Ultra-light dark matter Ferreira, Elisa G. M.
The Astronomy and astrophysics review,
12/2021, Letnik:
29, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Ultra-light dark matter is a class of dark matter models (DM), where DM is composed by bosons with masses ranging from
10
-
24
eV
<
m
<
eV
. These models have been receiving a lot of attention in the ...past few years given their interesting property of forming a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) or a superfluid on galactic scales. BEC and superfluidity are some of the most striking quantum mechanical phenomena that manifest on macroscopic scales, and upon condensation, the particles behave as a single coherent state, described by the wavefunction of the condensate. The idea is that condensation takes place inside galaxies while outside, on large scales, it recovers the successes of
Λ
CDM. This wave nature of DM on galactic scales that arise upon condensation can address some of the curiosities of the behaviour of DM on small-scales. There are many models in the literature that describe a DM component that condenses in galaxies. In this review, we are going to describe those models, and classify them into three classes, according to the different non-linear evolution and structures they form in galaxies: the fuzzy dark matter (FDM), the self-interacting fuzzy dark matter (SIFDM), and the DM superfluid. Each of these classes comprises many models, each presenting a similar phenomenology in galaxies. They also include some microscopic models like the axions and axion-like particles. To understand and describe this phenomenology in galaxies, we are going to review the phenomena of BEC and superfluidity that arise in condensed matter physics, and apply this knowledge to DM. We describe how ULDM can potentially reconcile the cold DM picture with the small-scale behaviour. These models present a rich phenomenology that is manifest in different astrophysical consequences. We review here the astrophysical and cosmological tests used to constrain those models, together with new and future observations that promise to test these models in different regimes. For the case of the FDM class, the mass where this model has an interesting phenomenology on small-scales
∼
10
-
22
eV
, is strongly challenged by current observations. The parameter space for the other two classes remains weakly constrained. We finalize by showing some predictions that are a consequence of the wave nature of this component, like the creation of vortices and interference patterns, that could represent a smoking gun in the search of these rich and interesting alternative class of DM models.
Conventional wastewater treatments are inefficient for the removal of parabens. The aim of this study was finding a suitable solution using ozone and UVA irradiation combined with TiO2 catalysts ...doped with different noble metals (Ag, Pt, Pd, Au). Photocatalytic ozonation required lower amounts of ozone for higher efficiency on the removal of parabens, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC). The best catalyst for the initial contaminants degradation was 0.5% Ag-TiO2 leading to total parabens removal using 46mgO3/L. Due to the relative low mineralization achieved, the toxicity of the treated solutions was still compared with the initial one over several species (Vibrio fischeri, Lepidium sativum and Corbicula fluminea). All the treatments applied led to a clear decrease on the toxicity compared with initial mixture of parabens. From an economical point of view, it was concluded that the presence of UVA irradiation increased the energy consumption compared with catalytic ozonation with these catalysts but it can decrease the time of reaction. From the by-products analysis, it was concluded that hydroxylation appears to be the most significant reaction pathway and the main responsible for parabens degradation.
Display omitted
•Parabens degradation by photocatalytic ozonation with UVA and doped TiO2•Photocatalytic ozonation improves the endocrine disruptor compounds degradation.•Photolytic and photocatalytic ozonation promotes toxicity reduction of parabens.•Hydroxylation seems to be the most relevant reaction pathway.•Ag-TiO2 shows the best performance on photocatalytic ozonation.
The application of organic coatings is the most common and cost effective method for corrosion protection and extension of service life of many metallic structures in corrosive environments. However, ...the degradation processes rapidly develop once the disruption of the protective barrier occurs. Therefore, an active protection based on the “self-healing” of defects in coatings is necessary to attain a long-term effect.
The present paper brings a brief summary of recent works in the area of new multi-level protective systems, based on the controlled release of anticorrosion species from “smart” micro and nanocontainers incorporated into a polymer or hybrid coating matrix. Nanocontainer (or nanoreservoir) is a nanosized volume filled with an active substance confined in a porous core and/or a shell which precludes the direct contact between the active agent and the adjacent environment.
Several types of nanoreservoirs of corrosion inhibitors, nanotraps and microcapsules with water displacers have been recently developed, incorporated into coating systems and assessed in terms of active corrosion protection. A multi-level self-healing approach combining several damage prevention and restoration mechanisms within the same system, including the entrapment of corrosive ions, corrosion inhibition and water displacement from active defects, is here reviewed.
