141 research outputs found
Local u'g'r'i'z' Standard Stars in the Chandra Deep Field-South
Because several observing programs are underway in various spectral regimes
to explore the Chandra Deep Field South (CDF-S), the value of local photometric
standards is obvious. As part of an NOAO Surveys Program to establish
u'g'r'i'z' standard stars in the southern hemisphere, we have observed the
central region of the CDF-S to create local standards for use by other
investigators using these filters. As a courtesy, we present the CDF-S
standards to the public now, although the main program will not finish until
mid-2005.Comment: Accepted by AJ (scheduled for October 2003 issue). 26 pages, 5
tables, 5 figures. High resolution version of Figure 7 available at
http://home.fnal.gov/~dtucker/Southern_ugriz/index.htm
Histotripsy Effects on the Bladder Trigone: Functional and Histologic Consequences in the Canine Model
Background: Histotripsy is an extracorporeal therapeutic ultrasound (US) technology, where high-amplitude acoustic energy is applied to targeted tissue. Previous research has demonstrated the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of histotripsy tissue homogenization and debulking of the prostate in the canine model. Before translating this technology for human use, it is prudent to examine the susceptibility of critical periprostatic structures to cavitation injury in the event of histotripsy mistargeting. In this study, we sought to characterize the tissue effects and biologic response of directly treating the bladder trigone with histotripsy. Materials and Methods: In eight anesthetized canines, 750,000 histotripsy pulses were applied uniformly across a 2?1.5-cm area encompassing the bladder trigone and ureteral orifices. Prostate and bladder trigone were harvested immediately after treatment (2 subjects) or at 14 days (6 subjects). Flexible cystourethroscopy, US imaging, and creatinine levels were obtained at intervals until harvest, 14 days after treatment. In one control subject, harvested at 2 days, the same treatment algorithm was applied to the prostate. Results: Transrectal US imaging revealed a cavitation bubble cloud on the surface of the bladder trigone and progressive development of tissue edema during treatment. Flexible cystourethroscopy immediately after treatment confirmed edema and erythema of the trigone. In the six subjects survived 2 weeks after treatment, one incidence of transient, self-limited ureteral obstruction was noted based on hydronephrosis and creatinine levels. At harvest, ureteral orifices were confirmed patent by passage of a guide wire. Histologic evaluation revealed hemorrhage acutely with mild localized fibrosis at 14 days. Conclusions: In this study, designed along the lines of a worst-case, destructive testing scenario, direct targeting of the bladder trigone with supratherapeutic histotripsy failed to induce significant tissue damage or clinical complication. These results are reassuring and will guide treatment strategy in upcoming human clinical trials of histotripsy treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140374/1/end.2013.0234.pd
Turning Back the Clock: Inferring the History of the Eight O'clock Arc
We present the results from an optical and near-infrared spectroscopic study
of the ultraviolet-luminous z = 2.73 galaxy, the 8 o'clock arc. Due to
gravitational lensing, this galaxy is magnified by a factor of > 10, allowing
in-depth measurements which are usually unfeasible at such redshifts. In the
optical spectra, we measured the systemic redshift of the galaxy, z = 2.7322
+/- 0.0012, using stellar photospheric lines. This differs from the redshift of
absorption lines in the interstellar medium, z = 2.7302 +/- 0.0006, implying
gas outflows on the order of 160 km/s. With H and K-band near-infrared spectra,
we have measured nebular emission lines of Halpha, Hbeta, Hgamma, [N II] and [O
III], which have a redshift z = 2.7333 +/- 0.0001, consistent with the derived
systemic redshift. From the Balmer decrement, we measured the dust extinction
to be A_5500 = 1.17 +/- 0.36 mag. Correcting Halpha for dust extinction and the
assumed lensing factor, we measure a star-formation rate of ~ 270 Msol/yr,
which is higher than ~ 85% of star-forming galaxies at z ~ 2-3. Using
combinations of all detected emission lines, we find that the 8 o'clock arc has
a gas-phase metallicity of ~ 0.8 Zsol, showing that enrichment at high-redshift
is not rare, even in blue, star-forming galaxies. Studying spectra from two of
the arc components separately, we find that one component dominates the dust
extinction and star-formation rate, although the metallicities between the two
components are similar. We derive the mass via stellar population modeling, and
find that the arc has a total stellar mass of ~ 4 x 10^11 Msol, which falls on
the mass-metallicity relation at z ~ 2. Finally, we estimate the total gas
mass, and find it to be only ~ 12% of the stellar mass, implying that the 8
o'clock arc is likely nearing the end of a starburst.Comment: Replaced with updated version after proofs. SFR and A_V values have
been update
Very Low Prevalence and Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation among Bolivian Forager-Farmers
Background: Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in post-industrialized populations. Older age, hypertension, obesity, chronic inflammation, and diabetes are significant atrial fibrillation risk factors, suggesting that modern urban environments may promote atrial fibrillation.
Objective: Here we assess atrial fibrillation prevalence and incidence among tropical horticulturalists of the Bolivian Amazon with high levels of physical activity, a lean diet, and minimal coronary atherosclerosis, but also high infectious disease burden and associated inflammation.
