Telecommunications and radio-metric support for a manned mission to Mars

Some general characteristics of the Deep Space Network are described and related to services needed by a manned mission to Mars. Specific details of the current Network capabilities and those planned for the near future may be found in the reference

Large-scale wind structures in OB supergiants: a search for rotationally modulated H\alpha variability

We present the results of a long-term monitoring campaign of the H\alpha line in a sample of bright OB-supergiants (O7.5-B9) that aims at detecting rotationally modulated changes potentially related to the existence of large-scale wind structures. A total of 22 objects were monitor ed during 36 nights spread over 6 months in 2001-2002. Coordinated broad-band photometric observations were also obtained for some targets. Conspicuous evidence for variability in H\alpha is found for the stars displaying a feature contaminated by wind emission. Most changes take place on a daily time-scale, although hourly variations are also occasionally detected. Convincing evidence for a cyclical pattern of variability in H\alpha has been found in 2 stars: HD 14134 and HD 42087 (periodic signals are also detected in other stars, but independent confirmation is required). Rotational modulation is suggested from the similarity between the observed recurrence time-scales (in the range 13-25 days) and estimated periods of stellar rotation. We call attention to the atypical case of HD 14134 which exhibits a clear 12.8-d periodicity both in the photometric and in the spectroscopic data sets. This places this object among a handful of early-type stars where one may observe a clear link between extended wind structures and photospheric disturbances. Further modelling may test the hypothesis that azimuthally-extended wind streams are responsible for the patterns of spectral variability in our target stars.Comment: 18 pages, accepted for publication in MNRA

Precision luminosity measurements at LHCb

Measuring cross-sections at the LHC requires the luminosity to be determined accurately at each centre-of-mass energy √s. In this paper results are reported from the luminosity calibrations carried out at the LHC interaction point 8 with the LHCb detector for √s = 2.76, 7 and 8 TeV (proton-proton collisions) and for √sNN = 5 TeV (proton-lead collisions). Both the "van der Meer scan" and "beam-gas imaging" luminosity calibration methods were employed. It is observed that the beam density profile cannot always be described by a function that is factorizable in the two transverse coordinates. The introduction of a two-dimensional description of the beams improves significantly the consistency of the results. For proton-proton interactions at √s = 8 TeV a relative precision of the luminosity calibration of 1.47% is obtained using van der Meer scans and 1.43% using beam-gas imaging, resulting in a combined precision of 1.12%. Applying the calibration to the full data set determines the luminosity with a precision of 1.16%. This represents the most precise luminosity measurement achieved so far at a bunched-beam hadron collider

Performance of the LHCb vertex locator

The Vertex Locator (VELO) is a silicon microstrip detector that surrounds the proton-proton interaction region in the LHCb experiment. The performance of the detector during the first years of its physics operation is reviewed. The system is operated in vacuum, uses a bi-phase CO2 cooling system, and the sensors are moved to 7 mm from the LHC beam for physics data taking. The performance and stability of these characteristic features of the detector are described, and details of the material budget are given. The calibration of the timing and the data processing algorithms that are implemented in FPGAs are described. The system performance is fully characterised. The sensors have a signal to noise ratio of approximately 20 and a best hit resolution of 4 μm is achieved at the optimal track angle. The typical detector occupancy for minimum bias events in standard operating conditions in 2011 is around 0.5%, and the detector has less than 1% of faulty strips. The proximity of the detector to the beam means that the inner regions of the n+-on-n sensors have undergone space-charge sign inversion due to radiation damage. The VELO performance parameters that drive the experiment's physics sensitivity are also given. The track finding efficiency of the VELO is typically above 98% and the modules have been aligned to a precision of 1 μm for translations in the plane transverse to the beam. A primary vertex resolution of 13 μm in the transverse plane and 71 μm along the beam axis is achieved for vertices with 25 tracks. An impact parameter resolution of less than 35 μm is achieved for particles with transverse momentum greater than 1 GeV/c