Tubular epithelia are a basic building block of organs and a common site of cancer occurrence
. During tumorigenesis, transformed cells overproliferate and epithelial architecture is disrupted. ...However, the biophysical parameters that underlie the adoption of abnormal tumour tissue shapes are unknown. Here we show in the pancreas of mice that the morphology of epithelial tumours is determined by the interplay of cytoskeletal changes in transformed cells and the existing tubular geometry. To analyse the morphological changes in tissue architecture during the initiation of cancer, we developed a three-dimensional whole-organ imaging technique that enables tissue analysis at single-cell resolution. Oncogenic transformation of pancreatic ducts led to two types of neoplastic growth: exophytic lesions that expanded outwards from the duct and endophytic lesions that grew inwards to the ductal lumen. Myosin activity was higher apically than basally in wild-type cells, but upon transformation this gradient was lost in both lesion types. Three-dimensional vertex model simulations and a continuum theory of epithelial mechanics, which incorporate the cytoskeletal changes observed in transformed cells, indicated that the diameter of the source epithelium instructs the morphology of growing tumours. Three-dimensional imaging revealed that-consistent with theory predictions-small pancreatic ducts produced exophytic growth, whereas large ducts deformed endophytically. Similar patterns of lesion growth were observed in tubular epithelia of the liver and lung; this finding identifies tension imbalance and tissue curvature as fundamental determinants of epithelial tumorigenesis.
Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) is the European programme to establish a European capacity for Earth Observation. GMES is designed to provide European policy makers and public ...authorities with accurate and timely information to better manage the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure civil security. Sentinel-3 is an Earth observation satellite mission specifically designed for GMES to ensure the long-term collection and operational delivery of high-quality measurements to GMES ocean, land, and atmospheric services, while contributing to the GMES, emergency and security services. Key Sentinel-3 measurement requirements, corresponding to identified GMES user needs, have been derived as follows:•Sea surface topography (SSH), significant wave height (Hs) and surface wind speed derived over the global ocean to an equivalent accuracy and precision as that presently achieved by ENVISAT Radar Altimeter-2 (RA-2) but with enhanced surface topography measurements in the coastal zone, sea ice regions and over inland rivers, their tributaries and lakes.•Sea surface temperature (SST) determined for oceanic and coastal waters globally to an equivalent accuracy and precision as that presently achieved by the ENVISAT Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) over the ocean (i.e. <0.3K), at a spatial resolution of 1km.•Visible, and Short-Wave Infrared radiances for oceanic, inland and coastal waters at a spatial resolution of 0.3km (simultaneously and co-registered with SST measurements), determined to an equivalent level of accuracy and precision as ENVISAT Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer with complete ocean coverage in 2–3days.•Visible and infrared radiances over global land-surfaces in 1–2days, sea-ice and ice-sheets equivalent to those currently provided from ENVISAT MERIS, AATSR and Système Probatoire d'Observation de la Terre (SPOT) Vegetation.
The Sentinel-3 mission addresses these requirements by implementing and operating:•A dual frequency, Synthetic Aperture Radar Altimeter (SRAL) instrument supported by a dual frequency passive microwave radiometer (MWR) for wet-tropospheric correction, a Precise Orbit Determination package including a GPS receiver, a DORIS instrument and a laser retro-reflector.•A highly sensitive Ocean and Land Colour Imager (OLCI) delivering multi-channel wide-swath optical measurements for ocean and land surfaces.•A dual-view Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) delivering accurate surface ocean, land, and ice temperature.•A collaborative ground segment providing management of the mission, management, development, production and access to core data products in an operational near real time delivery context.
The mission foresees a series of satellites, each having 7-year lifetime, over a 20-year period starting with the launch of Sentinel-3A in late 2013 and of Sentinel-3B in late 2014. During full operations two identical satellites will be maintained in the same orbit with a phase delay of 180°.
This paper provides an overview of the GMES Sentinel-3 mission including the mission background and user requirements, a technical description of the space segment, a brief overview of the ground segment concept, and a summary description of Sentinel-3 data products and their anticipated performance.
► A new satellite mission called Sentinel-3 dedicated to oceanography is described. ► A technical overview of the Sentinel-3 instrument payload is presented. ► A summary of the Sentinel-3 ground segment and operations concept is presented. ► A summary of products derived from Sentinel-3 payload instruments is presented.
We present a detailed analysis of the kinetic and mass terms associated with the Landau gauge gluon propagator in the presence of dynamical quarks, and a comprehensive dynamical study of certain ...special kinematic limits of the three-gluon vertex. Our approach capitalizes on results from recent lattice simulations with (
2
+
1
) domain wall fermions, a novel nonlinear treatment of the gluon mass equation, and the nonperturbative reconstruction of the longitudinal three-gluon vertex from its fundamental Slavnov–Taylor identities. Particular emphasis is placed on the persistence of the suppression displayed by certain combinations of the vertex form factors at intermediate and low momenta, already known from numerous pure Yang–Mills studies. One of our central findings is that the inclusion of dynamical quarks moderates the intensity of this phenomenon only mildly, leaving the asymptotic low-momentum behavior unaltered, but displaces the characteristic “zero crossing” deeper into the infrared region. In addition, the effect of the three-gluon vertex is explored at the level of the effective gauge coupling, whose size is considerably reduced with respect to its counterpart obtained from the ghost-gluon vertex. The main upshot of the above considerations is the further confirmation of the tightly interwoven dynamics between the two- and three-point sectors of QCD.
