The Effect of Glutamate Receptor Agonists on Mouse Retinal Astrocyte [Ca 2+ ] i

Calcium-imaging techniques were used to determine if mouse retinal astrocytes in situ respond to agonists of ionotropic ( -amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid, AMPA; N-methyl-D-aspartate, NMDA) and metabotropic (S-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine, DHPG; trans-1-amino-1,3-cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid, ACPD) glutamate receptors. In most cases we found no evidence that retinal astrocyte intracellular calcium ion concentration

First-Year Spectroscopy for the SDSS-II Supernova Survey

This paper presents spectroscopy of supernovae discovered in the first season of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II Supernova Survey. This program searches for and measures multi-band light curves of supernovae in the redshift range z = 0.05 - 0.4, complementing existing surveys at lower and higher redshifts. Our goal is to better characterize the supernova population, with a particular focus on SNe Ia, improving their utility as cosmological distance indicators and as probes of dark energy. Our supernova spectroscopy program features rapid-response observations using telescopes of a range of apertures, and provides confirmation of the supernova and host-galaxy types as well as precise redshifts. We describe here the target identification and prioritization, data reduction, redshift measurement, and classification of 129 SNe Ia, 16 spectroscopically probable SNe Ia, 7 SNe Ib/c, and 11 SNe II from the first season. We also describe our efforts to measure and remove the substantial host galaxy contamination existing in the majority of our SN spectra.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal(47pages, 9 figures

The ASTRO-H X-ray Observatory

The joint JAXA/NASA ASTRO-H mission is the sixth in a series of highly successful X-ray missions initiated by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS). ASTRO-H will investigate the physics of the high-energy universe via a suite of four instruments, covering a very wide energy range, from 0.3 keV to 600 keV. These instruments include a high-resolution, high-throughput spectrometer sensitive over 0.3-2 keV with high spectral resolution of Delta E < 7 eV, enabled by a micro-calorimeter array located in the focal plane of thin-foil X-ray optics; hard X-ray imaging spectrometers covering 5-80 keV, located in the focal plane of multilayer-coated, focusing hard X-ray mirrors; a wide-field imaging spectrometer sensitive over 0.4-12 keV, with an X-ray CCD camera in the focal plane of a soft X-ray telescope; and a non-focusing Compton-camera type soft gamma-ray detector, sensitive in the 40-600 keV band. The simultaneous broad bandpass, coupled with high spectral resolution, will enable the pursuit of a wide variety of important science themes.Comment: 22 pages, 17 figures, Proceedings of the SPIE Astronomical Instrumentation "Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2012: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray

Identifying novel soluble biomarkers in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease characterized by central nervous system (CNS) demyelination and axonal damage. Under current guidelines, a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis most often occurs over the course of months and requires clinical assessment, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and a lumbar puncture. While clinically useful diagnostic, prognostic, and disease monitoring biomarkers do exist, they share commonalities with many other autoimmune and/or neurodegenerative disorders. As a result, this process leaves patients waiting for critical healthcare services. The objective of this thesis is to identify novel candidate biomarkers in blood plasma of MS patients and elucidate pathophysiological disease mechanisms in RRMS. Blood plasma represents an accessible body fluid harboring many immune-related molecules that may inform on RRMS disease status and ongoing systemic pathological mechanisms. In this thesis, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) was identified as a plasma-based biomarker for increased disability in RRMS that is released from macrophages and microglia in active areas of lesions during activation of an inflammasome. Blood plasma of RRMS cases was also used to investigate the patterns of circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs). It was determined that RRMS cases have higher levels of immune cell derived EVs in circulation compared to healthy controls, and that this was unrelated to numbers of circulating parent cell populations. Finally, cerebrospinal fluid samples were analysed for 27 cytokines, and identified few differences in RRMS compared to non-inflammatory neurological disease controls. CXCL10 levels were significantly increased but were not associated with its most welliii known function of immune cell chemotaxis. Instead, an alternative pathological mechanism whereby CXCL10 leads to downregulation of glutamate transporters on astrocytes was identified. This thesis highlights the wealth of information to be gained from studying body fluid-based biomarkers of ongoing inflammatory activity in RRMS and identifies three exploratory biomarkers for which future studies will be based on. These future works should focus on determining the sensitivity and specificity of these molecules in MS prospectively, longitudinally and across the disability and disease spectrum. Furthermore, future studies will work any functional mechanisms that are modulated by IL-1RA, immune cell derived EVs and CXCL10

The Effect of Glutamate Receptor Agonists on Mouse Retinal Astrocyte [Ca2+]i

Calcium-imaging techniques were used to determine if mouse retinal astrocytes in situ respond to agonists of ionotropic (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid, AMPA; N-methyl-D-aspartate, NMDA) and metabotropic (S-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine, DHPG; trans-1-amino-1,3-cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid, ACPD) glutamate receptors. In most cases we found no evidence that retinal astrocyte intracellular calcium ion concentration (Ca2+i) increased in response to these glutamate agonists. The one exception was AMPA that increased Ca2+i in some, but not all, mouse retinal astrocytes in situ. However, AMPA did not increase Ca2+i in mouse retinal astrocytes in vitro, suggesting that the effect of AMPA in situ may be indirect

EU biofuels policy:raising the question of WTO compatability

Governments intervene in the energy sector using a variety of measures to pursue a range of objectives, from security of supply and energy efficiency to environmental protection. Recent concerns about the impact of fossil fuels on climate change have resulted in the increasing promotion of biofuels as an alternative to oil. While worries exist with regard to the environmental impact of biofuel production in ecologically sensitive areas, it has been argued that with an effective regulatory framework to promote sustainable production, biofuels could provide a mechanism to provide energy security in an environmentally positive way. The interest of the European Union (EU) in the promotion of biofuels production is a relatively recent phenomenon and it is now the world's largest producer of biodiesel and the fourth largest producer of bioethanol. At its most basic level, the promotion of biofuels as an alternative to fossil fuels is part of a wider EU effort to support the use of renewable energy. The promotion of renewable energy is traceable to a number of goals, a central one of which is ensuring security of energy supply. Other policy goals supported by the promotion of renewable energies include reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with climate change, decreasing dependence upon imported oil, the promotion of technological development as well as regional and rural development and employment

Experimental data from 2012 repeatable explosive field trials

The University of Newcastle conducted explosive field trials in 2012 to measure peak incident pressure, impulse and time of positive phase duration. A novel aspect of the field trials were the repeatability of tests. Four scaled-distances were selected: Z = 1.1, 1.6, 2.1 and 3.2 m/kg1/3. Eight pressure gauges collected data for eight explosive shots at each scaled distance. Consequently, the repeatability of testing allowed the mean and variance of blast load parameters to be quantified with a view to better characterising model error and blast load variability. This report describes the data obtained from these explosive field trials