Nucleon-Nucleon Interaction: A Typical/Concise Review

Nearly a recent century of work is divided to Nucleon-Nucleon (NN) interaction issue. We review some overall perspectives of NN interaction with a brief discussion about deuteron, general structure and symmetries of NN Lagrangian as well as equations of motion and solutions. Meanwhile, the main NN interaction models, as frameworks to build NN potentials, are reviewed concisely. We try to include and study almost all well-known potentials in a similar way, discuss more on various commonly used plain forms for two-nucleon interaction with an emphasis on the phenomenological and meson-exchange potentials as well as the constituent-quark potentials and new ones based on chiral effective field theory and working in coordinate-space mostly. The potentials are constructed in a way that fit NN scattering data, phase shifts, and are also compared in this way usually. An extra goal of this study is to start comparing various potentials forms in a unified manner. So, we also comment on the advantages and disadvantages of the models and potentials partly with reference to some relevant works and probable future studies.Comment: 85 pages, 5 figures, than the previous v3 edition, minor changes, and typos fixe

Mapping of quantitative trait loci for flesh colour and growth traits in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Flesh colour and growth related traits in salmonids are both commercially important and of great interest from a physiological and evolutionary perspective. The aim of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting flesh colour and growth related traits in an F2 population derived from an isolated, landlocked wild population in Norway (Byglands Bleke) and a commercial production population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>One hundred and twenty-eight informative microsatellite loci distributed across all 29 linkage groups in Atlantic salmon were genotyped in individuals from four F2 families that were selected from the ends of the flesh colour distribution. Genotyping of 23 additional loci and two additional families was performed on a number of linkage groups harbouring putative QTL. QTL analysis was performed using a line-cross model assuming fixation of alternate QTL alleles and a half-sib model with no assumptions about the number and frequency of QTL alleles in the founder populations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A moderate to strong phenotypic correlation was found between colour, length and weight traits. In total, 13 genome-wide significant QTL were detected for all traits using the line-cross model, including three genome-wide significant QTL for flesh colour (Chr 6, Chr 26 and Chr 4). In addition, 32 suggestive QTL were detected (chromosome-wide P < 0.05). Using the half-sib model, six genome-wide significant QTL were detected for all traits, including two for flesh colour (Chr 26 and Chr 4) and 41 suggestive QTL were detected (chromosome-wide P < 0.05). Based on the half-sib analysis, these two genome-wide significant QTL for flesh colour explained 24% of the phenotypic variance for this trait.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A large number of significant and suggestive QTL for flesh colour and growth traits were found in an F2 population of Atlantic salmon. Chr 26 and Chr 4 presented the strongest evidence for significant QTL affecting flesh colour, while Chr 10, Chr 5, and Chr 4 presented the strongest evidence for significant QTL affecting growth traits (length and weight). These QTL could be strong candidates for use in marker-assisted selection and provide a starting point for further characterisation of the genetic components underlying flesh colour and growth.</p

Attribution of physical complaints to the air disaster in Amsterdam by exposed rescue workers: an epidemiological study using historic cohorts

BACKGROUND: In 1992 a cargo aircraft crashed into a residential area of Amsterdam. A troublesome aftermath followed, with rumors on potential toxic exposures and health consequences. Health concerns remained even though no excess morbidity was predicted in retrospective risk evaluations. This study aimed to assess to what extent the rescue workers attribute long-term physical complaints to this disaster, including its aftermath, and to examine associations between such attribution and types of exposure and background variables. METHODS: Historic cohort study that collected questionnaire data on occupational disaster exposure, attribution of physical complaints, and background variables on average 8.5 years post-disaster. For the present study the workers who were exposed to the disaster were selected from the historic cohort, i.e. the professional firefighters (n = 334), police officers (n = 834), and accident and wreckage investigators (n = 241) who performed disaster-related tasks. RESULTS: Across the three occupational groups, a consistent percentage (ranging from 43% to 49%) of exposed workers with long-term physical complaints attributed these to the disaster, including its aftermath. Those with more physical complaints attributed these to a stronger degree. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that attribution was significantly more often reported by firefighters who rescued people, and by police officers who reported the identification and recovery of or search for victims and human remains, clean-up, or security and surveillance of the disaster area; who witnessed the immediate disaster scene; who had a close one affected by the disaster; and who perceived the disaster as the worst thing that ever happened to them. Age, sex and educational level were not significantly associated with attribution. CONCLUSION: This study provides further cross-sectional evidence for the role of causal attribution in post-disaster subjective physical health problems. After on average 8.5 years, almost a third (32%) of all the exposed workers, and almost half (45%) of the exposed workers with physical complaints, attributed these complaints to the disaster, including its aftermath. The similarity of the results across the occupational groups suggests a general rather than an occupation-specific attribution process. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether causal disaster attribution leads to persistence of post-disaster complaints and health care utilization

