In this work, we present Alfnoor, a dedicated tool optimized for population studies of exoplanet atmospheres. Alfnoor combines the latest version of the retrieval algorithm, TauREx 3, with the ...instrument noise simulator ArielRad and enables the simultaneous retrieval analysis of a large sample of exo-atmospheres. We applied this tool to the Ariel list of planetary candidates and focus on hydrogen dominated, cloudy atmospheres observed in transit with the Tier-2 mode (medium Ariel resolution). As a first experiment, we randomized the abundances-ranging from 10−7 to 10−2-of the trace gases, which include H2O, CH4, CO, CO2, and NH3. This exercise allowed us to estimate the detection limits for Ariel Tier-2 and Tier-3 modes when clouds are present. In a second experiment, we imposed an arbitrary trend between a chemical species and the effective temperature of the planet. A last experiment was run requiring molecular abundances being dictated by equilibrium chemistry at a certain temperature. Our results demonstrate the ability of Ariel Tier-2 and Tier-3 surveys to reveal trends between the chemistry and associated planetary parameters. Future work will focus on eclipse data, on atmospheres heavier than hydrogen, and will be applied also to other observatories.
Mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome type 3 is an emerging disorder linked to variants in the deoxyguanosine kinase gene, which encodes for mitochondrial maintenance. This autosomal recessive ...disorder is frequent in the Middle East and North Africa. Diagnosis is often delayed due to the non-specificity of clinical presentation with cerebro-hepatic deterioration. The only therapeutic option is liver transplantation, although the value of this remains debatable.
We describe the clinical, biochemical, and molecular profiles of Lebanese patients with this rare disorder. We also present a review of all cases from the Middle East and North Africa.
All Lebanese patients share a unique mutation, unreported in other populations. Almost half of patients worldwide originate from the Middle East and North Africa, with cases reported from only 7 of the 21 countries in this region. Clinical presentation is heterogeneous, with early-onset neurological and hepatic signs. Liver failure and lactic acidosis are constants. Several variants can be identified in each population; a unique c.235C>T p. (Gln79*) pathogenic variant is found in Lebanese patients. Outcome is poor, with death before 1 year of age.
The pathogenic nonsense variant c.235C>T p. (Gln79*) in the deoxyguanosine kinase gene may be considered a founder mutation in Lebanon. Further genotypic delineation of this devastating disorder in populations with high consanguinity rates is needed.
We present the first major data release of the largest single key-project in area carried out in open time with the Herschel
Space Observatory. The Herschel Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey ...(H-ATLAS) is a survey of 600 deg2 in five photometric bands – 100, 160, 250, 350 and 500 μm – with the Photoconductor Array Camera and Spectrometer and Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) cameras. In this paper and the companion Paper II, we present the survey of three fields on the celestial equator, covering a total area of 161.6 deg2 and previously observed in the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) spectroscopic survey. This paper describes the Herschel images and catalogues of the sources detected on the SPIRE 250 μm images. The 1σ noise for source detection, including both confusion and instrumental noise, is 7.4, 9.4 and 10.2 mJy at 250, 350 and 500 μm. Our catalogue includes 120 230 sources in total, with 113 995, 46 209 and 11 011 sources detected at >4σ at 250, 350 and 500 μm. The catalogue contains detections at >3σ at 100 and 160 μm for 4650 and 5685 sources, and the typical noise at these wavelengths is 44 and 49 mJy. We include estimates of the completeness of the survey and of the effects of flux bias and also describe a novel method for determining the true source counts. The H-ATLAS source counts are very similar to the source counts from the deeper HerMES survey at 250 and 350 μm, with a small difference at 500 μm. Appendix A provides a quick start in using the released data sets, including instructions and cautions on how to use them.
Hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria syndrome is an extremely rare disorder of urea cycle, with few patients reported worldwide. Despite hyperammonemia control, the long-term outcome ...remains poor with progressive neurological deterioration. We report the clinical, biochemical, and molecular features of two Lebanese siblings diagnosed with this disorder and followed for 8 and 15 years, respectively. Variable clinical manifestations and neurological outcome were observed. The patient with earlier onset of symptoms had a severe neurological deterioration while the other developed a milder form of the disease at an older age. Diagnosis was challenging in the absence of the complete biochemical triad and the non-specific clinical presentations. Whole exome sequencing revealed a homozygous variant, p.Phe188del, in the SLC25A15 gene, a French- Canadian founder mutation previously unreported in Arab patients. Hyperammonemia was controlled in both patients but hyperonithinemia persisted. Frequent hyperalaninemia spikes and lactic acidosis occured concomitantly with the onset of seizures in one of the siblings. Variable neurological deterioration and outcome were observed within the same family. This is the first report from the Arab population of the long-term outcome of this devastating neurometabolic disorder.
