexia, lethargy, weakness, vomiting, and diarrhoea prior to death within 12–24 hr of the onset of clinical signs. Post-mortem examinations showed variable hepatic necrosis, splenic necrosis, fibrinonecrotising enteritis, lymphoid necrosis, necrotising thymitis, necrotising adrenalitis, and vasculitis. Intranuclear inclusion bodies were observed in hepatocytes, biliary epithelium, small intestinal mucosal epithelium, thymus, endothelial cells, ovarian stromal cells, adrenal cortical cells, and neuronal cell bodies in peripheral nerve ganglia. Transmission electron microscopy visualised herpesviral particles in virus culture supernatant, and within the nuclei of hepatocytes, biliary epithelium, and endothelial cells in case tissues. The genome sequence of this herpesvirus, designated anatid alphaherpesvirus 2 (AnHV-2), is described. While investigating goose mortalities, archived isolate from a swan with suspected herpesvirus infection was tested and genome sequencing identified a further novel herpesvirus, proposed anatid alphaherpesvirus 3 (AnHV-3). The AnHV-2 and AnHV-3 genomes were more similar to each other, with a nucleotide identity of 76.1%, than to reference genome sequences. Phylogenetically, the new genomes formed a distinct clade within the alphaherpesvirus genus Mardivirus. We sequenced four AnHV-2 genomes from different cases and these did not display consistent divergence over time or distance. Expanded surveillance and outbreak testing are recommended, facilitated by the development of a specific real-time PCR for the rapid detection of AnHV-2

Abordagens pedagógicas e sua relação com as teorias de aprendizagem

The teaching practice requires the knowledge of how individuals learn, how the learning originates and develops and becomes as meaningful learning experience. The objective of this paper is to present the theoretical conceptions of the learning process of individuals and their relationship to pedagogical approaches adopted in the models of undergraduate courses. In this sense, the pedagogical models were grouped in a synthesized form, in models that are distinguished by being centered on the teacher; on the student; in the know; on medium of communication or technique; the social context and interaction. Were presented some of the principal aspects discussed in the Psychology Human Development, influencing teaching trends, as Innate, the Environmentalist / Behaviorist, and Interactionist. Discusses the need of educational practices be substantiate conceptually.A prática docente demanda o conhecimento de como o indivíduo aprende, como se origina e se desenvolve o aprendizado e como se transforma em experiência significativa de aprendizagem. O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar as concepções teóricas sobre o processo de aprendizagem dos indivíduos e sua relação com as abordagens pedagógicas adotadas nos modelos de cursos de graduação. Nesse sentido, os modelos pedagógicos foram agrupados de forma sintetizada, em modelos que se distinguem por estarem centrados no professor; no estudante; no saber; no meio de comunicação ou na técnica; no contexto social e na interação. Foram apresentadas algumas das principais vertentes discutidas na área da Psicologia do Desenvolvimento Humano, que influenciaram as tendências pedagógicas, como a Inatista, a Ambientalista/Behaviorista, e as Interacionistas. Discute a necessidade das práticas educativas serem conceitualmente fundamentadas

Resolved Young Binary Systems and Their Disks

We have conducted a survey of young single and multiple systems in the Taurus–Auriga star-forming region with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), substantially improving both the spatial resolution and sensitivity with which individual protoplanetary disks in these systems have been observed. These ALMA observations can resolve binary separations as small as 25–30 au and have an average 3σ detection level of 0.35 mJy, equivalent to a disk mass of 4 × 10^(−5) M⊙ for an M3 star. Our sample was constructed from stars that have an infrared excess and/or signs of accretion and have been classified as Class II. For the binary and higher-order multiple systems observed, we detect λ = 1.3 mm continuum emission from one or more stars in all of our target systems. Combined with previous surveys of Taurus, our 21 new detections increase the fraction of millimeter-detected disks to over 75% in all categories of stars (singles, primaries, and companions) earlier than spectral type M6 in the Class II sample. Given the wealth of other information available for these stars, this has allowed us to study the impact of multiplicity with a much larger sample. While millimeter flux and disk mass are related to stellar mass as seen in previous studies, we find that both primary and secondary stars in binary systems with separations of 30–4200 au have lower values of millimeter flux as a function of stellar mass than single stars. We also find that for these systems, the circumstellar disk around the primary star does not dominate the total disk mass in the system and contains on average 62% of the total mass

Measured energy content of frequently purchased restaurant meals : multi-country cross sectional study

Funding: This work was supported in part by the US Department of Agriculture under agreement no. 58-1950-4-003 with Tufts University and a Tufts University Provost award to SBR. The study had additional funding in Brazil from FAPESP grants 2013/18520-0 and 2013/14489-1 to VS; in China from the National Science Foundation of China grant No 91431102 to JRS and International Partnership Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences grant No GJHZ1660 to JRS; in Finland from internal funding by the University of Eastern Finland to JP; in Ghana from the University of Georgia Global Research Collaborative Grant Program to AKA. The views expressed are those of the authors. The sponsors had no role in the design, undertaking, or reporting of the study.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

A comprehensive re-assessment of the association between vitamin D and cancer susceptibility using Mendelian randomization.

Previous Mendelian randomization (MR) studies on 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and cancer have typically adopted a handful of variants and found no relationship between 25(OH)D and cancer; however, issues of horizontal pleiotropy cannot be reliably addressed. Using a larger set of variants associated with 25(OH)D (74 SNPs, up from 6 previously), we perform a unified MR analysis to re-evaluate the relationship between 25(OH)D and ten cancers. Our findings are broadly consistent with previous MR studies indicating no relationship, apart from ovarian cancers (OR 0.89; 95% C.I: 0.82 to 0.96 per 1 SD change in 25(OH)D concentration) and basal cell carcinoma (OR 1.16; 95% C.I.: 1.04 to 1.28). However, after adjustment for pigmentation related variables in a multivariable MR framework, the BCC findings were attenuated. Here we report that lower 25(OH)D is unlikely to be a causal risk factor for most cancers, with our study providing more precise confidence intervals than previously possible

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

A comprehensive re-assessment of the association between vitamin D and cancer susceptibility using Mendelian randomization

Abstract: Previous Mendelian randomization (MR) studies on 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and cancer have typically adopted a handful of variants and found no relationship between 25(OH)D and cancer; however, issues of horizontal pleiotropy cannot be reliably addressed. Using a larger set of variants associated with 25(OH)D (74 SNPs, up from 6 previously), we perform a unified MR analysis to re-evaluate the relationship between 25(OH)D and ten cancers. Our findings are broadly consistent with previous MR studies indicating no relationship, apart from ovarian cancers (OR 0.89; 95% C.I: 0.82 to 0.96 per 1 SD change in 25(OH)D concentration) and basal cell carcinoma (OR 1.16; 95% C.I.: 1.04 to 1.28). However, after adjustment for pigmentation related variables in a multivariable MR framework, the BCC findings were attenuated. Here we report that lower 25(OH)D is unlikely to be a causal risk factor for most cancers, with our study providing more precise confidence intervals than previously possible