Gastroesophageal reflux GWAS identifies risk loci that also associate with subsequent severe esophageal diseases

Funder: The Swedish Esophageal Cancer Study was funded by grants (R01 CA57947-03) from the National Cancer Institute he California Tobacco Related Research Program (3RT-0122; and; 10RT-0251) Marit Peterson Fund for Melanoma Research. CIDR is supported by contract HHSN268200782096CAbstract: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is caused by gastric acid entering the esophagus. GERD has high prevalence and is the major risk factor for Barrett’s esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA). We conduct a large GERD GWAS meta-analysis (80,265 cases, 305,011 controls), identifying 25 independent genome-wide significant loci for GERD. Several of the implicated genes are existing or putative drug targets. Loci discovery is greatest with a broad GERD definition (including cases defined by self-report or medication data). Further, 91% of the GERD risk-increasing alleles also increase BE and/or EA risk, greatly expanding gene discovery for these traits. Our results map genes for GERD and related traits and uncover potential new drug targets for these conditions

Cell-specific deletion of C1qa identifies microglia as the dominant source of C1q in mouse brain

BACKGROUND: The complement cascade not only provides protection from infection but can also mediate destructive inflammation. Complement is also involved in elimination of neuronal synapses which is essential for proper development, but can be detrimental during aging and disease. C1q, required for several of these complement-mediated activities, is present in the neuropil, microglia, and a subset of interneurons in the brain. METHODS: To identify the source(s) of C1q in the brain, the C1qa gene was selectively inactivated in the microglia or Thy-1(+) neurons in both wild type mice and a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and C1q synthesis assessed by immunohistochemistry, QPCR, and western blot analysis. RESULTS: While C1q expression in the brain was unaffected after inactivation of C1qa in Thy-1(+) neurons, the brains of C1qa (FL/FL) :Cx3cr1 (CreERT2) mice in which C1qa was ablated in microglia were devoid of C1q with the exception of limited C1q in subsets of interneurons. Surprisingly, this loss of C1q occurred even in the absence of tamoxifen by 1 month of age, demonstrating that Cre activity is tamoxifen-independent in microglia in Cx3cr1 (CreERT2/WganJ) mice. C1q expression in C1qa (FL/FL) : Cx3cr1 (CreERT2/WganJ) mice continued to decline and remained almost completely absent through aging and in AD model mice. No difference in C1q was detected in the liver or kidney from C1qa (FL/FL) : Cx3cr1 (CreERT2/WganJ) mice relative to controls, and C1qa (FL/FL) : Cx3cr1 (CreERT2/WganJ) mice had minimal, if any, reduction in plasma C1q. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, microglia, but not neurons or peripheral sources, are the dominant source of C1q in the brain. While demonstrating that the Cx3cr1 (CreERT2/WganJ) deleter cannot be used for adult-induced deletion of genes in microglia, the model described here enables further investigation of physiological roles of C1q in the brain and identification of therapeutic targets for the selective control of complement-mediated activities contributing to neurodegenerative disorders. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12974-017-0814-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

A genome-wide association study identifies new susceptibility loci for esophageal adenocarcinoma and Barrett's esophagus.

Esophageal adenocarcinoma is a cancer with rising incidence and poor survival. Most such cancers arise in a specialized intestinal metaplastic epithelium, which is diagnostic of Barrett's esophagus. In a genome-wide association study, we compared esophageal adenocarcinoma cases (n = 2,390) and individuals with precancerous Barrett's esophagus (n = 3,175) with 10,120 controls in 2 phases. For the combined case group, we identified three new associations. The first is at 19p13 (rs10419226: P = 3.6 × 10(-10)) in CRTC1 (encoding CREB-regulated transcription coactivator), whose aberrant activation has been associated with oncogenic activity. A second is at 9q22 (rs11789015: P = 1.0 × 10(-9)) in BARX1, which encodes a transcription factor important in esophageal specification. A third is at 3p14 (rs2687201: P = 5.5 × 10(-9)) near the transcription factor FOXP1, which regulates esophageal development. We also refine a previously reported association with Barrett's esophagus near the putative tumor suppressor gene FOXF1 at 16q24 and extend our findings to now include esophageal adenocarcinoma