Metformin is the most commonly prescribed oral antidiabetic medication. Direct/indirect activation of Adenosine Monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and non-AMPK pathways, amongst others, ...are deemed to explain the molecular mechanisms of action of metformin. Metformin is an established insulin receptor sensitising antihyperglycemic agent, is highly affordable, and has superior safety and efficacy profiles. Emerging experimental and clinical evidence suggests that metformin has pleiotropic non-glycemic effects. Metformin appears to have weight stabilising, renoprotective, neuroprotective, cardio-vascular protective, and antineoplastic effects and mitigates polycystic ovarian syndrome. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of metformin seem to qualify it as an adjunct therapy in treating infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, and the current novel Covid-19 infections. So far, metformin is the only prescription medicine relevant to the emerging field of senotherapeutics. Non-glycemic effects of metformin favourable to its repurposing in therapeutic use are hereby discussed.
Exploiting the Herschel Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey Science Demonstration Phase survey data, we have determined the luminosity functions (LFs) at rest-frame wavelengths of 100 and 250 ...Delta *mm and at several redshifts z 1, for bright submillimeter galaxies with star formation rates (SFRs) 100 M yr--1. We find that the evolution of the comoving LF is strong up to z 2.5, and slows down at higher redshifts. From the LFs and the information on halo masses inferred from clustering analysis, we derived an average relation between SFR and halo mass (and its scatter). We also infer that the timescale of the main episode of dust-enshrouded star formation in massive halos (M H 3 X 1012 M ) amounts to ~7 X 108 yr. Given the SFRs, which are in the range of 102-103 M yr--1, this timescale implies final stellar masses of the order of 1011-1012 M . The corresponding stellar mass function matches the observed mass function of passively evolving galaxies at z 1. The comparison of the statistics for submillimeter and UV-selected galaxies suggests that the dust-free, UV bright phase is 102 times shorter than the submillimeter bright phase, implying that the dust must form soon after the onset of star formation. Using a single reference spectral energy distribution (SED; the one of the z 2.3 galaxy SMM J2135-0102), our simple physical model is able to reproduce not only the LFs at different redshifts >1 but also the counts at wavelengths ranging from 250 Delta *mm to 1 mm. Owing to the steepness of the counts and their relatively broad frequency range, this result suggests that the dispersion of submillimeter SEDs of z > 1 galaxies around the reference one is rather small.
Polydopamine decorated in-situ with Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR)-active gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) may extend the applicability of nanoplasmonic materials to original and innovative ...applications in several fields. Here we report the modification of disposable UV–Vis polystyrene cuvettes with AuNPs@PDA for refractive index LSPR-based measurements. An original layer-by-layer deposition method of PDA followed by AuNPs growth is here developed, showing linear correlation between PDA thickness and optical properties. In particular, the modulation from wavelength sensitivity toward absorbance sensitivity is obtained, allowing measurements at fixed wavelength (578 nm). As applicative example of the photonic cuvettes, the measurement of fermentable sugars in beer wort is here reported. The analytical performance of our approach has been directly compared to portable refractometer of reference, displaying excellent results in terms of the precise estimation of sugars in beer wort (expressed in degrees Brix), reproducibility and sensitivity. The approach may be extended to other materials of interest in LSPR based optical sensors, e.g. optical fibers.
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•Polydopamine (PDA) is able to spontaneously reduce Au(III) to gold nanoparticles at their surface.•PDA films decorated with gold nanoparticles can be exploited in LSPR measurements.•A layer-by-layer growth of PDA evidences the correlation between PDA thickness and LSPR behavior.•At certain thickness, absorbance intensity change instead of wavelength shift is successfully obtained.•Measurements of sugars in beer wort are obtained and compared with a portable refractrometer.
