The Structure of Martian Magnetosphere at the Dayside Terminator Region as Observed on MAVEN Spacecraft

We analyzed 44 passes of the MAVEN spacecraft through the magnetosphere, arranged by the angle between electric field vector and the projection of spacecraft position radius vector in the YZ plane in MSE coordinate system (${\theta}$ E ). All passes were divided into 3 angular sectors near 0{\deg}, 90{\deg} and 180{\deg} ${\theta}$ E angles in order to estimate the role of IMF direction in plasma and magnetic properties of dayside Martian magnetosphere. The time interval chosen was from January 17 through February 4, 2016 when MAVEN was crossing the dayside magnetosphere at SZA ~ 70{\deg}. Magnetosphere as the region with prevailing energetic planetary ions is always found between the magnetosheath and the ionosphere. 3 angular sectors of dayside interaction region in MSE coordinate system with different orientation of the solar wind electric field vector E = -1/c V x B showed that for each sector one can find specific profiles of the magnetosheath, the magnetic barrier and the magnetosphere. Plume ions originate in the northern MSE sector where motion electric field is directed from the planet. This electric field ejects magnetospheric ions leading to dilution of magnetospheric heavy ions population, and this effect is seen in some magnetospheric profiles. Magnetic barrier forms in front of the magnetosphere, and relative magnetic field magnitudes in these two domains vary. The average height of the boundary with ionosphere is ~530 km and the average height of the magnetopause is ~730 km. We discuss the implications of the observed magnetosphere structure to the planetary ions loss mechanism.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figure

Auto anti oxLDL, IgM and IgG: comparison between sedentary and athletes

Introduction: The practice of regular physical activity contributes to reduce the prevalence of coronary hearth disease (CHD) and aerobic exercises are associated with beneficial changes in the profile of circulating lipids and lipoproteins. However in the past years the oxidative hypothesis assumed great importance in the pathogenesis of CHD. During exhaustive exercises there is a greater possibility of oxidation of LDL, forming oxidized LDL (oxLDL) that has a key role in atherogenesis. However the incidence of coronary events in athletes is lower than in sedentary persons. It is described in the literature that we can found in serum auto autoantibodies anti-oxLDL, of the isotypes IgG and IgM. The former involved with atherogenesis and the latter with an atheroprotective function. The aim of this study was to verify if there are differences in the prevalence of the different autoantibodies between athletes and sedentary persons. Methods: Twenty male recreational runners and twenty male sedentary individuals living in the city of São Paulo were recruited for the study. Both the study protocol and consent form had been approved by the UNIFESP-EPM Ethics Committee. None of the participants were using lipid-lowering medications, no smokers, addicted to alcohol consumption, obese or had systemic arterial hypertension, neither liver, renal, metabolic, inflammatory or neoplastic diseases. Blood sample were collected at rest. Blood draws for all the individuals were performed after 12 hours of fasting. IgM and IgG anti ox LDL specific reactivity in serum, were measured by ELISA using previously stored serum. Student’s t-test was used to analyze differences in age and body mass index (BMI). The Mann-Whitney test was used to determine if the differences between the results for sedentary individuals and those for runners at rest were significant. Results: We found that at rest the group of athletes studied showed a statistically higher concentration of IgM autoantibodies against ox-LDL than controls (figure 1 a). At the same time, IgG autoantibodies anti ox-LDL presented the same concentration in controls and athletes (Figure 1 b). Conclusion: This finding is of extreme importance when we consider the prevalence of CHD in those different populations and the opposite actions of these two isotypes of antibodies

Perceived Sound Quality Dimensions Influencing Frequency-Gain Shaping Preferences for Hearing Aid-Amplified Speech and Music

© The Author(s) 2021. Hearing aids are typically fitted using speech-based prescriptive formulae to make speech more intelligible. Individual preferences may vary from these prescriptions and may also vary with signal type. It is important to consider what motivates listener preferences and how those preferences can inform hearing aid processing so that assistive listening devices can best be tailored for hearing aid users. Therefore, this study explored preferred frequency-gain shaping relative to prescribed gain for speech and music samples. Preferred gain was determined for 22 listeners with mild sloping to moderately severe hearing loss relative to individually prescribed amplification while listening to samples of male speech, female speech, pop music, and classical music across low-, mid-, and high-frequency bands. Samples were amplified using a fast-acting compression hearing aid simulator. Preferences were determined using an adaptive paired comparison procedure. Listeners then rated speech and music samples processed using prescribed and preferred shaping across different sound quality descriptors. On average, low-frequency gain was significantly increased relative to the prescription for all stimuli and most substantially for pop and classical music. High-frequency gain was decreased significantly for pop music and male speech. Gain adjustments, particularly in the mid- and high-frequency bands, varied considerably between listeners. Music preferences were driven by changes in perceived fullness and sharpness, whereas speech preferences were driven by changes in perceived intelligibility and loudness. The results generally support the use of prescribed amplification to optimize speech intelligibility and alternative amplification for music listening for most listeners

