Metal Abundances in the Magellanic Stream

We report on the first metallicity determination for gas in the Magellanic Stream, using archival HST GHRS data for the background targets Fairall 9, III Zw 2, and NGC 7469. For Fairall 9, using two subsequent HST revisits and new Parkes Multibeam Narrowband observations, we have unequivocally detected the MSI HI component of the Stream (near its head) in SII1250,1253 yielding a metallicity of [SII/H]=-0.55+/-0.06(r)+/-0.2(s), consistent with either an SMC or LMC origin and with the earlier upper limit set by Lu et al. (1994). We also detect the saturated SiII1260 line, but set only a lower limit of [SiII/H]>-1.5. We present serendipitous detections of the Stream, seen in MgII2796,2803 absorption with column densities of (0.5-1)x10^13 cm^-2 toward the Seyfert galaxies III Zw 2 and NGC 7469. These latter sightlines probe gas near the tip of the Stream (80 deg down-Stream of Fairall 9). For III Zw 2, the lack of an accurate HI column density and the uncertain MgIII ionization correction limits the degree to which we can constrain [Mg/H]; a lower limit of [MgII/HI]>-1.3 was found. For NGC 7469, an accurate HI column density determination exists, but the extant FOS spectrum limits the quality of the MgII column density determination, and we conclude that [MgII/HI]>-1.5. Ionization corrections associated with MgIII and HII suggest that the corresponding [Mg/H] may range lower by 0.3-1.0 dex. However, an upward revision of 0.5-1.0 dex would be expected under the assumption that the Stream exhibits a dust depletion pattern similar to that seen in the Magellanic Clouds. Remaining uncertainties do not allow us to differentiate between an LMC versus SMC origin to the Stream gas.Comment: 30 pages, 8 figures, LaTeX (aaspp4), also available at http://casa.colorado.edu/~bgibson/publications.html, accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journa

Mean-atom-trajectory model for the velocity autocorrelation function of monatomic liquids

We present a model for the motion of an average atom in a liquid or supercooled liquid state and apply it to calculations of the velocity autocorrelation function $Z(t)$ and diffusion coefficient $D$. The model trajectory consists of oscillations at a distribution of frequencies characteristic of the normal modes of a single potential valley, interspersed with position- and velocity-conserving transits to similar adjacent valleys. The resulting predictions for $Z(t)$ and $D$ agree remarkably well with MD simulations of Na at up to almost three times its melting temperature. Two independent processes in the model relax velocity autocorrelations: (a) dephasing due to the presence of many frequency components, which operates at all temperatures but which produces no diffusion, and (b) the transit process, which increases with increasing temperature and which produces diffusion. Because the model provides a single-atom trajectory in real space and time, including transits, it may be used to calculate all single-atom correlation functions.Comment: LaTeX, 8 figs. This is an updated version of cond-mat/0002057 and cond-mat/0002058 combined Minor changes made to coincide with published versio

The Hubble Space Telescope Key Project on the Extragalactic Distance Scale XXIV: The Calibration of Tully-Fisher Relations and the Value of the Hubble Constant

This paper presents the calibration of BVRIH$ Tully-Fisher relations based on Cepheid distances to 21 galaxies within 25 Mpc, and 23 clusters within 10,000 km/s. These relations have been applied to several distant cluster surveys in order to derive a value for the Hubble constant, H0, mainly concentrating on an I-band all-sky survey by Giovanelli and collaborators which consisted of total I magnitudes and 50% linewidth data for ~550 galaxies in 16 clusters. For comparison, we also derive the values of H0 using surveys in B-band and V-band by Bothun and collaborators, and in H-band by Aaronson and collaborators. Careful comparisons with various other databases from literature suggest that the H-band data, whose magnitudes are isophotal magnitudes extrapolated from aperture magnitudes rather than total magnitudes, are subject to systematic uncertainties. Taking a weighted average of the estimates of Hubble constants from four surveys, we obtain H0 = 71 +- 4 (random) +- 7 (systematic) km/s/Mpc. We have also investigated how various systematic uncertainties affect the value of H0 such as the internal extinction correction method used, Tully-Fisher slopes and shapes, a possible metallicity dependence of the Cepheid period-luminosity relation and cluster population incompleteness bias.Comment: 34 pages, 13 figure

