scholarly journals Dayside nitrogen and carbon escape on Titan: the role of exothermic chemistry

2019 ◽  
Vol 633 ◽  
pp. A8 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Gu ◽  
J. Cui ◽  
P. P. Lavvas ◽  
D.-D. Niu ◽  
X.-S. Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo Model ◽  
Dissociative Recombination ◽  
Escape Rate ◽  
Collisional Quenching ◽  
Escape Probability ◽  
Total N ◽  
Atmospheric Escape ◽  
Climate Evolution ◽  
Rate Profile

Context. Atmospheric escape has an appreciable impact on the long-term climate evolution on terrestrial planets. Exothermic chemistry serves as an important mechanism driving atmospheric escape and the role of such a mechanism is of great interest for Titan due to its extremely complicated atmospheric and ionospheric composition. Aims. This study is devoted to a detailed investigation of neutral N and C escape on the dayside of Titan, which is driven by exothermic neutral–neutral, ion–neutral, and dissociative recombination (DR) reactions. It was carried out based on the extensive measurements of Titan’s upper atmospheric structure by a number of instruments on board Cassini, along with an improved understanding of the chemical network involved. Methods. A total number of 14 C- and N-containing species are investigated based on 146 exothermic chemical reactions that release hot neutrals with nascent energies above their respective local escape energies. For each species and each chemical channel, the hot neutral production rate profile is calculated, which provides an estimate of the corresponding escape rate when combined with the appropriate escape probability profile obtained from a test particle Monte Carlo model. Results. Our calculations suggest a total N escape rate of 9.0 × 1023 s−1 and a total C escape rate of 4.2 × 1023 s−1, driven by exothermic chemistry and appropriate for the dayside of Titan. The former is primarily contributed by neutral-neutral reactions, whereas the latter is dominated by ion–neutral reactions; however, contributions from neutral–neutral and DR reactions to the latter cannot be ignored either. Our calculations further reveal that the bulk of N escape is driven by hot N(4S) production from the collisional quenching of N(2D) by ambient N2, while C escape is mainly driven by hot CH3 and CH4 production via a number of important ion–neutral and neutral–neutral reactions. Conclusions. Considered in the context of prior investigations of other known escape mechanisms, we suggest that exothermic chemistry is likely to contribute appreciably to non-thermal C escape on the dayside of Titan, although it plays an insignificant role in N escape.

Hydrogen and helium escape on Venus via energy transfer from hot oxygen atoms

2020 ◽  
Vol 501 (2) ◽  
pp. 2394-2402
Author(s):  
Hao Gu ◽  
Jun Cui ◽  
Dandan Niu ◽  
Jiang Yu
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Monte Carlo Model ◽  
Dissociative Recombination ◽  
Angle Distribution ◽  
Model Uncertainties ◽  
Atmospheric Escape ◽  
Parallel Approximation ◽  
Hot Oxygen ◽  
Energy Dependent

ABSTRACT Due to the relatively strong gravity on Venus, heavy atmospheric neutrals are difficult to accelerate to the escape velocity. However, a variety of processes, such as the dissociative recombination of ionospheric O$_2^+$, are able to produce hot atoms which could deliver a significant amount of energy to light neutrals and drive their escape. In this study, we construct a Monte Carlo model to simulate atmospheric escape of three light species, H, H2, and He, on Venus via such a knock-on process. Two Venusian background atmosphere models are adopted, appropriate for solar minimum and maximum conditions. Various energy-dependent and species-dependent cross-sections, along with a common strongly forward scattering angle distribution, are used in our calculations. Our model results suggest that knock-on by hot O likely plays the dominant role in driving total atmospheric hydrogen and helium escape on Venus at the present epoch, with a significant portion contributed from regions below the exobase. Substantial variations are also revealed by our calculations. Of special interest is the modelled reduction in escape flux at high solar activities for all species, mainly associated with the enhancement in thermal O concentration near the exobase at high solar activities which hinders escape. Finally, model uncertainties due to several controlling factors, including the distribution of relevant light species in the background atmosphere, the plane-parallel approximation, and the finite O energy distribution, are evaluated.

