Self-powered wireless sensor for duct monitoring

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Whistler mode waves upstream of Saturn

Whistler mode waves are generated within and can propagate upstream of collisionless shocks. They are known to play a role in electron thermodynamics/acceleration and, under certain conditions, are markedly observed as wave trains preceding the shock ramp. In this paper, we take advantage of Cassini's presence at ~10 AU to explore the importance of whistler mode waves in a parameter regime typically characterized by higher Mach number (median of ~14) shocks, as well as a significantly different interplanetary magnetic field structure, compared to near Earth. We identify electromagnetic precursors preceding a small subset of bow shock crossings with properties which are consistent with whistler mode waves. We find these monochromatic, low-frequency, and circularly polarized waves to have a typical frequency range of 0.2–0.4 Hz in the spacecraft frame. This is due to the lower ion and electron cyclotron frequencies near Saturn, between which whistler waves can develop. The waves are also observed as predominantly right handed in the spacecraft frame, the opposite sense to what is typically observed near Earth. This is attributed to the weaker Doppler shift, owing to the large angle between the solar wind velocity and magnetic field vectors at 10 AU. Our results on the low occurrence of whistler waves upstream of Saturn also underpin the predominantly supercritical bow shock of Saturn

Correlations between structure and dynamics in complex networks

Previous efforts in complex networks research focused mainly on the topological features of such networks, but now also encompass the dynamics. In this Letter we discuss the relationship between structure and dynamics, with an emphasis on identifying whether a topological hub, i.e. a node with high degree or strength, is also a dynamical hub, i.e. a node with high activity. We employ random walk dynamics and establish the necessary conditions for a network to be topologically and dynamically fully correlated, with topological hubs that are also highly active. Zipf's law is then shown to be a reflection of the match between structure and dynamics in a fully correlated network, as well as a consequence of the rich-get-richer evolution inherent in scale-free networks. We also examine a number of real networks for correlations between topology and dynamics and find that many of them are not fully correlated.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, 1 tabl

Intelligence and socioeconomic context on childhood: comparisons by place of residence and school type

Los diferentes aspectos del contexto socioeconómico pueden afectar la inteligencia. Este estudio investigó el desempeño intelectual de niños de diferentes regiones de vivienda y tipos de escuela. Se llevó a cabo una comparación de niños de la periferia (n = 169) y de la región central (n = 110) de Porto Alegre con niños de escuelas privadas (n = 49) y públicas (n = 61). Para recopilar los datos se utilizó la Escala de Inteligencia Abreviada de Wechsler (WASI) y la ficha sociodemográfica. Se aplicó el análisis de covarianza (entre grupos) y el análisis de varianza para medidas repetidas (intragrupo). El grupo de la periferia tuvo un desempeño más bajo en todos los puntajes de la WASI y presentó los resultados más bajos en las tareas verbales en la comparación intragrupo, lo que no ocurrió con el grupo de la región central. Los puntajes de los niños de las escuelas públicas y privadas fueron distintos en todos los puntajes de la WASI, pero en la comparación intragrupo tuvieron un rendimiento similar.Diferentes aspectos do contexto socioeconômico podem afetar a inteligência. Este estudo investigou o desempenho intelectual de crianças de diferentes regiões de moradia e tipos de escola. As análises compararam crianças da periferia (n = 169) e da região central (n = 110) de Porto Alegre; e crianças de escola privada (n = 49) e pública (n = 61). A coleta de dados incluiu a Escala Wechsler Abreviada de Inteligência (WASI) e ficha sociodemográfica. Utilizou-se Análise de Covariância (entre grupos) e Análise de Variância para medidas repetidas (intragrupo). O grupo de periferia apresentou menor desempenho em todos os escores da WASI e, na comparação intragrupo, resultados mais baixos nas tarefas verbais – o que não ocorreu no grupo da região central. Crianças de escolas públicas e privadas diferiram em todos os escores da WASI, mas apresentaram desempenho intragrupo semelhante.Different aspects of the socioeconomic context can affect intelligence. This study investigated the intellectual performance of children from different places of residence and school types. The analyses compared children from the outskirts (n = 169) and the central region (n = 110) from Porto Alegre; and children from private (n = 49) and public (n = 61) schools. Data collection included the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) and sociodemographic record. Analysis of covariance (between groups) and Analysis of Variance for repeated measures (within-group) were used. Children from the outskirts region showed poorer performance on all WASI scores and, in the within-group comparison, lower results on verbal tasks – which did not occur in the central region group. Children from public and private schools differed in all WASI scores but had a similar within-group performance

Chemerin receptor blockade improves vascular function in diabetic obese mice via redox-sensitive- and Akt-dependent pathways

Chemerin and its G protein-coupled receptor [chemerin receptor 23 (ChemR23)] have been associated with endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and insulin resistance. However, the role of chemerin on insulin signaling in the vasculature is still unknown. We aimed to determine whether chemerin reduces vascular insulin signaling and whether there is interplay between chemerin/ChemR23, insulin resistance, and vascular complications associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Molecular and vascular mechanisms were probed in mesenteric arteries and cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from C57BL/6J, nondiabetic lean db/m, and diabetic obese db/db mice as well as in human microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs). Chemerin decreased insulin-induced vasodilatation in C57BL/6J mice, an effect prevented by CCX832 (ChemR23 antagonist) treatment. In VSMCs, chemerin, via oxidative stress- and ChemR23-dependent mechanisms, decreased insulin-induced Akt phosphorylation, glucose transporter 4 translocation to the membrane, and glucose uptake. In HMECs, chemerin decreased insulin-activated nitric oxide signaling. AMP-activated protein kinase phosphorylation was reduced by chemerin in both HMECs and VSMCs. CCX832 treatment of db/db mice decreased body weight, insulin, and glucose levels as well as vascular oxidative stress. CCX832 also partially restored vascular insulin responses in db/db and high-fat diet-fed mice. Our novel in vivo findings highlight chemerin/ChemR23 as a promising therapeutic target to limit insulin resistance and vascular complications associated with obesity-related diabetes