Sound quality effects of an adaptive nonlinear frequency compression processor with normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners

© 2019 American Academy of Audiology. All rights reserved. Background: Frequency lowering (FL) technology offers a means of improving audibility of high-frequency sounds. For some listeners, the benefit of such technology can be accompanied by a perceived degradation in sound quality, depending on the strength of the FL setting. Purpose: The studies presented in this article investigate the effect of a new type of FL signal processing for hearing aids, adaptive nonlinear frequency compression (ANFC), on subjective speech quality. Research Design: Listener ratings of sound quality were collected for speech stimuli processed with systematically varied fitting parameters. Study Sample: Study 1 included 40 normal-hearing (NH) adult and child listeners. Study 2 included 11 hearing-impaired (HI) adult and child listeners. HI listeners were fitted with laboratory-worn hearing aids for use during listening tasks. Intervention: Speech quality ratings were assessed across test conditions consisting of various strengths of static nonlinear frequency compression (NFC) and ANFC speech. Test conditions included those that were fine-tuned on an individual basis per hearing aid fitting and conditions that were modified to intentionally alter the sound quality of the signal. Data Collection and Analysis: Listeners rated speech quality using the MUlti Stimulus test with Hidden Reference and Anchor (MUSHRA) test paradigm. Ratings were analyzed for reliability and to compare results across conditions. Results: Results show that interrater reliability is high for both studies, indicating that NH and HI listeners from both adult and child age groups can reliably complete the MUSHRA task. Results comparing sound quality ratings across experimental conditions suggest that both the NH and HI listener groups rate the stimuli intended to have poor sound quality (e.g., anchors and the strongest available parameter settings) as having below-average sound quality ratings. A different trend in the results is reported when considering the other experimental conditions across the listener groups in the studies. Speech quality ratings measured with NH listeners improve as the strength of ANFC decreases, with a range of bad to good ratings reported, on average. Speech quality ratings measured with HI listeners are similar and above-average for many of the experimental stimuli, including those with fine-tuned NFC and ANFC parameters. Conclusions: Overall, HI listeners provide similar sound quality ratings when comparing static and adaptive forms of frequency compression, especially when considering the individualized parameter settings. These findings suggest that a range in settings may result in above-average sound quality for adults and children with hearing impairment. Furthermore, the fitter should fine-tune FL parameters for each individual listener, regardless of type of FL technology

Screening the Pathogen Box for Identification of New Chemical Agents with Anti-Fasciola hepatica Activity

Fascioliasis is an infectious parasitic disease distributed globally and caused by the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica or F. gigantica. This neglected tropical disease affects both animals and humans, and it represents a latent public health problem due to the significant economic losses related to its effects on animal husbandry. For decades, triclabendazole has been the unique anti-Fasciola drug that can effectively treat this disease. However, triclabendazole resistance in fascioliasis has more recently been reported around the world, and thus, the discovery of novel drugs is an urgent need. The aim of this study was to investigate the fasciocidal properties of 400 compounds contained in the Pathogen Box. The first stage of the screening was carried out by measuring the fasciocidal activity on metacercariae at a concentration of 33 mu M each compound (the standard dose). Subsequently, the activities of the most active compounds (n = 33) at their 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values against metacercariae were assayed, and the results showed that 13 compounds had IC(50)s of 50%. Four hit compounds were selected on the basis of their predicted nontoxic properties, and the IC50 values obtained for adult worms were <10 mu M; thus, these compounds represented the best fasciocidal compounds tested here. A cytotoxicity assay on four types of cell lines demonstrated that three compounds were nontoxic at their most active concentration. In conclusion, three hit compounds identified in this proof-of-concept study are potential candidates in the discovery of new fasciocidal drugs. Further studies are warranted