Supernatural norm enforcement: Thinking about Karma and God reduces selfishness among believers

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindel White ◽  
John Michael Kelly ◽  
Azim Shariff ◽  
Ara Norenzayan
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Framing Effects ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Total N ◽  
Norm Enforcement ◽  
Dictator Games ◽  
Within Subjects

Four experiments (total N = 3591) examined how thinking about Karma and God increases adherence to social norms that prescribe fairness in anonymous dictator games. We found that (1) thinking about Karma decreased selfishness among karmic believers across religious affiliations, including Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and non-religious Americans; (2) thinking about God also decreased selfishness among believers in God (but not among non-believers), replicating previous findings; and (3) thinking about both karma and God shifted participants’ initially selfish offers towards fairness (the normatively prosocial response), but had no effect on already fair offers. These supernatural framing effects were obtained and replicated in high-powered, pre-registered experiments and remained robust to several methodological checks, including hypothesis guessing, game familiarity, demographic variables, between- and within-subjects designs, and variation in data exclusion criteria. These results support the role of culturally-elaborated beliefs about supernatural justice as a motivator of believer’s adherence to prosocial norms.

STEROID RECEPTOR PHENOTYPE, EXPRESSION OF HER-2/NEU, PD-1, PD-L1 AND LYMPHOCYTIC-MACROPHAGAL INFILTRATION OF ENDOMETRIAL CARCINOMAS: COMPARISON OF MODERN MOLECULAR BIOLOGICAL TYPES OF THE DISEASE (THE ROLE OF BODY MASS INDEX)

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-78
Author(s):  
Lev Bershteyn ◽  
Aleksandr Ivantsov ◽  
Aglaya Ievleva ◽  
A. Venina ◽  
I. Berlev
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Tumor Tissue ◽  
Immunohistochemical Analysis ◽  
The Body ◽  
Molecular Profile ◽  
Total N ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Her 2

The aim of this study was to evaluate steroid receptors’ status of tumor tissue in different molecular biological types of endometrial cancer (EC), subdivided according to the current classification, and their colonization by lymphocytic and macrophage cells, taking into account body mass index of the patients. Materials and methods: Material from treatment-naive patients with EC (total n = 229) was included; the number of sick persons varied depending on the method used. The average age of patients was close to 60 years, and about 90% of them were postmenopausal. It was possible to divide the results of the work into two main subgroups: a) depending on the molecular biological type of the tumor (determined on the basis of genetic and immunohistochemical analysis), and b) depending on the value of the body mass index (BMI). The latter approach was used in patients with EC type demonstrating a defective mismatch repair of the incorrectly paired nucleotides (MMR-D) and with a type without characteristic molecular profile signs (WCMP), but was not applied (due to the smaller number of patients) in EC types with a POLE gene mutation or with expression of the oncoprotein p53. According to the data obtained, when comparing various types of EC, the lowest values of Allred ER and PR scores were revealed for POLE-mutant and p53 types, while the “triple-negative” variant of the tumor (ER-, PR-, HER2/neu-) was most common in POLE-mutant (45.5% of cases) and WCMP (19.4%) types of EC. The p53+ type of EC is characterized by inclination to the higher expression of the macrophage marker CD68 and lymphocytic Foxp3, as well as mRNA of PD-1 and SALL4. In addition to the said above, for WCMP type of EC is peculiar, on the contrary, a decrease in the expression of lymphocytic markers CD8 (protein) and PD-L1 (mRNA). When assessing the role of BMI, its value of >30.0 (characteristic for obesity) was combined with an inclination to the increase of HER-2/neu expression in the case of MMR-D EC type and to the decrease of HER-2 /neu, FOXp3 and ER expression in WCMP type. Conclusions: The accumulated information (mainly describing here hormonal sensitivity of the tumor tissue and its lymphocytic-macrophage infiltration) additionally confirms our earlier expressed opinion that the differences between women with EC are determined by both the affiliation of the neoplasm to one or another molecular biological type (subdivided according to the contemporary classification), as well as by body mass value and (very likely) the associated hormonal and metabolic attributes.

