Automated LASCO CME catalog for solar cycle 23: are CMEs scale invariant?

In this paper we present the first automatically constructed LASCO CME catalog, a result of the application of the Computer Aided CME Tracking software (CACTus) on the LASCO archive during the interval September 1997 - January 2007. We have studied the CME characteristics and have compared them with similar results obtained by manual detection (CDAW CME catalog). On average CACTus detects less than 2 events per day during solar minimum up to 8 events during maximum, nearly half of them being narrow (< 20 degrees). Assuming a correction factor, we find that the CACTus CME rate is surprisingly consistent with CME rates found during the past 30 years. The CACTus statistics show that small scale outflow is ubiquitously observed in the outer corona. The majority of CACTus-only events are narrow transients related to previous CME activity or to intensity variations in the slow solar wind, reflecting its turbulent nature. A significant fraction (about 15%) of CACTus-{\it only} events were identified as independent events, thus not related to other CME activity. The CACTus CME width distribution is essentially scale invariant in angular span over a range of scales from 20 to 120 degrees while previous catalogues present a broad maximum around 30 degrees. The possibility that the size of coronal mass outflows follow a power law distribution could indicate that no typical CME size exists, i.e. that the narrow transients are not different from the larger well-defined CMEs.Comment: 13 pages. ApJ, accepte

Electrical stimulation with non-implanted devices for stress urinary incontinence in women

The authors would like to thank Luke Vale, Imran Omar, Sheila Wallace and Suzanne MacDonald at the Cochrane Incontinence Group for their support. We would also like to thank Mette Frahm Olsen, Gavin Stewart, Miriam Brazelli, Anna Sierawska, and Beatriz Gualeo for help with translations.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Slow magnetoacoustic waves in coronal loops : EIT and TRACE

On May 13, 1998 the EIT (Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope) on board of SoHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) and TRACE (Transition Region And Coronal Explorer) instruments produced simultaneous high cadence image sequences of the same active region (AR 8218). TRACE achieved a 25 s cadence in the FeIX (171 Å) bandpass while EIT achieved a 15 s cadence (operating in "shutterless mode", SoHO JOP 80) in the FeXII (195 Å) bandpass. These high cadence observations in two complementary wavelengths have revealed the existence of weak transient disturbances in an extended coronal loop system. These propagating disturbances (PDs) seem to be a common phenomenon in this part of the active region. The disturbances originate from small scale brightenings at the footpoints of the loops and propagate along the loops. The projected propagation speeds roughly vary between 65 and 150 km s-1 for both instruments which is close to and below the expected sound speed in the coronal loops. The measured slow magnetoacoustic propagation speeds seem to suggest that the transients are sound (or slow) wave disturbances. This work differs from previous studies in the sense that it is based on a multi-wavelength observation of an entire loop bundle at high cadence by two EUV imagers. The observation of sound waves along the same path shows that they propagate along the same loop, suggesting that loops contain sharp temperature gradients and consist of either concentric shells or thin loop threads, at different temperatures

Achieving Thoracic Oncology data collection in Europe: a precursor study in 35 Countries

Background: A minority of European countries have participated in international comparisons with high level data on lung cancer. However, the nature and extent of data collection across the continent is simply unknown, and without accurate data collection it is not possible to compare practice and set benchmarks to which lung cancer services can aspire. Methods: Using an established network of lung cancer specialists in 37 European countries, a survey was distributed in December 2014. The results relate to current practice in each country at the time, early 2015. The results were compiled and then verified with co-authors over the following months. Results: Thirty-five completed surveys were received which describe a range of current practice for lung cancer data collection. Thirty countries have data collection at the national level, but this is not so in Albania, BosniaHerzegovina, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. Data collection varied from paper records with no survival analysis, to well-established electronic databases with links to census data and survival analyses. Conclusion: Using a network of committed clinicians, we have gathered validated comparative data reporting an observed difference in data collection mechanisms across Europe. We have identified the need to develop a welldesigned dataset, whilst acknowledging what is feasible within each country, and aspiring to collect high quality data for clinical research