Complement C3 variant and the risk of age-related macular degeneration

Background: Age-related macular degeneration is the most common cause of blindness in Western populations. Susceptibility is influenced by age and by genetic and environmental factors. Complement activation is implicated in the pathogenesis.Methods: We tested for an association between age-related macular degeneration and 13 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning the complement genes C3 and C5 in case subjects and control subjects from the southeastern region of England. All subjects were examined by an ophthalmologist and had independent grading of fundus photographs to confirm their disease status. To test for replication of the most significant findings, we genotyped a set of Scottish cases and controls.Results: The common functional polymorphism rs2230199 (Arg80Gly) in the C3 gene, corresponding to the electrophoretic variants C3S (slow) and C3F (fast), was strongly associated with age-related macular degeneration in both the English group (603 cases and 350 controls, P=5.9 x 10(sup -5)) and the Scottish group (244 cases and 351 controls, P=5.0 x 10(sup -5)). The odds ratio for age-related macular degeneration in C3 S/F heterozygotes as compared with S/S homozygotes was 1.7 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3 to 2.1); for F/F homozygotes, the odds ratio was 2.6 (95% CI, 1.6 to 4.1). The estimated population attributable risk for C3F was 22%.Conclusions: Complement C3 is important in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration. This finding further underscores the influence of the complement pathway in the pathogenesis of this disease

Tick-host range adaptation : changes in protein profiles in unfed adult Ixodes scapularis and Amblyomma americanum saliva stimulated to feed on different hosts

Understanding the molecular basis of how ticks adapt to feed on different animal hosts is central to understanding tick and tick-borne disease (TBD) epidemiology. There is evidence that ticks differentially express specific sets of genes when stimulated to start feeding. This study was initiated to investigate if ticks such as Ixodes scapularis and Amblyomma americanum that are adapted to feed on multiple hosts utilized the same sets of proteins to prepare for feeding. We exposed I. scapularis and A. americanum to feeding stimuli of different hosts (rabbit, human, and dog) by keeping unfed adult ticks enclosed in a perforated microfuge in close contact with host skin, but not allowing ticks to attach on host. Our data suggest that ticks of the same species differentially express tick saliva proteins (TSPs) when stimulated to start feeding on different hosts. SDS-PAGE and silver staining analysis revealed unique electrophoretic profiles in saliva of I. scapularis and A. americanum that were stimulated to feed on different hosts: rabbit, human, and dog. LC-MS/MS sequencing and pairwise analysis demonstrated that I. scapularis and A. americanum ticks expressed unique protein profiles in their saliva when stimulated to start feeding on different hosts: rabbit, dog, or human. Specifically, our data revealed TSPs that were unique to each treatment and those that were shared between treatments. Overall, we identified a total of 276 and 340 non-redundant I. scapularis and A. americanum TSPs, which we have classified into 28 functional classes including: secreted conserved proteins (unknown functions), proteinase inhibitors, lipocalins, extracellularmatrix/cell adhesion, heme/ironmetabolism, signal transduction and immunity-related proteins being the most predominant in saliva of unfed ticks. With exception of research on vaccines against Rhipicephalus microplus, which its natural host, cattle, research on vaccine against other ticks relies feeding ticks on laboratory animals. Data here suggest that relying on lab animal tick feeding data to select target antigens could result in prioritizing irrelevant anti-tick vaccine targets that are expressed when ticks feed on laboratory animals. This study provides the platform that could be utilized to identify relevant target anti-tick vaccine antigens, and will facilitate early stage tick feeding research

Gas inflow and outflow in an interacting high-redshift galaxy The remarkable host environment of GRB 080810 at z=3.35

We reveal multiple components of an interacting galaxy system at z ≈ 3.35 through a detailed analysis of the exquisite high-resolution Keck/HIRES spectrum of the afterglow of a gamma-ray burst (GRB). Through Voigt-profile fitting of absorption lines from the Lyman series, we constrain the neutral hydrogen column density to NH i ≤ 1018.35 cm-2 for the densest of four distinct systems at the host redshift of GRB 080810, which is among the lowest NH i ever observed in a GRB host, even though the line of sight passes within a projected 5 kpc of the galaxy centres. By detailed analysis of the corresponding metal absorption lines, we derive chemical, ionic, and kinematic properties of the individual absorbing systems, and thus build a picture of the host as a whole. Striking differences between the systems imply that the line of sight passes through several phases of gas: the star-forming regions of the GRB host; enriched material in the form of a galactic outflow; the hot and ionised halo of a second interacting galaxy falling towards the host at a line-of-sight velocity of 700 km s-1; and a cool metal-poor cloud that may represent one of the best candidates yet for the inflow of metal-poor gas from the intergalactic medium