scholarly journals Sex differences in the phylum‐level human gut microbiota composition

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Koliada ◽  
Vladislav Moseiko ◽  
Mariana Romanenko ◽  
Oleh Lushchak ◽  
Nadiia Kryzhanovska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Microbiota Composition ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Total N ◽  
Human Gut Microbiota ◽  
Gut Microbiota Composition

Abstract Background Evidence was previously provided for sex-related differences in the human gut microbiota composition, and sex-specific discrepancy in hormonal profiles was proposed as a main determinant of these differences. On the basis of these findings, the assumption was made on the role of microbiota in the sexual dimorphism of human diseases. To date, sex differences in fecal microbiota were demonstrated primarily at lower taxonomic levels, whereas phylum-level differences between sexes were reported in few studies only. In the present population-based cross-sectional research, sex differences in the phylum-level human gut microbiota composition were identified in a large (total n = 2301) sample of relatively healthy individuals from Ukraine. Results Relative abundances of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, as determined by qRT-PCR, were found to be significantly increased, while that of Bacteroidetes was significantly decreased in females compared to males. The Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio was significantly increased in females compared to males. Females had 31 % higher odds of having F/B ratio more than 1 than males. This trend was evident in all age groups. The difference between sexes was even more pronounced in the elder individuals (50+): in this age group, female participants had 56 % higher odds of having F/B ratio > 1 than the male ones. Conclusions In conclusion, sex-specific differences in the phylum-level intestinal microbiota composition were observed in the Ukraine population. The F/B ratio was significantly increased in females compared to males. Further investigation is needed to draw strong conclusions regarding the mechanistic basis for sex-specific differences in the gut microbiota composition and regarding the role of these differences in the initiation and progression of human chronic diseases.

scholarly journals A chip off the (im)moral block? Lay beliefs about genetic heritability predicts whether family members’ actions affect self-judgments

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Peetz ◽  
Michael Jeremy Adam Wohl ◽  
Anne E Wilson ◽  
Andrew Dawson
Keyword(s):  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Moral Self ◽  
Total N ◽  
Lay Beliefs ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Related Family ◽  
Genetic Heritability

The idea of heritability may have consequences for individuals’ sense of self by connecting identity to the actions of others who happen to share genetic ties. Across seven experimental studies (total N=2,628), recalling morally bad or good actions by family members influenced individuals’ moral self among those who endorse a lay belief that moral character is genetically heritable, but not among those who did not endorse this belief (Study 1-5). In contrast, recalling actions by unrelated individuals had no effect, regardless of lay beliefs (Study 2, 5), the endorsement of other relevant lay beliefs did not moderate the effect of parent’s actions on self-judgments (Study 3). Individuals who endorsed heritability beliefs also chose less helpful responses to hypothetical helping scenarios if they had recalled unhelpful (vs. helpful) acts by a genetically-related family member (Study 5). Taken together, these studies suggest that lay beliefs in the role of genetics are important for self-perceptions.

scholarly journals Beyond “fake news”: The role of analytic thinking in the detection of inaccuracy and partisan bias in news headlines

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M Ross ◽  
David Gertler Rand ◽  
Gordon Pennycook
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Analytic Thinking ◽  
Total N ◽  
Partisan Bias ◽  
News Content ◽  
Political Bias ◽  
Political Partisanship ◽  
News Headlines