Next-generation regulatory T cell therapy Ferreira, Leonardo M R; Muller, Yannick D; Bluestone, Jeffrey A ...
Nature reviews. Drug discover/Nature reviews. Drug discovery,
10/2019, Letnik:
18, Številka:
10
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Regulatory T cells (T
cells) are a small subset of immune cells that are dedicated to curbing excessive immune activation and maintaining immune homeostasis. Accordingly, deficiencies in T
cell ...development or function result in uncontrolled immune responses and tissue destruction and can lead to inflammatory disorders such as graft-versus-host disease, transplant rejection and autoimmune diseases. As T
cells deploy more than a dozen molecular mechanisms to suppress immune responses, they have potential as multifaceted adaptable smart therapeutics for treating inflammatory disorders. Indeed, early-phase clinical trials of T
cell therapy have shown feasibility, tolerability and potential efficacy in these disease settings. In the meantime, progress in the development of chimeric antigen receptors and in genome editing (including the application of CRISPR-Cas9) over the past two decades has facilitated the genetic optimization of primary T cell therapy for cancer. These technologies are now being used to enhance the specificity and functionality of T
cells. In this Review, we describe the key advances and prospects in designing and implementing T
cell-based therapy in autoimmunity and transplantation.
The consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have increased significantly in the last years (2020–2022), especially for patients in COVID-19 treatment. NSAIDs such as diclofenac, ...ibuprofen, and paracetamol are often available without restrictions, being employed without medical supervision for basic symptoms of inflammatory processes. Furthermore, these compounds are increasingly present in nature constituting complex mixtures discarded at domestic and hospital sewage/wastewater. Therefore, this review emphasizes the biodegradation of diclofenac, ibuprofen, and paracetamol by pure cultures or consortia of fungi and bacteria at
in vitro
,
in situ
, and
ex situ
processes. Considering the influence of different factors (inoculum dose, pH, temperature, co-factors, reaction time, and microbial isolation medium) relevant for the identification of highly efficient alternatives for pharmaceuticals decontamination, since biologically active micropollutants became a worldwide issue that should be carefully addressed. In addition, we present a quantitative bibliometric survey, which reinforces that the consumption of these drugs and consequently their impact on the environment goes beyond the epidemiological control of COVID-19.
Mathematical models based on chemometric analyses of the coffee beverage sensory data and NIR spectra of 51 Arabica roasted coffee samples were generated aiming to predict the scores of acidity, ...bitterness, flavour, cleanliness, body and overall quality of coffee beverage. Partial least squares (PLS) were used to construct the models. The ordered predictor selection (OPS) algorithm was applied to select the wavelengths for the regression model of each sensory attribute in order to take only significant regions into account. The regions of the spectrum defined as important for sensory quality were closely related to the NIR spectra of pure caffeine, trigonelline, 5-caffeoylquinic acid, cellulose, coffee lipids, sucrose and casein. The NIR analyses sustained that the relationship between the sensory characteristics of the beverage and the chemical composition of the roasted grain were as listed below: 1 – the lipids and proteins were closely related to the attribute body; 2 – the caffeine and chlorogenic acids were related to bitterness; 3 – the chlorogenic acids were related to acidity and flavour; 4 – the cleanliness and overall quality were related to caffeine, trigonelline, chlorogenic acid, polysaccharides, sucrose and protein.
Gut microbiota is important for maintaining body weight. Modulation of gut microbiota by probiotics may result in weight loss and thus help in obesity treatment. The aim of this systematic review was ...to evaluate the effects of Lactobacillus on weight loss and/or fat mass in overweight adults. A search was performed on the Medline (PubMed) and Scopus electronic databases using the search terms: 'probiotics', 'Lactobacillus, 'obesity', 'body weight changes', 'weight loss', 'overweight', 'abdominal obesity', 'body composition', 'body weight', 'body fat' and 'fat mass'. In the total were found 1567 articles, but only 14 were included in this systematic review. Of these nine showed decreased body weight and/or body fat, three did not find effect and two showed weight gain. Results suggest that the beneficial effects are strain dependent. It can highlight that Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus rhamnosus when combined with a hypocaloric diet, L. plantarum with Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus amylovorus, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei with phenolic compounds, and multiple species of Lactobacillus.
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