Desenhos estórias em encontros terapêuticos na clínica da maternidade

This study aimed at investigating the therapeutic potential of a different feature developed to attend teenager pregnants, in an attempt to develop clinical practices in institutions through psychoanalytical and phenomenologically configured researches. It was realized six therapeutic encounters with a teenager pregnant, "Rosinha", in which we used the Drawing-and-Story Procedure of Trinca, according to the presented paradigm in the Squiggle Game. After each encounter, psychoanalytical narratives were written, and were presented to the group of researchers in which this study was developed, with the intention to apprehend the occurrence of mutative experiences, in the context of psychological fields. We could observe patient development when she was able to recognize her hate to pregnancy, leaving behind the stereotype of ideal mother to turn on in a commonly devoted mother.El actual trabajo tiene como objetivo investigar el potencial terapéutico de un protocolo clinico especial para la atención a las adolescentes embarazadas, fruto de un conjunto de esfuerzos de desarrollo de clínicas prácticas en la institución, apartir de investigaciones psicoanalítica utilizando como referencial teórico a la fenomenologia. Fueron realizadas seis reuniones terapeuticas con una adolescente embarazada, la "Rosita", en el cual fue realizado el uso adaptado de la prueba del dibujo de las historia por Trinca, según el paradigma del juego de garabato por Winnicott. Después de la realización de cada reunión, fueron elaboradas las narraciones psicoanalíticas, presentadas más adelante al grupo de investigación, con intención de detectar la ocurrencia de experiencias "mutativas" / cambiantes, en el contexto de los campos psicologico-existenciales inesperados. Se pudo observar transformaciones objetivas de la paciente en la medida que conseguia reconocer su odio frente al actual embarazo, abandonando el estereotipo de la madre idealizada y asumiendo un papel común devoto de ser madre.Le présent travail a comme objectif d’enquêter sur le potentiel thérapeutique d’un cadre clinique différencié avec la participation d’adolescentes gestantes, qui s’inscrit dans un ensemble d’efforts de développement de pratiques cliniques en institution, à partir de recherches psychanalytiques phénoménologiquement configurées. Ont été réalisées six rencontres thérapeutiques avec une adolescente enceinte, « Rosinha », avec lesquelles nous avons fait une utilisation appropriée de la Procédure Dessins Historiques de Trinca, selon le paradigme du Jeu de la Griffonnage de Winnicott. Après la réalisation de chaque rencontre, on a élaboré des récits psychanalytiques, présentés ultérieurement au groupe de recherche, dans l’intention de détecter la présence d’expériences mutationnistes, dans le contexte des champs psychologico-expérimental émergents. Nous avons pu observer le changement de la patiente dans la mesure où elle a pu reconnaître sa haine concernant cette grossesse, en abandonnant le stéréotype de mère idéalisée pour devenir une mère dévouée commune.O presente trabalho tem como objetivo investigar o potencial terapêutico de um enquadre clínico diferenciado, para atendimento a gestantes adolescentes, inscrevendo-se num conjunto de esforços de desenvolvimento de práticas clínicas em instituição, a partir de pesquisas psicanalíticas fenomenologicamente configuradas. Foram realizados seis encontros terapêuticos com uma adolescente grávida, a "Rosinha", nos quais fizemos um uso adaptado do Procedimento Desenhos-Estórias de Trinca, segundo o paradigma do Jogo do Rabisco de Winnicott. Após a realização de cada encontro, foram elaboradas narrativas psicanalíticas, apresentadas posteriormente ao grupo de pesquisa, no intuito de detectar a ocorrência de experiências mutativas, no contexto dos campos psicológico-vivenciais emergentes. Pudemos observar o desabrochar da paciente na medida em que pôde reconhecer o seu ódio em relação àquela gravidez, abandonando o estereótipo de mãe idealizada para tornar-se uma mãe devotada comum

On Collisionless Electron-Ion Temperature Equilibration in the Fast Solar Wind

We explore a mechanism, entirely new to the fast solar wind, of electron heating by lower hybrid waves to explain the shift to higher charge states observed in various elements in the fast wind at 1 A.U. relative to the original coronal hole plasma. This process is a variation on that previously discussed for two temperature accretion flows by Begelman & Chiueh. Lower hybrid waves are generated by gyrating minor ions (mainly alpha-particles) and become significant once strong ion cyclotron heating sets in beyond 1.5 R_sun. In this way the model avoids conflict with SUMER electron temperature diagnostic measurements between 1 and 1.5 R_sun. The principal requirement for such a process to work is the existence of density gradients in the fast solar wind, with scale length of similar order to the proton inertial length. Similar size structures have previously been inferred by other authors from radio scintillation observations and considerations of ion cyclotron wave generation by global resonant MHD waves.Comment: 32 pages including 11 figures, 4 tables, accepted by Ap