Context. Millimetre-wave continuum astronomy is today an indispensable tool for both general astrophysics studies (e.g. star formation, nearby galaxies) and cosmology (e.g. cosmic microwave ...background and high-redshift galaxies). General purpose, large-field-of-view instruments are needed to map the sky at intermediate angular scales not accessible by the high-resolution interferometers (e.g. ALMA in Chile, NOEMA in the French Alps) and by the coarse angular resolution space-borne or ground-based surveys (e.g. Planck, ACT, SPT). These instruments have to be installed at the focal plane of the largest single-dish telescopes, which are placed at high altitude on selected dry observing sites. In this context, we have constructed and deployed a three-thousand-pixel dual-band (150 GHz and 260 GHz, respectively 2 mm and 1.15 mm wavelengths) camera to image an instantaneous circular field-of-view of 6.5 arcmin in diameter, and configurable to map the linear polarisation at 260 GHz. Aims. First, we are providing a detailed description of this instrument, named NIKA2 (New IRAM KID Arrays 2), in particular focussing on the cryogenics, optics, focal plane arrays based on Kinetic Inductance Detectors, and the readout electronics. The focal planes and part of the optics are cooled down to the nominal 150 mK operating temperature by means of an adhoc dilution refrigerator. Secondly, we are presenting the performance measured on the sky during the commissioning runs that took place between October 2015 and April 2017 at the 30-m IRAM telescope at Pico Veleta, near Granada (Spain). Methods. We have targeted a number of astronomical sources. Starting from beam-maps on primary and secondary calibrators we have then gone to extended sources and faint objects. Both internal (electronic) and on-the-sky calibrations are applied. The general methods are described in the present paper. Results. NIKA2 has been successfully deployed and commissioned, performing in-line with expectations. In particular, NIKA2 exhibits full width at half maximum angular resolutions of around 11 and 17.5 arcsec at respectively 260 and 150 GHz. The noise equivalent flux densities are, at these two respective frequencies, 33±2 and 8±1 mJy s1/2. A first successful science verification run was achieved in April 2017. The instrument is currently offered to the astronomy community and will remain available for at least the following ten years.
Polluted dredged sediments are classified as waste and cannot be re-used in civil and environmental engineering nor in agriculture, posing serious logistical, economic and environmental problems for ...their management. We tested co-composting of sediments (S) slightly polluted by PAHs with urban green waste (GW), as a sustainable technique to both degrade the organic pollutants and lend to sediments suitable properties to be reused as technosol. Four treatments were tested: sediments only (S), GW only (GW), 1:1 w:w S:GW (SGW1:1), and 3:1 w:w S:GW (SGW3:1) for a co-composting period of one year. The co-composting materials underwent to an initial short and moderate thermophilic phase. However, at the end of the co-composting process, SGW3:1 and SGW1:1 achieved suitable physical and chemical properties as plant substrate in terms of organic C, N and humic substances contents, electrical conductivity and bulk density. In the first six months of treatment, the PAHs concentration in SGW3:1 and SGW1:1 was reduced by 26% and 57%, respectively, reaching values below under 1mgg−1, whereas such a reduction in S alone was observed only after nine months. We concluded that co-composting with green waste can be a suitable approach for reclamation of dredged sediments opening opportunities for their use as technosol or as plant growing substrate.
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•Co-composting with green waste (GW) was tested to reclaim dredged sediments (S).•Co-composting improved the S chemical and physical properties.•Co-composting of S and GW led to degradation of PAHs.•Co-composting end-product had suitable properties to be used as technosol.
Interest on Tau protein is fast increasing in Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis. There is the urgent need of highly sensitive and specific diagnostic platforms for its quantification, also in ...combination with the other AD hallmarks. Up to now, SPR has been poorly exploited for tau detection by immunosensing, due to sensitivity limits at nanomolar level, whereas the clinical requirement is in the picomolar range. Molecular architectures built in a layer-by-layer fashion, biomolecules and nanostructures (metallic or not) may amplify the SPR signal and improve the limit of detection to the desired sensitivity. Mostly gold nanostructures are widely employed to this aim, but great interest is also emerging in Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs). Here MWCNTs are modified and then decorated with the secondary antibody for tau protein. Eventually we took advantage from MWCNTs-antibody conjugate to obtain a sandwich-based bioassay with the capability to increase the SPR signal of about 102 folds compared to direct detection and conventional unconjugated sandwich. With respect to these results, we hope to give a strong impulse for further investigation on studying possible roles of carbon nanotubes in optical-based biosensing.
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•Surface plasmon resonance immunosensor to detect tau protein is developed.•Analyzing tau in aCSF high protein stability and signal repeatability are obtained.•Sandwich assay improves selectivity and sensitivity using secondary antibody (mAb2).•Coupling secondary antibody to carbon nanotubes tau is detected down to 125pM.•Tau detection is carried out in artificial CSF.
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