Why is misleading partisan content believed and shared? An influential account posits that political partisanship pervasively biases reasoning, such that engaging in analytic thinking exacerbates motivated reasoning and, in turn, the acceptance of hyperpartisan content. Alternatively, it may be that susceptibility to hyperpartisan misinformation is explained by a lack of reasoning. Across two studies using different subject pools (total N = 1977), we had participants assess true, false, and hyperpartisan headlines taken from social media. We found no evidence that analytic thinking was associated with increased polarization for either judgments about the accuracy of the headlines or willingness to share the news content on social media. Instead, analytic thinking was broadly associated with an increased capacity to discern between true headlines and either false or hyperpartisan headlines. These results suggest that reasoning typically helps people differentiate between low and high quality news content, rather than facilitating political bias.

scholarly journals Moses, money, and multiple-choice: The Moses illusion in a multiple-choice format with high incentives

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Speckmann ◽  
Christian Unkelbach
Keyword(s):  
Cooperative Communication ◽  
Correct Answer ◽  
Cooperative Communications ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Monetary Incentives ◽  
Total N ◽  
Communication Context ◽  
Moses Illusion ◽  
Choice Approach

AbstractWhen people answer the question “How many animals of each kind did Moses take on the Ark?”, they usually respond with “two,” although Moses does not appear in the biblical story of the Ark. We investigated this “Moses illusion” in a multiple-choice format and tested the influence of monetary incentives on the illusion’s strength. Thereby, we addressed the role of a cooperative communication context for the illusion’s emergence, as well as the role of participants’ motivation. In four experiments (total N = 914), we found that the Moses illusion persists in a multiple-choice format. As the multiple-choice format realizes a cooperative context in which the correct answer is always available, we exclude a cooperative context explanation for the illusion. Monetary incentives reduced the strength of the illusion. However, the reduction was numerically and statistically small. We thereby show that the illusion is not due to violations of cooperative communications, and not due to a lack of motivation. The multiple-choice approach will facilitate further research on the Moses illusion and the data provide additional evidence for the Moses illusion’s empirical robustness and constrain its theoretical explanations.

scholarly journals Cures That (Make You) Work

2021 ◽  
Vol 229 (3) ◽  
pp. 171-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana S. Aengenheister ◽  
Renée Urban ◽  
Georg Halbeisen
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Application ◽  
Social Perception ◽  
Social Role ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Total N ◽  
Health Related Behaviors ◽  
Headache Treatment ◽  
Health Related

Abstract. Successful treatment not only depends on adhering to taking medication and attending therapy but also on behavioral changes. In two experiments (total N = 256), we investigated the hypothesis that the perceived social role of a treatment as partner (co-producer of a health-benefits) or servant (sole provider of health benefits) could promote or prevent intentions to engage in health-related behaviors. Specifically, we used headache treatment as an everyday example and found that participants were more inclined to engage in headache-reducing behaviors when painkillers were described as partners as compared to servants. Implications of these findings for the importance of anthropomorphic social perception in the clinical application are discussed.

scholarly journals Disgust sensitivity and moral judgments of purity: The role of transgression weirdness

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fieke Maria Antoinet Wagemans ◽  
Mark John Brandt ◽  
Marcel Zeelenberg
Keyword(s):  
Moral Judgments ◽  
Disgust Sensitivity ◽  
Total N ◽  
Moral Domains ◽  
Moral Transgressions ◽  
The Relationship

Disgust sensitivity is more strongly related to moral judgments in the purity domain than to moral judgments in other moral domains. While this finding highlights the distinctiveness of moral domains, anti-modularity accounts suggest that the relationship is caused by the relative weirdness of purity transgressions and come to the conclusion that moral domains do not represent distinct mechanisms. In two studies (total N = 2,307), we test whether transgression weirdness accounts for disgust sensitivity’s stronger association with moral judgments of the purity as compared to other moral domains, but find little evidence for this claim. The relationship between disgust sensitivity and moral judgments of purity even remains when taking into account both (perceived) weirdness and (perceived) harmfulness of moral transgressions. These studies show that transgression weirdness and harmfulness cannot explain the disgust sensitivity–purity link, contradicting predictions following from popular anti-modularity accounts.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document