Another look at the root of the angiosperms reveals a familiar tale

Since the advent of molecular phylogenetics more than 25 years ago, a major goal of plant systematists has been to discern the root of the angiosperms. While most studies indicate that Amborella trichopoda is sister to all remaining extant flowering plants, support for this position has varied with respect to both the sequence data sets and analyses employed. Recently, Goremykin et al. (2013) questioned the “Amborella-sister hypothesis” using a “noise-reduction” approach and reported a topology with Amborella + Nymphaeales (water lilies) sister to all remaining angiosperms. Through a series of analyses of both plastid genomes and mitochondrial genes, we continue to find mostly strong support for the Amborella-sister hypothesis and offer a rebuttal of Goremykin et al. (2013). The major tenet of Goremykin et al. is that the Amborella-sister position is determined by noisy data – i.e. characters with high rates of change and lacking true phylogenetic signal. To investigate the signal in these noisy data further, we analyzed the discarded characters from their noise-reduced alignments. We recovered a tree identical to that of the currently accepted angiosperm framework, including the position of Amborella as sister to all other angiosperms, as well as all other major clades. Thus, the signal in the “noisy” data is consistent with that of our complete data sets – arguing against the use of their noise-reduction approach. We also determined that one of the alignments presented by Goremykin et al. yields results at odds with their central claim – their data set actually supports Amborella as sister to all other angiosperms, as do larger plastid data sets we present here that possess more complete taxon sampling both within the monocots and for angiosperms in general. Previous unpartitioned, multi-locus analyses of mtDNA data have provided the strongest support for Amborella + Nymphaeales as sister to other angiosperms. However, our analysis of third codon positions from mtDNA sequence data also supports the Amborella-sister hypothesis. Finally, we challenge the conclusion of Goremykin et al. that the first flowering plants were aquatic and herbaceous, reasserting that even if Amborella + water lilies, or water lilies alone, are sister to the rest of the angiosperms, the earliest angiosperms were not necessarily aquatic and/or herbaceous

The Magellanic Stream, High-Velocity Clouds and the Sculptor Group

The Magellanic Stream is a 100\deg x 10\deg filament of gas which lies within the Galactic halo and contains ~ 2 x 10^8 \Msun of neutral hydrogen. We present data from the HI Parkes All Sky Survey (HIPASS) in the first complete survey of the entire Magellanic Stream and its surroundings. We also present a summary of the reprocessing techniques used to recover large-scale structure in the Stream. The Stream properties revealed include: bifurcation along the main Stream filament; dense, isolated clouds which follow the entire length of the Stream; head-tail structures; and a complex filamentary web at the head where gas is being freshly stripped away from the Small Magellanic Cloud and the Bridge. Debris which appears to be of Magellanic origin extends out to 20\deg from the main Stream filaments. The large number of elongated Stream clouds suggests the presence of shearing motions within the Stream, arising from tidal forces or interaction with the tenuous Galactic halo. Clouds along the sightline to the less distant half of the Sculptor Group, show anomalous properties. We argue that these clouds represent halo material, and are not distant Sculptor Group clouds. This result has significant implications for the hypothesis that there might exist distant, massive HVCs within the Local Group. (abridged

Forecasting the response of Earth's surface to future climatic and land use changes: a review of methods and research needs

In the future, Earth will be warmer, precipitation events will be more extreme, global mean sea level will rise, and many arid and semiarid regions will be drier. Human modifications of landscapes will also occur at an accelerated rate as developed areas increase in size and population density. We now have gridded global forecasts, being continually improved, of the climatic and land use changes (C&LUC) that are likely to occur in the coming decades. However, besides a few exceptions, consensus forecasts do not exist for how these C&LUC will likely impact Earth-surface processes and hazards. In some cases, we have the tools to forecast the geomorphic responses to likely future C&LUC. Fully exploiting these models and utilizing these tools will require close collaboration among Earth-surface scientists and Earth-system modelers. This paper assesses the state-of-the-art tools and data that are being used or could be used to forecast changes in the state of Earth's surface as a result of likely future C&LUC. We also propose strategies for filling key knowledge gaps, emphasizing where additional basic research and/or collaboration across disciplines are necessary. The main body of the paper addresses cross-cutting issues, including the importance of nonlinear/threshold-dominated interactions among topography, vegetation, and sediment transport, as well as the importance of alternate stable states and extreme, rare events for understanding and forecasting Earth-surface response to C&LUC. Five supplements delve into different scales or process zones (global-scale assessments and fluvial, aeolian, glacial/periglacial, and coastal process zones) in detail

Building capacity for injury prevention: a process evaluation of a replication of the Cardiff Violence Prevention Programme in the Southeastern USA