Methods: Between 2005–2019, 1314 Tsimane aged 40–94 years (52% female) and 534 Moseten Amerindians aged 40–89 years (50% female) underwent resting 12-lead electrocardiograms to assess atrial fibrillation prevalence. For atrial fibrillation incidence assessment, 1059 (81% of original sample) Tsimane and 310 Moseten (58%) underwent additional ECGs (mean time to follow up 7.0, 1.8 years, respectively).
Findings: Only one (male) of 1314 Tsimane (0.076%) and one (male) of 534 Moseten (0.187%) demonstrated atrial fibrillation at baseline. There was one new (female) Tsimane case in 7395 risk years for the 1059 participants with \u3e1 ECG (incidence rate = 0.14 per 1,000 risk years). No new cases were detected among Moseten, based on 542 risk years.
Conclusion: Tsimane and Moseten show the lowest levels of atrial fibrillation ever reported, 1/20 to ~1/6 of rates in high-income countries. These findings provide additional evidence that a subsistence lifestyle with high levels of physical activity, and a diet low in processed carbohydrates and fat is cardioprotective, despite frequent infection-induced inflammation. Findings suggest that atrial fibrillation is a modifiable lifestyle disease rather than an inevitable feature of cardiovascular aging
The Fifth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
This paper describes the Fifth Data Release (DR5) of the Sloan Digital Sky
Survey (SDSS). DR5 includes all survey quality data taken through June 2005 and
represents the completion of the SDSS-I project (whose successor, SDSS-II will
continue through mid-2008). It includes five-band photometric data for 217
million objects selected over 8000 square degrees, and 1,048,960 spectra of
galaxies, quasars, and stars selected from 5713 square degrees of that imaging
data. These numbers represent a roughly 20% increment over those of the Fourth
Data Release; all the data from previous data releases are included in the
present release. In addition to "standard" SDSS observations, DR5 includes
repeat scans of the southern equatorial stripe, imaging scans across M31 and
the core of the Perseus cluster of galaxies, and the first spectroscopic data
from SEGUE, a survey to explore the kinematics and chemical evolution of the
Galaxy. The catalog database incorporates several new features, including
photometric redshifts of galaxies, tables of matched objects in overlap regions
of the imaging survey, and tools that allow precise computations of survey
geometry for statistical investigations.Comment: ApJ Supp, in press, October 2007. This paper describes DR5. The SDSS
Sixth Data Release (DR6) is now public, available from http://www.sdss.or
Prevalence of Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Indigenous Bolivian Forager-Horticulturalists
Introduction
We evaluated the prevalence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in indigenous Tsimane and Moseten, who lead a subsistence lifestyle. Methods
Participants from population-based samples ≥ 60 years of age (n = 623) were assessed using adapted versions of the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination, informant interview, longitudinal cognitive testing and brain computed tomography (CT) scans. Results
Tsimane exhibited five cases of dementia (among n = 435; crude prevalence = 1.2%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.4, 2.7); Moseten exhibited one case (among n = 169; crude prevalence = 0.6%, 95% CI: 0.0, 3.2), all age ≥ 80 years. Age-standardized MCI prevalence was 7.7% (95% CI: 5.2, 10.3) in Tsimane and 9.8% (95% CI: 4.9, 14.6) in Moseten. Cognitive impairment was associated with visuospatial impairments, parkinsonian symptoms, and vascular calcification in the basal ganglia. Discussion
The prevalence of dementia in this cohort is among the lowest in the world. Widespread intracranial medial arterial calcifications suggest a previously unrecognized, non-Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD) dementia phenotype
A catalogue of structural and morphological measurements for DES Y1
We present a structural and morphological catalogue for 45 million objects selected from the first year data of the Dark Energy Survey (DES). Single Sersic fits and non-parametric ´ measurements are produced for g, r, and i filters. The parameters from the best-fitting Sersic ´ model (total magnitude, half-light radius, Sersic index, axis ratio, and position angle) are mea- ´ sured with GALFIT; the non-parametric coefficients (concentration, asymmetry, clumpiness, Gini, M20) are provided using the Zurich Estimator of Structural Types (ZEST+). To study the statistical uncertainties, we consider a sample of state-of-the-art image simulations with a realistic distribution in the input parameter space and then process and analyse them as we do with real data: this enables us to quantify the observational biases due to PSF blurring and magnitude effects and correct the measurements as a function of magnitude, galaxy size, Sersic ´ index (concentration for the analysis of the non-parametric measurements) and ellipticity. We present the largest structural catalogue to date: we find that accurate and complete measurements for all the structural parameters are typically obtained for galaxies with SEXTRACTOR MAG AUTO I ≤ 21. Indeed, the parameters in the filters i and r can be overall well recovered up to MAG AUTO ≤ 21.5, corresponding to a fitting completeness of ∼90 per cent below this threshold, for a total of 25 million galaxies. The combination of parametric and non-parametric structural measurements makes this catalogue an important instrument to explore and understand how galaxies form and evolve. The catalogue described in this paper will be publicly released alongside the DES collaboration Y1 cosmology data products at the following URL: https://des.ncsa.illinois.edu/releases
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