Objectives Violence is a major public health problem in the USA. In 2016, more than 1.6 million assault-related injuries were treated in US emergency departments (EDs). Unfortunately, information about the magnitude and patterns of violent incidents is often incomplete and underreported to law enforcement (LE). In an effort to identify more complete information on violence for the development of prevention programme, a cross-sectoral Cardiff Violence Prevention Programme (Cardiff Model) partnership was established at a large, urban ED with a level I trauma designation and local metropolitan LE agency in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area. The Cardiff Model is a promising violence prevention approach that promotes combining injury data from hospitals and LE. The objective was to describe the Cardiff Model implementation and collaboration between hospital and LE partners. Methods The Cardiff Model was replicated in the USA. A process evaluation was conducted by reviewing project materials, nurse surveys and interviews and ED–LE records. Results Cardiff Model replication centred around four activities: (1) collaboration between the hospital and LE to form a community safety partnership locally called the US Injury Prevention Partnership; (2) building hospital capacity for data collection; (3) data aggregation and analysis and (4) developing and implementing violence prevention interventions based on the data. Conclusions The Cardiff Model can be implemented in the USA for sustainable violent injury data surveillance and sharing. Key components include building a strong ED–LE partnership, communicating with each other and hospital staff, engaging in capacity building and sustainability planning

Complex Risks from Old Urban Waste Landfills: Sustainability Perspective from Iasi, Romania

Landfills continue to represent the most frequent managerial practice for municipal solid wastes and an increasing and complex problem globally. In certain countries, a transition to an open society and free market is superimposed on the transition to sustainability, resulting in even higher complexity of management. This paper proposes an approach for problem-structuring of landfills in complex transitions: sustainability or unsustainability of a management approach is determined by a set of sustainability filters that are defined by sets of indicators and prioritized according the systemic concept of sustainability, which says that economy is embedded in society, which is embedded in nature. The writers exercise this approach with an old landfill in Iasi, Romania, and conclude for unsustainability, because the ecological sustainability filter is not successfully passed. Social and economic sustainability filters are also discussed in relation with the ecological sustainability indicators. The described approach allows a coherent, transdisciplinary synthesis of knowledge scattered across various disciplines, a pervasive problem in landfill management. The case study helps distinguish between generally true and context-dependent aspects.Peer reviewe

Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Infective Endocarditis in Adults: A WikiGuidelines Group Consensus Statement.

IMPORTANCE Practice guidelines often provide recommendations in which the strength of the recommendation is dissociated from the quality of the evidence. OBJECTIVE To create a clinical guideline for the diagnosis and management of adult bacterial infective endocarditis (IE) that addresses the gap between the evidence and recommendation strength. EVIDENCE REVIEW This consensus statement and systematic review applied an approach previously established by the WikiGuidelines Group to construct collaborative clinical guidelines. In April 2022 a call to new and existing members was released electronically (social media and email) for the next WikiGuidelines topic, and subsequently, topics and questions related to the diagnosis and management of adult bacterial IE were crowdsourced and prioritized by vote. For each topic, PubMed literature searches were conducted including all years and languages. Evidence was reported according to the WikiGuidelines charter: clear recommendations were established only when reproducible, prospective, controlled studies provided hypothesis-confirming evidence. In the absence of such data, clinical reviews were crafted discussing the risks and benefits of different approaches. FINDINGS A total of 51 members from 10 countries reviewed 587 articles and submitted information relevant to 4 sections: establishing the diagnosis of IE (9 questions); multidisciplinary IE teams (1 question); prophylaxis (2 questions); and treatment (5 questions). Of 17 unique questions, a clear recommendation could only be provided for 1 question: 3 randomized clinical trials have established that oral transitional therapy is at least as effective as intravenous (IV)-only therapy for the treatment of IE. Clinical reviews were generated for the remaining questions. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this consensus statement that applied the WikiGuideline method for clinical guideline development, oral transitional therapy was at least as effective as IV-only therapy for the treatment of IE. Several randomized clinical trials are underway to inform other areas of practice, and further research is needed

In Search of a Trade Mark: Search Practices and Bureaucratic Poetics

Trade marks have been understood as quintessential ‘bureaucratic properties’. This article suggests that the making of trade marks has been historically influenced by bureaucratic practices of search and classification, which in turn were affected by the possibilities and limits of spatial organisation and technological means of access and storage. It shows how the organisation of access and retrieval did not only condition the possibility of conceiving new trade marks, but also served to delineate their intangible proprietary boundaries. Thereby they framed the very meaning of a trade mark. By advancing a historical analysis that is sensitive to shifts, both in actual materiality and in the administrative routines of trade mark law, the article highlights the legal form of trade mark as inherently social and materially shaped. We propose a historical understanding of trade mark law that regards legal practice and bureaucratic routines as being co-constitutive of the very legal object itself